# How long for a technology to become so obsolete you can't give it away **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 27, 2013, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559 "2013-02-27T21:42:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/1 "2013-02-27T21:42:23Z")
Blu rays are replacing DVDs, which replaced VCRs. At this point I don’t think many people really want VCRs or VHS tapes. MP3s have replaced CDs, which replaced cassettes. Cassettes are hard to get rid of. Records and 8-tracks are not really in demand either. For the purpose of this thread, I’m not talking about people who want obsolete technology for nostalgia purposes (baby boomers who like the feel of 8 tracks) or for people in developing countries for whom the obsolete tech is still an advance (few people in the US may want cassette tapes, but if you gave them to free to a poor person in Asia with no alternative they would probably take them). So using those 2 examples, it seems like you need to have 2 generations beyond a technology before the technology starts to become obsolete. At least for audio and video, or is that because the newer tech is now about as cheap as the older tech? Used DVDs are not much more expensive than used VHS tapes and they are better. Used CDs are about the same price as used cassettes. So why pick the older tech for the same price? What about gaming consoles, TVs, cell phones, or other devices? At what point does the tech become so obsolete you have trouble giving it away? People still buy 3rd and 4th generation gaming consoles, so maybe those do not lose their value. But generally nobody buys older cell phones. Do people still buy stereos? I have used my laptop and a pair of speakers (either a pair of $10 computer speakers or a slightly more expensive 5.1 sound system) as a stereo for the last 10 years. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/2 "2013-02-27T21:50:01Z")
Sometimes there’s a form factor issue - just try getting rid of a big screen TV that isn’t a flat screen. That’s just one generation back but unless you’re willing to do the heavy lifting… ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/3 "2013-02-27T22:04:07Z")
I have a box of computer stuff: “Semi-useful stuff I’ll probably never use again”. It includes things like a working CD-rom drive, a parallel cable, a serial cable, a 120 mb internal hard drive and a mouse with a roller ball rather than a laser. I could not give any of these away, and they’re only one generation out of date. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/4 "2013-02-27T22:08:10Z")
It depends on the technology. A hammer might be donate-able for a good while longer and they’ve been around for a bit. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/5 "2013-02-27T22:13:03Z")
Upright pianos are almost impossible to give away these days because the people that want one will either want a grand (full or baby) or will just use a decent electronic keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/6 "2013-02-27T22:13:53Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > I have a box of computer stuff: “Semi-useful stuff I’ll probably never use again”. It includes things like a working CD-rom drive, a parallel cable, a serial cable, a 120 mb internal hard drive and a mouse with a roller ball rather than a laser. I could not give any of these away, and they’re only one generation out of date. No way! I have one labeled “Obsolete computer parts; do NOT throw away!” Edit…if I recall, my box contains all of those things. ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/7 "2013-02-27T22:18:09Z")
I dunno. There’s a fine line between obsolete and retro with certain items, especially gaming and pc items. I’m still hanging on to my 64MB Mp3 player and my Zip drive. Hell, I still have some Zip discs! I might need them again someday! ---
**Author:** ![Planetoid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/97f17d/32.png) [@Planetoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Planetoid)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/8 "2013-02-27T22:18:34Z")
Tough question, that. You might pick on a type of technology, like audio, and map the time each type of medium was king. Here’s a very bad history of guestimated tech and dates off the top of my head. I’m very prepared to be corrected. Wax cylinders - 1890 something? to 1910? 75-rpm discs - 1910? to 1955? Reel-to-reel tape - 1950? to 1980? 33-rpm discs - 1955? to now 45-rpm dics - 1955? to 1980? 8-track - 1975? to 1980? Cassettes - 1975? to 2000? Mini-discs - 1990? to 2000? CD - 1980? to 2005? DVD - 1995? to now Blu-ray - 2007? to now DNA storage…maybe? - 2020? [http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=42546#.US6FxTB7LTe](http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=42546#.US6FxTB7LTe) ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/9 "2013-02-27T22:47:23Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > It depends on the technology. A hammer might be donate-able for a good while longer and they’ve been around for a bit. 😃 You’ve obviously never seen Homer Simpson’s electric hammer. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/10 "2013-02-27T22:57:49Z")
Actually, digital storage ('the cloud") will render lots of stuff obsolete. Who prints photos anymore? I also wonder how long people will cling to obsolete stuff (like film photography, AM radio, etc.). I’m willing to bet that if manufacturers stopped making this stuff, demand for the technology would cease, almost overnight. Which is why I can see printed newspapers going poof-awful soon. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/11 "2013-02-28T00:04:09Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Actually, digital storage ('the cloud") will render lots of stuff obsolete. Who prints photos anymore? Lotta people do, frankly; photos are decorative. People hang them on their walls. My mother has probably 20 favorite photos sitting around the living room in little frames. Try that with your computer or phone. Newspapers, on the other hand; much as I like them myself, I see them going away before too long. