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Yes, there are times when getting in line for the latest and greatest gear is a life changing experience - but isn't the old stuff still worthy?

The original portable music player, the Sony Walkman, turns 30 this year, and while I'm not suggesting you go all the way back to carrying a brick sized cassette player in your pack to entertain you on your daily commute, sometimes older is just fine when it comes to technology.

Until the release of the iPhone 3G in Canada last summer, I was carrying around the same Sony Ericsson w800i candy bar sized phone for 4 years.  When I would head our for a run, I'd strap on a 512Mb Creative MuVo Micro.  When it comes time to catching some video on a plane I have my Creative Zen Vision.  Now I've moved on to running with an iPod shuffle, and I've upgraded to an iPhone 3G, but I still use my Creative Zen as my video player of choice.

Apple is famous for making their product line obsolete with each upgrade. 

Every year since it's release, a new iPhone has been released.  The same happened when the iPod first came to market.  Remember the iPod Mini?  What about the original iPod Shuffle?  Or the "fat" Nano?  All those iPods are now obsolete, replaced by current, sexier models.  The older ones work just fine, apart from an
increase in memory capacity, and all carry the same iTunes feature functionality, but we've become so conditioned to trendspotting that we
are willing to ditch perfectly good products the instant a "second edition" is released.

Anil Dash of Last Year's Model did an interview with CBC's Spark back in the spring and noticed a difference in the way gadgets are created. "The devices aren't meant to be coveted," he said.  "They break down instead of breaking in."

But that can't apply to all technology.  There has to be some old gear that you're hanging on to despite it's lack of cutting edge-ness.

I asked some Twitter friends that question and hands were quickly raised by people rocking huge CRT tvs. mostly still revelling in the simplicity of their favourite cell phones.  For @AprilFilms, that's a Motorola Razr V3i.  She still hangs on to it "for large screen, first smartphone w/ micro SD card for media production "

She was kind enough to chat with some of her crew and made a video about the older gadgets they drop in the mix.

Okay, rocking a 13 year old laptop may be a little extreme for some, but when the new models are launched it actually presents an opportunity of a different kind.  Instead of leaping to the front of the line with the early adopters, sneak in the back of it and benefit on some products that are "just as good" but without the markup.  Millions are getting a great chance to do that this year as the iPhone 3G remains on shelves despite the launch of the iPhone 3GS.  The iPhone 3G still benefits from the power of the 3.0 software upgrade, but is available at a fraction of the cost it was just 1 year ago.

I actually have 2 Creative Zen Vision players that I still have in rotation (one for me, and one for my wife).  Just like Al said in April's video above, I still use them because I understand them.  I have the wires ready in my home theatre and bedroom tv to plug them in, and I use the players like a VCR.  I'll dump video media to the players and then I can have them for a vacation, or to watch at home.  Since they're also a bit older, I'm not as afraid letting my son clang one around filled with his favourite Max and Ruby videos.

To really put the disposable attitude of our generation in perspective, you just have to look through your parent's garage and basement.  My mom and dad still have the same shovel they've used in their garden for 40 years, and the toys my son plays with when he visits them are the same Fisher Price planes and people I played with as a child over 30 years ago. 

At my house I go through 2 snow shovels a season and I've yet to have bought my son a toy he hasn't managed to crack in the first month of abuse.

Yes, using the older stuff is just fine, if they'd only make it last like they used to.

catch the buzz ... pass it on.

Message Edited by ElizabethS on 07-27-2009 11:12 PM