Timeless Innovations: Technology That Endures Through The Ages ◈ EN Pet YOLO

There’s a reason inventors made technology with quality in mind, otherwise, no one would buy it. They can survive the wear and tear of human touch. That’s why your mouse or keyboard is older than your pet dog. Without technology, we’d live a very different life to the one we live in today. It’s kept us connected and in communication with each other, and even if a family member is across the world, you can keep in touch with them through your phone. It turns out technology can last a lot longer than expected, so you might not be surprised to learn your grandpa is still using a computer from the 1980s or your Gameboy from the 1990s still turns on. It’s time to head into your attic and grab that old piece of technology taking up space, it might just work.

Grandpa’s Computer

Computers can last several decades, especially if you do a good job taking care of them. This Reddit user’s grandpa still uses their decades-old computer for simple things like typing, printing, and storing information. If it still works, why would you get rid of it? And if he doesn’t need a more complex system, then there’s no need to spend money on another computer, although we can’t imagine how fast this one runs (Reddit).

The Burn-In

Check out this burn-in on this old Ms. Pack Man arcade monitor! The user of Reddit wanted to replace this old model since the look of the LCD doesn’t compare to newer models. Still, it dates back several decades and has survived the test of time. The original game came out in 1982 and was developed by General Computer Corporation. Ms. Pac-Man looks similar to the original Pac-Man, except for the large hairbow and eyelashes. Kids used to spend hours using these monitors to play this game, and you can tell by this picture how much wear and tear it withstood (Reddit).

The 33 Year Old Coffee Maker

This Moccamaster is three decades old. The Reddit user’s dad got it back in 1984, and apparently, the light switch still works. That’s pretty impressive. Maybe it makes a cup of coffee too, though it likely doesn’t taste very good. Typically, coffee makers last five years, and high-quality machines last ten years. This piece of technology surpassed all of that, lasting three times as long. Other Reddit users claimed to have had the same machine for fifty years and had to replace the carafe before the actual machine (Reddit).

This iPod

Everyone remembers the days of the iPod when we had to buy and download songs from our computer and upload it to our iPod. If we forgot to add a song, then we’d have to wait until we could get access to it. Those days are long gone, and we now have Spotify at our fingertips. Still, this iPod withstood the test of time, despite the many scratches and dullness on the back of it. It still works just the same, and it’s likely the headphones needed to be replaced before the iPod itself (Reddit).

An Old Memory Card

For 18 years, this GameCube memory card sat in its GameCube, successfully doing its job. Without fail, it managed to hold the memory of hundreds of games for nearly two decades. That’s impressive! You can tell it’s an old memory card based on the faded letterings, though that’s the only giveaway. Without this knowledge, we’d never know how old this memory card is. When this person on Reddit opened up their old GameCube memory card, they saw the ghosts of bangers they used to own. These memory cards were so cheap back then, people used to buy one for each video game they owned (Reddit).

Telegraph

The Apple Mac

There’s nothing more timeless than an old Apple Mac, that’s still operating and in great condition. Though, it obviously can’t download or operate a game as well as the current Mac systems. Just looking at this gives us nostalgia, and makes us realize just how much technology has developed since then. Even though they don’t serve a purpose now, what you can do is play old CDs and DVDs on them. If you have an old game lying around, chuck it into your old Mac and go for a ride down memory lane (Reddit).

Dad’s Walkman

Nothing screams more 90’s than an old Walkman! Just look at that thing. It’s survived the wear and tear from sitting in someone’s jean pocket and getting played at full volume. When these first came out, people couldn’t believe they could have music with the click of a button. It’s something we take for granted now. The original Walkman was made of aluminum. According to Debika Ray on Icon Eye, the Walkman “revolutionized the way we listen to music and allowed people to overlay music onto their everyday lives. Music became suddenly more personal.” Music on the Walkman probably sounds muffled and static compared to what we have nowadays, but it’s wonderful having it around for nostalgia (Icon Eye).