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/12 "2013-02-28T00:49:59Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > I have a box of computer stuff: “Semi-useful stuff I’ll probably never use again”. It includes things like a working CD-rom drive, a parallel cable, a serial cable, a 120 mb internal hard drive and a mouse with a roller ball rather than a laser. I could not give any of these away, and they’re only one generation out of date. I’ll take the serial cable. Well, actually I already have several. But my company buys them and includes them with our rs-232 products. We make USB and ethernet versions of the products (telecommunications equipment) , but still a good fraction of our customers order the rs-232 version. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/13 "2013-02-28T02:02:54Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > Upright pianos are almost impossible to give away these days We just acquired one of those a couple months ago. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/14 "2013-02-28T02:11:46Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Blu rays are replacing DVDs… > MP3s have replaced CDs… I dispute these. DVDs still massively outsell Blurays. I would actually argue that Blurays will never be the mainstream standard video media (some people will abandon optical discs entirely before getting a Bluray player). And while CDs are indeed losing ground to MP3, the shift is by no means complete, and for some contexts at least CDs remain superior. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/15 "2013-02-28T02:34:40Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > I dispute these. > > DVDs still massively outsell Blurays. I would actually argue that Blurays will never be the mainstream standard video media (some people will abandon optical discs entirely before getting a Bluray player). > > And while CDs are indeed losing ground to MP3, the shift is by no means complete, and for some contexts at least CDs remain superior. But I’d say it’s fairly certain that we’ve seen the last physical media for film and music. Even local digital storage is becoming obsolete in favour of on-demand streaming. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/16 "2013-02-28T03:01:13Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > Upright pianos are almost impossible to give away these days because the people that want one will either want a grand (full or baby) or will just use a decent electronic keyboard. I’d imagine there are lots of schools out there that would gladly take one off your hands. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/17 "2013-02-28T17:29:24Z")
Any TV without a digital converter is almost totally worthless. You _might_ sell it for a couple of bucks at a garage sale, to someone who just wants to hook a DVD player or something up to it, but even that’s pretty iffy. I’ve also got the Box-O-Miscellaneous-Computer-Crap that will most likely eventually end up in a landfill. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/18 "2013-02-28T18:35:57Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > So using those 2 examples, it seems like you need to have 2 generations beyond a technology before the technology starts to become obsolete. At least for audio and video, or is that because the newer tech is now about as cheap as the older tech? Used DVDs are not much more expensive than used VHS tapes and they are better. Used CDs are about the same price as used cassettes. So why pick the older tech for the same price? > > What about gaming consoles, TVs, cell phones, or other devices? At what point does the tech become so obsolete you have trouble giving it away? > > People still buy 3rd and 4th generation gaming consoles, so maybe those do not lose their value. But generally nobody buys older cell phones. > > Do people still buy stereos? I have used my laptop and a pair of speakers (either a pair of $10 computer speakers or a slightly more expensive 5.1 sound system) as a stereo for the last 10 years. VHS plummeted in value pretty quickly once DVD took off (I recall seeing cases of 25 to 50 movies for $5 in the early 2000s, a pricepoint I still haven’t seen used DVDs approach), so that was one generation. Laserdiscs dropped even more quickly, within months of DVD’s introduction (except for special editions and the like). I was buying recent LD releases for pennies on the dollar even as new titles continued to come out into 2000. Game consoles that work maintain some level of desirability through the generations; I just got out of the classic gaming hobby, and was able to sell off even obscure, low-power systems like the APF M-1000 for decent money. About the only segment that seems to not hold some kind of value are the generic pongs and lesser-known Arcadia clones that use GI chips. Heavy-duty stereo gear can maintain some value (sold a 1970s JVC receiver for almost $100 in the above classic-gaming sell-off); the low-end stuff, all-in-one units, and consoles are almost as unpopular as CRT TVs and monitors now… you usually have to pay to get rid of them. ---
**Author:** ![FrankJBN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FrankJBN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankJBN)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/19 "2013-02-28T18:36:42Z")
“Upright pianos are almost impossible to give away these days” Who told you that? You ought to visit Piano Works in Atlanta where every advertised used upright has an asking price of more than $4,000. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559/20 "2013-03-01T01:37:32Z")
Radio is not obsolete. Even AM radio is still in use. AFter what, 100 years? Nor do I see any sign of them disappearing. Of course, vacuum tube radios are gone. The telephone is still going after well over 100 years. And I have one old dial phone pulse dialed that still works. The phone company still has pulse dialing equipment. They actually still charge extra if you want touch-tone service even though it must cost them something to maintain obsolete equipment. And even more to put a gadget on your line that blocks a touch-tone if you are not paying the extra $2.40 a month. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-a-technology-to-become-so-obsolete-you-cant-give-it-away/651559.md?page=2)