IEEE Poll: Set-Tops, DVDs, MP3s Soon to Die

Jan. 16, 2013
According to a recent IEEE poll, several entertainment gadgets will become extinct, desktop computers will live on, mobile phones will not be used as all-in-one devices, and paper will still be plentiful this year. These predictions come from the "2013 Gadget Gr...
According to a recent IEEE poll, several entertainment gadgets will become extinct, desktop computers will live on, mobile phones will not be used as all-in-one devices, and paper will still be plentiful this year. These predictions come from the "2013 Gadget Graveyard," a Facebook application where more than 1,700 IEEE members, engineers, engineering students and CES attendees cast more than 25,000 votes.


  • Respondents voted that CD-ROMs (75%), radios (58%), MP3 players (55%), DVDs (53%) and cable boxes (51%) will enter the Gadget Graveyard by the end of 2013. As Internet streaming services continue to rise in popularity, traditional media devices will likely be less relevant with consumers.


  • Desktop computers are expected to live on for another year. The computing power of tablets and smartphones has not reached a point where people are ready to give up their towers, with three out of five (62%) voters indicating that desktops will not enter the Gadget Graveyard.


  • While many smartphones have the ability to take great pictures, provide directions from point A to B, and host apps that can lock the car, many voters aren't ready to say goodbye to their single-function devices. The majority of voters expect cameras (75%), car keys (60%) and GPS units (58%) to survive another year.


  • Despite the availability of laptops and tablets, the majority of voters said spiral-bound paper notebooks will hang around (64%). Other paper-based items, including printers (81%) and printed money (74%), also topped the list of gadgets least likely to die out in 2013.


Sponsored Recommendations

Linear Pluggable Optics – The low-power optical interconnects for AI and Hyperscaled data centers.

Dec. 23, 2024
This LightWave webinar discussion will review the important technical differentiators found in this emerging interconnect field and how the electro/optic interoperability and ...

From Concept to Connection: Key Considerations for Rural Fiber Projects

Dec. 3, 2024
Building a fiber-to-the-home network in rural areas requires strategic planning, balancing cost efficiency with scalability, while considering factors like customer density, distance...

State of the Market: AI is Driving New Thinking in the Optical Industry

Dec. 5, 2024
The year 2024 marked an inflection point for AI. In August, OpenAI’s ChatGPT reached 200 million weekly active users. Meanwhile, McKinsey reported that 72% of ...

Meeting AI and Hyperscale Bandwidth Demands: The Role of 800G Coherent Transceivers

Nov. 25, 2024
Join us as we explore the technological advancements, features, and applications of 800G coherent modules, which will enable network growth and deployment in the future. During...