The Charms of Obsolete Technology
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The inside tray of a five-disc CD pLAYER. Picture COURTESY of Petervis.com
Center stage in my childhood bedroom, I had one of those five-disc CD players. Even now, I can almost hear the whirl of the CD Player, going from one song to the next.
The shuffle button was my favourite part of my CD Player. From the Spice Girls’ Spiceworld to Britney Spears’ Hit Me Baby One More Time, I could dance around my room for hours without ever having to switch discs.
The idea of being able to shuffle my songs, even in such a limited form, was the coolest thing I could think of back in the day. Combined with my bright red Walkman, I truly experienced the heyday of late ‘90s music technology.
Now with services like Spotify and Amazon Music, we all have the ability to listen to an endless number of songs with a few simple clicks. Why rely on such limited technology when you can listen to those same songs on your phone or computer?
For the nostalgia of course!
There’s just something so charming about outdated tech. I’m fascinated by how much functionality was possible on such limited hardware. It’s not just old CD players that holds this nostalgia for me either — pretty much any technology from the ‘90s to the early ‘00s have a special place in my heart.
Thrift stores are much more than places to find CHEAP clothes!
One place I indulged in my love of obsolete tech was the thrift store. Pre-pandemic, I often found myself looking around my local Value Village. I would often walk out without buying anything, simply enjoying looking around at all the interesting things.
From old computer parts to rotary phones and cassette players, I felt like an explorer finding these relics of the past. I enjoyed the feeling of the buttons and knobs underneath my fingertips, giving me a tactile experience that heightened my nostalgia.
Thrifting isn’t nearly as fun these days though…
It’s not always practical to find this stuff in person, especially during a pandemic. Often the best way to find old technology is online.
It’s long past the days of dial up Internet and AOL subscriptions after all, and the very thing that made this technology obsolete actually helps keep the nostalgia alive. People can buy, sell and trade nearly anything online these days, making it easy for anybody to get a collection started.
There are also countless ways to connect with others via the Internet. I usually find myself watching YouTube whenever I’m feeling particularly nostalgic. I enjoy the longer format of YouTube videos over places like TikTok or Instagram — I find myself more invested with both the content and the creators themselves.
Below are two of my favourite YouTubers, both of whom focus heavily on nostalgic tech.
I didn’t even know there were vhs camcorders before Brutalmoose’s videos!
Brutalmoose is a variety channel that covers topics such as old television commercials, retro food recipes and ‘90s PC games. He combines funny editing with his laidback yet charismatic personality.
I really enjoy Brutalmoose’s Mystery Tapes videos. Not only does he cover VHS tapes with various ‘90s television shows and commercials on them, the YouTube video itself is filmed with an old VHS camcorder. This gives the video a slightly discolored blurry aesthetic that in itself invokes a lot of nostalgia.
Click here for the first Mystery Tapes video.
LGR is a channel that focuses primarily on retro PC hardware and software, although he also reviews video games.
LGR’s videos are very chill and informative, showing off old tech I didn’t even know existed! While I enjoy all of his content, the LGR Thrifts series is definitely my favourite. It allows me to reminisce about both old technology and thrifting, two topics that truly go hand and hand.
Click here for the most recent LGR Thrifts video, an eThrifts video that’s very fitting in the pandemic.
If you’re interested, please check out both of these wonderful creators. I hope that this article has brought out some nostalgic tech memories of your own, as it did for me. Feel free to share some of them in the comments!
Emma Cayen
Emma is in her final year in the Professional Writing program at Algonquin. Looking forward to her future in the writing world, she even finds herself dreaming of plot bunnies in her sleep. Emma also enjoys beating her sister at a good game of Mario Party, well as spending time with her beloved cat George.
