The iPhone – and all mobile phones for that matter – have developed to the point where numerous technologies of the past have become all-but obsolete in the modern-day. On the App Store, you can just about find an app for anything that is likely easier to use and cheaper than the physical form of its predecessor.
However, many people have found benefits from using old technology, much of which younger generations may have never encountered hands-on or read about via the internet. It’s strange to think that, given the power of modern technology, these relics have been able to survive, but as you’ll see, they’re not just used by a few older heads and are available to the wider public.
Floppy disks big
and small
Floppy disks used to be the go-to technology for storing important files. People used to have huge metal filing cabinets filled with filed floppy disks that would hold various bits of information and data, from spreadsheets to family photos. The best thing about floppy disks is that they were, and still are, incredibly reliable. These days, even the top-of-the-range external hard drives aren’t expected to last too much past five years of use.
Floppy disks and computers that can use floppy disks have stood the test of time, even if they have been phased out of mainstream technology. Many used to think that CDs would provide ever-lasting storage of data when they were initially released, which helped phase out floppy disks, but now we know that this isn’t the case and that floppy disks from decades ago can still be used like new.
Despite the ability of iPhones being able to send data, such as images and files, to the cloud for safekeeping, floppy disks are still preferred by many, including the US military. A few years back, it was widely reported that the Defense Department’s Strategic Automated Command and Control System still uses 8-inch floppy disks for data storage.
Enhancing the
security of old communication services
In 2006, one of the world’s largest telegram agencies, Western Union, announced that it was discontinuing the service. Just in case you didn’t know, telegrams were written messages that were transmitted via an electric device, offering the most secure and private form of communication.
Following the adoption of fax machines, emails, and text messaging, telegrams became less popular with many believing that these other electronic communication methods were also wholly secure. However, following stories of a lack of privacy in the online space, including the reveals of data being collected by popular apps from the App Store, like WhatsApp, WeChat, Snapchat, and Messenger, people have begun to crave the privacy of telegrams once again. Now, there is a modern resurgence for the telegram.
The aptly named Telegram is billed as the most secure messaging app in the world, carrying on the legacy of the telegram in the modern-day. But many people want their messages to be even more secure than one app can possibly provide, deploying a virtual private network alongside Telegram to ensure total privacy and security when messaging other people. It’s a simple case of wanting private messages to stay as such, especially when the internet is awash with tales of hackers.
For all of the benefits that the iPhones and other modern technologies have brought us, it seems that for many people, the old ways are still better.