The Mirror Shine Trackpad

We don’t even realize how often we use the trackpad on our laptops. Every time we open our computer, our pointer finger goes straight to the trackpad and starts its scrolling journey. Over time, though, you might notice a stain or mark on your trackpad. That’s all thanks to your finger. This Reddit user shared the mirror shine on their trackpad after years of wear and tear. Even though there’s a mark, it still works and stands the test of time from overuse. The pad doesn’t need nearly as much maintenance as the computer does (Keyboard Kings).

This Old Phone With An Optional Texting Clip

The good old days didn’t have texting. It was considered a luxury, which is why those who wanted to text had to purchase an optional texting clip and hook it onto the bottom of their phone to make their lives easier. This Reddit user saved their old phone from the 1990s, and while it’s obvious they can’t do much with it, it still turns on. Maybe they’ll make a call or two, as long as it doesn’t have faulty wiring (Reddit).

The Overused Mouse Pad

This mouse pad has seen better days. Much like the trackpad, the mouse pad loses its shine and shimmer after years of use, especially if you’re using it daily. If you wash the mouse pad and take decent care of it, it has a long life. Otherwise, you’re looking at quick wear and tear (Reddit).

The TV Standing Spot

Over time, the more people walk or stand on something, the more likely it is marks will appear. This especially rings true if it’s a place people stand day in and day out, for years and years. Meteorologists always stand in this exact spot at the TV station. You can see the difference where they did stand and never stood. At least the entire floor didn’t cave in. If they want to get rid of those marks, they’ll have to do some serious scrubbing and cleaning, though it seems like a good souvenir to keep from over the years (How to Clean Stuff).

An Old Windows Computer

Windows monitors can last anywhere from 10 to 20 years, or 30,000 to 60,000 hours of use, even if you’re using it eight hours per day. If you use it less, it will last even longer. Be prepared for a loud computer that hums and groans with every button. They don’t run like a silent Macbook Air, but they get the job done (Reddit).

The Old School Guitar

You’d think a new guitar sounds better than an old one, but the opposite is true. The older a guitar, the better it sounds. They become harder and gain a more resonant tone that sustains better than it does with new guitars. It’s also because the wood doesn’t retain as much water and dries out over time. Because of this, the wood becomes harder and lighter and has a better sound quality. The guitar in this photo probably sounds better than it did a decade ago (Prosound HQ).

The Headphone Breakdown

Everyone has a breakdown once and a while, and that’s headphones included. The material on these headphones tore apart, revealing what was inside. They flaked from months and years of constant head-wearing and hand-grabbing. They’ve spent months pumping music and working their magic, until one day, they couldn’t handle the stress any longer. The sweat that leaks into the headphones from your head causes this breakdown, making them crack, peel, and smell pretty awful (Gym Hugz).

This Printer From 1995

This Reddit user kept this printer around for over two decades and only recently decided to retire it. It still works, but new technology has certainly made printers with better quality. The only reason they’re getting rid of it is likely because it doesn’t connect to any of their newer computers anymore. It’s become obsolete, even if there’s technically nothing wrong with it. Most printers only last around five years, but with proper care, they can last a lot longer (Reddit).

Sixteen-Year-Old Remote Control

Remotes are a lot more effective than they used to be. Do you remember having to get closer to your television just so it could read the signal? From this photograph, we can see just how much remotes have changed. Sixteen years is a long time to hold on to a remote, it’s even longer than some people have pets. This remote looks like it’s seen the world and holds some serious secrets. How many people’s hands has it touched? The first TV remotes were called clickers and didn’t use batteries (Reddit).

One-Year-Old Phone Case

Phone cases get the most use. We’re constantly using our phones, taking them out of our bags, texting, and calling people. That phone case is important, especially if we happen to drop it. This phone case had good use. It even changed a different color, probably from someone’s hands scratching it off over time. It’s still useable, even if it does look overused and worn down. The new one is fresher, and this person can relax knowing it’ll last them at least one year. Plastic phone cases can last a lifetime since plastic never dies. That’s something that’s sticking around forever (Burga).

