Ask HN: How many of you are consciously downsizing your devices/going retro?

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Many technologists are intentionally keeping or reverting to older, simpler devices — from decade‑old laptops and basic phones to mechanical watches and “dumb” TVs — to reduce distraction, resist consumerist upgrade cycles, and avoid intrusive “smart” ecosystems. Participants highlight that hardware has become powerful and commoditized enough that even years‑old machines remain adequate, while software bloat, planned obsolescence, and app‑driven dependency create friction, waste, and privacy concerns. Others push back, choosing newer gear where it materially improves workflow or enables modern workloads, but still frame devices as tools to be used longer and more deliberately rather than replaced on marketing‑driven schedules.

General Attitudes Toward Upgrading

  • Many participants don’t “chase” new devices; they keep hardware until it breaks, becomes too slow, or loses software support.
  • Several buy refurbished or used gear (ThinkPads, older Dells, older Macs, used phones) and report them as more than sufficient for web, coding, and light gaming.
  • Others explicitly avoid setting rigid “no-upgrade” rules, preferring a pragmatic “replace when workflow suffers” stance.

Downsizing Phones & Watches

  • Common moves:
    • Switching from smartphones to dumbphones, Light Phone, Palm-sized or tiny Androids, or keeping older small models (iPhone SE/mini, S10e).
    • Replacing smartwatches with cheap Casios, Timex, or mechanical/automatic watches to avoid constant notifications.
  • Some keep an Apple Watch or Garmin but use it as a way to reduce phone use by limiting apps and notifications.

Computers: Old Hardware, New OS

  • Widespread use of decade-old laptops/desktops (ThinkPad X/T-series, old MacBook Pros, Core 2-era desktops), often upgraded with SSDs/RAM.
  • A few run Linux or BSD on very old or retro systems (Amiga, VAX, 65C02-based devices), or use Termux/Debian on Android tablets.
  • Complaints about software bloat and modern web heaviness are common; some reminisce about how capable 1990s hardware felt.

Avoiding “Smart” / IoT & Cloud Lock-In

  • Many explicitly avoid internet-connected appliances, smart TVs, and cloud-dependent gadgets.
  • Strategies include: dumb TVs + Apple TV/Pi, Home Assistant + ESPHome on isolated networks, self-hosted media (Jellyfin, NAS), local FM transmitters for whole-house audio.

Motivations: Attention, Consumerism, Environment, Cost

  • Attention/mental health: reducing distractions, social media, and notification overload; ADHD and anxiety cited explicitly.
  • Anti-consumerism: aversion to “gadget culture,” waste, planned obsolescence, and upgrade marketing.
  • Environmental and financial concerns: fewer, longer-lived devices; focus on repairability and user-replaceable batteries.
  • Some shift to analog/dedicated tools (film cameras, vinyl, e-readers, paper notebooks, French presses, old cars/bikes).

Constraints & Friction Points

  • Modern banking and 2FA apps often require up-to-date iOS/Android, limiting extreme “retro” phone use.
  • Safety and emissions of older cars vs. newer ones are debated.
  • Battery degradation in sealed devices (phones, watches, iPods) is a recurring pain point.

Counterpoints: Embracing New Tech

  • A minority explicitly reject downsizing: they want powerful hardware for gaming, AI/ML, or professional workloads and view staying current as important for productivity or careers.
  • Some argue individual device choices have negligible climate impact, though others counter that mass behavior could matter.