03-30-2005, 12:08 PM

was talkin to a friend the other day about the elimination of floppy drives by apple back when and we were wondering what would go next?

i was thinking that within the next few years maybe 56k modems would be the next to be removed from computers. faster connections will have to come down in price a little bit more, but i think it could be a possibility.

what you guys/gals think is going to be the next thing to go?
-chris

03-30-2005, 12:11 PM

I'd agree the 56k modem should go, or a faster should be made the standard, besides that, I'm not sure anything else will go out very soon except other small storage media, like zip disks, I'd say everything under 500mb will go.

03-30-2005, 12:15 PM

Parallel Ports.....PC desktops still come with them but they will be gone pretty soon I think

03-30-2005, 12:34 PM

I concur on the Parrele ports...they're a soon to be extinct species (soon being relative of course...I give em at least 2-4 more years to hang on in the PC world). I don't know about the modems though...I think some people fail to realize that there are still HUGE swaths of countryside in the US that have ZERO attractive options to dialup. 56k is absolutely worthless in most of these places anyway...they're lucky to dial up at anything over 21.6K...they'd die and go to heaven if they could get anywhere approaching 56K speed. I think analog modems will be around for quite a while to come...unless there is a major telecommunications breakthrough and/or the government finally steps in and makes the telcos own up to the responsibility to improve service for the rural areas of the world.

03-30-2005, 07:01 PM

modems will be around until cable/DSL modems come with a phone-modem built in, or ISPs provide modem/phone server. many businesses use fax machines, and direct fax from computers.

03-30-2005, 07:45 PM

In the PC world they still have yet to drop legacy devices, so I think the PC world will see the next "evolution" as it were in that respect. As for Apples? Perhaps a switch from Combo to Superdrives as the standard removable media drive? More and more people these days are collecting large media files, and short of having an external HDD to back it all up you'd be SOL. The CD-R/W just can't cut it with it's space limitations these days.

04-02-2005, 08:50 PM

I dont think the 56K modems will go because of faxes.

04-03-2005, 10:08 PM

Although I expect pc's to keep 56k's for a long time. I would not be surprised if Apple cut them. Most mac users use broadband anyways. Making the Superdrive standard would be nice, also.
But my prediction is that Apple will cut the 56k modem. And anyone else who wants one will just have to buy an external just like floppy drives.

04-03-2005, 10:40 PM

In the next 5 years, I expect VGA and analog modems to go away for good. (VGA is only supported via adaptors on many Apples now, as it is.)

Laptops will drop ethernet ports, since it's so much easier to use AirPort and not be tied down. Desktops will continue to use ethernet, because it's cheaper and much faster.

Bluetooth will get faster, and USB ports may disappear within the next 10 years.

Optical audio will become more popular, and optical FireWire (yes, there is such a thing) and optical networking will appear.

In short...analog gone in 5 years, copper cable gone in 15.

08-11-2006, 01:15 AM

Just fyi, the modems have been removed from the mac laptops now. I think this is a great idea, b/c they have a tiny USB modem that can be attached now.

08-11-2006, 01:22 AM

Originally Posted by speed4tu

Just fyi, the modems have been removed from the mac laptops now. I think this is a great idea, b/c they have a tiny USB modem that can be attached now.

true. I think something that may go is firewire, there have been small rumors and signs pointing to this. Something that should also go is the "cd rom drive", all macs should come with superdrives, cd rom is almost useless.

08-11-2006, 01:35 AM

My girlfriend is the only person I know with a 56k modem still and it honestly makes me fall out of my chair laughing....remembering what it was like back then.

08-11-2006, 01:36 AM

this.. is a really old..thread..

08-11-2006, 01:37 AM

I agree on the CDROM as most OS Disks on the Mac anyway are DVD's. I don't agree on Firewire though. Not for a long time I hope. Just because they took Firewire from the Ipods is not a sign of it's going away. The iPods really do not benefit from Firewire. Notice the Mac Pro has even more Firewire ports. It's FIRST RATE when external hard drives and other devices.

08-11-2006, 02:02 AM

Apple won't/can't drop Firewire, because most consumer digital camcorders still use it. And what's the point of iMovie if you can't use your own video material with it?

I think the next thing to go will be the one of the USB ports, in favour of wireless USB, followed by the optical drive altogether (but not for another 5-10 years at least).