# What became ubiquitous then went away in your lifetime? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 10, 2026, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180 "2026-04-10T22:01:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/201 "2026-04-13T18:01:39Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > This thread reminds me I threw out my _ **dot matrix** _ printer that I have had at the bottom of my closet for near 20 years a few months ago… And somewhere Joan Rivers has a sad. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/202 "2026-04-13T18:10:08Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > I’m glad _my_ CDs never went away. My PC died and I spent much of the weekend re-importing them into my new PC. Had to buy an external CD-drive (because hey, although built-in CD drives were once ubiquitous, they’ve since gone away), but still saved hundreds of dollars not having to pay for downloads. What was frustrating last time I had to get a PC was that around half of the types available to buy at stores had a DVD/CD player. But none of those had a large hard drive. You’d _think_ that the manufacturers that made a CD drive a feature would also assume that people who buy them want to use the PC to store media on and thus use a large hard drive. The largest hard drive I could find in a PC that had a DVD drive was 256G, and I just looked now and I am using 300G so I would have already run out of space. So I too got a PC with a large hard drive and had to buy an external DVD player. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/203 "2026-04-13T18:27:12Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > 1-800-Call-ATT! This and long-distance calling cards and other services like 10-10-220. Since I was a new driver and a young adult at the time of its popularity, and I think where I lived some nearby new area codes were long distance, being able to call my parents without a pocket full of quarters was the most important thing in my life. They had very popular commercials with famous people (Christopher Lloyd! ALF!) and everybody knew about it and used it. Then cell phones came around and there was no longer a need for them. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/204 "2026-04-13T19:30:28Z")
Hare Krishna folks in airports, handing out flowers and pamphlets, wishing peace and goodwill to everybody. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/205 "2026-04-13T21:21:42Z")
I haven’t seen them in airports, but I see them in our downtown area once in a while. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/206 "2026-04-13T21:30:09Z")
Speaking of airports, that reminds me of those pay-per-minute TV screens in airports which were attached to a row seat in a waiting area, which were probably ubiquitous _before_ my time since by the time I was doing a lot of air travel, the sets were obviously over a decade out of date and might even have still be black and white. If they were modern and thus had a lot more entertainment options, I’d actually prefer those to either the large but free TVs that are so loud you can’t find anywhere to get some peace and quiet, and also to the lounges that allow you to use their app but on your small phone and only when you are sitting at a dining table. That’s why I’m _almost_ tempted to play the slots when I am at the Vegas airport. Nothing else to do and it is full screen entertainment. I never have, though, since I don’t want to go through the hassle of getting a players card. If they took and gave out quarters, I would have put a few in. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/207 "2026-04-13T21:37:35Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Speaking of airports, that reminds me of those pay-per-minute TV screens in airports which were attached to a row seat in a waiting area, which were probably ubiquitous _before_ my time since by the time I was doing a lot of air travel, the sets were obviously over a decade out of date and might even have still be black and white. I think these have been replaced by pay-by-the-minute massage chairs. ---
**Author:** ![FMera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fmera/32/9857_2.png) [@FMera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FMera)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/208 "2026-04-13T21:40:58Z")
Loved that Hammacher Schlemmer stuff! ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/209 "2026-04-13T21:58:06Z")
McDonald’s Playlands. Quiznos. Conversion vans. > [@dorvann](#): > > I threw out my _ **dot matrix** _ printer At home & office paper sheets, yes, but they are around in small formats. Dot matrix impact printers still get use in cash register receipts and kitchen orders, printing calculators, multipart carbonless paper, long-lived fade resistant archival instrumentation docs, kiosks like parking & toll gate controls. It’s quite common to see an impact generated slip stapled to your carryout pizza box or delivery bag. I remember being captivated by the one in the Office at school as a kid, it printed time & date on your nurse pass or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![FMera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fmera/32/9857_2.png) [@FMera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FMera)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/210 "2026-04-13T22:01:16Z")
Curb feelers on cars? Has been a while since i’ve seen them… ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/211 "2026-04-13T22:24:06Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > also to the lounges that allow you to use their app but on your small phone and only when you are sitting at a dining table. I’m not at all sure what you means by this - I watch tv shows/movies on my tablet (with earphones) sitting in the regular waiting area, not a lounge. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/212 "2026-04-13T22:29:20Z")
