Outdated things that have stayed

[Danze1984]

Catalogues, like Next, Argos etc. Massive waste of paper, 2 weeks later the prices are different or they have different things in stock.

 

[Azuremen]

More on topic, what about desktop PC's, have they become out-dated with the popularity of portable computing?

I don't think so. Mobile computing is nice, and works for the vast majority of users I'd say, but having a proper work station increases productivity massively while being much cheaper than doing it via a mobile solution with similar specs. Large or multi-monitor setups just make image handling, documents, etc so much easier, while often providing better ergonomics.

I do however see many people phasing out laptops and desktops in favor of tablets for more casual use. For instance, my step mom has managed just fine using a netbook for the past few years, and I could easily see a tablet with a dock replacing that in the next year for the majority of her needs.

On the issue of music and storage space, music gets to battle with movies at 720p and RAW image files, which at 30+ megs a pop start to add up quickly. I'm already half way through the 2TB drive I got less than a year ago...

For audio output, you could find an optical out HD sound card for a fairly reasonable price I'd say. Would go with the PCI-e slot if you have a desktop and be straight forward to install and hook up. I'm just not that interested in audio that I've never spent much time reviewing the options.

Cursive - is there any point in it (is it still even taught in schools)? Seems, to me, just like a useless discipline now.

I think it has been dropped from primary education in many US schools, but I could be mistaken. It is useful to understand roughly for reading older documents in their orginal form, such as the US Declaration of Independence, but the only other application at this point is artistic fields and calligraphy.

 

[Bopop4]

False. The 993 was the last acceptable looking 911.

Subsequent models have been monsterous and horrid.

The new ones are perfect handling wise.

 

[TheCracker]

Most people that I know that have bought an ipod classic, is for its vastly superior storage size. Iphones and the likes still seem a time away from having 160gb's of storage. Most haven't even gone to 64gb models. I'm currently at 16gb of space free on my iphone and my itunes library only has 1300 songs. I know people with 12,000 songs. It would fill their iphone and then some not even taking into account apps and what ever else.

Seems like the Classic's days are already numbered. Mother-in-law has been after one for a while, having seen us use ours as a music library. She decided she'd get one for herself before Xmas, but everywhere said they had none in stock, hadn't for some time and had no idea when they'd get them in again.

They're still showing on the Apple site, but it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't get quietly dropped within the next 12 months. Like you said, 16 or 32gb's just isn't enough to store a decent collection of music. With SSD prices falling all the time, i'd imagine we'll see large capacity Touch's before long.

 

[PeterJB]

Off the top of my head:

- Big Brother
- Rap and R&B
- Cliff Richard
- Racism (Actually, any form of prejudice)
- Capital Punishment

 

[AlexGTV]

Tube amps. You can get the same sound from a solid-state with a bit of EQ and you don't have to worry about tube rolling.

For distorted guitar playing they are no match. Yes if you want pristine clear sound without any clipping transistors are better. But tube amps are still the choice for most pro guitarists for their coloring of the sound and warmth.

I played through a Mesa V and was so inspirational. Sandly I own a digital pricey amp that I want to give away.

Another thing obsolete: Top 40. That has died long ago and song popularity is judged in clubs.

 

[spunwicked]

Another thing obsolete: Top 40. That has died long ago and song popularity is judged in clubs.

Pop music in general.

 

[Pupik]

The Scroll Lock key.

When people use "dial" to refer to a button that's usually only located on a TV remote control.

The "check engine light" which doesn't really look anything like most engines made in the past 40 years.

Also outdated (in my opinion) is the iPod Classic. Sure, some people may still want physical buttons and stuff but that era ended a long time ago.

Gloves render touch screens useless, unless you buy another set of gloves designed for using them.

Old does not equal useless: Floppy Disks, yes...they've been supplanted by nearly everything but stone tablets, but how can a 60GB 4th-Gen iPod be called "useless" when Apple is still peddling 2-4-8GB stuff that just looks pretty, saves a tiny amount of "shelf space", but actually does less of what it's intended to do?

 

[MatskiMonk]

Pop music in general.

Pop music will always be popular, surely?

 

[88FoxBodyFan]

Pop music will always be popular, surely?

Being as 'pop' is short for popular, yes.

 

[Pupik]

This is turning into the "personal bias thread".

 

[Tornado]

This is turning into the "personal bias thread".

Indeed. Genres of music? Seriously?

 

[Liquid]

Gloves render touch screens useless, unless you buy another set of gloves designed for using them.

That's fine if you have a resistant touch screen, which reacts to almost anything. My HTC only responds to actual human skin contact. So it's pretty useless in bad weather when I need to wrap up.

 

[mattythedog]

That's fine if you have a resistant touch screen, which reacts to almost anything. My HTC only responds to actual human skin contact. So it's pretty useless in bad weather when I need to wrap up.

Fingerless gloves? Or those gloves with electrical-pads in the end that work with those type of touch screens?

Another thing, the desktop computer, as it's almost unessesary(sp?) with all the tablets and smartphones now.

 

[Clark]

Chuck Norris

 

[Liquid]

Fingerless gloves? Or those gloves with electrical-pads in the end that work with those type of touch screens?

