What happens when we compare some old world technologies to what is available today? Is new technology better than the stuff we had as kids? You might be a bit surprised at the results.

DVD vs. Video

Many people think that when it comes to picture quality, DVD wins hands down. Well, not exactly. A one-hour video in digital format would use up about 21GB of space. A DVD of the same length would be less than 4.7GB and any time you compress images, there was a loss of quality. In other words, a 2-hour high quality video would actually look better than a 2-hour DVD. And when it came to durability, video wins here as well. You had to be careful handling DVDs as they could be easily scratched and rendered unplayable whereas a video tape was within a case, which provided a certain amount of protection – it was usually the video player that destroyed a video tape. However when it came to playing durability, a DVD still wins hands down.

Mobile Phones vs Landlines

These days, leaving home without your mobile phone is almost like walking out the front door without your pants on. And, you can’t walk out of your house with your landline —unless its connected to an endless length of cable. The fact is, there is no contest between these two technologies. Think of all the things you can do with a mobile that can't be done with the a landline, such as like blaming a bad signal or low battery when you want to hang up; fooling your boss when you pull a sickie; getting the latest information at your fingertips; and of course, you could never look cool in a nightclub with a landline stuck to your ear.

E-mail vs. Snail Mail

About the only people that don’t have e-mail are those that are in a coma or on Death Row in some top security US penitentiary. Email is how we communicate these days—quickly, cheaply and at our own convenience. Let's face it, e-mail is cheaper, faster and more user-friendly than the posted letter. You can also send programs, pictures, games and other downloadable items via this media. However, at the same time, it does limit one’s creativity and unless you are a lawyer or a celebrity stalker, most e-mails tend to be relatively brief and therefore short on the emotional intelligence. That said, going without email is almost unthinkable nowadays, and another technology that might be the victim of e-mail could be the fax machine.

Paper Maps vs. GPS

Being a recent convert to the wonders of the in-car GPS, the thought of having to use a paper-based map doesn't bear thinking about. Being honest, a paper map will never update itself and you need to buy a new map every time they are republished. And what better way to be lost in some dodgy part of your home city than to have a soothing voice telling you to turn left at the next burnt out car wreckage. Of course if you like to walk, carrying a GPS unit is much easier than a paper map or book. And, once you have found your destination, you can turn the GPS unit off and put it in your glovebox, backpack or pocket. Try doing that with the latest UBD directory.

YOUR SAY: Are you happily living in the dark ages or embracing the new technologies of the modern day? Tell us below...