Top 30 Products That Don't Exist Anymore

Top 30 Products That Don’t Exist Anymore

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most famous items and services that are no longer widely used.

#30: Landline Phones
It’s amazing how quickly phone technology accelerates. Back in 2003, the CIA World Factbook estimated that there were nearly 1.3 billion landline phones in use around the world. Now you’d be hard pressed to find even one. OK, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but there’s no denying that cell phones have greatly eclipsed the landline and made them almost obsolete. By 2013 - just 10 years after the CIA study - 91% of American adults owned a cell phone. And by 2022, three out of four American households exclusively used a cell phone, with only 1% of households only using a landline. Indeed, some countries are beginning to terminate their landline networks, effectively signaling the beginning of the end.

#29: Overhead Projectors
Anyone who went to school between the ‘60s and 2000s surely remembers those overhead projectors that the teachers used to roll into the room. They were bulky and heavy, they often took up a good amount of space, and the projections often appeared brownish and hard-to-read. These were a common fixture in classrooms around the world, being relatively cheap and affording some type of interactive education with students. But now, thanks to new tech like interactive whiteboards and digital projection, these clunky things, much like the slider projector before it, have been taken out back and thrown in the dumpster.

#28: Nicogel
Back in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, cigarette smoking was being phased out in public areas, so people sought alternatives. Enter Nicogel, which was marketed as “a water soluble gel containing liquefied tobacco.” Basically, this liquid came in little packets that could be applied to the skin to discreetly deliver a dose of nicotine. However, most people didn’t consider it a good alternative, as it contained a fraction of the nicotine in a cigarette. It was also never dermatologically tested, and no independent research was conducted into its safety. And now, with the rise of other cigarette alternatives like vaping, Nicogel is no longer available.

#27: Dedicated GPS Devices
Once upon a time, handheld GPS devices seemed like the future in a box. You typed in your destination, anywhere you wanted to go, and boom, there were the exact directions to get there. No more paper maps, no more printing out directions on MapQuest. And by “once upon a time,” we mean, like, 10 years ago. But now everyone has a GPS in their pocket, thanks to smartphones, and even if they don’t, most modern cars come equipped with one already installed. Dedicated personal navigation assistants are still popular with certain outdoor enthusiasts. But for day to day use, their function has been taken over by other devices.

#26: Aspergum
Just like GPS devices, Aspergum once seemed revolutionary. Introduced in the 1920s, this was a medicinal chewing gum that contained aspirin. The gum itself was simply used as a delivery system, containing 227 mg of the drug and coming in both cherry and orange flavors. Aspergum was paramount in the discovery of aspirin’s anti-blood clotting effects, and it helped the drug become widely used in mitigating the likes of strokes and heart attacks. Alas, the gum was finally discontinued in 2006.

#25: Library Card Catalogs
Libraries are an important resource, but man they were a pain in the butt before the advent of computers. It’s incredibly difficult organizing thousands upon thousands of books, so a complex filing system was needed. Enter the card catalogs, which were basically enormous chests of drawers containing little cards on every book in the library. If you wanted a book, you had to know the author, title, or subject, then find the corresponding card in the seemingly endless sea of them. Once the card was finally found, it told you where the book was in the library. But thanks to online public access catalogs, now we can just type it into a computer and get the location instantly. Magic.

#24: Napster & LimeWire
They didn’t last long, but the impacts that Napster and LimeWire had on the internet are indescribable. Launched in 1999, Napster popularized the concept of peer-to-peer file sharing, effectively giving birth to internet piracy. Of course, this resulted in a ton of backlash and legal difficulties, forcing the app to close for good in 2002. A number of alternatives emerged in its absence, including the enormously popular LimeWire, which by 2007 was installed on a third of the world’s computers. The program was shut down in 2010, but the internet, and the distribution of media, was never the same.

#23: Typewriters
Nothing beats that distinct clack-clack-clacking of a typewriter. From the late 1800s to the 1980s, offices were filled with choruses of that wonderful sound. Of course, typewriters are still used, whether by those with a fondness for old technology, or in countries without reliable electrical power. But in most places, typewriters have long been made obsolete with the advent of computers. Keyboards are nice and all, and they still retain that classic QWERTY layout that typewriters introduced, but they just aren’t the same. In November of 2012, the self-proclaimed last typewriter made in the UK was produced by Brother and given to the London Science Museum. End of an era.

