Why we're falling back in love with retro tech

[Spanky]

We seem to clamour so much for old computers, consoles, cameras, and audio kit that companies are now issuing reboots of classic computers like the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.
Last month, smart meter company Smart Energy GB surveyed 2,000 people in the UK to see what tech they missed. One in four people still hoarded cassette tapes and old MP3 players, it found, with one in five still hanging on to VHS tapes. TVs with Teletext also topped the list. A third of people still even actually use this stuff once in a while.

https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/25/straight_outta_1996_why_were/

 

[big10p]

I've gone back to listening to CDs in the car. Lol

 

[Spanky]

I've gone back to listening to CDs in the car. Lol

Good for you.

 

[bones]

I've gone back to listening to CDs in the car. Lol

Me too, the amazon prime library was great via Bluetooth but like all these type of platforms when you unsubscribe you realise that you actually have nothing lol

 

[kingtreelo]

i have a spotify music account for the whole family, i would spend a LOT more on physical stuff for the amount of songs my family listen to

but i do have around 350-500 blu rays, started collecting them a while back now, invaluable when the internet is off

 

[Spanky]

If a band can't be arsed releasing their stuff on CD, I can't be arsed buying it. It's never been easier to have a CD made.

 

[kingtreelo]

If a band can't be arsed releasing their stuff on CD, I can't be arsed buying it. It's never been easier to have a CD made.

possibly not, but how many cars have CD players in them now, how many homes have CD players, how many laptops..PCs have optical drives...absolutely none that are getting made anymore

 

[Bods]

Me too, the amazon prime library was great via Bluetooth but like all these type of platforms when you unsubscribe you realise that you actually have nothing lol

Wasn't there some crazy bond type villan that says "You'll Own Nothing, and Be Happy"

The best thing about 70s 80's stuff as they say it's built with such amazing quality and when you consider stuff like the Sharp VZ-2000 Ghetto Blaster with Radio, Cassette deck and Linear Tracking both sides play auto size turntable with repeat play and probably 98% just need a swap of belts, controls cleaned and will be working great after 45 years says something about the stuff they made back then

Currently I'm at 1965 Blurays on my List of movies, 2463 total with DVDs and 1360 of them are Bluray +DVD
I still haven't added loads to the list in box sets and got boxes with 100s more blurays to go through if any decent films they'll be added

Can't believe how many movies there are I've not seen or even heard off from the 70s 80s 90s

 

[Lurch666]

It's simply a link to better times for me,hanging around in arcades,lots of rock pubs and new tech appearing all the time.
Didn't know it then but these things were finite so didn't appreciate they would stop happening later in my life.

Life is still good but I miss the constant innovation of the late 70's and 80's.

 

[Bods]

If a band can't be arsed releasing their stuff on CD, I can't be arsed buying it. It's never been easier to have a CD made.

Buy the CD you have all options open and you still have it what ever happens, can record on to tape if you want real retro, mp3 it etc

Bought they 2 Albums of that audiobooks duo, SOHN recently and quite often buying older 80s 90s 2000s stuff on CD from Charity Shops while they still have them

 

[Spanky]

Charity shops - it's like five CDs or DVDs for £1.50 or something daft. So I can get a couple of compilation CDs and some random movies to watch of an evening for the price of a first class stamp!

P.S. One day I'm gonna scan each bar code on my CDs into a spreadsheet. If anyone's figured out how to upload a CSV to Discogs via the API, please tell me, I've tried and failed.

 

[thegreathopper]

My VW golf came with a cd player, it’s only 3 years old so quite a surprise.

I never stopped buying disks, much prefer to vinyl.

 

[Flyback2021]

Retro is still king in my world !
We are knee deep in vinyl in my house, wife and I have a shared dozen shelves and then I have my own collection. Owned every version of Technic’s 1200/1210 over the last 20 years - except MK4. Elegant with incredible build quality Iconic pieces of design , I would have a turntable in every room. Favourite ever owned MK5G Gold.

 

[Akira99]

Still got my sony mini disc player, mini discs, mini disc albums and Suede electricity mini disc single

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[Spanky]

I saw a video of a CD-player / CD changer recently, can't remember the brand, but it was something you can currently buy without much difficulty. It took five or six CDs, and the cool thing was that you could eject the draw whilst it was playing a CD.

 

[CMYKhazi-Dan]

possibly not, but how many cars have CD players in them now, how many homes have CD players, how many laptops..PCs have optical drives...absolutely none that are getting made anymore

My thirteen-year old son buys cds and plays them on his next-gen XBox Series X.

Charity shops - it's like five CDs or DVDs for £1.50 or something daft. So I can get a couple of compilation CDs and some random movies to watch of an evening for the price of a first class stamp!

My local Asda sell refurbished CDs for £1-£2. They are like new – picked up Charlatans Melting Pot and The Strokes the other week

 

[Bods]

Just like someone said on youtube comments, CEX Stourbridge shut down

Screen shot it save ya having to go on the crappy news sites

 

[qjuk]

My guess is that the cost to renew the lease for the Stourbridge store was uneconomical and is probably the real reason for the store closure, and not actually due to a decline in retro gaming.

It read to me that the shopping centre manger’s comments were based on his own opinions, rather than any information given by CEX, he even admitted the store was still popular.

 

[John Bennett]

I still get everything on CDs. I like my collection (never got why people preferred vinyl ).

It is a bit annoying having to dig out an external CD drive to copy them to memory sticks for my newer cars.
I can't even use a typical memory stick on the ID Buzz as it's USB-C sockets all-round
The Nissan's also got a tape player on it. That's not aged so well.

 

[Bods]

I keep meaning to look at that as the crappy new vans with all the gizmo guff on and it's only got flippin USB-C as well so can't put me sticks in now