This is a list of obsolete technology which includes newer technologies that replaced the older ones. Many technologies that have newer alternatives have not been completely replaced. {, class=wikitable !

Obsolete Obsolescence is the state of being which occurs when an object, service, or practice is no longer maintained or required even though it may still be in good working order. It usually happens when something that is more efficient or less risky r ...

technology !Replacement !Still used for , - , Bathing machine , No longer required due to changing social standards of morality , , - ,

Drive-through A drive-through or drive-thru (a sensational spelling of the word ''through''), is a type of take-out service provided by a business that allows customers to purchase products without leaving their cars. The format was pioneered in the United ...

bank teller (sometimes featuring pneumatic tubes to transfer documents and money to outer lanes) , ATM (drive-through or walk-up), online banking , Drive-through tellers still exist to serve customers who prefer not to use the available technology or to handle transactions too complex to be handled by an ATM. , - ,

Hourglass An hourglass (or sandglass, sand timer, sand clock or egg timer) is a device used to measure the passage of time. It comprises two glass bulbs connected vertically by a narrow neck that allows a regulated flow of a substance (historically sand) ...

, Clock , Tasks where a fixed amount of time can be measured with a low-tech solution: Exposure time tracker in saunas (where electronics might be damaged by the heat or ultraviolet light), retro kitchen timers, board games , - ,

Manual vacuum cleaner The manual vacuum cleaner was a type of non-electric vacuum cleaner, using suction to remove dirt from carpets, being powered by human muscle, similar in use to a manual lawn mower. Its invention is dated to the second half of the 19th century, ...

, carpet sweeper , Electric vacuum cleaner , Carpet sweepers are sometimes used in commercial applications (like movie theatres) where the noise of an electric vacuum is unwelcome , - , Primitive Fire making , Ferrocerium, Match, Lighter , Practiced as backup survival skills if advanced methods unavailable. , - , Quill pen, reed pen, dip pen, fountain pen , Ballpoint pen ,

Calligraphy Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...

, personal preference , - ,

Sundial A sundial is a horological device that tells the time of day (referred to as civil time in modern usage) when direct sunlight shines by the apparent position of the Sun in the sky. In the narrowest sense of the word, it consists of a flat ...

, Clock , Occasionally seen as a decoration in gardens and other outdoor settings. , - , Outhouse , Flush Toilets, Sanitary sewers, Portable toilet , Remote or undeveloped locations far from sewage systems. , - ,

Milk chute Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulating ...

, Lactose-free milk,

Plant-based milk Plant milk is a plant beverage with a color resembling that of milk. Plant milks are non-dairy beverages made from a water-based plant extract for flavoring and aroma. Plant milks are consumed as alternatives to milk, and often provide a crea ...

, No longer used due to supermarkets. , - ,

Swamp cooler An evaporative cooler (also known as evaporative air conditioner, swamp cooler, swamp box, desert cooler and wet air cooler) is a device that cools air through the evaporation of water. Evaporative cooling differs from other air conditioning sy ...

, Air conditioning , Dry climates, lower cost alternative , - !colspan=3 , Lighting , - , Incandescent light bulbs , Fluorescent lamps, cold cathode lamps, high-intensity discharge lamp, LEDs , Specialty purposes; mandatory phase-out of incandescent light bulbs is happening in some countries. LEDs are also gradually replacing compact fluorescent lamps. , - , Moonlight towers , Distributed street lighting , , - , Producing light with fire. Early: candles, torches. Later:

kerosene lamp A kerosene lamp (also known as a paraffin lamp in some countries) is a type of lighting device that uses kerosene as a fuel. Kerosene lamps have a wick or mantle as light source, protected by a glass chimney or globe; lamps may be used on a t ...

s, fuel-based

lantern A lantern is an often portable source of lighting, typically featuring a protective enclosure for the light sourcehistorically usually a candle or a wick in oil, and often a battery-powered light in modern timesto make it easier to carry and h ...

