Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
30 Obsolete Technology Pics To Prove How Much The World Has Moved On And Changed (New Pics)
When things get tough and the world feels like it no longer makes any sense, you can find refuge in your rose-colored daydreams. It can be liberating to remember the good old days. One way that you can take a trip to past decades is by looking at vintage photos.
‘Retro Tech Dreams’ is a popular account on X (formerly Twitter) that shares images related to retro technology, the early internet, and vintage computing. Today, we’re featuring some of the account’s most intriguing posts to remind you what the world looked like (not) so long ago. Scroll down for a huge dose of nostalgia.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
ocean todd 8 months ago
Seldom praise for Microsoft keeping Paint. Even if they almost screwed it up with Paint 3D years back
RELATED:
#2
Electric Mayhem 8 months ago
If you have a Roku they have an aquarium app you can download that has similar vibes
Load More Replies...
#3
David 8 months ago
Fun fact for younger folks - Microsoft used to brag about how each new version of Windows retained the same look and feel of previous versions so you didn't have to relearn how to use their OS. It was kind of true for a while but somewhere along the way they abandoned that approach.
Wintermute 8 months ago
Back in the days when an OS just ran the computer. No ads, no data harvesting, no network of everything. It had one job, and it did it wonderfully. Such simpler times.
Claudia Stieble 8 months ago
I still use Windows 95 at one of my work computers. It is the only one which I can use to program Eproms for our clients and it runs the program for our SMT assembly machine. Yes, it is an old machine but it still works perfectly fine and is very easy to maintain.
Time magazine states that, based on research by psychologist Clay Routledge from the Human Flourishing Lab at Archbridge Institute, nostalgia has lots of upsides. It helps you feel more connected to other people, reduces prejudice, and increases your ability to offer emotional support.
What’s more, nostalgia can also make you happier, build self-esteem, help you find meaning in life, and allow you to focus on being true to yourself.
#4
Tom De Paul 8 months ago
And finding out that relatively small computer speakers produced great sound.
David 8 months ago
I was never too interested in the skins but I do miss the Milkdrop visualizer. I wish I could use old school milkdrop with Spotify. Found a visualizer for spotify but it was lame. Internet suggests some ways to get milkdrop working with spotify but they are rather convoluted and the two methods I found both have other posters saying they don't work and/or only work with specific setups. Anyone know an easy way to use milkdrop with spotify??
Michael Grant 8 months ago
I don't know what platform you are on but there is a standalone Milkdrop clone called ProjectM that is exactly that.
Load More Replies...
Glenn Milliken 8 months ago
When we left this behind it was the one of the dark days of technology
#5
mp7dvnrw85 8 months ago
You just needed to get them to swim in the pool and then remove the pool ladders
Load More Replies...
Huddo's sister 8 months ago
I downloaded it when they started selling it recently, but my laptop keeps overheating and causing it to glitch.
Load More Replies...
NONOONO 8 months ago
i think that the only game was the bate for the whole topic?
Load More Replies...
#6
Colleen Glim 8 months ago
Who tf keeps downvoting everything?! Knock it off already! Just go away
According to Time, some of the main ways to ‘tap into’ the benefits of nostalgia include activities like watching old movies, dining like you did as a kid, creating old-timey playlists, visiting your local library, starting a collection, and writing down your memories, which you can then share with your friends.
Regarding comfort food, which you tend to seek out whenever you feel isolated, eating dishes that you had when you were younger can increase your optimism, self-esteem, and feelings of meaning in life. Scents, in particular, are very powerful here.
#7
pterodactowl 8 months ago
This is how I learned the flags of the world. I forget most of them now though.
#9
Thomas51 5 months ago
Remember it? At my last place of work before I retired (2018) they were still using it on a machine needed to run a certain piece of software that later versions of Windows couldn't handle.
Load More Replies... Bad Alchemy 8 months ago
I have an old PC in the corner of my office that runs Win 98. It is offline, but essential for playing all the great old games like Myst, Lands of Lore, Quake, Wolfenstein 3D, King's Quest, etc. I still have the Windows set up disks, so as long as the motherboard holds out, I can keep playing forever.
