What obsolete technology do you still use or would bring back?

[Savonarola]

I found my old calculator (an HP-48SX) and got it up and running again.  I got it in 1990 when I entered college.  My alma mater offered a special section of calculus courses which required either the HP48 or HP28 which I took.  They were taught by professors who spoke fluent English, while the regular sectors were taught by TAs who did not.  The professors were enthusiastic about this cutting edge technology. 

Professors of mathematics are a peculiar breed; one of profs who taught these courses had an upper case sigma (Σ), made with yellow duct tape, on his briefcase.  At first we thought it was an "M" (the first letter of his last name) or (as unlikely as it seemed) a remnant of his fraternity days.  As it turns out it was the mathematical symbol for summation; something which he valued greatly - in fact he thought it was nearly integral.

Sorry about that, in any event the HP-48 series was discontinued in 2003.  Playing around with it has been a bit of fun, though; with the big keys I never have to worry about hitting the wrong piece of the iPhone.  The Reverse Polish Notation (that is 2 2 + rather than 2 + 2) takes a bit of getting used to; but I find it easier on long formulas.  I don't really need a calculator capable of doing calculus or linear algebra anymore, and even if I did I'm sure there are smart phone apps for it; still I find myself using it rather than the iPhone or Windows calculator when I need a calculator.

So do you have an obsolete technology that you still use; or one that you would want to bring back into our modern era?

[crazy canuck]

a phone with an actual dial you need to move in order to call - no butt dials possible.

[Barrister]

That's funny Sav - I still have my old scientific calculator that goes back to at least my undergrad BSc days, if not to high school.

I'm embarrassed to admit I've completely forgotten all the higher level functions it can do, but it still works to do addition / subtraction.  It's still on my desk at work and I still use it.  It's not a fancy graphing calculator like your HP-48 but 25+ years old it still works.

[Josquius]

I do miss when there was variety in mobile phones. Comparing them wasn't just about simple tech specs or build quality. It was about actual features. Do you want the one with the built in TV or the one that folds up?

Hell. The same for computers too. Bring back amiga and riscos. In theory at least. I know in practice that would suck.

What do I still use... All my consoles are a few generations out of date. And my speaker system attached to my computer is an old analogue beast. I have  meant to replace it with something modern and digital for years but it seems so complex and I just hate piling up tech. Throwing it away is forbidden.

[Razgovory]

CRT monitors.  My cat liked to sleep on my monitor when I was using the computer.

[KRonn]

I had an old rotary phone in my cellar until maybe 8 to 10 years ago. Still worked! It was there just so we wouldn't have to run upstairs if the phone rang. I got rid of it when the cable company did some upgrades on my wiring. Not that I'd want to bring that tech back though. 

I also still remember the phone party lines from my childhood. Those had several households on the same line. If you picked up the phone and a neighbor was using their phone then you had to wait until the line was free to make a call.  I guess back then there weren't enough phone lines or the technology hadn't caught up yet.

[Grey Fox]

Light switches.

[grumbler]

Mostly, I'd like to see more things made out of metal and wood and less out of plastic:  phones, fans, buckets, brooms, vacuum cleaners, cameras, etc.  Better-lasting and better for the environment.

Shoes that could be re-soled (i.e. stitched rather than glued) were better, as well.

[PDH]

I would like to return to a time before My Pillow.

[DGuller]

The old-fashioned forum software like the one Languish still uses.  Since the invention of social media, it seems like forum functionality has been mostly regressing rather than progressing.

[Eddie Teach]

Polaroids were cool.

[Admiral Yi]

Polaroids were cool.

Good one.

[jimmy olsen]

The old-fashioned forum software like the one Languish still uses.  Since the invention of social media, it seems like forum functionality has been mostly regressing rather than progressing.

Depends on what forums your on I think. Some of the larger, nerdier ones I'm on have definitely improved way beyond Languish in functionality over the years.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Polaroids were cool.

They've been back for years.

[fromtia]

Porno mags. more tactile.