Twenty-Year-Old Radio

Two decades is a long time to pump music through the same speakers, but this radio managed to withstand the test of time and survive. If the radio has decent tubes installed, then it should last two decades. It’s not unheard of. It turns out the old tube of a radio can be brought back to life, even if it was broken (Nuts Volts).

Computer Mouse

Similar to the trackpad, computer mice break down over time, though they likely still work. From this photograph, you can tell someone got good use out of their computer mouse. They usually last about seven years, but if you’re using your mouse daily for gaming and other things, it’ll diminish to about three years. The good news is that computer mouses are easy to replace and don’t cost that much, though people don’t use them anymore (Gadget Review).

Small Vintage Watches

Time never stops moving, so why should a watch stop tick? Mechanical watches are designed to last a lifetime. They can last multiple lifetimes, so your watch might last longer than you do. As long as you keep maintaining them every three to five years, you shouldn’t have any problems keeping them alive for decades. They’re something you could pass down several generations, as it seems this watch has done (Govberg Watches).

Gaming Laptop WASD

This person played a lot of games. Their WASD letters are completely rubbed off. If you didn’t know a keyboard, you wouldn’t even know which letters these were. It looks like someone purposefully rubbed off the letters to trick the owner. Let’s hope this person won a ton of their games, otherwise, it was all for nothing. The life expectancy of a keyboard is 10-30 years, but it depends on tons of factors, like how many games you play and if there’s any water damage (Box Room Office).

Vintage Nintendo Controllers

People probably never thought they would call a Nintendo controller vintage, but these controllers are about as vintage as you can get. They’re still operable and have survived decades of games and teenage fingers. It seems like this Reddit person collected them throughout their Gameboy years. This person even brought them back to life by cleaning them up, replacing the thumbsticks, and replacing the cables (Reddit).

Six-Year-Old Keyboard Protector

Keyboard protectors are one of the most essential parts of a laptop. Without it, you might spill liquids into your keyboard and damage your entire laptop. Based on this photo, we can see the wear and tear from years of using a keyboard protector and how much work it’s done. If this person didn’t use it, their keyboard would be more damaged. The yellowing shows how much it’s saved the laptop from dust, oil, and other things that typically get into a laptop. There are pros and cons to using a laptop protector, but at the end of the day, it could save you thousands of dollars in damage (Make Use Of).

Broken Down Tetris

Tetris is the most ported game of all time. There are over 520 million copies sold globally. Everyone and their grandma has played at least one round of Tetris in their lifetime. It’s also indestructible and made to withstand the test of time. This broken-down game of Tetris is living proof that Tetris is nearly indestructible. It’s also a perfect videogame. Professor James Newman said, “By responding to the never-ending supply of blocks, organizing them, tactically parking some to worry about later while strategically adding and combining others into shapes and structures ripe with the potential for future removal, Tetris offers the seductive potential of agency and control in a sea of apparent chaos.” It’s a great example of something easy to learn, but challenging to master (BBC).

Telegraph

The Mobile Phone

Take a look at that hunky piece of metal! There’s nothing more timeless than a mobile phone, something that’s not only survived decades but has transformed into something almost unrecognizable from its former self. What started as a clunky piece of metal turned into something slick and sexy that fit into our front pocket. We’ll give it to Marty Cooper, the original inventor of the mobile phone that dates back fifty years. Without him, our lives would be very different (BBC).

The Corroded Spark Plugs

These spark plugs are better traveled than most people. For over 115,000 miles, these guys did their duties. It’s easy to tell based on their rusted, worn look. It’s a good thing they replaced them since corroded spark plugs can lead to poor performance thanks to spark plug gaps (DIY Car Service Parts).

Four Years Of Use

As we’ve already seen, cell phone cases seem to wear down the quickest. This phone case is no different, and after four years, it already succumbed to fading and dullness. The center of the phone case has lost its luster and color. If this new phone case wasn’t there in comparison, you wouldn’t see how much it’s changed. But it still works and has withstood the test of time, successfully protecting the phone (Reddit).

