# What technologies that were available in 1999 are obsolete (see my criteria) in 2009? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 3, 2009, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912 "2009-12-03T23:17:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/81 "2009-12-05T00:47:09Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Pagers are still pretty hot in hospitals and secure sites. My understanding is that the major niche for pagers is hookers and drug dealers. Because they’re cheap and basically disposable. ---
**Author:** ![No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/no_me_ayudes_compadre/32/5224_2.png) [@No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Me_Ayudes_Compadre)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/82 "2009-12-05T00:58:20Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Here in Mexico, as far as I can tell, the only digital signals are from Sky. All of the cable systems and broadcast TV seem to be analogue only. Dish and Cablevision are both digital. Sky is supposed to add HD signals next year. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/83 "2009-12-05T01:24:05Z")
> [@IAmNotSpartacus](#): > > Shortwave radio is alive and well. Amateur radio is not going away anytime soon. I believe the Russkies are still transmitting numbers as well, don’t quote me on this one. I don’t think shortwave radio was EVER ‘alive and well.’ I would qualify shortwave radio as a niche market. It’s the same type of people as the ones that listen to records, There are better, faster, and cheaper options, but they still use the old ways for a sense of nostalgia, or because they enjoy it for other reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/84 "2009-12-05T01:27:14Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > My understanding is that the major niche for pagers is hookers and drug dealers. Over here, I’m told they use pay-as-you-go phones. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/85 "2009-12-05T02:32:46Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Over here, I’m told they use pay-as-you-go phones. They do in the US too. Buy prepaid cellphone with cash, throw phone away when out of minutes, buy new phone with cash, throw away when out of minutes, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/86 "2009-12-05T02:40:08Z")
What, you can’t recharge with extra minutes? ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/87 "2009-12-05T02:49:23Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > What, you can’t recharge with extra minutes? If you’re doing illegal activities, you don’t want to leave a trail. Re: 3.5" and XP: XP doesn’t come with SATA drivers, and it can only load drivers through a 3.5" drive. That’s why you still see 3.5" floppy drives on sale at computer stores. I had a 20 year old 3.5" that i had to plug into the CD cable for it to work. Here’s one that’s on the ropes: checks. The only bills we still pay through check are the ones that we’re too lazy to switch to eBanking. ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/88 "2009-12-05T03:32:41Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > I don’t think shortwave radio was EVER ‘alive and well.’ I would qualify shortwave radio as a niche market. It’s the same type of people as the ones that listen to records, There are better, faster, and cheaper options, but they still use the old ways for a sense of nostalgia, or because they enjoy it for other reasons. Let me clear. Shortwave radio is alive and well. Gander at the [ARRL](http://www.arrl.org/contests/claimed/logs_rx.html?con_id=177) HF (High Frequency) World Championships. 3665 logs were entered, most from teams with 2-10 people. I am not talking about shortwave broadcasting, perhaps this is where we are not seeing eye to eye? ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/89 "2009-12-05T20:11:15Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > They may have been gone before, but glass bottles for soda are almost impossible to get now. But they were being phased out before that with plastics. Far from impossible, but it is niche, but visit any decent mexican market or taqueria for all the glass bottled soda you could ask for…but then I live in the Southwest US, where such things are common. ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/90 "2009-12-05T20:31:56Z")
An insurance brokerage in NYC uses their fax multiple times a day. They’re just talking about switching over to email/PDF. It is a bit weird, considering how primitive the underlying technology is. But think about it. You have a machine. You put in a piece of paper, enter a short address, and it is printed somewhere else. Brilliant! We should replace fax machines with more advanced tech (ones that don’t use analog lines to establish 1-1 communication to transport low-resolution images), but the fundamental UI principle should stay the same. Plus, so much crud goes through email. There’s no prioritization built into it. Meanwhile, all faxes are important. ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/91 "2009-12-05T20:36:32Z")
> [@Livardo](#): > > I thouht about TI-83 calculators. Having been out of highschool for a good 15 years now I thought these things would have been replaced by laptops now but googling around says otherwise. Those things are such garbage. Horrible screen (low resolution, no backlight, b&w). Ridiculously slow CPU (you can watch it plot the graph!). Etc. Yet they’re everywhere! And they still cost a fortune! > [@](#): > > Are overhead projectors still used a lot in HS? Yes. Not only can you take any book, document, etc., and throw it up there with a simple Xerox, but you can write notes with a pen. Like a Fax, you can imagine all of this could be reproduced with modern tech, but modern tech just refuses to make things so simple and dedicated-purpose. Show me a projector + scanner + pen tablet combo unit. > [@Livardo](#): > > Some hdds required the extra drivers. As recently as last year, I got fed up with Vista on my brand new laptop. I tried to install XP on it and it wouldn’t get past the blue-screen installation screen. It is always the cutting-edge super-fast RAID controller that requires you to go find a floppy drive. Ahh, irony. ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/92 "2009-12-05T20:51:45Z")