s, and gas light ,

Flashlight A flashlight ( US, Canada) or torch ( UK, Australia) is a portable hand-held electric lamp. Formerly, the light source typically was a miniature incandescent light bulb, but these have been displaced by light-emitting diodes (LEDs) since the ...

electric light An electric light, lamp, or light bulb is an electrical component that produces light. It is the most common form of artificial lighting. Lamps usually have a base made of ceramic, metal, glass, or plastic, which secures the lamp in the soc ...

s , Torches sometimes used for performance purposes. Coleman Lanterns and similar are sometimes used for camping, but battery-powered lanterns are becoming more common. Gas lighting is still used for street lighting in some historic districts, but not indoors due to toxic emissions. Candles are still used for aesthetic purposes. Gas and fuel based lanterns as well as candles may also be used to generate light in addition to flashlights during power outages. , - !colspan=3 , Kitchens and cooking , - , Icebox ,

Refrigerator A refrigerator, colloquially fridge, is a commercial and home appliance consisting of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump (mechanical, electronic or chemical) that transfers heat from its inside to its external environment so th ...

, , - , Open

hearth A hearth () is the place in a home where a fire is or was traditionally kept for home heating and for cooking, usually constituted by at least a horizontal hearthstone and often enclosed to varying degrees by any combination of reredos (a lo ...

cooking , Kitchen stoves,

oven upA double oven A ceramic oven An oven is a tool which is used to expose materials to a hot environment. Ovens contain a hollow chamber and provide a means of heating the chamber in a controlled way. In use since antiquity, they have been us ...

barbecue grill A barbecue grill or barbeque grill (known as a barbecue or barbie in Australia and New Zealand) is a device that cooks food by applying heat from below. There are several varieties of grills, with most falling into one of three categories: natura ...

s, various small appliances , Historical recreations , - , Toasting fork (for use with open flame to make

toast Toast most commonly refers to: * Toast (food), bread browned with dry heat * Toast (honor), a ritual in which a drink is taken Toast may also refer to: Places * Toast, North Carolina, a census-designated place in the United States Books * '' ...

) , Toaster, toaster oven , Camping , - , Turnspit dog , Steam power, wind-up power, electrical power , Extinct , - !colspan=3 , Audiovisual communication , - ,

Audio cassette The Compact Cassette or Musicassette (MC), also commonly called the tape cassette, cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback. Invented by Lou Otten ...

, cassette player, Walkman , Compact disc, MP3,

MP3 player A portable media player (PMP) (also including the related digital audio player (DAP)) is a portable consumer electronics device capable of storing and playing digital media such as audio, images, and video files. The data is typically stored o ...

, Playing historical recordings , - ,

Analog television Analog television is the original television technology that uses analog signals to transmit video and audio. In an analog television broadcast, the brightness, colors and sound are represented by amplitude, instantaneous phase and frequency, ...

, Digital television , Mandatory

digital television transition The digital television transition, also called the digital switchover (DSO), the analogue switch/sign-off (ASO), the digital migration, or the analogue shutdown, is the process in which older analogue television broadcasting technology is conv ...

has been underway around the world since the 2000s , - ,

Betamax Betamax (also known as Beta, as in its logo) is a consumer-level analog recording and cassette format of magnetic tape for video, commonly known as a video cassette recorder. It was developed by Sony and was released in Japan on May 10, 1975, ...

, Lost a format war to VHS , Playing historical recordings , - ,

Cathode ray tube A cathode-ray tube (CRT) is a vacuum tube containing one or more electron guns, which emit electron beams that are manipulated to display images on a phosphorescent screen. The images may represent electrical waveforms ( oscilloscope), pictu ...

, Flatscreen , Retrogaming , - , Compact disc, CD player,

Discman Discman was Sony's brand name for portable CD players. The first Discman, the Sony D-50 or D-5 (depending on region), was launched in 1984. The brand name changed to CD Walkman, initially for Japanese lineups launched between October 1997 and Ma ...

