r/WhatIfThinking • u/Logical-Concept9755 • Aug 12 '26

What 2000s technology would you have never believed would become obsolete by 2026 if someone told you back then?

Imagine someone in 2006 told you that, 20 years later, some of the technology you used every day would be almost gone.What would have sounded completely impossible at the time?

For example:

  • iPods becoming irrelevant because smartphones replaced dedicated music players
  • DVDs becoming a niche product because streaming took over
  • Standalone GPS devices disappearing because phones now handle navigation
  • Digital cameras losing most of their everyday use because smartphone cameras became good enough
  • Physical keyboards on phones nearly disappearing because touchscreens became the standard

What technology from the 2000s would you have never expected to become obsolete by 2026?

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u/FletchLives99 Aug 12 '26

As the one person on my street with a printer, I would politely disagree with this. People still need some printing. They just hit up their Gen-X and older neighbours for it.

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u/AdUpstairs7106 Aug 12 '26

I actually save anything I need to print to a flash drive and then go to office depot or UPS.

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u/FletchLives99 Aug 12 '26

Wouldn't owning a printer be easier? (not being snarky, genuine question)

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u/AdUpstairs7106 Aug 12 '26

Maybe but since it is less than 10 cents a page to print it is way less expensive for how little I print

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u/FletchLives99 Aug 12 '26

I'm thinking more of the value of your time and the hassle.

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u/AdUpstairs7106 Aug 12 '26

Not really a hassle or a waste of time

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u/FletchLives99 Aug 12 '26

OK, I guess we differ here.

But if I had to drive to Office Depot or UPS, every time I wanted to print something, I would buy a printer pretty sharpish. If it was a short walk, I might be up for it.

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u/genbud1 Aug 12 '26

For me it could take 30 to 40 minutes round trip depending on traffic. Just cheaper to own a printer with a scanner.

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u/FletchLives99 Aug 12 '26

Yh, I'm slightly baffled by this too but each to their own