- Amazon still lists outdated storage devices under “Hot New Releases” categories
- Floppy, Zip, and tape drives linger online decades after losing relevance
- Removing them would simplify browsing and stop confusing modern tech shoppers
Like a lot of people who’ve worked in tech for a long time, I’ve accumulated a lot of products over the years. I’m not very good at throwing things away – because you never know when you’ll need them!
As a result, I also have a large collection of cables dating back decades. I’d go through and chuck away the really old ones, but a lot of them are tangled together, so that’s a project for another time.
I also have boxes – large boxes, not shoe-boxes – of hardware that stopped being relevant years ago.
The 1990s called
These hardware items include graphics cards, other expansion boards, small-capacity external storage devices, external Zip drives, and no fewer than three floppy disk drives and five optical drives.
I’ll never need them, and one day I’ll throw them out. Probably at the same time I get rid of all those old CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks.
The reason I mention this is that Amazon seems to be a bit like me and still has far too many ancient storage products in its warehouses. Run a search and you’ll see.
Even worse, under the “Amazon Hot New Releases” banner, the retail giant has sections for Tape Libraries, External Zip Drives, and Floppy & Tape Drives.
As you might expect, there aren’t a lot of exciting, hot new releases in these categories, but that’s not to say there aren’t any.
If you’ve got some floppy disks and have a burning desire to know what’s on them, then Amazon has you covered with a hot new USB external floppy disk drive and hot new disk drive emulator.
The “best-selling new and future releases” in these three categories are described as being “updated frequently,” so if you’re in the market for a brand new external Zip drive, be sure to check back often.
It’s hard to imagine anyone genuinely shopping for a new floppy or Zip drive in 2025 and by keeping these categories alive, Amazon risks confusing shoppers who may think they’re relevant products instead of relics.
Retiring them would tidy up its store and make its “Hot New Releases” page feel a little less ironic.
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waynewilliams@onmail.com (Wayne Williams)
