I actually finally got rid of one of those. Then I found a ThinkPad and a monitor and now I can't be bothered getting a cable. My old one was free, god damn it!
Way too many times I have need a specific "obsolete" cable or connector not commonly sold anywhere only after having decided that I don't need it and can throw it away. I've then been forced to buy a replacement at a ridiculous markup from some random eBay seller. Now I tend to keep those cables bagged up with the obsolete tech they belong to if I can. Now I have a tub of functional, well organized, emotional support obsolete tech. I refuse to give up my last floppy disk drive, cassette deck, VCR, or PlayStation.
DB-25 parallel cable
USB-B
Twisted dual floppy cable
USB-serial converter in an oversized connector handle and weird connecotor at the end of the cable with a Nokia logo
Several intermittent MicroUSB cables
That weird camera USB/AV cable
Flat IDE cable
Absurd length of telephone wire
Telephone cord but coiled
2.5mm headphones
USB charging/interface clip for an early sports watch
3.5mm jack to component video
Two SCART cables (HDMI of the 1990s)
Several USB cables with breadboard jumper wires instead of a connector
Unregulated DC supply with 9V battery connector
RS-232 to RJ45?!
Strange antenna
I read all of those with a smile on my face, until MicroUSB which made me angry.
I've had a single Mini USB my entire life, with constant use and that mfer still works. I must have gone through 20 MicroUSBs in that time. Fuck MicroUSB
Remember the 10-in-1 USB charger monstrosity?
Nokia 2mm barrel, 4mm barrel, Sony Ericsson's line of exposed pins, Apple/Samsung tablet 30pin amalgamation, all three pre-Android Samsung mobile connectors, MiniUSB, MicroUSB and the PSP barrel jack. Then you have another connector for an HP PDA whose USB cable carries data but not power, and then a friend comes with their iPhone and needs charging.
USB-C and EU's decision to unite the ports should have come in 2010 at the latest.
I used to have a graveyard of old computer parts and cables and finally got rid of most of it..But I still lug around hard drives laptops and phones from 10+ years ago whenever I move. I'm way too paranoid to trash them with all their unencrypted data sitting there, way too lazy to properly wipe them with DBAN or whatever, and way too scared to try and melt them with thermite, which is really the only way to be sure. I don't really know what to do so I'll probably just hold onto them for fifty years or so and let someone else deal with it one way or another.
Here's the visport box (consists solely of VGA port cords and one cord you think went with an old VCR)
Here's the flimsy stock speaker cord box (every single one unused)
Here's the mouse, keyboard, and coax cable box
Here's the nest of SATA cables and PSU outputs.
And here's the mysterious power cord box where every single plug is a different shape that doesn't fit into any electronic in the whole neighborhood (if you ever throw one of these out you find what it goes to the next week)
33 replies
I lost my box of support cables in a flood last year :(
Even the VGA cables?
I actually finally got rid of one of those. Then I found a ThinkPad and a monitor and now I can't be bothered getting a cable. My old one was free, god damn it!
All I have now is some spare HDMI cables. It's been tough
F
B-but ... I might need that ADB cable some day!!
Way too many times I have need a specific "obsolete" cable or connector not commonly sold anywhere only after having decided that I don't need it and can throw it away. I've then been forced to buy a replacement at a ridiculous markup from some random eBay seller. Now I tend to keep those cables bagged up with the obsolete tech they belong to if I can. Now I have a tub of functional, well organized, emotional support obsolete tech. I refuse to give up my last floppy disk drive, cassette deck, VCR, or PlayStation.
I actually use an Adb cable semi regularly for plugging old apple compatable mechanical keyboards into a converter for my PC.
Nothing like playing doom 2016 on OG doom era hardware.
Hell yeah that's awesome!
Did you know SVIDEO and ADB share the same connector?
Saved my ass trying to revive an old PowerMac the other day! (as if I dont have a box of ADB cables, I was just being lazy)
Nice! I remember they're the same connector "series" but I misremembered the number of pins I guess.
DB-25 parallel cable
USB-B
Twisted dual floppy cable
USB-serial converter in an oversized connector handle and weird connecotor at the end of the cable with a Nokia logo
Several intermittent MicroUSB cables
That weird camera USB/AV cable
Flat IDE cable
Absurd length of telephone wire
Telephone cord but coiled
2.5mm headphones
USB charging/interface clip for an early sports watch
3.5mm jack to component video Two SCART cables (HDMI of the 1990s)
Several USB cables with breadboard jumper wires instead of a connector
Unregulated DC supply with 9V battery connector
RS-232 to RJ45?!
Strange antenna
I read all of those with a smile on my face, until MicroUSB which made me angry.
I've had a single Mini USB my entire life, with constant use and that mfer still works. I must have gone through 20 MicroUSBs in that time. Fuck MicroUSB
How dare you look in my box!
Look at his weirdo sorting his shrine to the old gods.
I have my PS/2 mouse/keyboard extension cables, as well as GameCube controller extension cables!
With RadioShack long gone, we are forced to improvise.
That was my first thought after reading the OP lol. You have to hoard now that the Source of all things weird, old and/or obscure is gone.
Damn, you just reminded me that I should probably check the battery in my genuine RadioShack multimeter..
I showed this to my wife, "see! I'm not the only one".
That was way more relatable than it should have been...
Remember the 10-in-1 USB charger monstrosity?
Nokia 2mm barrel, 4mm barrel, Sony Ericsson's line of exposed pins, Apple/Samsung tablet 30pin amalgamation, all three pre-Android Samsung mobile connectors, MiniUSB, MicroUSB and the PSP barrel jack. Then you have another connector for an HP PDA whose USB cable carries data but not power, and then a friend comes with their iPhone and needs charging.
USB-C and EU's decision to unite the ports should have come in 2010 at the latest.
relevant (mouse over the image)
I used to have a graveyard of old computer parts and cables and finally got rid of most of it..But I still lug around hard drives laptops and phones from 10+ years ago whenever I move. I'm way too paranoid to trash them with all their unencrypted data sitting there, way too lazy to properly wipe them with DBAN or whatever, and way too scared to try and melt them with thermite, which is really the only way to be sure. I don't really know what to do so I'll probably just hold onto them for fifty years or so and let someone else deal with it one way or another.
Soo...
Are you gonna eat that spaghetti?
I just charged an iPhone 3g.
I'm in this picture ... and I don't like it.
Going into my place my mom was happy to see a plant in the box
I was sorry to admit that they are in a bigger box now
You guys only have one box?
Here's the visport box (consists solely of VGA port cords and one cord you think went with an old VCR)
Here's the flimsy stock speaker cord box (every single one unused)
Here's the mouse, keyboard, and coax cable box
Here's the nest of SATA cables and PSU outputs.
And here's the mysterious power cord box where every single plug is a different shape that doesn't fit into any electronic in the whole neighborhood (if you ever throw one of these out you find what it goes to the next week)
(You are looking for a single USB cord)
-Apple, probably
I have one too, and many of them I don't even know how to use