Retro Technologies that Still Work Fine

 No Need to Buy New Tech when These Old Tech Meet Your Needs

Once upon a time, I paid over $3000 for a 486 computer. I also paid $900 for a stereo. I'm not alone. Lots of people have jumped on the technology bandwagon only to see their purchases eclipsed by ever changing and improving technologies. We don't need to discuss the advance of television and film content on beta tapes, then VHS tapes, then laser discs, then DVDs, and now Blu-Ray discs. Once you've been burned a few times, you become a little more reluctant to part with your cold hard cash.
After awhile, many people simply realize that there is no reason to be an early adopter or even an adopter of the latest technologies. At least, not just for the sake of being able to claim the latest and greatest. Ultimately, it's the ideas that make it into the documents you create, the content of the movie you watch, the beauty of the photograph you take, and the message and melodies in the music you hear that counts. The technology is just an infrastructure platform for delivering or creating content. Before you adopt a new technology, you should consider whether you would really benefit from the new capabilities of that new gadget. You should also consider whether your old gadgets still meet your needs.

With that in mind, here are three retro technologies that still work just fine:

1. The Phonograph. While the compact disc and MP3 file have lured many listeners away with convenience and portability, many audiophiles and music enthusiasts have returned to the vinyl record. They believe that music is best captured through analog media instead of being converted to a series of ones and zeroes and being recorded digitally. They also refuse to give up sound quality for the file compression that saves drive space. Plus, they like the art on full-sized album covers. Thomas Edison's invention has been around since 1877 and it's not going away any time soon. Amazon.com features hundreds of turntables.

2. The Revolver. The essentials of modern firearms and ammunition have been the stable for at least one hundred years. While the 1911 Colt .45 is still the standard by which semi-automatic pistols are judged, the revolver designs they replaced are still going strong. When you are in an adrenaline-charged, life threatening, situation, the simplicity of a revolver can't be beat. When the chips are down, you don't need a safety, a laser, an accessory rail, an on-board computer, or a polymer frame, you need a firearm that will go bang when you pull the trigger and allow you to hit a human-sized target that is probably less than thirty feet away. Revolvers have real advantages in reliability and ease of use. If you want simple target shooting and home defense, you can't go wrong with a Smith & Wesson Model 10 or Taurus Model 82.

3. The Sail. In this era of sustainability, you can't beat the sail for propulsion at sea. The wind is still and has always been free. If you want to go on an adventure and cross an ocean, you'll need to hoist a sail and leave the power boaters at the docks with their gold chains, cigars, and trophy wives. If Joshua Slocum could circle the globe, so can you. But, you must respect the sea. You'll want a stout, full-keel, sail boat of at least thirty feet in length before sailing the ocean blue. Something like the Pacific Seacraft 40 would be perfect.

When it comes to technology, see beyond the trends and consider what works best for you.