Retro Technology

PizzaNet (Santa Cruz, 1994).

Seldom do you find an item or service that works so well, you don’t need to get another one. It’s a rarity these days to find anything of permanence, and it seems the concept itself has been eschewed by consumers and capitalists alike, both preferring a model of impermanent, infinite upgrades to a be all, end all product that lasts a lifetime.

However, for me, ownership matters. Being able to keep and reuse something without having to reactivate or repurchase it is essential to how I interact with the world around me. I find great pleasure in mastering an object, learning every way it can and cant be used, and once understood, using it like an extension of myself.

Many companies have spent lots of money convincing consumers that long-term ownership is antithetical to being wealthy, fulfilled, and productive. They of course have a vested interest in this position: If they can convince you they are right, they succeed in duping you into spending a lot more money on the latest products, or attaching yourself to an upgrade cycle that keeps you invested in their ecosystem, on their terms.

Their commitment to this position goes deeper and can be even more sinister. Some companies will even design their products with timed obsolescence, either with hardware that wears out or fails (batteries, backlights), with hardware checks or verifications (touchID buttons, processors) or most immorally, with software locks, like the inability to upgrade the product or inability to install a different OS.

If you think they do this for your benefit, you are a fool. Many arguments could be made: “the battery becomes dangerous after a certain amount of time”. Maybe so, but then why did the company *glue* the battery into the phone, and why isnt it easily replacable? “TouchID security has improved, its insecure to use a phone with the old system” Okay, but then why isn’t the consumer given the option to boot the phone with a different OS to use in a way that security isnt a factor? Such as a webcam or door bell or any number of infinite uses the phone still has. “We prevent the computer from being reused if its owner has not removed activation lock, rendering it into a brick” Sure, it might deter theft for now, but what about 10 years from now, when it sits in a closet, activation code and login long forgotten, and ends up at the local donation center? Will it never be reused again? all that goes into the trash?

I reject the notion that the company knows better than I do what to do with the product I purchased. I reject that I should essentially shackle myself to a product ecosystem for my own protection, and that I am somehow incapable of operating without the hand holding of some mega corporation who thinks of me as a number. I reject the condescending, hostile attitude companies have towards me, which makes them think kneecapping a products capabilities is in any way appropriate.

With all that being said, there is hope. Not all companies are as hostile towards users, though you still shouldn’t trust them farther than you can throw them. There are diamonds in the rough, that purposefully make products that last a lifetime, and treat their customers with the dignity and respect a paying patron deserves. Here is a small list of products I swear by, why I trust them, and how I use them.

1. Casio/G-Shock - I have owned Casio watches my whole life, some as long as 20 years. Between the two, G-shock has the more ‘lifetime resilient’ products, but standard Casio watches are so damn affordable, its impossible to fault them even if they arent as resistant to water or ballistic damage. Even their entry level watch, the F-91W, boasts 30m of water resistance, and is used by CEO’s and terrorists alike. Unbeatable for ~$10.

2. Leatherman - Leatherman tools have been a staple for tinkerers and handymen for 40 years. The tools they make are hyper functional, affordable, sturdy, and have a lifetime guarantee. For ~$100 you can get a tool that you will never replace, never break, and never regret. Any leatherman will do.

3. Gerber Shard. It’s $7, sits on my keys, and never fails to open boxes. I dont even think about it. It can go on the plane. It’s perfection.

4. Nintendo DSi - Probably not the nintendo product you expected to see on this list, but hear me out. The DSi is cheap (~$70 these days), its hackable, its very durable, and it can play GB, GBC, GBA, DS, DSi, and NES games with ease. The over/under on usability to price is insane. Get one, hack it, never get another one.

5. Kindle/Kobo - Whichever you choose, if you get the newer waterproof variants, you wont be disappointed. This is essentially a single use product, but it does that thing perfectly. Carrying my entire life of reading in my bag, to be accessible whenever I have a few minutes, is sublime. The screen, if you can call it that, looks like paper and once you get used to it, is superior to a book due to the backlight. If I died tomorrow, you would find this somewhere on my person.

6. Logitech Keyboard. Doesn’t matter the model, but choose carefully. The one you buy will literally never break. I have a K120 I bought in 2010, because it was $8 and I needed a starter keyboard. I used it until 2015, at which point I brought it to work, where it stayed in use until 2019, where it now sits in a box as a backup keyboard. It has far exceeded 10 million keystrokes and shows no sign of wear. It will outlive me.

7. Thinkpad X200/s - Thinkpad’s early ought compact server laptops remained a standard for infrastructure workers for a decade, which means companies around the world purchased millions of them. I purchased mine from a failed accounting firm in 2011 for $50. I upgraded the RAM and hard drive, disassembled the machine for cleaning, and rebuilt it completely in about an hour. To this day it powers on, works quickly, and runs modern operating systems. The resolution of the screen is 1600x900, which is more than enough to feel modern. Computers are often thought of as not being future proof, but Thinkpads prove that this is only true if the company building them doesnt give a damn.

8. Minaal Carry On Travel Bag. This one is on the expensive side (~$300) but I have never had a better experience with a product. Fits in carry on, carries 14 days of clothes and a laptop/tablet/ebook. Zips open like a suitcase, for packability. Comes with a rain jacket for the bag. Has a lifetime warranty, but is so incredibly durable that you probably wont need to replace anything other than the zipper pulls. I use it for every trip I have taken since purchased in 2013, and I will never stop using it.

9. Fisher space pen. The only pen I own, and it stays strapped in my bag for the occasional use. It was $15, is small, all black, and indestructible. Has a nice patina after years of sliding in and out of a bag. Ink is replaceable and cheap.