, MP3,

, USB stick , Playing historical recordings , - , HD DVD , Lost format war to Blu-ray , Playback of historical recordings , - ,

Dial-up Internet access Dial-up Internet access is a form of Internet access that uses the facilities of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to establish a connection to an Internet service provider (ISP) by dialing a telephone number on a conventional telepho ...

Broadband Internet In telecommunications, broadband is wide bandwidth data transmission which transports multiple signals at a wide range of frequencies and Internet traffic types, that enables messages to be sent simultaneously, used in fast internet connections. ...

, - ,

LaserDisc The LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium, initially licensed, sold and marketed as DiscoVision, MCA DiscoVision (also known simply as "DiscoVision") in the United States in 1978. Its diam ...

, Compact disks, DVDs, and Blu-ray , Playback of historical recordings , - , Overhead projector and slide projector , Video projector , Historical viewings , - ,

Phonograph A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

and

phonograph record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...

8 track tape The 8-track tape (formally Stereo 8; commonly called eight-track cartridge, eight-track tape, and eight-track) is a magnetic tape sound recording technology that was popular from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, when the compact cassette, whi ...

, compact disc, MP3 , Vinyl revival , - , Telegraph , Telephone, teletype, email, Global Maritime Distress and Safety System , Revived as text messaging , - , Video cassette recorder , DVDs,

digital video recorder A digital video recorder (DVR) is an electronic device that records video in a digital format to a disk drive, USB flash drive, SD memory card, SSD or other local or networked mass storage device. The term includes set-top boxes with direct to d ...

s , Playback of historical recordings , - ! colspan=3 , Computing, information storage, and office equipment , - , BlackBerry physical keyboards , Modern smartphones have software keyboards displayed on the touchscreen when necessary , Tasks that requires physical keyboards , - , Carbon paper , Photocopier, cheap printing of multiple copies , Still used by some enterprises , - , Credit card imprinters, with carbon paper , Magnetic stripe cards, EMV (chips) , , - ,

Dot-matrix impact printing Dot matrix printing, sometimes called impact matrix printing, is a computer printing process in which ink is applied to a surface using a relatively low-resolution dot matrix for layout. Dot matrix printers typically use a print head that moves ...

, Inkjet printer, laser printer , Still used in some enterprises, especially for old carbon paper forms , - , Faxes , Email, World Wide Web , Still used by some enterprises , - , Mimeograph , Photocopier, cheap printing of multiple copies , , - , Paper address book, Rolodex , Contact list, electronic address book , , - , Paper card catalogs, edge-notched cards , Computer databases , , - , Paper data storage for computers ( punch cards, punched tape) ,

Magnetic data storage Magnetic storage or magnetic recording is the storage of data on a magnetized medium. Magnetic storage uses different patterns of magnetisation in a magnetizable material to store data and is a form of non-volatile memory. The information is acc ...

, , - , Paper ledger , Computerized spreadsheets and databases , , - , Phone book ,

Search engine A search engine is a software system designed to carry out web searches. They search the World Wide Web in a systematic way for particular information specified in a textual web search query. The search results are generally presented in a ...

and online databases , Yellow pages are still distributed for advertising purposes , - , Pneumatic tubes for moving documents and postal items , Electronic communication, mechanized surface vehicles , Transport of physical items in hospitals and factories, scientific applications; Possible revival as a means of high-speed transportation , - , Typewriter , Word processor , Still used by some writers being deliberately low-tech , - , Slide rule, mechanical calculator , Electronic calculator,

computer A computer is a machine that can be programmed to Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as C ...

