Gone for good — 5 tech items no one uses anymore

The world of technology is changing at lightning speed. Ten years ago, tablets, flip phones, and DSLRs seemed essential. Today, they are only a nostalgic memory. Some former favorites of the computer era have almost completely disappeared.

GSMinfo discusses five such gadgets.

Floppy disk drives and floppy disks

Until the early 2010s, tax authorities even accepted reports on 3.5-inch, 1.44 MB media.

The advent of unlimited internet access and electronic document management systems eliminated the need to transfer files on physical media. Although disk drives and floppy disks are still around, they have become collector's items.

CDs and DVDs

We used to buy movies and music on compact discs and exchange them with friends.

The advent of high-speed internet has rendered this process unnecessary. Nowadays, desktop PCs mostly come without optical drives, and disks are only relevant when a stable network connection is unavailable or content needs to be played on the go.

Photo printer

The ability to instantly print photos at home seemed revolutionary at first, but the reality was less appealing: the cartridges cost more than the device itself, and the quality was subpar.

Nowadays, it's easier to view and send photos from a smartphone. For this reason, photo printers are mostly used by professionals and for specialized purposes.

Scanner

In the 2000s, this was the only way to digitize a document or photo. A noisy device would slowly digitize the image and transfer it to a PC.

Today, smartphone cameras and scanning apps are faster, more compact, and produce better quality results.

Telephone modem

Back in the late 1990s, dial-up or DSL internet access via a telephone line was characterized by a buzzing sound and long waits for a connection.

With the advent of cable and fiber optic internet, modems have disappeared from store shelves. The exception is modern 4G modems, which benefit travelers and residents of areas where wired internet is unavailable.

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