- Amazon still lists outdated storage devices in “Popular New Releases” categories
- Floppy, Zip and Tape Drives Remain Online Decades After Losing Relevance
- Removing them would simplify navigation and stop confusing modern technology buyers
Like many people who have worked in technology for a long time, I have accumulated many 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 would go through and throw out the really old ones, but a lot of them are tangled, so that’s a project for another time.
I also have boxes – large boxes, not shoe boxes – from hardware stores 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 less than three floppy drives and five optical drives.
I will never need them and someday I will throw them away. 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 is a bit like me and still has too many old storage products in their warehouses. Do a search and you’ll see.
Worse yet, under the banner “Amazon Hot New Releases,” the retail giant has sections for tape libraries, external Zip drives, and floppy and tape drives.
As you might expect, there aren’t many interesting new releases in these categories, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any.
If you have a few floppy disks and have a burning desire to know what’s on them, then Amazon has you covered with a new USB external floppy drive and a new floppy drive emulator.
The “new and upcoming best-selling releases” in these three categories are described as “frequently updated,” so if you’re in the market for a new external Zip drive, be sure to check back often.
It’s hard to imagine anyone actually buying a new floppy or Zip drive in 2025, and by keeping these categories alive, Amazon risks confusing shoppers who may think they are relevant products rather than relics.
Removing them would tidy up your store and make your “Hot New Releases” page look a little less tongue-in-cheek.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