#22: Compaq
There were few tech companies bigger in the 1990s than Compaq. Just goes to show you that anyone can go down. This business was once the largest supplier of PC systems and was widely known for making IBM PC compatible computers. Unfortunately, the early 2000s was a very difficult time for Compaq, and they could not compete with their main rival, Dell. Dell overtook Compaq as the biggest supplier of PCs, and the bursting of the dot-com bubble essentially killed the company for good. It was bought by Hewlett-Packard in 2002 and remained as a brand of that company until 2013 when it was made defunct in the United States.

#21: Physical Encyclopedias
We often take for granted just how useful the internet is. You want to know everything there is to know about, I don’t know, horses? Clear an afternoon, move your fingers a couple of times, and read to your heart’s content. That convenience was unheard of just a couple of decades ago. Encyclopedias were fun and all, but they were large, heavy, inconvenient, and took up a ton of space in your home. That is, if you even had a personal set and didn’t rely on the library for them. Encyclopedias have been around for centuries, and they still exist in different forms. But those forms are mostly online. Sorry to say, but there’s little place for physical encyclopedias in our increasingly-digital age.

#20: LaserDisc
Despite being huge in Japan and Southeast Asia, LaserDisc never really took off in North America. While it offered better quality than VHS, the latter stomped LaserDisc in the home video market, largely owing to the fact that it was cheaper and could record live TV - which LaserDisc could not. Still, LaserDisc found its niche, especially among film enthusiasts who loved its unparalleled video and audio quality and special features. It also influenced the development of DVDs, which supplanted VHS in the early 2000s. The last movie on LaserDisc was released in 2001, and the format was completely abandoned by 2009.

#19: Kudos
It’s hard to go wrong with a good, old-fashioned granola bar. But, the real kicker is that Kudos bars were all a part of a sugary, well-balanced breakfast. While they definitely had more flavor than nutrition, that didn’t stop them from becoming a staple breakfast treat in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Still, over time, their name-recognition started to dwindle. Then, in 2017, a comment on the company’s Facebook page confirmed that Kudos bars were officially discontinued. Given the unceremonious nature of its goodbye, we aren’t crossing our fingers for a relaunch any time soon. But, you’ve gotta give it kudos for one thing - that theme song never gets old.

#18: P.B. Crisps
Since their mascot is an actual peanut, it’s safe to say Planters pretty much corners the market on all things nuts. As if to prove it, they entered the ‘90s by introducing a whole new way to enjoy their product. Enter: P.B. Crisps, the so-called “peanut butter with a crunch.” The cream-filled cookies were a massive hit. At least, for the people who tried them. The crisps disappeared after just three years on shelves, with no official explanation as to why. That hasn’t stopped people from talking about them, though. To this day, fans are still clamoring for a return of P.B. Crisps. There’s even a website for it and everything.

#17: CD Binders
Oh, CDs. You had a good run! The aforementioned laserdiscs also influenced the development of CDs, which were all the rage from the mid ‘80s to their slow dissolution throughout the 2000s. To organize their music collections, many people used cute little binders full of plastic sleeves. These binders kept things neat, and were easily browsable. However, with the demise of the CD came the demise of CD binders. It’s a shame - because scrolling through our phones has nothing on the satisfaction of flipping through a binder!

#16: Delia’s Catalog
Even by today’s standards, having the latest and greatest fashion trends sent right to your door is a pretty compelling offer. In the ‘90s, it was practically a must-have. Delia’s catalog presented itself as more of a magazine than of a store, and that novel approach gave it a chokehold on the decade’s fashion sense. But, once the novelty of catalog orders wore off, the brand was left without anything to stand on. Later, when online shopping officially took over, Delia's once-famous catalog quietly went out of print. The company’s product is still around today, just without the paper version, or the brand recognition.


