Continuing in my Blogging 101 class, I am trying something new today by responding to a daily or a writing prompt. Here is a recent daily prompt question from The Daily Post I found at:

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/going-obsolete/

Going Obsolete: Of all the technologies that have gone obsolete which one do you miss the most?

Advances in technology can be very exciting and inspiring; the technological advances made in computers are incredible and they keep evolving and improving. I work with individuals who have various types of developmental disabilities and I have seen how advancement in technology has helped them to lead fuller and more meaningful lives. Technologies have aided to improve hearing aids, motorized wheelchairs, Hoyer lifts, communication aids, medication dispensers, and other assistive devices.

Some individuals that I work with desire to learn and improve their computer skills. They often are eager to learn and computer accessories can be adapted to their needs. They have learned to email or Skype their families and stay in closer contact with them. Some have learned to use computer finance applications to manage their checkbooks, budget, and compile their own finance reports. Still others have learned digital photography and design their own greeting cards on computer. I am currently working with one individual interested in learning to conduct family history research on her computer.

However, sometimes I do become nostalgic for some of the old technologies.  I have seen a number of things go obsolete and sometimes very unexpectedly. As one example of this, I will never forget the day that I realized that record albums were obsolete. I was in the habit of visiting a certain favorite music store to look at music tapes and records. While visiting there, I did notice a change taking place in that these things called CDs (short for compact discs) were coming out. I had no idea what was so great about these new CDs and so I continued to purchase cassette tapes or record albums.

Then one day during my college years,  I unsuspectingly rode the city bus to the mall and visited my favorite music store.  I was in for a surprise for as I entered the store I saw that ALL of the record albums were gone; totally and completely gone. And in their place were all these new-fangled CDs. I was astonished, “What? You’re kidding, right?”That was a complete shock. I didn’t even have a cd player. However, they still sold the music cassette tapes so I continued to purchase those for quite some time. As a teenager, that was how I collected music from my favorite artists.  All my teenage friends collected their music in these same analog formats. Collecting records and cassette tapes was a part of the teenage experience. I fondly remember receiving my black phonograph player as a Christmas gift and I played records on it all the time; I played the big 33 records and the small 45’s.  That phonograph was one of my favorite gifts and I still have it. It just doesn’t work anymore. I also purchased a cassette tape player and that still works.

The cassette tapes also eventually went obsolete. I learned to like the CDs out of necessity but I can tell you I was reluctant to adjust to that change. It also became apparent to me that the digital quality of the CDs is superior to the analog quality of the cassette tapes and records. Even so, collecting those tapes and records was a memorable experience during my teenage and early college years. Although I have hesitantly become modern and up to date in adjusting to digital formats, I still kept my cassette tape collection and more recently, I found my old cassette tape player. I have it in the kitchen to play my favorite tapes again  I use it the most around Christmas time. Now, about that video tape collection…

What are your thoughts? Do you have a favorite type of nostalgic technology device which you were reluctant to part with?