Oldest piece of computer tech you are still using.

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#3112856 7-Aug-2023 14:39

Still using a very old BTC keyboard, model 8190, but now with a PS/2 to USB adaptor.

It is still a good keyboard and it has a little bulge-out with joystick and 4 push keys. I don't use the joystick but I

do use the copy and paste keys on it.

If I want to boot into the BIOS I have to remember to add a USB keyboard, though!

Senecio

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#3112862 7-Aug-2023 15:14

My Sharp El-557 scientific calculator I bought in high school back in 1989. Still comes to work with me everyday despite the comments I get from the Millennials and Gen-Zs in my team.

MyCalcDB : Calculator Sharp EL-557 (free.fr)

mattwnz

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#3112868 7-Aug-2023 15:56

Senecio:

My Sharp El-557 scientific calculator I bought in high school back in 1989. Still comes to work with me everyday despite the comments I get from the Millennials and Gen-Zs in my team.

MyCalcDB : Calculator Sharp EL-557 (free.fr)

I have that same model in my drawer from about 93 although it has the slide on plastic cover. Good quality calculator.

nztim

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#3112871 7-Aug-2023 16:01

PC Direct keyboard from the 90s good old mechanical buttons!

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cddt

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#3112874 7-Aug-2023 16:21

elpenguino:

Good point (but I'm used to my Windows based tools). I bet there's cupboards full of otherwise working equipment stranded into e-waste by lack of driver and OS support.

With a username like yours I am disappointed! 😀

Indeed - most PC hardware from the last 10 years is more than adequate for >95% of what people use it for.

Breaks my heart (and my mind) when I hear someone wanting to upgrade from a three year old laptop because it's slow - and all they use it for is web browsing and watching videos.

mattwnz

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#3112886 7-Aug-2023 16:57

cddt:

Breaks my heart (and my mind) when I hear someone wanting to upgrade from a three year old laptop because it's slow - and all they use it for is web browsing and watching videos.

Possibly because it was underspec when they purchased it . Some of the specs on lower priced laptops sold today are pretty bad, partly because they are trying to compete on price with chromebook type devices as well as tablets. Watching videos does need ok processing power, espcially if hooking it up to a 4k display.

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SaltyNZ

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2degrees

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#3112893 7-Aug-2023 17:11

TBH if you're buying a cheap underpowered notebook I question your ability to run 4K on the cheap monitor you undoubtedly bought to go with it. 4K monitors are more expensive than crappy Chromebook-specced laptops.

iPad Pro 11" + iPhone 15 Pro Max + 2degrees 4tw!

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elpenguino

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#3112896 7-Aug-2023 17:20

cddt:

elpenguino:

Good point (but I'm used to my Windows based tools). I bet there's cupboards full of otherwise working equipment stranded into e-waste by lack of driver and OS support.

With a username like yours I am disappointed! 😀

LOL - touche!

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K8Toledo

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#3112924 7-Aug-2023 18:03

mattwnz:

On the back of some of to other threads on best and worst tech people have purchased, I thought I would start a thread on what the oldest piece of computer tech is that people still use on a daily basis and still works on modern computers. Or just the oldest piece of tech you still regularly use.

Mine is a Microsoft Office Keyboard like this https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-E17-00002-Office-Keyboard/dp/B00005NVBO . I think it is now 22 years old, luckily it was USB. Most of the of shortcut buttons including cut copy and paste still work, except for the scroll wheel. It is just a really nice keyboard to type on , even though it uses rubber domes. The letters haven't worn of either, even though some keys are quite worn. Better than any new membrane keyboard I have used. Just shows the quality of some MS products back then.

Since 2004

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#3112957 7-Aug-2023 19:24

The oldest piece of tech I still use on a regular basis us a WDTV media player. Still works most of the time I also use a 11 year old PB Tech branded desktop computer from about 2011 as my daily driver running Windows 11.

Regards,

Old3eyes

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#3113020 7-Aug-2023 21:40

I keep various old PCs for compatibility purposes. Just fired up my XP today to check some Outlook Express emails and was very disappointed when it wouldn't start. I also have some BBC Acorns but can't claim them as I don't actually use them. I do still use Win 7 on occasion and my Win 98 Toshiba is my workshop machine. Also a very old IBM Aptiva for reading floppy disks. I'm sure there is more since I don't throw much away but that is all I can think of at this moment.

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#3113037 7-Aug-2023 23:02

I am amazed at all the old keyboards and equipment still being used.

Oldest computer in the house is an Acorn Electron from 1983. But the oldest computer in use is a Mac Mini from 2011. As for the rest of my equipment the Bower & Wilkins MM1 computer speakers are probably the oldest (from 2013), so I am way behind (or is that ahead) of everyone else here.

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SepticSceptic

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#3113039 7-Aug-2023 23:23

I still have a Windows XP laptop that I use for a few things:

Canon flatbed scanner. I paid good money, annoyed that there are no win7 or better drivers

Dymo labelprinter. Had a weird USB chip that only was recognised in win XP. At least this printer is not DRM'd like the current models.

Finally, as a WHS ( Windows Home Server) recovery data source. Win7 and above didn't support WHS bare metal recovery.

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#3113110 8-Aug-2023 10:00

jarledb:

But the oldest computer in use is a Mac Mini from 2011....

My 2011 Mac Mini is still humming away in the garage as my Plex server. Hasn't skipped a beat and I can't remember the last time it was rebooted apart from a power disruption.

Wombat1

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#3113136 8-Aug-2023 10:53

My Garage PC keyboard :-) I would guess its late 90's.

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