What analog technology would you like to see make a comeback?
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Nullo (
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October 27th, 2011
Got the idea from watching Captain America again. There wasn’t one single bit of digital anything in there. The designs were all pretty cool, too.
Upon reflection, I realized that I have two rotary-dial phones in the house that have likely had little or no maintenance over the last 50-odd years, and work splendidly. I’d like to see more of those. As a bonus, they’re not compatible with phone trees that require touch-tone phones. Bring them back en mass, and we might see an end to their automated tyranny!
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8 Answers
I’m going to think about this question and come back, trying to refrain from answering “all of it” as a kneejerk response. That really would be an exaggeration, even for me. I’m sure, uh, cars shoes appliances furniture something is better made now than it used to be.
But first I just want to give you points for including the retro spelling ‘analogue’ in your tags.
Polaroid SX-70. I’m all over that like a light leak on a Holga.
Let’s see…Beta video tape machines and 8 track car stereos fer sure. Also Pong and Atari if those are even analog.
Polaroid cameras, and I still vastly prefer an analog watch over a digital one.
I’d like to see all stock markets and futures trading back to non-digital. (actually, I would love to see the whole mess scrapped… but slowing them down and make them work harder is a start.)
@Billy_Strauss NO, Not 8-tracks. I spent so much time realigning them, clean heads, and unwrapping tape caught in the machines it was a great relief when my Dad finally got a cassette player. Nooooooooo!
@augustlan, do you mean a watch with a face and hands as opposed to a numeric display, or a windup watch as opposed to a battery, or both? I have a battery-powered watch, but it has hands, and what’s more, it has Roman numerals on the face.
I tried like everything to buy a windup watch as a backup for when my battery dies, and you just about can’t find them. A jeweler offered to sell me an antique for $1400. How about a $9.99 Timex from Woolworth’s? Forget it. There isn’t even any Woolworth’s (another terrific loss).
@Jeruba I wouldn’t mind a battery, though I do like the idea of a windup one. The hands and numbers are the bit I would miss. That said, I can’t even wear a watch anymore, so the whole thing is moot. :(
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