What happens when new technologies are increasingly created according to the design dictates of Hollywood and the FCC? Yesterday's obsolete "junk" starts looking more and more attractive.

Ed Foster at the Gripe Line:

After noting the popularity of HDTV devices that are not yet broadcast-flag compatible and industry efforts to even restrict analog devices, one reader started looking at his old equipment in a new light. "I recently tossed three old VCRs because they were broken, and with the cost of repairs so much higher than the cost of a replacement unit, figured it wasn't worth the effort," he wrote. me. "I am beginning to think I made a mistake. Do you suppose my old 2X CD drive that I got with my Mac in 1998 might be worth something after all?"

Maybe so. In fact, I'm wondering if it might not be a good idea to hold on to any pre DRM-era TV sets, DVD players, CD drives, Tivo or other DVRs, hard drives, motherboards, and versions of Windows and other software that don't have to activated.