This is Clay Aiken News Network. Our goal has and will always be to keep you updated on all the Clay Aiken news as it happens. We have also tried to keep up on topics that are important in Clay’s professional life.
Recently, I have found it more of a challenge to present new and different topics so today we are going off track a bit. I hope you don’t mind. Tomorrow we will be back to Clay Aiken…I would like to think that Clay might chuckle at some of the obsolete gadgets, but he’s probably too young to remember some of them
I was on the Internet yesterday, looking for information about the changing field of music. I was trying to find different opinions about the CD and why many people see it as obsolete. But…somehow I got off on another tangent.
It seemed that with each entry, I would come across many different gadgets, technologies, and habits that are now either obsolete or well on their way.
Because of the many advancements and gadgets introduced in the last few years, the whole world has changed. We now have entirely different ways to do business, look for information, and connect with others.
We can reach anywhere in the world in just seconds, we have touch-screens and we share our thoughts with friends all over the world.
So…I am sharing some of the obsolete gadgets with you. How is your memory? Do you remember using any of these “older” devices? Do you still use some of these inventions?
17 Things That Became Obsolete!
PDAs
Remember that trusty stylus? The once-awesome Palm Pilot had no chance when the touch-screen smartphone became the norm.
Dial-up
Static… dial tone… repeat a few times… ah, Internet! 30 minutes later…a download of a 3 minute Clay moment! I definitely won’t miss dial-up!
Getting film developed
Just think of all the pictures of Clay Aiken that we can take with a digital camera. Does anyone actually use film anymore?
Movie Rental Stores
Digital cable TV has given us Video-on-Demand and Netflix. We no longer need to go to Blockbuster and hope the movie we want to see is available. Are there any rental stores around anymore?
Maps
We used to have a folder with fold-up maps in our car. Nowadays, we just punch in our destination into our GPS or smartphone. We’re good to go. Besides cutting down on the arguments about the quickest way, I no longer have to struggle to fold up the map correctly.
Newspaper classifieds
The Internet has become the place to go to find a job or a house or even sell your old couch. We can thank Craig Newmark from Craig’s List for this shortcut.
The Landline
89% of the U.S. can use wireless phones. Every day, more and more people choose their cell phone over their landline at home. It is not obsolete yet, but it is on its way out!
Long-Distance Charges
Because of cell phones, it no longer costs extra to make call to the other side of the U.S. And, if you need to make international calls, there is Skype and various other free Internet chat services make international calls totally free (at least for now).
Public pay phones
I don’t think I can remember the last time I saw a public pay phone, let alone used one.
VCRs
DVD players outsold VCR’s in 2002 for the first time. Today we have digital movie watching so “bye-bye” to the VCR.
Fax machines
Today, most people use e-fax. The annoying fax machine is now passe.
Phone books, dictionaries, encyclopedias
What do you do with the many phone books that get dropped in your driveway? I can get what I want on the Internet. And, one of my “Bookmarked” spots is a dictionary.
CDs
It is the age of digital music and the iPod. And, is there a store by you that still carries CD’s? Album sales dropped by another 13% in 2010. It is only a matter of time until the CD becomes just a relic of times gone by. (Maybe we should add the Walkman to this topic.)
Backing up your data on floppies or CDs
Now we have external hard drives and even thumb drives. What am I going to do with all those DVD’s with all my Clay files on them?
Boundaries
With Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, boundaries went out the window. I am not convinced that this is good.
Paper
Since most communication is now conducted on-line, fewer people continue having a newspaper delivered to their home. You can get the news quicker on the Internet…and you can get many different points of view. Some people feel that paper is the biggest casualty of the decade
Record Stores
Records have long been obsolete, except as nostalgia. But the record store, as in a store that sells music, has now been replaced by the Internet and iTunes.
Did we forget anything?
What else is toast? I would love to hear in the comments.
Wow, this article made me feel old! 🙂 For the most part the changes that have made these things obsolete are good. Paperless offices and reading news online have saved a lot of trees so that's a good thing. I'm still not so sure the demise of the cd is a good thing. The music business is a mess today and who knows where it's going. It will be interesting to see what's next for the business as a whole and of course, Clay! 🙂
I refuse to give up my VCR. I'm way behind on the technological advances of recent years.
It is funny thinking back on some of these things. I remember the first portable phone my husband had for business. It was HUGE!!
Yes…I feel old and wonder if, in fact, Clay would remember some of these things.
Thanks for this fun blog….yes, I love news about Clay, but its also fun to have a diversion.
Yes, I remember those obsolete gadgets. In my younger years, I used to be one of the first to try. Now, in this fast-paced life, I hardly can catch up… those high tech gadgets are slowing me down a bit. Thanks for the skype, my nieces and nephews who live out of this country is teaching me how to keep myself abreast and help me with whatever problems I have with the internet. Of course, I'm not giving up, there is still Clay Aiken who will keep me going. Thanks for this nice blog, musicfan123.
Yes, I still have a LOT of these things so technology has NOT caught up with this young 34-yr-old! Ah, well! I refuse to text anyone… my philosophy is why not just have a nice meal or a cup of sweet southern tea and a nice conversation and TALK instead of texting your thoughts and feelings over the phones. I also have a LOT of CD's in my collection and don't plan on getting an ipod or subscribing to iTunes anytime soon as they cost too much money! And believe it or not we do have a lot of movie rental stores where I live, but if I want to get a movie I'll borrow it from the library. Thanks for keeping us Clay fans up-to-date, musicfan 123!
Let's see – I still use a decorative classic landline phone in my bedroom. Love it! My VCR is still hanging out in my TV cabinet but rarely is used now. I do use the phone book and a dictionary occasionally. I also read the daily newspaper.
Other items which have bit the dust include typewriters, cassette tapes, and rabbit ear antennas.
A couple of tongue-in-cheek items I saw on a list include spelling and penmanship.
Thanks for the interesting blog. As they say, "time marches on" and change is in step right along with it.
Fun……wasn't looking for a Clay Aiken site, but stumbled on this and it certainly is complete. Love the list of obsolete stuff.
This was fun today. When I think of gadgets, I always think that Clay gets as many new ones as he can.
I still have a landline phone, but the VCR got packed away last year and I love my iPhone.
Thanks for this blog.
Records are definitely obsolete, although some still prefer vinyl. Came across an old Johnny Mathis record with "Misty" on it. Loved it back in college. Still love "Misty", but now Clay Aiken sings it to me on my iPod!!!
Very interesting article – And I am one of the really older ones. I still read the newspaper, and
watch my vcr tapes, never had the new phones, also like my cds and Dvds and enjoy writing a
letter and sending it by mail. Didn't start using the computer until the new OFC started. I live in
another era compared to most – Don't have a driver's license and have never driven a car. I'm
as old as the hills. I grew up in the years of the music that Clay loves to sing – he has great taste!!!
Aother reason to love him!
I still have my land phone. Some cell phones have horrible connections so a land phone works better. Don't have an ipod, but I do text a LOT on my iphone. I have tons of video tapes of the kids growing up so I do have a few VCR's, and now the grandchildren can watch them. Great blog musicfan. As always!
Can't think of anything that you left out. But, I still play my CD's all the time. It is very expensive to buy all these new gadgets. I think it is a mistake to forsake CD's anyway…that is what is wrong with the music industry. I have a VCR, DVD player..and I use it all the time. I so remember Dial-up..had it when I first got on the computer…SLOW…so glad I have Roadrunner now. No Landline phone for me…I use my cell phone all the time. But, I do not text…I can think of better things to use that extra $10 a month (or whatever it is now).