Not only is January the month for ambitious resolutions, it's also a good time to think about rearranging your home for the better. A good way to start is by re-evaluating if you really need to keep that large collection of videotapes and that outdated VCR ("You know you're old when..."). We've all been guilty of hoarding old tech, but now's a good time to throw some of it out.
Cassette tapes: As cool as we think they still look, if you're running out of shelf space, it's time to ditch those cassette tapes. You may still want to keep those precious audio books and old albums, and you can with some time and tools. Before you throw out your cassette player or Walkman, digitize your tapes. You'll need a cable or adapter (for a tape deck) connecting your Walkman via the headphone jack to a sound card's line-in jack. Then you can use an app like Audacity to record your cassettes onto your Mac or PC.
After you're through with grabbing all your old files, it's probably safe to donate/toss the cassette player and Walkman too.
Radio: If you still have an old FM/AM radio that doesn't connect to an MP3 or iPod device, you may want to consider investing in one that does, preferably a smaller unit with better sound quality. Here are some great choices to consider for picking a new tabletop radio.
VHS: We're now at a time when 3D and Smart TVs are increasingly becoming the norm. And thus it's a good time to do relegate outdated media players like VCR's and arguably even DVD players to the recycle or donate bins, especially if you already own a Blu-ray player.
We've seen homes with different shelf space for all their different video watching home systems and find it unnecessary clutter. Try to pick your favorite or the player withe the largest media collection - whether regular DVD's or Blu-ray discs, stick to one. We know that some people are attached to certain classics that they only own on videotape, but it's a better space-saving solution to just purchase these shows and movies online and keep a digital library (or better yet, rent or borrow from your local library). Many movies are probably old enough to be found in the classics section of Netflix too.
Floppy Disks: If you're still keeping floppy disks, yesterday was the right time to let these go. Unless you aspire to create artwork out of old floppy disks like Nick Gentry, we suggest you pull those files onto a thumb drive (if you still need them).
The key to reducing old tech clutter is mainly to digitize as many files as you can and store those files in one consolidated spot, like a hard drive. You can also keep files on one or two thumb drives if you have a USB port on your TV. I have one for movies and another just for TV shows, saving a lot of room I'd once have to set aside for tapes or even DVD cases.
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While I agree with a majority of this post, I still plan to keep many of my cassette mix-tapes. They are too nostalgic to let go of. I even just purchased a record player on craiglist (I'll never let go of vinyl) specifically because it also had a cassette deck.
And yet i still own some VHS tapes even though i haven't owned a VCR in years. ha!
While most of the items on the list make sense, I dont see the reasoning behind dumping a radio just because it does not have an iPod attachment. I still find myself using my old radio's even though they lack iPod connectivity.
This is SO subjective. I live with someone who always has the newest iPhone (meaning I usually have the previous one as a hand-me-down, even though I don't give a rip about it...) But the library I work at has the same space issues apartment dwellers have (only on a different scale) and a LOT of people are very agitated as we discontinue old technologies they still use. Currently we are phasing out VHS and audiobooks on cassette. We still have quite a few, and they are still in demand, but we can't keep (and repair) them forever. Not everybody can afford (or learn to use) new equipment, though.
To me, this falls smack into the "if you use it, keep it, if you don't, don't" category.
Old radios and my beloved music, no way. No way.
Besides, the time it'd take to digitise it all would be pointless. And ipods just don't make that funky thwup noise when a track changes. And old crappy radios are great for when you're decorating/tinkering with cars and don't want to care about plaster/paint splashes.
There doesn't seem to be any reason for a floppy disk when they take up so little room on a hard drive or CD, unless you have hundreds and just can't find the time to transfer the data.
Call me dinosaur: I don't own or want an iPod or MP3 player. My small, decades-old small clock radio works just fine, thanks. I still use some older workout videos, in addition to DVDs, so I hope my VCR lives long and prospers. My 13-year-old car has a cassette player, and I keep my favorite music tapes for long-haul trips. Not replacing what works just to update or upgrade has helped my family stay debt free, and that peace of mind is worth a world of the latest whatevers to us! (We do regularly purge all sorts of items through Freecycle and thrift store donations.)
I think it's a matter of preference. I buy a lot of newly released metal albums on Vinyl or Cassette, which are often labelled as a thing of the past. There's a big market out there for them both and in fact, Vinyl has seen a resurgence in it's sales over the past few years as have Cassettes. Likewise, VHS has it's own charm and if you're one to acknowledge/ see it, one would hold on to them.
Every time I think I can eliminate cassette tapes, someone notices that my RV stereo has a tape deck and I get invited to go through their collection. So I still have about a dozen tapes to remind me of the '80s and '90s. :) Otherwise, I'm mostly digital for music, books, and movies.
I almost never listen to the radio but I don't own an iPod. Not everyone does. I DO listen to streaming radio on the web. As long as radios are used for emergency broadcasts I think getting rid of them is short-sighted. I even bought a hand-crank solar radio last year (we kept having snow & more snow and I was worried about info if all the power was out for a long time).
Yeah I'm sorry but I'm with some of these other people: I'm holding onto my old mix tapes. So many memories and honestly, I'm not so crazy about getting rid of everything that connects us to the past for the sake of having a sleek, minimalistic apartment. That's fine for some people, but some of us have to carry the torch of the past so that people generations from now know what we were all about - and not just through descriptions on wikipedia.
Ditto Charlotte's comment. The power can go out for any length of time for any reason (earthquake, weather, etc etc) in ANY area. We have an emergency radio that works with a power adapter, batteries or can be charged with a hand crank. Maybe this wasn't the kind of tech you were thinking of - but it's worth remembering that some low/old tech options are sometimes the only functional ones.
