16 Old-School Tech Features That Made No Sense Today
These outdated tech features once seemed futuristic but now just leave us scratching our heads.
- Chris Graciano
- 3 min read
Technology has come a long way, and some features from the past now seem hilariously impractical. What was once cutting-edge often feels laughably clunky or overcomplicated today. This list looks back at 16 tech quirks that didn’t age well and are better left in the digital graveyard.
1. Dial-Up Internet
Frunze103 on Wikimedia Commons
In the past, waiting minutes just to connect was normal, and don’t even think about using the phone at the same time. The screeching sounds alone were a form of digital torture.
2. Floppy Disks
Kelsy Gagnebin on Unsplash
Once essential for saving files, these plastic squares held barely more than a photo. If you sneezed on one, you risked data loss.
3. VHS Tapes and Rewinding
Daniel von Appen on Unsplash
Remember “Be Kind, Rewind”? Watching movies meant manually spinning tape back to the start. Streaming has erased any trace of this time-consuming ritual.
4. T9 Texting
Shack on Wikimedia Commons
Typing on a number pad took forever, especially for full sentences. You’d hit “2” three times just to get the letter “C.”
5. Dot Matrix Printers
Namazu-tron on Wikimedia Commons
Loud, slow, and prone to jamming, these clunky printers were fixtures in old-school offices. Their output was pixelated, and the paper had holes on the sides.
6. Car Phone Antennas
Nick Hubbard on Wikimedia Commons
These awkward, stubby antennas screamed “status symbol” but offered lousy reception. Attached to luxury vehicles, they made you look tech-savvy in the ‘90s.
7. Physical Map Directions
Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Before GPS, road trips meant unfolding a massive paper map and hoping you didn’t miss a turn. One wrong highway exit and you were in the next state.
8. Phone Book Listings
How can I recycle this on Wikimedia Commons
Need a number? Flip through hundreds of pages in a phone book and squint at fine print. Search engines and smartphones put this bulky book out of business.
9. TV Antennas (Rabbit Ears)
Kelly on Pexels
Adjusting rabbit ears for a clearer signal was part of the TV-watching ritual. A gust of wind or a passing car could ruin your reception.
10. Tamagotchi Pet Alarms
David on Wikimedia Commons
Digital pets were cute until they beeped nonstop, demanding attention. You couldn’t go a day without “feeding” them or they’d “die.”
11. CD Storage Binders
Matias Mango on Pexels
Music lovers lugged around huge books of CDs just to hear their favorite albums. Scratches and cracked cases were inevitable.
12. Infrared File Sharing
nick99nack on Flickr
Sharing a file meant aligning two phones perfectly and waiting… and waiting. A slight misalignment killed the transfer.
13. Clamshell Phones
Dustin Howett on Wikimedia Commons
Flip phones had their moment, but their tiny screens and T9 typing were clunky. They snapped shut with flair, but smartphones wiped them out with bigger, better displays.
14. Netscape Navigator
Indolering on Wikimedia Commons
The OG web browser is slow and buggy by today’s standards. It opened the door to the internet — and then got trampled by faster rivals.
15. Cassette Tape Rewinders
Bryan Kennedy on Flickr
Separate gadgets just to rewind your tapes? Totally unnecessary now. Spotify doesn’t need a rewind button.
16. TV Guide Channels
JESHOOTS.com on Pexels
Waiting minutes to scroll through the list of shows was torture. You’d always miss your channel right when it passed.