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Then vs Now
56 posts filed under Then vs Now.
- WinZip Price in 2026: What the $29 Shareware CostsWinZip price in 2026: about $35 a year for Standard, more than the $29 the whole program cost outright in 1991. Corel still sells it, Vector-backed.
- Is the Flip Video Camera Still Made? 2026 PricesThe Flip Video camera has not been made since April 2011, when Cisco closed the line it paid $590 million for. Working units now ask $20 to $50.
- Is Nextel Still Around in 2026? Chirp Died in 2013Nextel is gone: Sprint killed the iDEN network on June 30, 2013. T-Mobile owns the name now, upheld by a federal appeals court in 2024.
- Are Pagers Still Used in 2026? Yes, 645,000 of ThemPagers are still used in 2026: Spok had about 645,000 units in service on June 30, 2026, and hospitals are what keeps the network alive.
- Is the Sony Aibo Still Made in 2026? US Sales OnlyThe Sony Aibo is still made and sold in the US for over $3,000, but Sony ended Japan sales in June 2026 and now lends prototypes to labs.
- Is Windows Movie Maker Still Available in 2026?Windows Movie Maker is gone: Microsoft pulled the download on January 10, 2017. Clipchamp replaced it, and a fake version once charged $29.95.
- Do They Still Make Floppy Disks? No, Not Since 2011No one has made floppy disks since Sony stopped by March 2011. Every disk sold in 2026 is older stock at about $1, and Muni still boots from them.
- How Many Payphones Are Left? The FCC Stopped CountingHow many payphones are left? The FCC's last count found under 100,000 in 2016, then it stopped counting. New York State alone still had 20,716.
- Are LaserDiscs Worth Anything? Most Are Under $5Most LaserDiscs are worth under $5 in 2026, but scarce pressings are different: a mint copy of The Matrix averages $134.61 on the LaserDisc Database.
- Are Heelys Still Sold in 2026? Who Owns Them NowHeelys are still sold new in 2026 at about $60 to $75, owned by BBC International since 2021. Peak year: 6.2 million pairs in 2006.
- Is Discovery Zone Still Around? One Playground LeftDiscovery Zone closed its last centers by the end of 2001 after two bankruptcies. One unaffiliated playground still uses the name in 2026.
- How Many Rainforest Cafe Locations Are Left in 2026?Rainforest Cafe still runs 16 US restaurants in 11 states in 2026, down from 59 at its peak. Landry's owns it, and Disney Village closes this year.
- Is Kinko's Still Around in 2026? Only in JapanNo US store carries the Kinko's name: FedEx paid $2.4 billion for the chain, then took an $891 million charge in 2008 to drop the word.
- How Many KB Toys Stores Are Left? Zero Since 2009How many KB Toys stores are left? Zero. The last ones closed on February 9, 2009, and the brand now survives as a license and a Comic-Con booth.
- Is FAO Schwarz Still Open? 10 US Stores in 2026FAO Schwarz is still open: one Rockefeller Center flagship plus nine Nordstrom shops since June 2026, run under license by ThreeSixty Group.
- Is Woolworth Still in Business? Only as Foot LockerWoolworth has had no US store since 1997. It renamed itself Foot Locker in 2001, and Dick's Sporting Goods bought that company in 2025.
- Is the Disney Store Still Open? 20 Left in 2026The Disney Store is still open, but only about 20 US locations are left in 2026, down from 747 in 1999. Europe lost its last in January.
- Is Dial-Up Internet Still Available? NetZero IsIs dial-up internet still available? Yes. NetZero, Juno and MSN all sold it in 2026, and NetZero's owner changed its name in January.
- Scan Old Photos in 2026: What DIY and Mail-In CostScan old photos by mail for about eight cents each in 2026: a flat-rate box of 1,800 prints runs $145, and 400 ppi is the federal minimum.
- Who Owns Borders Now? The $13.9 Million Brand SaleBorders closed its last US stores in September 2011. Barnes & Noble owns the name now, bought for $13.9 million with 48 million customer records.
- Is Hollywood Video Still Around? Every Store ClosedHollywood Video closed in 2010 when Movie Gallery liquidated 1,900-plus stores. MGIP, LLC of New Jersey still holds the trademark in 2026.
- Is Barnes and Noble Still Open? 720+ Stores in 2026Barnes and Noble is still open: more than 720 US stores in 2026, 60 new ones planned, six closed, and Elliott is lining up a London IPO.
- Who Owns Claire's Now? The $140 Million BuyoutClaire's is owned by Ames Watson, which bought it out of bankruptcy for about $140 million in 2025. About 900 stores trade in 2026, none in the UK.
- How Many Boston Market Locations Are Left in 2026?Boston Market listed six restaurants in 2026 and only three answered the phone. The chain had about 1,200 locations in the late 1990s.
- Chuck E. Cheese Animatronics: Only 5 Stores LeftChuck E. Cheese animatronics survive in only five US stores in 2026. Every other stage came out by the end of 2024, and the robots went to Kansas.
- Is Skype Still Around in 2026? Teams Replaced ItSkype is gone. Microsoft retired it on May 5, 2025 and Microsoft Teams Free replaced it. The old chats were deleted after June 15, 2026.
- Is Redbox Still Around? Why Kiosks Are Still ThereRedbox is gone: its parent was liquidated in July 2024 and all 24,000 kiosks went dark. One contractor has recycled more than 4,700 since.
- Dial-Up Sound Explained: What Each Screech MeantThe dial-up sound was two modems measuring a phone line: answer tone, capability menus, a 21-tone probe. AOL switched it off on September 30, 2025.