Plain ol’ ball point pens SHOULD be obsolete. Advanced in pen technology have been breathtaking over the past decade, with the current state of the art being the gell roller. Ahh, the gell roller… I think that pen tech that used the pressurized metal cartridge (parker, etc.) might be obsolete. But in the crazy pen market, who knows. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/93 "2009-12-05T21:37:11Z")
ditto machines I used to love that smell as a kid ---
**Author:** ![Discipline](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Discipline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Discipline)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/94 "2009-12-05T21:46:40Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Going, or gone is hydraulic power steering. My new Hyundai has electric power steering (no pump) and therefore better mileage. Not gone. Hopefully never gone. It’s just moved to more niche markets, namely high-end sports cars, where the customers care more about the tactile sensations and steering feedback than they do about fractional gains in mpg. Good suggestion, though. ---
**Author:** ![that\_darn\_cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/59ef9b/32.png) [@that\_darn\_cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/that_darn_cat)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/95 "2009-12-06T16:51:15Z")
Can you still get the original double-edged safety razor? Absolutely. I can pick them up in Walgreens’s or my grocery store, 10 for $2.50. Work great in my vintage Gillette Redtip, or my cheap Indian-made Parker. At least as good a shave as a Sextillion blade disposable, at about a tenth the cost per blade. Never going back. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2009, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/96 "2009-12-06T22:06:16Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > Far from impossible, but it is niche, but visit any decent mexican market or taqueria for all the glass bottled soda you could ask for…but then I live in the Southwest US, where such things are common. Go past the Coke/Pepsi section of the soda aisle at your grocery store and you might reach the “boutique” sodas, which are typically sold in glass bottles. I buy a four-pack of glass bottled Stewart’s Key Lime soda every week. My store (H-E-B) also used to sell a line of Italian sodas under their store label which got me hooked on the “boutique” stuff…then they promptly disappeared from the store shelves, much to my disappointment. ---
**Author:** ![dogeman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/71e660/32.png) [@dogeman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogeman)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2009, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/97 "2009-12-06T22:38:03Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > Plain cloth hightop sneakers are back because they’re “retro”. > Ashtrays in restaurants? Free or penny matches? Smoking section in movie theatres? > Loans at prime in banks? These don’t really fit the OPs requirement of technologies. > [@md2000](#): > > Distributor points and carburetors? Almost everything is fuel-injected nowadays. Genuinely curious if you could name a new car that you could buy in 1999 that had a carburetor. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/98 "2009-12-06T23:10:56Z")
Never mind. Misread something. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2009, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/99 "2009-12-06T23:33:10Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > I don’t think shortwave radio was EVER ‘alive and well.’ I would qualify shortwave radio as a niche market. It’s the same type of people as the ones that listen to records, There are better, faster, and cheaper options, but they still use the old ways for a sense of nostalgia, or because they enjoy it for other reasons. It certainly isn’t niche if you’re a world traveller. I listened to it all the time when I lived in Asia, and in the US in the late 90s. Don’t know what Voice of America is doing, but sadly the BBC will be switching off its shortwave broadcasts in a couple of years. Here’s another one: those totally standard “cachunk-chunk” roller carbon paper credit card machines. I haven’t seen one for many years, and I remember the last time I did, it was really jarring. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912/100 "2009-12-07T00:05:40Z")
I don’t understand the OP. It seems contradictory. It says “I’m interested mainly in ‘current’ consumer, non-niche technologies available at brick and mortar stores.” But then gives as an example “Floppy drives (yes, you can order them online, but again, it’s a niche)”, which doesn’t seem to meet the criteria. And then it says “For example, I’m aware you could still buy a brand new record player but they are really in niche use now. Or are they?” Is that an example, or a counterexample? Is the OP asking for things that are “niche” but still widely available in brick-and-mortar stores, or what? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-technologies-that-were-available-in-1999-are-obsolete-see-my-criteria-in-2009/519912.md?page=6)