Gadget Graveyard: 10 Technologies About to Go Extinct (Page 2)

newleaf - 2009-04-14 3:54 PM

DerekL - 2009-04-14 4:48 PM

What would you suggest as an alternative?

Smaller than a beeper, easily passed among the team members, it's the perfect solution.

A giant hand?

And mine was an answer.

Landline, floppy, VHS, Beeper, Typewriters, Walkman, Dial-up are all gone. Call off the dogs.

Film cameras will be around, but it will be restricted to the high-end of the market. Some of the large format photography for specialized uses will be there forever. Given.

Wristwatches are not going away, mostly because it's not about telling time, it's about the fashion accessory. Having a rolex on your wrist will always be more affluent/persuasive/image-building than having the top-o-the-line crackberry. Functionally, don't need one. Fashion-wise and societally, absolutely. They'll be around forever.

DVD's are a mass-consumer deal, just like regular-res TV. They'll never go away. Find it ironic that Floppy Disks and DVD's (the floppy disc replacement, or at least CD's) are in the same list. We're still talking about floppy disks in 2009 and I can remember using them in 1986, so I'm guessing it's gonna be a while before CD's/DVD's go.

However, let me add one more to the list that can't go fast enough. Polar's SonicLink technology. It sucked. Go ahead and usb or firewire that communication, but hours of Dolphin Clicks to transfer your workout to your PC through a microphone were, and are, old and dead. Make it go away.  

Actually we still have pagers at work.  Some areas you can't have things that transmit data (cell phones).  Also, it would be incredibly expensive to provide the vast majority of our company (12k+ in this town) with cell phones and plan coverage.

Also, I RARELY provide my personal cell phone number to people at work.  I don't need to be getting pointless calls at all hours.  Nor do I want them calling me when I'm on 'me' time.  Yes, I could just not answer it, but it just easier if they don't call.  The only people who get the number are those whom I'm traveling with - or if it is a special case/emergency (i.e. working over xmas, which I agreed to).

Assuming this is for metropolitan areas, yes.  I would agree with all (if they are not already dead) except 3 and 10.  What's going to be the replacement for them?

DVD could go sooner with on demand movies and downloadable movies, but not soon.

The wristwatch?? I hope not! I also really like having a landline. I use mine whenever I'm in my house. The sound quality is better than a cell, IMO, and it's easier to multitask with it (can't really hold my cell between my ear and shoulder; I guess I could go hands-free with my cell in the house, but I don't really like the ear pieces).

Wow, of the 10 I only use 2. DVDs and my watch

I am down to only DVD's.   Had a land line just for DSL but when ATT couldn't get their act together to "move" my DSL for a full month, I dropped it and now have clear wire. (it works on, like, magic or something).  I hadn't used a land line for telephone for a long time - didn't even know my number to give to people.

Never felt the need to have a watch.

Apple has that covered as well.  It's the iPhone.  They're using the microsoft business model, but with personal electronics instead of computers.