Scott Rackley 8 months ago
You can set up a virtual machine to run win 98 on a modern computer
Load More Replies...Created back in mid-2022 (which from our current perspective feels like a whole different era), ‘Retro Tech Dreams’ has attracted a sizable following of nostalgia and retro tech fans from all around the world.
At the time of writing, the X account has 190.7k followers, up from the 82.6k fans it had in early 2023 when we last covered it.
#10
#11
Daniel Atkins 8 months ago
And the mods you could download I had the wallpaper that was Michel Jordan (basketball with his arms straight out. Pretty sure that was on a exterior wall on one house.
#12
We’re not going to lie, we sometimes wish that we had an actual time machine to go back to the past when things seemed simpler. Though, of course, there’s hardly a decade without global problems.
Generally, people tend to yearn for those periods of their lives when they felt freer, had fewer responsibilities, had more energy, and felt more positive.
#13
Jenny Andersson 1 week ago
I got such motion sickness from this game I still get dizzy just by looking at this pic
#15
martin734 8 months ago
I still play this. BG, BG2 and Icewind Dale are still some of the best D&D RPG's around.
Orysha 8 months ago
To this day, BG1 is the one and only rpg I played every class and I began a new game as soo,n as one was finished.
Load More Replies...
Often, those positive periods of your life coincide with your childhood and early adulthood, which you later feel nostalgia for.
However, youth isn’t a necessity. You can have an amazing, fulfilling life to be envied by others (and yourself), no matter how old you are.
Furthermore, if someone had a rough childhood with lots of struggles, they likely won’t have rose-colored memories of those years.
#16
Hume 8 months ago
Well, for Age of Empires, you get the Definitive Editions on Steam. They did a good job updating the visuals to HD/ 4k.
Load More Replies... #17
Tropical Tarot 8 months ago
I was so proud of myself when I figured out how to make glowing text.
#18
Nostalgia-related content is incredibly popular online, and there are lots of talented creators and communities that are dedicated to it. Recently, Bored Panda spoke with one of the moderators from the sprawling “[Heck], I’m Old” online community that embraces old-timey nostalgia. They said that nostalgia revolves around memories of simpler and happier times.
#19
Just a boring person 8 months ago
Why does it look like a toucan for me ( I can see the rabbit too though)
#20
BeesEelsAndPups 8 months ago
I was using 3D Studio Max in the mid 90s. I got a pirated copy from a friend.
Michael Grant 8 months ago
I was using Blender (1.8 I think) when it was the HARDEST TO USE SOFTWARE EVER WRITTEN. On Linux.
BeesEelsAndPups 8 months ago
Not sure why you got down voted. Fixed it for you. I also had Blender on Linux way back when. It was no 3D Studio.
Load More Replies... #21
Ivona 8 months ago
I loved Zoo Tycoon and played it for hours, creating elaborate zoos. Zoo Tycoon Expanded Pack with the 3D images was also great.
Owen 8 months ago
You could always try Planet Zoo if you have access to a half-decent PC. It's cheap on Steam right now. 🤙
Load More Replies...
“With all that is going on in the world today, people really like to revisit old memories as a distraction. I see it as an emotional comfort kind of thing,” the nostalgia-focused online group’s moderator told us. From their perspective, it’s important to enjoy nostalgia without letting it dominate your life.
#22
#23
"Just don't get stuck in the nostalgia bubble. It can be a comfort in these trying times. But when getting stuck in the past negatively impacts the present, it also affects your future. Occasionally checking your rearview mirror while driving is good, but only looking back can quickly lead you to your peril," they said.
"Looking back at memories from your past can be good. It reminds us of who we are and where we came from. Recognize all the good things that contributed to who you are. Apply that experience in ways to better your now, and your future."
#25
#26
Mel in Georgia 8 months ago
That feeling of pride when you make a fully functioning, profitable, and beautiful city full of happy citizens! Wasn't easy to do.