Some places let you use their own custom apps if you are connected to their wi fi. It’s not limited to your own apps, it’s like an extra app. I’ve even seen airplanes that have done this in lieu in in flight entertainment, where even if you don’t feel like splurging for their paid Internet wi fi, they will still give you access to their in flight entertainment that used to be on full screens but has disappeared. I’ve only seen that once, and the in flight entertainment has otherwise disappeared from all flights, even with the front of the seat screens, except for movies and flight tracking. Maybe everyone is doing what you did and is playing on their phone with downloaded games. (Of course, that only works if the app doesn’t need to be connected to the internet to even play, such as ad supported games). ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/213 "2026-04-13T22:47:46Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Maybe everyone is doing what you did and is playing on their phone with downloaded games. (Of course, that only works if the app doesn’t need to be connected to the internet to even play, such as ad supported games). Or they are on an airline with free wifi ( at least for members of the loyalty program). The two I use do - and I can use my cell data in the airport. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/214 "2026-04-13T23:24:01Z")
Couple more automotive type things: I believe it was mostly late 70s and 80s. American makers decided to enhance the beauty of their products by spraying on a vinyl top. Supposed to suggest a leather top on a carriage maybe. Sometimes it was the whole roof, and sometimes it was just the back half with a decorative band separating them. They got torn and raggedy pretty fast. The other thing was decorative chrome luggage racks on trunk lids. Never saw them used. They never looked substantial enough to trust your luggage to. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/215 "2026-04-14T06:51:40Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > I’ve only seen that once, and the in flight entertainment has otherwise disappeared from all flights, even with the front of the seat screens, except for movies and flight tracking. Huh? Not sure what you mean here. I think I can only remember one flight I’ve been on within the past 15 years that did not have in flight seatback entertainment screens. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/216 "2026-04-14T08:49:42Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > How about disposable digital cameras? How about disposable _film_ cameras, for that matter? Pocket-size flash camera with a roll of film built into the case. You’d buy it for $7 or so and the price of development would be included. When you were done with it, you stuck the whole thing in the envelope and dropped it off at the store. They became a thing around 1990 as far as I can remember, and were gone by the early 2010s. At the tail end of them, AOL had a thing called “You’ve Got Pictures!” where for an extra few bucks you could have your photos scanned and uploaded to your AOL account. > [@pkbites](#): > > And the ones that are still around are all but dead. Capital Mall here in Olympia is still doing pretty well, though the food court is a shadow of its former self. > [@Nyvaak](#): > > Somewhat less striking, but still nostalgic: stand-alone video game parlors. Yes, there are still limited video game _arcades_ in movie theaters and party venues, but once upon a time a friend and I would walk to Captain Video and spend a pleasant hour parting with quarters, then walk home gabbing about the games and our scores. Ah, for the pursuits of our youth ! Around here, at least, arcades have made a BIG comeback in the last 10-15 years or so, largely catering to the millennial nostalgia market. They tend to mostly have retro games and pinball with a few modern machines mixed in, and they also have restaurants and serve alcohol. Instead of being coin-op you load your money onto a card that you tap on the front of the machine to pay, and it’s usually a dollar a play instead of 25 cents, but other than that it’s largely the same as it was 30 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/217 "2026-04-14T11:21:23Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > How about disposable _film_ cameras, for that matter? Yep. And it was a cool thing to place one of those on each table at a wedding reception. Guests were encouraged to take pictures during the festivities, just like at Monica and Chandler’s wedding in Friends. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/218 "2026-04-14T11:31:12Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > They tend to mostly have retro games and pinball with a few modern machines mixed in, and they also have restaurants and serve alcohol. Around here are several bars-cum-arcade with names like Activate, Replay, and Player One. They serve bar fare as well, but not so much as an “& Grill” – mostly deep-fried stuff like mozzarella sticks and wings. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/219 "2026-04-14T11:33:02Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > How about disposable _film_ cameras, for that matter? Pocket-size flash camera with a roll of film built into the case. You’d buy it for $7 or so and the price of development would be included. When you were done with it, you stuck the whole thing in the envelope and dropped it off at the store. They became a thing around 1990 as far as I can remember, and were gone by the early 2010s. How abnout disposable film 3D cameras? You’d shoot a roll of film, send it in to be developed, and received back a stack of lenticular 3D images > **[9 - 3D Magic Plus Single Use Camera 12 Full Size 3D Prints Disposable Cameras...](https://www.ebay.com/itm/335268908660)** > > Its compact and disposable design makes it convenient to use and dispose of after use. There had been a line of inexpensive 3D cameras that weren’t disposable before this (circa 1982), but they never really caught on. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/220 "2026-04-14T11:53:43Z")
Shag carpet. Could probably add leisure suits and polyester clothing in there too. Edit: Oh, and Nehru jackets (maybe not quite ubiquitous but had a brief run during the late 60s and early 70s) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180.md?page=12)