#15: PDAs
For as cool as a “personal digital assistant” sounds, there’s just no need for one anymore. Everything that made it unique in the ‘80s is now commonplace in basically any smart device on the market. Internet access, messaging, reminders - smartphones and computers do all of that, and so much more. The steady decline of PDA sales reflects as much. Just ask Apple; their entire company almost went under after banking hard on the Apple Newton. It also served as a cautionary tale for their competitors, most of whom have since abandoned their PDA lines. Fortunately, the tech went to good use, and several of those companies began manufacturing cell phones instead.

#14: Netscape Navigator
This wasn’t just a web browser. This was the web browser. Netscape Navigator’s intuitive user-interface helped popularize Internet use, and the company was rewarded for that with incredible word-of-mouth. But, every industry needs some healthy competition, and soon enough, Microsoft entered the ring with Internet Explorer. Accompanied by PC bundles and an unprecedented marketing blitz, the new browser utterly destroyed Netscape’s rule. In fact, Microsoft’s launch was so aggressive, the U.S. court of law officially called it an illegal monopoly. But, by then, the damage was already done. Netscape Navigator never earned back its audience, and officially went off the grid in 2008.

#13: Orbitz
On paper, this infamous drink doesn’t sound too bad. It was non-carbonated, relatively healthy, and even had several different fruit flavors. However, the real issue had nothing to do with the drink’s taste. It was that Orbitz wasn’t fully liquid. See, the entire pitch is that “orbitz” are small, gelatinous orbs that dissolve in your mouth. As you can imagine, people didn’t like having to eat their drink. Orbitz were reviewed poorly, and sold even worse. To put it into perspective, they only lasted a single, measly year into production before going AWOL. These days, the only place to find an Orbitz is from a collector.

#12: Floppy Disks
In 1996, there were an estimated five billion of these flimsy discs in use. And that’s just counting the standard version. And yet, by 2007, floppy disks were already collecting dust. The culprit behind their sharp decline in sales is primarily USB drives. Oh, and memory cards. Then, cloud storage. Floppy disks simply weren’t made to keep up with the rapid influx in memory technology. If anything, they took up more space than they saved. Their legacy isn’t all doom and gloom, though. In order to make the transition easier on consumers, several computing companies use the floppy-disk image as their save icon. So, really, it’s like they’re still with us.

#11: 3G Phones
The third generation of smartphones had a lot of winners. The iPhone 5, the Galaxy S9, and the Google Pixel 2, just to name a few. But, as with any growing industry, there will always be a day where one era powers off so another can flick on. It’s not like 3G devices got canceled or anything; it’s just that their framework needed to be upgraded to match the newest standards. After all, why bother keeping 3G around when 4G is technologically superior? Not to mention 5G. As a result of the industry’s innovations, most third-generation phones will lose support by the end of 2024. And that’s if they haven’t already.

#10: Answering Machines
It’s not really fair to say that answering machines don’t exist anymore. Rather, they just don’t sell as well as they used to. Or, really, at all. It’s tragic because their cousin, the voicemail, is still a very prevalent part of cellular communication. But, the silver bullet of answering machines is that they’re specifically tied to a person’s home landline. Since those are quickly becoming extinct, the answering machine is going down with them. Technically, you can still call any of them up and get the same voicemail-like message. But, unless there’s a major change in the market, answering machines are not long for the tech world.

#9: Kodak Cameras
This “Kodak moment” ended in a camera flash. Even though they were the ones to develop the first self-contained digital camera, the company’s higher-ups were extremely hesitant to shift their brand away from film rolls. That proved to be a fatal error, and by the time Kodak started playing catchup, the digital market had already left them in the dust. Following a decade of rocky finances, the company officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2012. Thankfully, there’s a happy ending for Kodak. The brand emerged from their financial woes with a new focus on printing, supplying film, and, later, pharmaceuticals. But, the same can’t be said for their camera production.

#8: Walkman
Way back when, Sony built a product based on the idea of cassettes-on-the-go, and the industry hasn’t been the same since. The Walkman proved to be so absurdly popular, it became ubiquitous with the very concept of portable music, including Sony’s own “Discman” line. It’s to the point that the word “revolutionary” doesn’t feel like it does the Walkman justice. While it was inevitably overtaken by the rise of smartphones, this portable player still lives on as an iconic piece of 20th century pop culture. Sure, it ended production in 2010, but with over 200 million units made, odds are the Walkman’s legacy won’t be forgotten any time soon.

