Consumers Call for Revival of Rotary Telephones While the Floppy Disk Remains a Flop as New Poll Reveals the 1980s Tech They Want to See Make a Comeback

POWAY, Calif., February 8, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Apricorn, the leading manufacturer of software-free, 256-bit AES XTS hardware-encrypted USB drives, today announced new findings from a Twitter poll that highlight the lasting impact of legacy technology. The poll ran over three days in January 2023 and results reveal the tech that flopped as well as the resurgence of well-loved technology staples from the last century. 

When asked what tech they would most like to see revived, more than 30% want to bring back the nostalgia of the rotary telephone, but only 21% calling for continued use of pagers. However, it's clear the fax machine has met its end with just 18% wishing for a return. Floppy disks also officially flopped with only 22% voting for them, hardly surprising given the USB storage options that replaced them.

This is backed by the fact that 40% of respondents marked data storage as the technology that has evolved most for the better over the past four decades, trampling communications tools (32%), photocopy/print tech (15%) and even collaboration tools (12%). Further, nearly 80% showed that of classic office essentials, USB sticks are still used the most today. Additionally, 45% of respondents confirmed they are still saving to portable storage drives at least monthly.

"Our poll highlights that while some legacy tech and office staples have lost their mojo, the longevity of USB devices demonstrates their value, especially as security needs have changed over decades," said Kurt Markley, U.S. Managing Director at Apricorn. "As security threats have grown, so has the need for encrypted USB storage devices, which is why, as we celebrate 40 years of Apricorn, we've continued to innovate in this space." 

When asked about the most valued digital content they've lost in the past 40 years, that secure USB storage could have saved, 63% of respondents have lost precious photos, 18% lost home videos and 12% personal documents, yet only seven percent have lost work files. 

"Portable, encrypted data storage continues to be an essential key to data security and resilience," continued Markley. "The poll numbers suggest that businesses are taking the right approach for corporate data since such a small percentage of work files have been lost. Consumers, however, are losing their most valued memories — photos and videos — because they have not progressed with the times. They have to stop using the same USB storage from two decades ago and get on board with encrypted portable storage devices that are affordable, easy to use and can protect their most prized memories — now and in the future."

Since 1983 — four decades ago — Apricorn has remained committed to creating new innovations in encrypted data storage that people can rely on to keep their essential documents and digital assets protected. Apricorn is the pioneer of software-free, hardware-encrypted USB drives, introducing many industry firsts including admin-forced enrollment, Provision Lock™, FIPS-level encryption on a variety of devices and the first device of its kind to have a built-in USB-C connector. Many of Apricorn's data security inventions have become standard across the industry.  

About Apricorn 

Apricorn provides secure storage innovations to the most prominent companies in the categories of finance, healthcare, education, and government throughout North America and EMEA. Apricorn products have become the trusted standard for a myriad of data security strategies worldwide. Founded in 1983, numerous award-winning products and patents have been developed under the Apricorn brand as well as for a number of leading computer manufacturers on an OEM basis.