Retro is the Future
New technology sucks shit through a crazy straw. This isn't me just being a luddite, technology has only gone downhill over the years. We've by and large innovated minimally (if at all). Don't get me wrong, there are some solid indie projects out there, but for the most part it's garbage out there.
Tech is built to be defunct within a couple years of usage. Repairing anything is a goddamn nightmare because it was either built by an engineer who must live in fear he'll have to answer to god for what he's done, or it's some proprietary bullshit that makes aftermarket parts turn your $1,000+ device into a paperweight. Everything has some shitfuck AI crammed into it like an ugly stepsister with a glass slipper or it makes you pay a subscription just to have the damn thing work. More often than not, it has an app that you have to download just so you can do rudimentary things like changing the time. Hell, even when we DO improve, it's barely anything worth mentioning.
All these tech specs that nobody gives two shits about. Technology is built to be more efficient by minimal degrees so the average user can send an email .00001 seconds faster. Cool, a better camera that still takes indistinguishably different photos from the phone 2-3 generations prior. What the fuck does an M4 chip do differently than an M3 chip? This PRO console is $200 more than the base model, and look at all the things it does better:
- ???
I think it shouldn't be a surprise that a lot of people are turning to old tech. iPods, old game consoles, retrofitting old computers, appliances, vehicles, tools, etc.
I think tech/hardware literacy is going to play a huge roll for a lot of people who find themselves tired of being bent over by tech companies. They'll find older technology from eras where companies at least gave the illusion that they gave a shit, and then repair it to make it feasible for today.
I have a 2008 macbook. It's slow as shit, but it works. The most interesting thing? You can replace the battery with an aftermarket part and the only tool you'd need is a quarter. You can also upgrade the RAM and the storage with a Phillips head screwdriver.
You could make an early 2010s laptop run like a dream with a new operating system. You can throw every song you've ever listened to on an iPod (or hell even your smartphone) and not hear a single ad or pay a dime.
Why spend $600 on a console that only has like 5 games (at $70 each) on it, when you can spend $150 and have a massive library of classics that's anywhere from $5-$20? Hell, if you mod the console you can take it even further, emulate, adding SSD storage, more RAM, or just adding more functionality to that console.
Why buy a fancy new samsung washer and dryer that plays a catchy jiggle when it's done throwing your cat around in a spin cycle when you could just buy one that's 10 years older, doesn't need to be connected to your local internet, and just works! And if it doesn't, you can fix it yourself for a fraction of what it would cost to try and repair/replace the older model.
Why buy this fancy new gas-guzzling car that staples an ipad to your dashboard that controls everything from navigation to your heated seats that can fucking freeze and crash, when you can buy a model that's 10 years older? The 10 year old model will last you an additional 100k miles if it's a good make/model/year, is far easier to do maintenance on, the A/C doesn't require a system update, and you don't have to pay a subscription for heated seats. Hell, even if you don't wanna be a car mechanic (I don't blame you), if you take it to a shop you're still saving money just on cost of parts and labor alone.
Functionality aside, some older technology is just more fun from a design aspect. More colors, different shapes, etc.
Just about every piece of tech out there is like a whale that got washed up on the beach. Bloated and will probably explode. Hyperbole aside, I feel like a lot more people are waking up to not wanting to be put through the consumerist meat grinder. It's starting with the people who think to themselves "why do I need this new phone when my current phone works just fine?"
I think the Macbook Neo (which to me seems like it's Apple's answer to the Chromebook) may be a step in the right direction. It's a lowered pricepoint, and doesn't seem to have all the fluff to try and artificially inflate itself to justify a $1000+ price tag. It's far from ideal in terms of being pro-consumer/right-to-repair, but it's certainly something.
All I'm saying is I think looking at what older tech did right, and even adopting it into your lifestyle can have huge benefits on both the frontend (your overall happiness) and the backend (financial/skill development). Give retro a try, or at least just try and take full advantage of what you currently have.
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as of writing this...
I took a bit of a break from the internet over the weekend. Felt like I needed to get my head on straight. It was also my daughter's birthday weekend, and so I wanted to just be able to spend more time with family. It's also Taco Tuesday and this restaurant by my work is holding a special. Guess where I'm going for lunch today.