#7: Tab
Surprisingly enough, the Coca-Cola Company’s first ever diet drink wasn’t actually Diet Coke. It was Tab, a sugarless soda marketed to those who wanted to quote-unquote “keep tabs on their weight.” As one of the first beverages to tap into the “diet” market, Tab was an instant success. But, it came under friendly fire when the Coca-Cola Company introduced Diet Coke in 1982. Just like that, Tab lost its only claim to fame. However, its passionate audience was enough to keep it around for almost another forty years. But, despite their efforts, the drink shipped its last case in 2020. Coke hasn’t kept “tabs” on it since.

#6: Phone Booths
If you’re looking on the side of busy roads, you're more likely to find a Wi-Fi hotspot than a phone booth. Quite frankly, the change has been a long time coming. Ever since smartphones became the communication standard, payphones have been left in a dire place. As you can imagine, it’s even worse for phone booths. Almost every single one in the United States has been torn up or converted, and that’s getting off lucky compared to some other countries. In Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and more, you couldn’t find a working phone booth even if you wanted to. At this rate, it’ll only be a few years before phone booths stop ringing worldwide.

#5: Pontiacs
General Motors revved up a lot of cars in the 20th century. So much so, that they could afford to sell their Pontiac brand as less of a vehicle, and more of a lifestyle. In the late ‘50s specifically, this type of car was a status symbol. But, as the years went on, it became a symbol that people cared less and less about. Pontiac had restructured before to great success, and they might’ve been able to do it again if not for the economic crash of 2008. Up against intense financial pressure, GM gave Pontiac one last lap before retiring it for good in 2010.

#4: BlackBerry Phones
Before Android and iOS dominated the cell phone space, there was a third contender in the ring. Well, actually, there was four, but Sony’s Ericsson phones failed to put up much of a fight. BlackBerry, on the other hand, was a worthwhile rival during the 2000s. Their name recognition was second to none, and they had the slick product to back it up. At least, at first. Unfortunately, they couldn’t evolve fast enough to match the ever-changing landscape. As Android and IOS flourished in the 2010s, Blackberry lost almost three-quarters of its sales numbers. Their last product came out in 2018, and no one’s heard anything from them since.

#3: VCR
They didn’t call it “appointment television” for nothing. For decades, if you wanted to watch something on TV, you had to be in the right place, at the right time, on the right channel. Then, out of nowhere, came the VCR. Suddenly, all it took was a handy VHS tape, and you could record anything on TV for future viewing. It completely changed the game, and immediately, everyone wanted in on the profit. In came DVD’s, which were easier, cheaper, and more reliable than VHS tapes. When that sank, the need for videocassette players went with it. The very last VCR manufacturer ceased production in 2016.

#2: MP3 Players
The music business is a tough place to stay relevant in. Case in point, Microsoft’s epic failure in the Zune. But, for everyone one of those, there was the iPod - a music player that just did everything right. And yet, even that couldn’t stay afloat forever. The story is the same all around: they all failed to stay relevant. Just as soon as MP3 players reached their stride, smartphones had developed enough to do the exact same thing. The iPhone eclipsing the iPod is a good metaphor for what happened to just about every MP3 player on the market. Nobody needed them anymore, and that’s that.

#1: Internet Explorer
From Netscape Navigator’s ashes, Microsoft grew a web browser with a legacy that speaks for itself. At its peak, Internet Explorer had an absolutely gargantuan 95% market share. If that doesn’t speak to its status, nothing will. Unfortunately for Microsoft, the browser war didn’t end there. Firefox, Google Chrome, and Safari all entered the fray in the coming years, each taking a noticeable chunk out of Internet Explorer’s user base. Eventually, the once-mighty browser was forced to cut its losses and relaunch as the new-and-improved Microsoft Edge. Given how quickly it lost support among both users and developers, it’s clear that Internet Explorer 12 isn’t coming any time soon.


Do you miss any of these products? Let us know in the comments below!