Obsolete
Updated: 12/29/2023 by Computer Hope
With technology, the term obsolete describes a computer, hardware, or software considered outdated, no longer useful, or no longer manufactured. For example, the 80286 (286) computer is considered obsolete technology.
Examples of obsolete computer hardware
The following list contains computer hardware and technology considered obsolete or rarely used today and what, if anything, replaced each one.
Note
Although something may be labeled as obsolete, it doesn't mean it's no longer used by anyone. It indicates that most people have moved on to another technology. Also, the technologies may be replaced multiple times by new inventions (e.g., day planner → PDA → smartphone).
| Obsolete | Replaced by |
|---|---|
| 3D TV | Smart TV |
| AGP (accelerated graphics port) | PCIe (PCI Express) |
| ARC (Advanced RISC Computing) | |
| BBS (bulletin board system) | Internet |
| BlackBerry devices | Android smartphones and iPhones |
| Camcorder | Digital camcorder |
| Camera | Digital camera |
| Cassette | Floppy diskette |
| CD (compact disc) | DVD (digital versatile disc) |
| CD-i (compact disc interactive) | CD-ROM (compact disc read-only memory) |
| CD-R (compact disc recordable) and CD-R drive | DVD-R (digital versatile disc recordable) and Flash drive |
| CGA (color graphics adapter) | EGA (enhanced graphics adapter) |
| CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor | Flat panel displays |
| Dial-up modem | Broadband |
| DAT (Digital Audio Tape) | QIC (quarter-inch cartridge) |
| Day planner | PDA (personal digital assistant) |
| Dot matrix printer | Inkjet printer and laser printer |
| Digital camcorder | Smartphone |
| Digital camera | Smartphone |
| Drum plotter | Inkjet printer and laser printer |
| DVD | Blu-ray and streaming |
| EDO (extended data out) memory | BEDO (burst extended data out) memory |
| EGA | VGA (video graphics adapter) |
| EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture) | PCI (peripheral component interconnect) |
| Fax machine | |
| Fax modem | |
| Floppy diskette and Floppy diskette drive | CD and CD-ROM drive |
| Game port | USB (universal serial bus) |
| Gas-plasma display | LCD (liquid-crystal display) and LED (light-emitting diode) |
| HDD (hard disk drive) | SSD (solid-state drive) |
| Impact printers | Inkjet printer and laser printer |
| iPod | Smartphone and streaming |
| GPS (Global Positioning System) standalone | Smartphone |
| HD DVD (high definition digital versatile disc) | Blu-ray |
| HGA (Hercules Graphics Adapter) | VGA |
| IDE (integrated drive electronics) | SATA (Serial AT Attachment) |
| ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) | PCI (peripheral component interconnect) |
| JavaStation | Desktop computer |
| Jaz drive | CD-R and CD-R drive |
| Laserdisc | DVD |
| Letter-quality printer | Inkjet printer and laser printer |
| Light pen | Touch screen |
| MCA (Micro Channel Architecture) | ISA |
| MDA (monochrome display adapter) | HGA |
| Mechanical mouse | Optical mouse |
| Microfilm reader | Internet |
| MiniDisc | CD |
| MP3 player | Smartphone and streaming |
| NFT (non-fungible token) | |
| Optical-mechanical mouse | Optical mouse |
| Overhead projector | Digital projector |
| Pager | Smartphone |
| Parallel port | USB |
| PCI | PCIe |
| PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) | USB |
| PDA | Smartphone |
| Phototypesetter | Word processor |
| POTS (plain old telephone system) | Cell phone, ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network), and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) |
| PS/2 port | USB |
| Punch cards | Magnetic media |
| Punch tape | Magnetic media |
| SBus | PCI |
| Segway | Electric bikes |
| Serial port | USB |
| Slide projector | Digital projector |
| Slide rule | Calculator |
| Solid-ink printer | Inkjet printer |
| SuperDisk diskette & drive | CD-R and CD-R drive |
| S-Video | HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) |
| Turbo button | |
| Typewriter | Word processor |
| Vacuum tube | Transistor |
| VGA | SVGA (super video graphics array) |
| VGA port | DVI (digital visual interface) and HDMI |
| VHS (video home system) | DVD |
| Videodisk | CD-ROM and DVD |
| VL bus | PCI |
| Walkman | MP3 player |
| Zip drive | CD-R and CD-R drive |
| Zune | iPod |
Abandonware, Business terms, Computer museum, Deprecated, EOL, Legacy, Modern