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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Technology
Lizzie Cernik

‘My friends call me the BlackBerry queen!’ Meet the people clinging on to old tech – from faxes to VCRs

Aren Devlin smiling and holding up a BlackBerry phone
Aren Devlin, who still uses a BlackBerry. Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian

More than 40 years since the fax machine became an office mainstay, it seems the party is finally over. With telecom providers no longer required to offer fax services, these machines may soon be consigned to the dusty attic of bygone tech. But for the TikTok generation, who’ve never known life without wifi, concepts such as fax, dial-up internet and Friday night trips to Blockbuster Video aren’t just outdated, they’re completely alien. Even so, not everyone has forgotten about the charms of older technology. From the clattering keys of an old typewriter to the nostalgic joy of a chunky Walkman, some people have never left their favourite tech behind.

‘I prefer videos because I enjoy owning something physical’

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