This Mouse Has Seen It All

For 14 years, 12 hours a day, seven days a week, this person sat in front of their computer and used their mouse. If we didn’t know this was a photo of a mouse pad, we’d say someone left their nearby window open and was snowed in. If this is what this person’s mousepad looks like, what does the rest of their home look like? It can’t be too tidy, given the circumstances (Reddit).

The Wheel Used To Be Black

What happens with the overuse of a mouse? The material rubs off. In this photo, we can see how they overused the wheel, so much so that the black outer layer rubbed off. With time, the copper wires around the wheel can wear out, which causes a jumpy scroll wheel. You can either fix it or buy a new one to replace it (Make Use Of).

Headphone Ear Cushions

Headphones wear down quickly. They’re constantly exposed to the oil on our heads and hair, and we spend hours upon hours listening to music as we go throughout our day. After three years of use, this headphone broke down and the material disintegrated. It’s nothing more than a piece of felt that probably doesn’t work. A lot of the time, moisture absorption affects the ear cushions and breaks them down even faster (Cashify).

Living On Hopes And Dreams

There’s nothing worse than something living solely off of hopes and dreams. This chair never made it that far in life and succumbed to the pressure of daily human holding. For three months, this chair held up, until one day it suddenly broke. It stood the test of time for a while but caved in at the first sight of too much weight to handle (Reddit).

Fifteen Years Of Gaming Takes Its Toll

It looks like mouses are the one piece of technology people can’t get enough of. Who would have thought computer mice last so long? Because this person bought a brand new mouse, it’s easy to tell what chaos their fingers have done over the years. You can see where their fingers were and how much their fingers moved over the material (Reddit).

Too Much Civilization

What happens when you get too into Civilization? Take a look at this person’s computer mouse pad. They played day in and day out. Their thumb and pointer finger took most of the brunt. Sweat, lack of cleanliness, and overuse can all cause your mousepad to lose its shimmer. But still, it survived this many years, and has many more years to go (Quora).

The Twenty-Three-Year-Old Lock

Family heirlooms stick around forever. That’s why they’re so important for the family lineage. As you can tell from this photo, this two-decade-old lock survived the use of fingers throughout the years. It’s even seen their family grow. It was probably tough for them to replace their lock, but it was time for a new one. Hopefully, they kept it for memories (Reddit).

Seven Years Of A Keyboard

They say seven is a lucky number, which is why this seven-year-old keyboard is still around. It looks brand new. We can’t tell which one is the older one, though the one on the bottom looks a little bit more dull than the one on top. Either way, this person got good use out of their keyboard and managed to keep it spic and span. Keyboards typically last about ten years anyway, so it still has a few more years left (Switch and Click).

CRT Screen Burn On TV Monitor

If we didn’t know this was a screen burn, we’d think this was still operating as a security camera. It’s almost like it’s frozen in time, and managed to survive throughout the years of keeping things under control and people safe. Screen burn is preventable, but if you keep the same image on the screen for too long, it burns an afterimage. Not many people knew about this phenomenon in the 1990s, which is why so many televisions have this burn (DFarq).

Smooth Scroll

This person posted this photo on Reddit, with the caption, “The scroll wheel was completely smooth.” Their fingers caused a lot of wear and tear so much, that their scroll barely worked. There are oil prints from their fingerprints left on the mouse pad. Generally, you can clean the residue with rubbing alcohol and Q-tips. If you stay on top of this, you’ll have an entirely new mouse pad (Quora).

Daily Watch Wear

Knowing what time it is is important. It helps us keep up with our day-to-day life so we’re not late for meetings or seeing our friends. As you can tell from this photo, the leather strap has worn down, and the holes have creases in them. The strap lasts between six months and four years. The more time you spend taking care of it, the longer it will last (Watch Obsession).

Warped Gameboy Screen

Just look at that ancient piece of technology! It withstood the years of constant thumb pressing and button clicking. Surprisingly, it still works, and it’s here to tell the tale. The Gameboy screen is warped, and the people of Reddit believe it’s still salvageable. It just needs a little bit of TLC and the screen is brand new. Even though this Gameboy is decades old, it’s still operable (Reddit).