- Betamax vs VHS: Why Sony Lost the First Format WarBetamax vs VHS was settled by tape length and price, not picture: VHS taped four hours for $1,000. Sony shipped its last Beta cassettes in 2016.
- How to Digitize VHS Tapes in 2026: DIY vs LegacyboxDigitize VHS tapes in 2026 for $30 to $80 in home gear, or about $32 an item by mail at Legacybox. No new VCR has been built since July 2016.
- Sega Channel Explained, the 1994 Cable Game ServiceSega Channel piped Genesis games down cable lines from 1994 to 1998, peaked at 250,000 subscribers, and its lost ROMs were recovered in 2025.
- Is HyperCard Still Around? Apple Killed It in 2004Apple pulled HyperCard from sale in March 2004, but its stacks still boot in a browser at the Internet Archive. Here is where it went and why.
- The First Banner Ad of 1994: What AT&T Really PaidThe first banner ad ran on HotWired on October 27, 1994. AT&T paid about $30,000 for 12 weeks and got a reported 44 percent click rate.
- Is the Atari Lynx Still Made? What It Costs in 2026The Atari Lynx has not been made since 1995. Atari sold about 2 million of them against 118 million Game Boys. Working units run $80 to $250.
- Are Standalone GPS Devices Still Sold in 2026?Standalone GPS devices are still sold in 2026: Garmin's Drive 53 lists at $149.99. TomTom quit the US device market and Magellan is now a MiTAC brand.
- Does the Nokia 3310 Still Work? Not on US NetworksThe Nokia 3310 sold 126 million units and still powers on, but no US carrier ran 2G after T-Mobile closed its GSM network on August 3, 2026.
- Is Microsoft Bob Still Around? Only as a DownloadMicrosoft Bob shipped in March 1995 at $99, sold about 58,000 copies and died within a year. In 2026 it survives only as free Internet Archive disk images.
- Did the iMac G3 Save Apple? The Real 1998 NumbersThe iMac G3 helped Apple swing from a $1.045 billion loss in 1997 to a $309 million profit in 1998. It sold 278,000 units in six weeks.
- Are Arcades Still Around in 2026? The Real CountArcades are still around in 2026: 7,113 US arcade and entertainment venues on $6.0 billion a year, down from 10,000 dedicated arcades in 1982.
- Who Owns Oregon Trail Now? HarperCollins DoesOregon Trail is still sold in 2026: HarperCollins owns the brand, Gameloft's remake lists at $29.99, and the 1990 MS-DOS version plays free.
- Is GoldenEye 007 Playable in 2026? Yes, Two WaysGoldenEye 007 is still playable in 2026 on Nintendo Switch Online and Xbox Game Pass, 26 years after ten people at Rare shipped it.
- Is Eudora Still Around? The Email Client in 2026Eudora is gone as a product: Qualcomm shipped the last version on October 11, 2006. The Computer History Museum owns the code and the name now.
- Is Polaroid Still in Business? The Brand in 2026Yes, Polaroid still exists: the Smolokowski family owns the brand and the last instant film factory on Earth runs in Enschede with about 140 staff.
- Who Owns Iomega Now? The Zip Drive Click of DeathIomega is not still in business: EMC bought it in 2008 for $213 million. Zip drives shipped 21 million units before the Click of Death.
- Do Screensavers Still Exist? Flying Toasters TodayScreensavers still ship in Windows 11 and macOS, but the paid market is gone: Berkeley Systems sold out in 1997 and 3D Pipes died with Vista.
- Is Clippy Still Around in 2026? Microsoft's PaperclipClippy left Microsoft Office in 2007 and never returned as a feature. In 2026 the paperclip is an emoji and a hidden Copilot avatar.
- Windows 95 Launch: The $300 Million Night of 1995The Windows 95 launch on August 24, 1995 cost Microsoft a reported $300 million. It sold 1 million copies in four days and lost support in 2001.
- Is WordPerfect Still Around in 2026? Corel Sells ItWordPerfect is still sold in 2026 by Corel, owned by Vector Capital since May 2026, but the last new version shipped in 2021.
- Why the Apple Newton Failed and What It's Worth NowThe Apple Newton shipped in August 1993 at $699 and Steve Jobs killed it on February 27, 1998. A complete MessagePad 2100 sold for $541 in 2023.
- Is TiVo Still Around in 2026? Yes, but Not the DVRTiVo still exists in 2026 as smart TV software owned by Xperi, but it stopped selling DVR hardware on October 1, 2025, after 26 years.
- Does GeoCities Still Exist? Where the Pages WentGeoCities does not still exist. Yahoo deleted it on October 26, 2009, taking about 38 million pages. Archive Team saved 641 GB of them.
- What Is $1,000 From 1999 Worth in 2026 Dollars?$1,000 from 1999 is worth about $2,000 in 2026: two weeks of a family health premium, or a sliver of a $417,500 median home.
- 90s Tech Prices in 2026 Dollars: 40 Launch CostsA PlayStation cost $299 in 1995, or $657 in 2026 dollars. Forty sourced 90s tech launch prices, adjusted with the BLS CPI-U index.
- 90s Websites Still Online in 2026: 5 That SurvivedYes, 90s websites are still online in 2026: the 1996 Space Jam site lives at spacejam.com/1996 and info.cern.ch has run since 1991.
- Dial-Up Speed vs 2026 Internet: How Slow Was 56k?Dial-up speed peaked at 53.3 kbit/s, about 1,876 times slower than the 100 Mbps broadband floor. Only 127,000 US homes still dial in.
- What Was the First Thing Sold Online? PizzaNet vs a CDThe first thing sold online was not a pizza. PizzaNet took orders in August 1994, eleven days after a Sting CD sold for $12.48.