Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Which things seem so antiquated now that were only a few years ago...

393 replies

Rosewaterblossom · 23/12/2021 21:03

Programming the TV to record on VHS..

Ipods..

Renting a dvd from the shop..

Decorating a room and having one colour at the bottom with a paler version at the top separated with a pretty boarder..

What are yours?

OP posts:
ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 23/12/2021 21:29

When my ds went on work experience he didn’t know how to use a landlineGrin

ScreamingMeMe · 23/12/2021 21:31

Ipods
CDs and DVDs
Watches

I still phone to order takeaways and go and collect them, but I live in a small country town.

I've never fancied using Siri or Alexa; I'd just feel daft Blush

CeliaCanth · 23/12/2021 21:33

Answering machines. Getting home, seeing the light flash, then listening to the message. I thought I was the bees’ knees when I got mine Grin

MrsHGWells · 23/12/2021 21:34

Address books; Remembering phone numbers / addresses replaced with dropped pins v card

Video recorders /DVDs/CDs & books - everything digital native. Less physical stuff & greater portability via smartphones.

Cash - now mostly cashless society ( smart phones)

Pondering when will stamps become redundant, only used by collectors and christmas / birthday cards. Waiting for QR codes to replace Stamps.

Marmite27 · 23/12/2021 21:36

@elQuintoConyo

Sending texts, actual SMS texts, not WhatsApps, and having to count the characters so you didn't accidentally write two messages and be charged twice.

Pagers - an 18yo student of mine recently asked me what one was, as he'd seen it in an "old" film.

Landline. Haven't had one for around 9 years.

MP3 player - I really miss mine.

Foil Christmas decorations you hung from the ceiling.

One fat BIC biro with four different colours - I haven't seen one in years!

I walked past the conservative club in our village and they have the foil decorations.

My primary children’s pencil cases have several of the 4-in-1 bic pens in them, you just have to know where to look Wink

Hmmmwhatnametochoose · 23/12/2021 21:36

Taking photos with a camera and taking the film to be developed.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 23/12/2021 21:37

4 in 1 box pens are very in demand in secondary schools.

Faxes. Does anyone have a fax machine anymore?

CactusFlowers · 23/12/2021 21:38

@elQuintoConyo

Sending texts, actual SMS texts, not WhatsApps, and having to count the characters so you didn't accidentally write two messages and be charged twice.

Pagers - an 18yo student of mine recently asked me what one was, as he'd seen it in an "old" film.

Landline. Haven't had one for around 9 years.

MP3 player - I really miss mine.

Foil Christmas decorations you hung from the ceiling.

One fat BIC biro with four different colours - I haven't seen one in years!

They still sell those biros. I’ve seen them recently in Tesco, I think.
Bloballbovish · 23/12/2021 21:38

Renting DVDs by post. I thought this was cutting edge, loved making lists on Lovefilm and Amazon DVD for my next 3 discs!

We worked our way through every shite lesbian film we could find, found some good ones along the way. I'd never have rented anything like that in person, even if the shop stocked it.

Twospaniels · 23/12/2021 21:38

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

Having to go and collect a takeaway
Ha ha

I love rurally and have to drive to collect the takeaway, every saturday evening.

Oh and I ring up to order it too and tell them what time I’ll come to collect it.

If it’s the indian takeaway I have to pay in cash as they don’t have a card machine (apparently).

leccybill · 23/12/2021 21:39

I still ring and collect as it's 2 mins away and I begrudge the £2.50 fee.

QuestionableMouse · 23/12/2021 21:39

@Rosewaterblossom

I Still buy cds from charity shops because my car doesn't have USB (it's a 2009 model.) I do have Spotify though and Alexa.

Actually, talking of Alexa.. even coming home and turning on the radio or linking to stereo via Bluetooth to play albums seems old hat now. I just say "Alexa play... "

If you have an aux port you can use an aux cable and plug it into your phone! That's what I do 😁
Original poster
Rosewaterblossom · 23/12/2021 21:39

Ah I loved foil Christmas decs

OP posts:
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 23/12/2021 21:40

Watching a TV programme at a certain time. And waiting a week for an episode...
(DDs like Strictly, Bake off, sewing bee etc but save up a few episodes to binge on)

Diversion · 23/12/2021 21:40

CD's and DVD's also CD players in cars. I still buy CD's and DVD's because I like to own my music and films and requested a CD player fitted in our car when we bought it, salesman thought I was mad.

Tiredalwaystired · 23/12/2021 21:40

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

4 in 1 box pens are very in demand in secondary schools.

Faxes. Does anyone have a fax machine anymore?

The NHS
ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 23/12/2021 21:40

Diesel cars used to be the bees knees.

Now it’s electric.

CactusFlowers · 23/12/2021 21:40

@CathyorClaire

Dial up internet

Scratching your brand new LP accidentally. I really have no idea why vinyl has become a thing again.

I went in HMV recently for the first time in over a year and half the CD racks have been replaced by vinyl. I’m clearly behind the times as I hadn’t realised it was that much of a thing. .
StormyCornishSeas · 23/12/2021 21:40

@Jumpingintochristmas

Calling to order a takeaway.
Still do that tbh because Deliveroo doesn't exist where I live.

It's only on the last 5 years that take always near me have started to deliver and even then it's not all of them

Mittenmob · 23/12/2021 21:41

Sketch shows. I used to love shows like the fast show and Harry and Paul but they just wouldn't fly nowadays

Original poster
Rosewaterblossom · 23/12/2021 21:41

I'm going to look...

OP posts:
TupilaLilium · 23/12/2021 21:43

In the shops I saw someone type their pin into the chip and pin machine and that seemed clunky as I have become used to Apple Pay.

Snugglepumpkin · 23/12/2021 21:43

Flip phones.

Freesat or Freeview boxes or Sky boxes to watch tv on.

I have a little Firestick that can get Now TV (more Sky than I could ever want), Prime, Netflix & a load of other channels as well as let me buy & rent films, play music, watch You Tube or Masterclass etc... & it will fit in my pocket.
Doesn't even have to be a big pocket.

I suspect if I ever buy a new TV (although I think by then it will be some sort of projector rather than an actual TV) everything in the Firestick will be already built in to the the TV/Projector/Whatever the next thing is.

SirensofTitan · 23/12/2021 21:44

@Rosewaterblossom

I remember being so weary of contactless but now it's mainly all I use!
I don't understand what you mean, if you've had enough of contactless payments why are they what you use. Do you mean you use a phone rather than the actual card?

I actually sometimes choose to put my card in the machine and use the PIN as it seems easy to spend too much without registerung

CurlyhairedAssassin · 23/12/2021 21:45

@Mittenmob

Sketch shows. I used to love shows like the fast show and Harry and Paul but they just wouldn't fly nowadays
God, I hadn’t realised this but you’re right! Comedy has changed a lot really. It’s mostly stand up or sitcoms.