Are you kidding? How did we ever use this primitive technology for so long? And why are some people still using it? Every Thursday, CTS will highlight the good, the bad, and the ugly of technology from days gone by in our #TBT Technology blog. Enjoy reliving the good old days!
CASSETTE TAPES
When they were invented: 1963
Purpose: Music storage that’s cheap and portable (if not high quality)
Who still uses them: Prisoners (and people sending them stuff), bands looking to give away something music-listeners might actually hold onto, post-hipsters.
Why they’re still used: Cassettes are cheap, small, and easily personalized. Perhaps more importantly, nostalgia sells—where else were people supposed to turn after vinyl became so popular that it’s basically mainstream again? There is now a Cassette Store Day to boost already rising sales; National Audio, a major manufacturer of cassettes, saw sales increase 31 percent between 2014 and 2015; those sales included a tape by Justin Bieber. — Popular Mechanics