[QUOTE=Tikki]
Yeah, around five years ago or so, the marketers decided that the prune image needed to be revamped, what with them being associated with old people and certain bodily functions and being the butt (no pun intended) of so many jokes and all. Thus, the dried plum was born.
[/QUOTE]
The prunes I see now seem to be a lot less dried. The outsides seem wetter.
[QUOTE=MagicEyes]
The only reason to eat prunes is because you’re constipated.
[/QUOTE]
Not really. I think they’re quite good in their own right - certainly not in any significant way inferior to other dried fruits that might be eaten as a snack.
[QUOTE=mangeorge]
Who needs to carry around any prunes?
Are prunes destined to become the new water? 
[/QUOTE]
Well, when you get a constipation emergency, buster, then you’ll be sorry you don’t have an individually wrapped prune!! And you’ll be suffering all the more since you don’t have any water either. 
Actually though, I did go to the market to check them out but didn’t buy any. They had potassium sorbate in 'em and no freshness date. I don’t buy stuff that already looks stale and have no pull-date on them, so no prunes for me. 
Happily though, I don’t need them. 
I did see Paul Newman’s brand and they didn’t have preservatives and did have a pull-date but they needed to be refrigerated.
ETA: :o Just thought I’d add one more smilie in case I didn’t have enough.
I’ve never even heard of a constipation emergency, but I’ll take you word that there is such a thing. 