Another thing, the desktop computer, as it's almost unessesary(sp?) with all the tablets and smartphones now.

Fingerless gloves in freezing snow and rain defeat the point of wearing gloves at all. Plus my gloves are proper gloves not those skin tight things you buy from crooks down the market.

And on desktops...

I don't think so. Mobile computing is nice, and works for the vast majority of users I'd say, but having a proper work station increases productivity massively while being much cheaper than doing it via a mobile solution with similar specs. Large or multi-monitor setups just make image handling, documents, etc so much easier, while often providing better ergonomics.

I like desktops. But the way I would use it; laptop for work, desktop for games.

 

[Clark]

Fingerless gloves in freezing snow and rain defeat the point of wearing gloves at all. Plus my gloves are proper gloves not those skin tight things you buy from crooks down the market.

I'm a postie and I use Fingerless gloves everyday in the winter. Having your fingertips covered means you don't have the same level of dexterity and cannot flick through mail etc. easily, whereas fingerless gloves keep your hands warm without that

 

[spunwicked]

I like desktops. But the way I would use it; laptop for work, desktop for games.

I couldn't imagine having to use a laptop for coding all day long on. Multi-monitor support is where it's at for me.

 

[Liquid]

I'm a postie and I use Fingerless gloves everyday in the winter. Having your fingertips covered means you don't have the same level of dexterity and cannot flick through mail etc. easily, whereas fingerless gloves keep your hands warm without that

But for me fingerless gloves keep my fingers cold and I have quite sensitive fingers and toes. The point was that my touchscreen only responds to human touch and I can't really wear fingerless gloves so my phone is rubbish in bad weather.

 

[Ibonibo]

^You can buy special touchscreen gloves (made for smartphones), i think that was meant above somewhere with the special gloves

 

[Pupik]

Oh, yeah...you can buy them. But why carry another set of gloves for cold weather?

 

[Moglet]

Most people that I know that have bought an ipod classic, is for its vastly superior storage size. Iphones and the likes still seem a time away from having 160gb's of storage. Most haven't even gone to 64gb models. I'm currently at 16gb of space free on my iphone and my itunes library only has 1300 songs. I know people with 12,000 songs. It would fill their iphone and then some not even taking into account apps and what ever else.

You do realise that you don't have to carry your entire music collection around with you, don't you?

I don't even own an MP3 player, I'm only ever in my car, at home, or at work and I can access all the music I need in any of these places without carrying it with me.

 

[Pupik]

You do realise that you don't have to carry your entire music collection around with you, don't you?

Why not? So I carry around something that takes up only an incrementally larger (but fixed) piece of real estate. In my opinion, that far outweighs the trouble of moving the songs on and off the iPod each time I'm in a different mood or feeling or change in taste than the day before.

The hell with the Cloud, when I'm on a flying metal tube dashing above the real clouds, it's of no use.

 

[Liquid]

^You can buy special touchscreen gloves (made for smartphones), i think that was meant above somewhere with the special gloves

But do they work with a touchscreen which only responds to human touch? The man in the shop banged on and on about how the touchscreen only worked off human electrical impulses and not say, a stylus.

If those gloves are available, I'd like a pair. But my winter gloves are leather and make me look like a film villain. So cool.

 

[Schwartz]

Or you could just buy a stylus for it...

This is not an advertisement. Just showing where to buy an iPhone stylus for cheap.
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=110798970190&index=0&nav=SEARCH&nid=53927355861

 

[Liquid]

Or you could just buy a stylus for it...

This is not an advertisement. Just showing where to buy an iPhone stylus for cheap.
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=110798970190&index=0&nav=SEARCH&nid=53927355861

Bolded for you. It's a HTC, not an iPhone.

But do they work with a touchscreen which only responds to human touch? The man in the shop banged on and on about how the touchscreen only worked off human electrical impulses and not say, a stylus.

If those gloves are available, I'd like a pair. But my winter gloves are leather and make me look like a film villain. So cool.

And the man was right, only my fingers can make it work.

 

[TB]

Another thing, the desktop computer, as it's almost unessesary(sp?) with all the tablets and smartphones now.

When they come up with a tablet or phone that can efficiently run and print AutoCAD drawings, then maybe I'll agree. Until then, not a chance.

 

[Schwartz]

Bolded for you. It's a HTC, not an iPhone.

And the man was right, only my fingers can make it work.

I'm pretty sure the iPhone has the same type of touch screen though.

 

[F1GTR]

Another thing, the desktop computer, as it's almost unessesary(sp?) with all the tablets and smartphones now.

For the consumption of content, yes, but for the creation of content a desktop is very hard to beat. They're far from outdated.

 

[Joey D]

Watches. Every device I carry has the time on it. Every device from the cooker to the fish tank in the home has a clock on it. Why do I still wear a watch that serves only the purpose of telling the time and nothing else? I still wouldn't leave home without it.

The only reason I wear a watch is strictly for fashion. I think is looks good and I rather like buying needlessly expensive timekeepers.

My input on outdated things would be 3.5" disk drives, the computer lab at school still has these things installed and the computers are probably less than 2 years old at the most.