The relentless march of technology sees us upgrading our gadgets every few years – iPhones, processors, graphics cards – with older hardware often resold or discarded. Yet, many seemingly obsolete devices remain surprisingly functional and even indispensable. Here are eight compelling examples of vintage tech still holding its own.

Table of Contents

• Retro Computers Mining Bitcoin
• A Reliable Mechanic's Assistant Since the '80s
• Vintage Tech as a Bakery POS System
• Outdated Systems Managing Nuclear Arsenals
• Windows XP Powers Multi-Billion Dollar Aircraft Carrier
• Critical Airport Infrastructure Fails Due to Legacy Software
• Classic Hardware in Cutting-Edge Research
• Nostalgia's Enduring Influence

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A fascinating experiment showcased a 1982 Commodore 64 mining Bitcoin. The results? A paltry 0.3 hashes per second, a stark contrast to an RTX 3080 GPU's 100 million hashes per second. Mining a single Bitcoin on the C64 would take, conservatively, a billion years. Similarly, a Game Boy, connected to the internet via a Raspberry Pi Pico, achieved 0.8 hashes per second – still incredibly slow compared to modern ASIC miners.

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In Gdansk, Poland, a Commodore 64C has served a mechanic for over three decades, even surviving a flood! This 1 MHz, 64 KB marvel continues to flawlessly perform drive shaft calculations, showcasing the longevity of robust, simple technology.

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An Indiana bakery has relied on a Commodore 64 as its POS system since the 1980s. Affectionately dubbed the "breadbox," this reliable cash register, requiring only occasional keyboard label updates, outperforms some modern systems plagued by software issues.

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Incredibly, the US manages part of its nuclear arsenal using a 1976 IBM computer with 8-inch floppy disks (approximately 80 KB storage). While modernization is planned, the system's reliability maintains its current role. Similarly, German Brandenburg-class frigates, despite modern weaponry, use 8-inch floppies, with upgrades focusing on emulators rather than complete replacements.

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The billions-of-pounds HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier runs on Windows XP, a system unsupported since 2014. The Royal Navy assures sufficient security measures are in place, but the reliance on outdated software remains noteworthy. Similarly, British Vanguard-class submarines utilize Windows XP for missile management, kept offline for security until planned updates in 2028.

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A 2015 incident at Paris Orly Airport highlighted the risks of legacy systems. A Windows 3.1 crash disabled weather data software, leading to flight suspensions.

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While not explicitly detailed in the original, numerous instances exist where classic hardware finds use in scientific research and education. Retro computers like the Commodore 64 are valuable tools for teaching programming fundamentals and simulating basic experiments due to their simplicity.

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Beyond practical use, many organizations maintain legacy systems due to familiarity and inertia. Avoiding costly upgrades or maintaining workflow compatibility contributes to the continued use of established technology.

These examples demonstrate the surprising resilience and continued relevance of older technology. From cryptocurrency mining to national defense, legacy systems prove remarkably persistent, highlighting the enduring value of simplicity and reliability, even as advancements continue.