I held onto my tapes for a long time until I realized they were all basically dying or dead. They stretch out and dry out over time. Same problem with VHS tapes, and I wouldn't be surprised with floppies either. I held onto some of the mixes solely because I want to recreate them with digital files (which of course I have yet to do many years later.)
I love reading doofus ideas like this, cause I'll be able to make so much money in the future selling this stuff back.
3D is already dead.
There are myriad movies and old series available ONLY on vhs tapes via ebay and thrift stores.
AM/FM is still free music available anywhere there's air.
I've got a collection of 78s and a few 16s that I can't play until I find the right vintage turntable, hopefully something from the Art Deco era.
Um...no. On sooo many levels. Never owned a walkman, never mind an iPod or MP3. I do however, own a console stereo complete with am/fm radio, turntable & cassette player with speakers that are capable of blasting one into the next millenium. It's quite a handsome piece of furniture. which I inherited from my parents. To make room for it, I sold a similar console with an 8-track player along with a sizeable collection of tapes for no small chunk of change (yup, I said 8-track) to someone who will appreciate it & preserve it for posterity's sake.
Lest one think I live in the dark ages, I do have a smart phone which I use for...wait for it...phone service alone. *shock!* (and nope, I didn't purchase it which is why I am debt free & own my own home). I also don't text. I am of the firm belief that if texting had preceded the telephone, the entire world would be screaming, "Wow! You can actually hear one's voice!" and that texting would be obsolete. If I desire to surf the net, my computer serves it's purpose, thank you very much. And my desk chair allows for proper/better posture while I'm surfin.
I RESENT the fact that modern technology invades my personal space & that I can no longer even shop for groceries without being tracked down. I much prefer spending my time with irl friends who can share life & laughter when I'm in the mood for company. And when I'm not...there's always my vinyl of Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass I can take for a spin on that outdated turntable as I sip a cuppa joe or a glass of wine of an evening & just chill. You will be prying it - along with my Mitch Miller Christmas album - from my cold dead hands after I'm gone...as all those friends I spent IRL time with look on...
You don't know what you're missin...
Who could possibly throw away their mixed tapes made by old h.s. boyfriends/girlfriends, handwritten songlist and all?
Holding on to old mix tapes is like keeping some picture someone drew for you in the first grade. You can keep them for the memories but don't pretend it has any value other than that. I say dump it all.
Dumb idea i record my bad guitar playing on cassette
What about all those families that have home movies on VHS, should those be tossed too? Just because it is a dying medium doesn't mean it should be pushed aside with out exceptions.
I leave my 70's radio on when I'm away from my house sometimes so my cats will hear music and voices. With the new digital tech. radios, when the power goes out and then comes on again (no explanation--this is Phoenix), the radios do not resume playing. My old Panasonic starts right back up. It's so cute, too, with a wood grain case and lion's head with ring for opening up the side where the controls hide.
I refuse to toss my VCR for one reason and one reason only - my Star Wars movies. I refuse to buy the newer ones, with crappy extra scenes added in. Not to mention I don't feel like giving George Lucas any more money.
During my last spring cleaning I sent my vcr, answering machine, my old PS2 and video tapes to be recycled. I've ripped digital copies of all my dvd's and loaded them on to my appletv's harddrive. This let me banish the discs to space saving albums which can be buried in a closet. I made a list of my old tapes and have been replacing them with digital versions. It actually freed up quite a bit of space. I do all my gaming on my iPad now, so don't really miss the PS2.
i get the point of your article but i don't agree. if it ain't broke don't fix it.
not everything should be digitalised for the sake of space-saving... unless your living in a bunker-style apartment. we still have VHS tapes because we still have a DVD/VCR combo that works perfectly. people need to be aware that if there is a disaster, you're without power for days or weeks. we've been without power for a week and no disaster occurred. people go camping without power supplies to get away from technology.
Anyone know a good service that can rip VHS tapes to digital format? I'm still hanging onto a few tapes (i.e. short films I made in high school) even though I haven't owned a VCR in a while...
You can do it yourself rather cheaply if you have a VCR. You just need a video in adapter, which for something like a VCR should be rather inexpensive. Warning though, it is slowww. This true with all analog recording. Going analog to digital takes forever because it is recorded 1 to 1.
30 years ago, I gave away my typewriter ... ;-)
oh dear, typewriters are back in... as props.
Reply to Stiletto - http://vhs-to-dvd-converters-review.toptenreviews.com/
I have about 200 cassettes that still work fine, original artists, loads of which didn't release vinyl at the time as well as contemporary artists. I'm not behind the times, I just like music. Roughly 2600 records, handful of CDs. Feel free to throw out your cassettes.. but you could also find someone who wants them on craigslist, even pay you for em provided they're in good condition and aren't dumb mixtapes.
I finally ditched my mix tapes from high school when I went to visit my Mom. I did take a few photos, which give me the track listings in case I want to re-create them in playlist form.
http://thenestinggame.com/2011/09/29/mix-tape/
Re gillianne's comment, I would seriously consider replacing old workout DVDs with newer ones. Like medical information, exercise science also changes over time. Many 'old school' videos from the 80s and 90s (and I've owned many myself) contain exercises that have since then been replaced by ones that are more effective, efficient, and/or safer.
I had all of my old personal VHS tapes (and PAL format too!) transferred to DVD by Under Design here in Philly: www.vhstodvd.us
He did a great job with my huge bag of tapes and was really reasonable, most of it was salvageable even after several cross-country (and cross-continent) moves. Absolutely worth it to not lose memories.
Thanks for the link, PCHAN. I'll be using it.