-
Typewriters
Typewriters were invented in 1868 as a tool for writing. Typewriters were used for many years until the late 1980s when computers became more popular. Typewriters are used in some places in the world still but they are not as widely used as they once were. I think typewriters are not used now because of computers and newer, more efficient technology. -
Milkmen/Home Milk Delivery
Milkmen/home milk delivery was invented in 1785 in Vermont where a Milkman would go door to door with milk in a metal barrel. Milkmen were popular until the 1990's when there services were no longer needed. I think the main reason they are obsolete is because of grocery stores since milk is always available. -
Pagers
Pagers were once used to communicate with others they were like texting way before texting. They were originally created for communication in Healthcare and Emergency Services but became a popular way of communication to the general public. The first pager was invented in 1921 and stopped being used by the general public in the early 2000s when cell phones took over. I think the reason pagers stopped being used was because of cell phones and new technology. -
VHS Tapes
Before Netflix VHS tapes were the only way to watch movies that were not on TV. The VHS was created in 1976 and was widely used until 2006 when the last movie to be made in VHS format was released. By 2008, DVD had surpassed the VHS entirely. I think VHS became obsolete because of the invention of DVDs and more advanced technology being created. -
Walkmans
The Walkman was a popular product that enabled the user to play music, create mixtapes and listen anywhere and anytime. The Walkman was invented in 1979 and stopped being produced in 2010. I think the Walkman was discontinued because of cell phones and other ways to listen to music. -
Phone Books
Phone books were once a product everyone had in their homes and now no one has them. Phone books were used to find people's numbers before the internet. The first phone originated on February 21st, 1878 in New Haven, Connecticut and was used until October 14th, 2010 when New York approved Verizon's request to stop printing phone books to make things more digital. I think phone books have become obsolete because we have more advanced technology and ways of communicating. -
Phone Booths/Pay Phones
Phone booths/pay phones once upon a time were used to call people when you weren't at home. The first phone booth was created in 1881 in Berlin and stopped being used around 2011 when they were no longer needed due to cell phones. Phone booths and pay phones are no longer needed since most people have cell phones and do not need to use them. You can find pay phones still but they are not widely accessible. -
Floppy Disk
The floppy disk was used to transfer data, create backups and to load software updates onto technology in the 1980's and 1990's. The floppy disk was created in 1971 and used until March 2011 when SONY stopped making them. I think the floppy disk became obsolete because of technology advancing to the point they were no longer needed. -
Blockbuster
Blockbuster was founded on October 19th,1985 and was a popular video store until 2014 when it shut down. Blockbuster was a successful video rental store until Netflix and streaming services took over causing them to go out of business. Blockbuster was forced out of business when online streaming platforms made rental prices ultra-low to the point where Blockbuster could not compete. -
BlackBerry
BlackBerry was the world's first smartphone created in 2002. BlackBerry's became popular very quickly for many years. BlackBerry stopped being made in January of 2022 when they stopped updating the software. I think BlackBerry discontinued their product because it's no longer needed since there are other phone options that are new and popular. On the business side of things, I think they stopped making them because the costs of manufacturing were more than the profit they were generating.