Microsoft Shuts Down Skype: Remembering Technologies That Have Become Obsolete

Microsoft has announced the closure of Skype, the video call service that once dominated the market. The shutdown is scheduled for May of this year.

At its peak, Skype boasted over 300 million users. However, according to Microsoft’s 2023 figures, that number has dwindled to just over 36 million. The company, which acquired Skype for $8.5 billion back in 2011, plans to migrate some of its services to Microsoft Teams, its primary video conferencing and team collaboration platform. Skype users will be able to use existing accounts to access Teams.

From the Blackberry to the floppy disk to the MP3 player, many technologies have become obsolete as new innovations have emerged. Here’s a look at some of those technologies:

Dumb Phones

Smartphones largely replaced the old mobile phones, which had limited features. These devices could only make and receive calls and texts, though some included basic games like Snake. Despite their limited features, old-fashioned mobile phones have seen a resurgence among people wanting to reduce their phone use.

Blackberries

Blackberries revolutionized mobile typing with their built-in full keyboards. They were extremely popular for business communication, including email and messaging. However, the rise of smartphones, which transitioned the physical keyboard onto touchscreens, rendered the Blackberry obsolete.

Landlines

The first telephone call was made in 1876, and the device has undergone many iterations since. Once considered a standard fixture in homes and offices, the wired landline has declined in use with the advent of mobile phones.

Floppy Disks

Floppy disks were once the standard for data storage, and were later replaced by CD-ROMs. Despite their obsolescence, the floppy disk lives on as the save icon for most software. The disks decreased in size from their introduction in the 1970s, but were vulnerable to magnets and heat, which could damage the data stored on them.

VHS

VHS cassette tapes became the primary method of watching films at home starting in the late 1980s, but needed to be rewound at the end of each film, which could be time-consuming. The eventual release of DVDs started a slow decline of the VHS, until it was replaced.

Cassette Tapes

Cassette tapes were the go-to choice for people who listened to and recorded music from the 1960s. They were also used to store data for early home computers. CDs eventually outsold cassette tapes in the 90s, and subsequently rendered them obsolete.

CDs and DVDs

CDs and DVDs followed VHS and cassettes into obsolescence in a world of online streaming. The convenience and accessibility of streaming services drove the shift to digital media. Consumers now pay for subscription services rather than individual albums or films.

The Walkman and MP3 Players

Portable music players such as the Walkman and MP3 players have also become victims of the rise of the smartphone. Smartphones, with integrated music apps and streaming services, made separate music players mostly redundant.

Pagers

Pagers once told people that someone was trying to contact them, but in order to respond, they needed to find a landline or phone booth to call back. The advent of mobile phones provided instant communication, making pagers and phones redundant. Smartphones further revolutionized communication with video calls and internet access for instant messaging.

Fax Machines

Fax machines were once used in offices to send and receive documents, particularly those requiring a signature. They could also safely send confidential information over phone lines. However, they have since been replaced by email and instant messaging services.

Overhead Projectors

Schools and offices used overhead projectors to project documents onto a screen so they could be viewed by larger audiences. Teachers and professionals used them to display annotated notes and diagrams. Modern projectors and computers have rendered them obsolete.