Tropical Tarot 8 months ago
I played Poseidon. I still have it on my PC and play once in awhile.
Load More Replies... #27
Which of the retro tech pics we’ve featured here did you enjoy the most? What did these images make you feel, dear Pandas? What do you miss the most from the past, whether that’s tech, toys, products, fashion, games, designs, or aesthetics?
We’d love to hear what you think, so if you have a spare moment, share your opinions in the comments below!
#29
#30
David 8 months ago
Yes, but we are always comparing to what came before. I remember being impressed by games by Magnetic Scrolls. Instead of text adventures (think, the original Zork) they were text adventures with still pictures added. At the time, that was innovative / progress.
Load More Replies... #31
#34
#35
#36
Owen 8 months ago
They still exist pretty much everywhere. They're just rare in the US.
Load More Replies... #37
Laughing Orc 8 months ago
A pretty decent remaster/ re-release of this came out a couple of years ago.
#39
#44
hardrad2009 8 months ago
Strange to see how Bungie is releasing now a new game under the same title.
#46
#47
#48
Lost Panda 8 months ago
I loved this game. Can't seem to find it anywhere now, though I was able to find Pharoh
Nicolas Schirvel 1 week ago
It's an abandonware, maybe on a specialized website ?
Load More Replies... #49
#52
#55
Hume 8 months ago
What's weird about three pedals? My car also has three pedals: Brake, Clutch, and Petrol/ Gas.
Load More Replies...
#60
#61
Huddo's sister 8 months ago
I made two photos backdrops for my sister's 21st a few years ago from my old floppy discs.
#65
#66
#67
#68
#73
#79
Daniel Atkins 8 months ago
Compact is nice but i would worry about bumping the record or nocking somethin on to it by accident and breaking it.
#83
nottheactualphoto 8 months ago
That device she's holding with her left hand is called a Spaceball. The CPU box has a Silicon Graphics look.
#84
#88
#95
ocean todd 8 months ago
Great software company, in little old Oakhurst, CA (near Yosemite). Anyone remember Kings Quest or Leisure Suit Larry? Had my dream job right out of high school as a QA tech. I got to play video games for a living!
#98
#99
nottheactualphoto 8 months ago
I knew a guy who had one of those. He mainly used it for figuring out the tip in restaurants.
#111
Laughing Orc 8 months ago
Okay do we really need the Sims screenshots repeatedly in this thread..?
#126
Leonard Hamers 8 months ago
BRAUN, Dieter Rams: designer. The inspiration for all apple designs!
Add New Image
What do you think ?
DowntownStevieB 8 months ago
Um, where was the Oregon Trail or Titanic: Adventure Out Of Time??
Emilu 8 months ago (edited)
I only got halfway because every second thing from there seemed to be Sims. Ripper game, though. If you're not aware and loved the old ones, EA has recently released the Sims 1&2 + all expansions on Steam + whatever their s****y equivalent is. Might be on Epic too. I was also hoping to see MS Pinball and Hover (though they might have been further down where I skipped 😆). EDIT: Oh, and that stupid paperclip! "I see you're writing a letter..."
Forrest Grump 8 months ago
I still have two of the original Apple Macintosh 128k computers with software. I haven't used them in years. I just have them for nostalgia, I guess.
DowntownStevieB 8 months ago
Um, where was the Oregon Trail or Titanic: Adventure Out Of Time??
Emilu 8 months ago (edited)
I only got halfway because every second thing from there seemed to be Sims. Ripper game, though. If you're not aware and loved the old ones, EA has recently released the Sims 1&2 + all expansions on Steam + whatever their s****y equivalent is. Might be on Epic too. I was also hoping to see MS Pinball and Hover (though they might have been further down where I skipped 😆). EDIT: Oh, and that stupid paperclip! "I see you're writing a letter..."
Forrest Grump 8 months ago
I still have two of the original Apple Macintosh 128k computers with software. I haven't used them in years. I just have them for nostalgia, I guess.
Related on Bored Panda
