Time to throw it away?

This week’s topic is obsolescence.

When something is past its prime, no longer useful, outdated, then you dispose of it. But when do you know if it’s time to give something the old heave-ho?

I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. Not only is it an important subject for technology users – the National Safety Council estimates that there are more than 50 million obsolete PCs in the United States, compared with only 32 million in 2000 – but it’s an issue significant to me.

That’s because my editors have told me that after more than four years of covering travel technology in this column, I have become obsolete. Internet users just aren’t interested in reading about technology anymore, as evidenced by the fact that my column only has three regular readers.

This somewhat embarrassing disclosure does raise an interesting question: when do you know that it’s time to toss your technology (or for that matter, your technology columnist)?

“This is going to sound scary,” says Brian Talbot, one of this column’s three readers. “But I can’t bear to give up my circa 1988 laptop PC with a 286 processor.”

Why? Installed on his dinosaur is a rare program manufactured by a defunct developer that’s designed for collectors of jukebox machines. “I’ve found this database to be perfect for helping manage my collection of almost 4000 45 rpm records from the 1960s to present,” he says. “So I hang on to my old technology with no plans of tossing the 286! It’ll probably outlast my jukebox.”

Randy McClary, the second reader, is less patient. He sent me a list of the handhelds he’s held in the last 12 years.

“Started with an Apple Newton 1.0 back in ’90. Replaced with a Newton 2.0. When Apple abandoned a great thing, picked up the first generation of Win CE 1.0. Went for a clamshell device. Cracked the screen. Bought another Win CE 1.0. This time in the hand-held configuration. An HP. Worked well. Sold it to a friend looking at it for $50 last year. Purchased a Pocket PC, HP again. Has worked well for almost two years. There is a buyer lined up as soon as I am ready,” he says.

The third reader (what, you thought I was kidding?) is John Fabera, and he says he can’t part with his old technology. Specifically, an outdated cellular phone. “It can still be used to dial 911 without any need for connection to a phone service. It, of course, cannot be used to receive calls and dial numbers other then 911. That works for an emergency and no other phone is available,” he says, adding, “Don’t forget to keep the batteries charged. Maybe just keep it in a car that doesn’t have a phone.”

So what does all of this mean to you? I went through the trouble of polling every last one of this column’s readers to determine when to jettison your technology and alas, there’s no agreement. No consensus.

Your decision to throw away a laptop, cell phone or personal digital assistant is a personal one. It’s subjective. Being obsolete is in the eye of the user. There’s no standard, no benchmark. Moore’s Law may mean faster processor speeds, but it doesn’t necessarily hasten our need to trash our older, slower technology.

That’s good news for you, John, Brian and Randy. It means that even though the technology column you depend on may disappear from this Web site, it probably won’t be gone forever.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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