- Amazon still lists outdated stock units under the “Hot New Releases” categories.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 customers
Like many people who have worked in technology for a long time, I have accumulated a lot of products over the years. I’m not very good at throwing things away – you never know when you’ll need them!
As a result, I also have a large collection of cables dating back decades. I wanted to go through and throw away the really old ones, but a lot of them are tangled up, so that’s a project for another time.
I also have boxes – big boxes, not shoe boxes – of hardware that stopped being relevant years ago.
The 1990s called
These hardware items include graphics cards, other expansion cards, 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 one day I will throw them out. Probably at the same time I will get rid of all the old CDs, DVDs and floppy disks.
The reason I mention this is because 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 will 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 many exciting, hot new releases in these categories, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any.
If you have some floppy disks and have a burning desire to know what’s on them, Amazon has you covered with a hot new USB external floppy drive and hot new disk drive emulator.
The “best-selling new and upcoming 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 actually shopping for a new floppy or zip drive in 2025, and by keeping these categories alive, Amazon risks confusing customers who might think they’re relevant products rather than relics.
Retiring them would clean up its store and make its “Hot New Releases” page feel a little less ironic.
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