, , - , Vacuum tube , Transistor , Vacuum tubes are still used in microwave ovens, RF communications and radar, high power industrial switching such as in

pulsed lasers Pulsed operation of lasers refers to any laser not classified as continuous wave, so that the optical power appears in pulses of some duration at some repetition rate. Silfvast, William T. (1996). ''Laser Fundamentals'', Cambridge University Press. ...

and generation of x-rays. They have found niche popularity in more expensive guitar amplifiers and hi-fi

power amplifier An audio power amplifier (or power amp) is an electronic amplifier that amplifies low-power electronic audio signals, such as the signal from a radio receiver or an electric guitar pickup, to a level that is high enough for driving loudspea ...

s. , - ! colspan=3 , Transport , - , Airships , Airplanes, helicopters; Project Loon replaced by cellular networks and land-based Internet services , Advertising, adventures, research, long-duration surveillance , - , Boneshaker,

penny-farthing The penny-farthing, also known as a high wheel, high wheeler or ordinary, is an early type of bicycle. It was popular in the 1870s and 1880s, with its large front wheel providing high speeds (owing to its travelling a large distance for every r ...

bicycle , Safety bicycle (early version of the modern bicycle) , Historical re-enactment , - , Buggy whip , Automobiles do not require them , Horse transport for novelty purposes, and for utility in developing countries and Amish communities , - ,

Carburetor A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meteri ...

Fuel injection Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of an injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines. All comp ...

, Small engine equipment and piston engine aircraft , - ,

Celestial navigation Celestial navigation, also known as astronavigation, is the practice of position fixing using stars and other celestial bodies that enables a navigator to accurately determine their actual current physical position in space (or on the surface of ...

with lunar distance method and dead reckoning , Marine chronometer to solve the longitude problem , , - ,

with

sextant A sextant is a doubly reflecting navigation instrument that measures the angular distance between two visible objects. The primary use of a sextant is to measure the angle between an astronomical object and the horizon for the purposes of celes ...

and marine chronometer , Inertial guidance, radio navigation, radar navigation, satellite navigation , Backup in case of electronic system failure or jamming, spaceflight where satellite and ground-based systems can't be used , - ,

Cobblestone Cobblestone is a natural building material based on cobble-sized stones, and is used for pavement roads, streets, and buildings. Setts, also called Belgian blocks, are often casually referred to as "cobbles", although a sett is distinct fro ...

, Concrete, asphalt , Still used in historic districts , - , Draft animals for canal boats, plows, carriages, light rail vehicles , Motorized boats, tractors, steam railroads, electric trolleys,

cable car Cable car most commonly refers to the following cable transportation systems: * Aerial lift, such as aerial tramways and gondola lifts, in which the vehicle is suspended in the air from a cable ** Aerial tramway ** Chairlift ** Gondola lift *** Bi ...

s, horseless carriages ( automobiles) , Sled dogs in arctic regions of North American and Greenland. Horse-drawn

carriage A carriage is a private four-wheeled vehicle for people and is most commonly horse-drawn. Second-hand private carriages were common public transport, the equivalent of modern cars used as taxis. Carriage suspensions are by leather strapping an ...

s are recreational attractions in some highly developed cities , - , Marine steam engine and

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

, Marine diesel engines, nuclear marine propulsion, aircraft for long-distance passenger travel , , - ,

Ocean liner An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships). Ca ...

Airliner An airliner is a type of aircraft for transporting passengers and air cargo. Such aircraft are most often operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an ...

s and jet airliners , The

RMS Queen Mary 2 RMS ''Queen Mary 2'' (also referred to as the ''QM2'') is a British transatlantic ocean liner. She has served as the flagship of Cunard Line since succeeding ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' in 2004. As of 2022, ''Queen Mary 2'' is the only ocean liner ...

is still in service as an ocean liner , - , Pack animals , Trucks and

van A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across th ...

s , In developed countries, only in difficult terrain with no roads (e.g.

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...

) , - ,

Steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...

Diesel locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving whee ...

