Tossing out old technology

stratovani · #1 04-22-2011, 06:31 PM

A sign of the times - today I threw out almost all my old 3 1/2" floppy discs I had laying around just collecting dust. I have nothing to play them on as it is, so they havn't seen action in years. Imagine, 1.44 MB of storage in each disc! Talk about obsolescence! I did keep one, just to show to my grandkids someday. I imagine I'll be throwing out all my CDs and DVDs next, although I don't know when that'll be! The way technology goes, it'll be probably sooner rather than later.

I'll be tossing out a few more things in the next couple of months. I still have a couple of old computers that nobody will want - a Compaq computer from the late 90s which was my family's first computer, and an old IBM laptop from the same time period. They both run Windows 98, are both hopelessly obsolete, and I can't even give them away! They'll be disposed of the next time the town runs one of its "Electronics Days" for getting rid of old electronics stuff. I also have a couple of old VCRs and small TVs to dispose of.

It's funny how the stuff we thought of as the "latest and greatest" and we paid so much money for and cared so much about eventually makes it to its ultimate destination - the scrap heap! I think of the old George Harrison song, All Things Must Pass, when I think about this.

boing · #2 04-22-2011, 07:09 PM

stratovani · #3 04-22-2011, 07:14 PM

Excellent post, boing! It really shows how far technology has progressed in a really short time!

**colcifer** · #4 04-22-2011, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boing

Sacred feces!

bongomania · #5 04-22-2011, 07:42 PM

Yeah, I have two non-working digital cameras, each just a few years old, that would cost more to fix than to replace, so they'll go in the trash. Each was a "miracle of modern technology" less than a decade ago.

I also threw away a bunch of VHS pr0n tapes a couple months ago. You can't leave that stuff out on the street corner, and you can't list it on Ebay, and hardly anyone would want it anyway. But when those tapes were new, they cost like $60 a pop!

stratovani · #6 04-22-2011, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

Yeah, I have two non-working digital cameras, each just a few years old, that would cost more to fix than to replace, so they'll go in the trash. Each was a "miracle of modern technology" less than a decade ago.

I also threw away a bunch of VHS pr0n tapes a couple months ago. You can't leave that stuff out on the street corner, and you can't list it on Ebay, and hardly anyone would want it anyway. But when those tapes were new, they cost like $60 a pop!

Now that you mention it, that's probably the next thing to go in our house. I've got a fair number of old VHS tapes that havn't seen the light of day for years now. Think I'll be chucking those next.

It's amazing the speed at which "the latest and greatest" turns into landfill material!

Dirk Diggler · #7 04-22-2011, 08:51 PM

Last weekend I took a whole van full of old technology to a local recycle technology event, look for one in your area.

Dirk

jp58 · #8 04-22-2011, 09:03 PM

I still have and play my SNES on a regular basis.

mmbongo · #9 04-22-2011, 09:15 PM

I 'disposed' of my 1987 Apple IIgs computer on Ebay recently. Got $200 for it

A-Step-Towards · #10 04-22-2011, 09:24 PM

I just was laying my n64 i bought new

I remember when those apples were first on the market, i was in 4th grade and thought they were so sweet haha.

stratovani · #11 04-22-2011, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jp58

I still have and play my SNES on a regular basis.

My son just recently picked one up at our local Salvation Army store for $5. He enjoys playing it almost as much as his Xbox 360!

MJ5150 · #12 04-22-2011, 09:54 PM

So you're the last guy on earth who owns some of those floppies.

-Mike

jp58 · #13 04-22-2011, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A-Step-Towards

I just was laying my n64 i bought new

I remember when those apples were first on the market, i was in 4th grade and thought they were so sweet haha.

I have my N64 somewhere. I was playing OoT not to long ago.

Mike M. · #14 04-22-2011, 11:22 PM

I'm so out of it with technology that I don't know what's come and gone. I have a simple cell phone that I just got (and that's all it is...a phone) and I had my 10 year old computer rebuilt last year. iPods, iPhones, digital cameras...never owned. I couldn't tell you what half of the new gadgets I see on TV are all about. Hell, I've never even been on Facebook once!

I don't know....I guess I'm just a simple guy with simple needs and that's good enough for me. Just don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.

seanm · #15 04-22-2011, 11:55 PM

I threw out all my old 5 1/4" floppys a while back... but this winter I did a big cleaning spree and threw out all my old 3 1/2" floppys. I also got rid of all my 1/4" data tapes

They still worked... but what is the point of keeping them?

While I was at it, I threw out all my serial mice.

onosson · #16 04-23-2011, 12:08 AM

got rid of all my commercial cds 10 years ago... planning to get rid of the dvds this year. everything is on hard drive now, or flash cards. or "in the cloud". I like it - I generally dislike owning "stuff".

ShredderMaximus · #17 04-23-2011, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jp58

I have my N64 somewhere. I was playing OoT not to long ago.

A good game is a good game, no matter how old!

Sonic_Death · #18 04-23-2011, 12:37 AM

I am too sentimental about electronics. So many old desktops, monitors, floppys, pci cards, hard drives, etc... I should definitely start scrapping all the older desktop cases and hardware that is too outdated.

Maybe I'll save some of it just to say, "hey, this is what things were like way back when." There are some cool DIY projects that you can do with old computer parts that I might look into.

As far as N64 goes, that is nowhere near being obsolete. Let's get real. I actually just found our old Atari 2600 in the basement the other day. I've tried numerous times to hook it up but it doesn't seem like it is working. No clue what's busted. As far as I can tell, either the power adapter isn't working or it is something with the console itself. I've tried numerous ways to hook it up to the TV so I feel like that's not it.

cataract · #19 04-23-2011, 12:43 AM

I still have all of my old Sierra and LucasFilm/Arts games in their original boxes.

totallyfrozen · #20 04-23-2011, 01:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jp58

I still have and play my SNES on a regular basis.

Yup! I have a Sega Genesis, SNES, GameCube, and a Nintendo GBA-SP with games for all of them. I don't plan on getting rid of any of them if I can help it. You can find some decent games for all of them on eBay still. No matter what, I'm not getting rid of my GBA-SP. That thing has kept me from acting like William Shatner in Twilight Zone on many a long flight.