As much as we depend on smart devices to get us through our day-to-day lives, we still have those trusty not-so-smart things that we can’t bear to give up. No matter how much technology advances, nothing will compare to the feeling of touching a page with your human fingers or using a watch that only tells the time, nothing else. Ah, the nostalgia.
We knew we wouldn’t be alone in this so we figured we’d see if anyone else in the Gizmodo Australia office was just as reliant (or in love) on not-so-smart objects. A little bit of collective yearning for simpler times.
So, whether you want to confirm your love for simple tech is shared among friends on this website, or you’re looking for purchasing inspiration, here are the not-so-smart devices we can’t live without, in absolutely no particular order.
Non-smart devices we can’t live without
Record player
In the world of digital music streaming, it’s hard to beat watching a vinyl spin under a needle.
“Yes, I am a quirky and indie person because I have a record player! Don’t be jealous! Anyways, I absolutely adore my record player and my vinyls. I feel like you get more artistry from them than you do on Spotify. From the cover art to the physical vinyl itself, I feel like I’m immersed in the music when I use my record player.” – Ky.
Lamps with warm lighting
We literally need to it see and I think people forget that.
“I’m such a sucker for a lamp. There must always be a solid portion of my evening devoted to sitting in the warm light of a lamp and under a weighted blanket. It’s truly like I cannot relax unless a lamp is on. My poor housemate has to deal with my nagging about lighting schemes before we can actually watch anything at night, the poor gal.” – Ellie.
Books
Who doesn’t love the feeling you get when you crack open a fresh book and feel your fingers glide across the pages?
“Books, which are not a device but have been given a run for their money by e-readers. I cannot do an e-reader. I’ve tried. I like the weight of a book in my hands, I like turning the pages, I like the smell of the paper. There is a tactile component to reading a book that I lose when I read on an e-reader, and I didn’t realise it was there until I didn’t have it anymore.” – David.
Cars, especially 2008 Barinas
We’re just waiting for an EV conversion of a Barina.
“I just can’t give up my 2008 beaten-up Barina – at least not yet anyway. I do not deserve this car to have lasted this long, I certainly haven’t taken good care of it. I had to get the engine replaced a few years back because I never bothered to check the oil – and I will never hear the end of it from my ex-car-racing dad. It doesn’t have sat nav or even Bluetooth, the air-con needs regassing again, and it’s currently got a broken door handle. But she’s a trusty ride and very fuel efficient.” – Mel.
Diary/notebook
When organising becomes a lifestyle.
“It has to be a diary/notebook. I have an iPad for drawing and use the Notes app on my phone for lists, but there’s something about a physical paper notebook that I can never swap out. The smell, the feel, the sound of the pen lightly scratching the paper. Ugh, stationary nerd 4 lyf.” – Asha
TCL 45-inch 4K TV
Do we really need all these smart TV devices?
“My TCL 45-inch 4K TV. Its smarts are… Not very smart, but it has a terrific screen and I got it for a terrific price. I just pair it with a Chromecast and I’m good to go.” – Zac.
DVDs/Bluray
Remember the days when you actually held a movie in your hands?
“I know pretty much everything is available to stream these days but there’s something about owning a movie or series on disc that is infinitely more satisfying. They have awesome cover art, you get a bunch of special features and there’s nothing better than pulling a movie out of your DVD library after it suddenly goes missing from a streaming service.” – Lauren.
Cables
Yes, cables.
“I have deep trust issues when it comes to Bluetooth so as much as humanly possible, I need my audio to go through cables. This is not a security thing, my soul is just weary of the constant ‘what sort of autoplay shenanigans are going to happen when I connect these two devices together?’ Cable is cable. It carries the audio. Can troubleshoot. I am content. My Pixel forced me to use earbuds and even though I no longer kneel on the cable while I’m cleaning the house I’m still not convinced.” – Mateus.
Casio F-91W watch
No, we don’t want a watch that tells your heart rate, we just want to know what the time is.
“For as long as I can recall, I’ve always worn a digital Casio watch. Sometimes it’s a bootleg that I bought off eBay, other times it’s an official one. I just need something simple and light on my wrist that I can use to tell the time. Not being able to bombard me with more notifications that’ll further rot my brain is also a bonus. TL;DR watch go tick, tick and tick, tick ONLY.” – Chris.
Coffee machine
We don’t want any high-tech beans.
“I have to say my coffee machine. It’s the first thing I run to in the morning and while it boasts no fancy tech, it delivers a consistently good coffee every single time and I love it dearly.” – Steph.
Well, there ya go, the not-so-smart devices we cannot live without!