, electric locomotive , Still used for historical

heritage railway A heritage railway or heritage railroad (US usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) i ...

s , - , Steam powered Traction engine , Internal combustion powered Tractor , Maintained by preservation societies and for historical demonstrations , - ! colspan=3 , Military , - , Early siege engines ( siege towers, battering rams,

catapult A catapult is a ballistic device used to launch a projectile a great distance without the aid of gunpowder or other propellants – particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. A catapult uses the sudden release of stored p ...

s, ballistae, trebuchets) , Artillery, aircraft , , - , Forts,

defensive wall A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

s , Vulnerable to air attack, useless to prevent the advance of aircraft , Limited use of underground bunkers and civilian

air raid shelter Air raid shelters are structures for the protection of non-combatants as well as combatants against enemy attacks from the air. They are similar to bunkers in many regards, although they are not designed to defend against ground attack (but many ...

s , - , Gunpowder , Smokeless powder, high explosives,

dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germa ...

, ANFO , Recreational shooting, historical reenactments , - ,

Muzzleloader A muzzleloader is any firearm into which the projectile and the propellant charge is loaded from the muzzle of the gun (i.e., from the forward, open end of the gun's barrel). This is distinct from the modern (higher tech and harder to make) design ...

firearms ,

Breech-loading weapon A breechloader is a firearm in which the user loads the ammunition (cartridge or shell) via the rear (breech) end of its barrel, as opposed to a muzzleloader, which loads ammunition via the front ( muzzle). Modern firearms are generally breec ...

s , Historical re-enactments , - , Spear ,

Firearm A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...

s ,

Bayonet A bayonet (from French ) is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit on the end of the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar firearm, allowing it to be used as a spear-like weapon.Brayley, Martin, ''Bayonets: An Illustr ...

s, spear fishing , - ,

Sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...

s , Issued for ceremonial purposes to NCOs and upwards

Co-existence

Older technologies substantially co-existing with newer technologies include: *

Analog watch An analog watch (American) or analogue watch (UK and Commonwealth) is a watch whose display is not digital but rather analog with a traditional clock face. The name is an example of a retronym; it was coined to distinguish analog watches, whic ...

es are still widely used for reasons of fashion and personal preference despite the availability of

digital watch A watch is a portable timepiece intended to be carried or worn by a person. It is designed to keep a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is designed to be worn around the wrist, attached by ...

es which can be made much lighter and with smart watch capabilities. * CDs are still used in addition to MP3 players, however Smartphones with apps such as Spotify are more commonly used. * DVDs have not been displaced by Blu-rays * Fireplaces are still used for primary heat in some houses in developed countries, though

furnace A furnace is a structure in which heat is produced with the help of combustion. Furnace may also refer to: Appliances Buildings * Furnace (central heating): a furnace , or a heater or boiler , used to generate heat for buildings * Boiler, used t ...

s, electric heat, and other modern

HVAC Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. HV ...

systems are less polluting, can be better controlled, and can also provide cooling. *

Ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

travel has not been completely displaced by bridges and airplanes * Fords are still used for rural roads, though bridges have replaced them for most roads in most developed countries *

Hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as w ...

s have not been displaced by nail guns * Hot water bottles continue to be used along with electric blankets and heating pads. * Landline telephones are still used, despite the advent of mobile phones, although majorly for people who may struggle with modern technology. * Long-distance travel by railroads and highway has to some degree been displaced by airplane, but not entirely - especially in countries adopting

high-speed rail High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail system that runs significantly faster than traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, lines ...

Postal mail The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal syst ...

continues to be used alongside email, but with substantial decreases in personal correspondence outside of special occasions, due to the availability of text messages and email * Pneumatic tubes for passenger transport have been used in atmospheric railway to provide motive power, like a

system. Vactrain systems, where the entire passenger compartment travels through an evacuated tube, never became operational, but are still being investigated for high-speed transport. *

Shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of a ...

s co-exist with

bulletproof vest A bulletproof vest, also known as a ballistic vest or a bullet-resistant vest, is an item of body armor that helps absorb the impact and reduce or stop penetration to the torso from firearm-fired projectiles and fragmentation from explosions. T ...

s, and are used by riot police. Lighter-weight and stronger materials are available compared to ancient wooden and bronze shields, including clear plastic shields and bulletproof shields mounted on firing platforms.

Co-existence

See also