Along with all the modern technologies available today, it is easy to forget about the devices that we used only a few years ago, but have lost their popularity today. Especially when new equipment, such as smartphones, combines the properties of several gadgets at once.
But even with the latest technologies, there are old ones that some people use. Someone does not see the point in changes, but there are technologies that we still use out of habit. You might be interested in the article 10 Ways to Destroy Your Intimate Life Using Technology.
10. Windows XP
Despite the fact that the operating system Windows XP was introduced in 2001 and is still used by almost 30% of computer owners worldwide. This was not a problem until in 2014 the company Microsoft has not stopped providing technical support for this system. This means that computers with Windows XP extremely vulnerable to attacks. Check out the article 10 dangerous viruses of all time.
Company Microsoft, one of the 10 largest software manufacturers, suggested that if the user updates the system, he will avoid risks, but it is not only the computer that can be endangered. What you may not be aware of is that ATM machines have an operating system. There are approximately 420,000 ATM machines in the United States and most of them operate on Windows XP... They are also in danger. Many banks are planning to upgrade the system, but the amount of money and time required to do this slows down the process significantly.
9. Floppy disks
Floppy disks are a relic from the 1980s, when users needed to store information in several kilobytes. Today, this technology has been replaced by large drives, CDs, flash drives and cloud storage, which allow you to store thousands of gigabytes of information and access them from any device. However, because of this, floppy disks are not obsolete. Company Sony in 2009 sold 12 million units and even now they can be found in some stores.
One of the largest consumers of floppy disks in the United States is the Federal Register. Documents can only be sent to other agencies on a special medium, and updating the e-mail system costs a lot of money. Therefore, employees have no choice but to scan documents, place them on floppy disks and send them to their destination by courier.
8. Internet connection via telephone line
Surprisingly, even with high-speed internet available across the country, an impressive number of people still connect to the internet via a telephone line. But a survey conducted by the Research Center Pew Research Internet Project showed that 2% of Americans use such an Internet. This is about 5 million people who use a modem, and they live mainly in rural areas.
Another explanation for this is that many people who use such a service do not even realize how useless it is. About 75% of users also have broadband, but they don't know that if they disconnect from the phone line, they still have access to the Internet. Such a connection brings companies about 80% of the profits, which is very suspicious.
7. Dot matrix printer
A device that prints terribly loud and takes a long time is not so rare today. Ever since they were first introduced to the market, they have become the standard for many years before being supplanted by ink and laser printers. Despite the proliferation of new models, dot matrix printers can still be found in many companies. Yes, they work slower than their counterparts, but they have advantages that are important for many.
The biggest advantage of this device is that it has the function of multipage printing, which is more efficient on dot matrix printers than on ink or laser printers. Since they do not use ink, it cannot happen that the print will remain on several pages at once. Moreover, dot matrix printers can print on longer paper rather than on separate sheets. You might be interested in the article 10 cheapest and most affordable 3D printers on the market.
6. Videotapes
Videotapes once became the bastion of home entertainment. There was a time when the shelves were packed with cassettes, and people went to video rentals to get a movie. Since 2005, major film production companies such as Netflix and Hulu, began to record pictures on disks. However, there is now a large market for videotapes. More than 50% of Americans still own VCRs, according to a 2013 poll, a far cry from 80% in 2005.
Online stores such as Amazon and Wel-Mart still sell blank tapes, suggesting that someone might buy them. There are also local residents who buy and rent cassettes even now. Newspaper "The New York Times”Said that old immigrants prefer to watch films on cassettes.
5. Bank cards with magnetic stripe
Most Americans probably still use bank cards with magnetic stripes, which are very outdated compared to the plastic cards and PIN codes that are common in most Western countries. The magnetic stripe system is less secure - a lot of data was stolen last year. In the USA, buyers who want to pay for a purchase with a card give it to the cashier, who passes it through the terminal and asks for a signature. The magnetic stripe is a huge loss of money.
Plastic cards with a PIN code have a much safer password, which allows you to determine the identity of a person without giving the cashier a card in his hands and avoiding copying information from a magnetic tape. Research has shown that an embedded chip can reduce fraud by up to 80%. Fortunately, Visa and Mastercard promised to present such cards to everyone's attention by the end of 2015.
4. Phone books
Phone books are something that everyone was sent by mail, but since it became easier to find a number on the Internet, they have lost their relevance. Seven out of ten Americans either never or very rarely use phone books now, which confirms the fact that most people simply do not need them. But in the United States, they are still delivered to everyone in the country.
According to a survey conducted by the Iowa Research Center The Iowa Policy Research Organization, five million trees and large funds thrown away for the disposal of unwanted books could be saved each year after the discontinuation of telephone directories. According to the study, most people said they did not need these books at all, but only 2% of those surveyed would like to receive them. The best solution to this problem would be to send the book to those who gave their consent, and not to all residents forcibly.
3. Telegrams
Telegrams were the main mode of communication for 1000 years before the invention of the telephone, and later also e-mail, text messages and instant messages. They even tried to create shorter and clearer messages, like, for example, Victor Hugo, to ask the publisher for the opinion of the book, sent a sign “?", To which the publisher replied with a sign"!».
Although companies such as Western Union and removed services from service several times, there are still people who want to send a telegram. There are still commercial telegram services in the US, Canada and the UK. However, they are more often used to send someone a novel or a humorous message to an event, rather than as a way to communicate.In India, about 5,000 telegrams were sent every day using this service until it was canceled in 2013.
2. Typewriters
Now that almost everyone has access to a computer, you might think that a typewriter belongs in the attic. This is not true because some writers still use them. Typewriters are especially popular in areas where there is an unstable situation with electricity, for example, Indian protocolmen in court use them to type.
Even stranger is that typewriters are experiencing something of an upswing in many government offices. Russia and Germany have discussed options for using typewriters to avoid information leakage and spyware, which are more common with the advent of computers and laptops.
1. Televisions with a cathode-ray tube
Most people who watch TV now do so on LCD or plasma models rather than CRT TVs. There are many reasons in favor of newer options, such as less weight and less space.
Despite the shortcomings, there is still a demand for such massive TVs. In some countries in Asia and South America, they are chosen because of their low price. For gamers, it is also important that older TVs have much lower input lag compared to plasma and LCD TVs, which is sometimes a must in games that involve fighting.
