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Don't let your spring cleaning or desire for Feng Shui enlightenment make you toss the important stuff.

2026-05-19 4 min read Marcus J.
6 cable, cords, and adapters that are still surprisingly useful - and I never throw away

Six cable, cords, and adapters sit quietly in my storage closet, relics from a tech landscape that’s shifted dramatically. Surprisingly, they remain stubbornly useful, and I’ve resisted the urge to donate or discard them – a decision that speaks to a broader trend within the tech industry and, perhaps, a subtle shift in how we value longevity. These aren't just forgotten bits of plastic and wire; they represent a pragmatic acknowledgement that rapid obsolescence isn't always the inevitable outcome of technological advancement. I’ve been collecting them for over a decade, and their continued relevance highlights a critical point about the value of adaptable infrastructure.

Specifically, I'm referring to a surprisingly diverse collection: a rarely-used Mini-DisplayPort to HDMI adapter, a legacy serial port cable (RS-232), a dedicated USB 1.1 cable, a Motorola 600-series radio adapter, a vintage S-Video cable, and a surprisingly robust SCSI-II cable. These items, largely rendered obsolete by USB-C and DisplayPort, were prominent in professional settings – particularly in fields like industrial automation, scientific research, and older computer systems – from roughly the late 1990s through the early 2010s. They were crucial for interfacing specialized equipment and legacy systems that continue to operate within certain industries.

What This Actually Means

Previously, the assumption was that anything older than five years was simply destined for the landfill, replaced by newer, faster, and supposedly more efficient technologies. However, the continued existence of these cables demonstrates the importance of backward compatibility and the slow, often overlooked, integration of older systems into modern workflows. Many small businesses, particularly in manufacturing, logistics, and specialized scientific fields, still rely on these connections to operate critical machinery or access data from older instruments. It’s a quiet, persistent need that’s often ignored in the relentless push for the latest innovations.

The real-world impact is significant, particularly for companies that haven’t fully embraced digital transformation. For instance, a small robotics manufacturer still uses the serial port cable to communicate with older control systems, avoiding a costly and disruptive system overhaul. Similarly, research labs employing specialized data acquisition hardware continue to rely on Mini-DisplayPort adapters for legacy instruments. This illustrates a fundamental truth: investing in adaptable infrastructure, rather than solely chasing the newest technology, offers a more sustainable and financially prudent approach for many organizations.

Looking at the broader AI race, this resistance to obsolescence has a surprising connection. The current boom in generative AI relies heavily on massive datasets, much of which was initially collected and processed using these older technologies. The ability to access and interpret data from legacy systems, facilitated by cables like these, remains crucial for training and refining AI models. Furthermore, the continued demand for specialized hardware—often connected via these adapters—drives innovation in niche areas of AI development, particularly in robotics and industrial automation where real-world data collection is paramount.

Why This Changes Everything

What to watch next is the resurgence of “retro-fitting” and “compatibility layers” within the AI ecosystem. We’re already seeing companies developing software and hardware bridges to connect newer AI platforms with older industrial equipment. Expect to see increased investment in solutions that enable seamless data exchange between legacy systems and emerging AI technologies, ensuring that even the oldest cables continue to play a vital, albeit understated, role in the future of artificial intelligence.

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