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posted by Fnord666 on Tuesday June 09 2020, @08:24PM   Printer-friendly
from the does-an-astrolabe-count? dept.

A recent story on the BBC posed a question to its readers. If it ain't broke: You share your oldest working gadgets. Folks wrote in with their favorite, longest-lasting devices.

Besides being curious about the latest tech devices and advancements, I've noticed our community also seems to have a number of thrifty folk who thrive on getting the most out of their gadgets.

I'll count myself among those in that category. I'll start with a Sharp EL-510S solar-powered, scientific calculator from the early 1980s. I also have a JVC stereo receiver from the mid 1980s that is still going strong. The computer I am currently using is a Dell Latitude Core 2 Duo from about 2009.

So how well has your stuff held up? What was been your best acquisition for long-term durability?


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  • (Score: 2) by choose another one on Tuesday June 09 2020, @10:03PM (2 children)

    by choose another one (515) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday June 09 2020, @10:03PM (#1005435)

    I have earlier model, in fact the earliest model I think. Inherited from grandparents 20 odd years ago. Not in regular use, and if I'm honest when it is used it has a vague whiff of the magic smoke about it, signifying to me that the motor windings are on the way out (which is why it ain't used much). Got the clear pyrex mixing bowl and a stainless steel one - I think the pyrex is the original, it also has a broken locking prong underneath, leading to the purchase of the stainless one I suspect.

    I also have the attachments, including the mincer (in box!), and the blender (somewhere, I think), and a dough hook. My mother, now in her 80s, had a much more recent one, which she still has I think, and last I heard still in full working order.

    At one point I also had my grandmothers old hoover as well - probably about the same age (early 60s). Unfortunately it started to go wrong and i took it to a repair shop and ended up walking away with a shiny plasticy new Dyson, which sucked, when it worked. What can I say, I was young and foolish. Several shiny new Dysons later, I am a lot older and, I like to think, somewhat wiser (and I have a Henry, which doesn't suck so much, but lasts longer than the Dysons).

    Definitely don't make 'em like they used too.

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  • (Score: 2) by acid andy on Wednesday June 10 2020, @01:31AM (1 child)

    by acid andy (1683) on Wednesday June 10 2020, @01:31AM (#1005576) Homepage Journal

    Yeah my mother threw out my grandmothers old (1960s?) Hoover vacuum cleaner as well a few years back, before I could stop her. I still worked great last time I saw it. Most modern vacuum cleaners are useless.

    --
    If a cat has kittens, does a rat have rittens, a bat bittens and a mat mittens?
    • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 10 2020, @03:18AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 10 2020, @03:18AM (#1005628)

      Our house (built 1963) came with a Sears/Kenmore whole-house vacuum cleaner. Not sure if it was original, but sure looks like 1960's vintage. Works great, there is a centrifugal separator that catches the big stuff (empty the canister every couple of years) and the rest of the exhaust goes outdoors. Very quiet, no HEPA filter needed, and no dust recirculating inside the house.

      When I bought the house ~15 years ago the central vac seemed like a nice bonus. Now I wouldn't buy another house without one (or would install one if it wasn't included).