7 office gadgets headed for the graveyard - Slide Show - MarketWatch: "NEW YORK (MarketWatch) —
1. The Rolodex is first up on a list of office tools that may soon become obsolete. Invented in 1956, this rotating filing system for business contacts remained a fixture on most office desks well into the computer age. But some 58% of the 7,000 professionals surveyed by LinkedIn say the devices will likely be seen only on exhibit at the Smithsonian within the next five years. "
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2. Fax machines: The demise of the fax has been predicted for years, but these office workhorses may finally be put out to pasture, according to 71% of those surveyed. Indeed, they are No. 2 on LinkedIn’s soon-to-be-extinct list. Some of those who regard their paper-eating ways as environmentally unsound have even filmed themselves smashing their faxes to make their point.
3. Desktop phones: Now that email and instant messaging have rendered most phone conversations unnecessary, 35% of professionals say the desktop telephone will soon be merely decorative. This may not be as far-fetched as it sounds, especially if home phones are anything to go by. Only a decade ago, 97% of American homes had a land-line, compared with just 74% of homes today, according to a study by Pew Research.
4. Tape recorders: When Mark Spoonauer, editor-in-chief at LaptopMag.com, wants to record an interview, he uses the record function on his iPhone. Smartphones are already replacing digital recorders. It’s no wonder that some 79% of those surveyed by LinkedIn say tape recorders will soon be obsolete.
5. USB thumb drives: Around 17% of professionals in the LinkedIn survey say USB thumb drives — the successor to the floppy disc, Zip drive and re-writable CD — will fall out of favor within the next five years. But Mark Spoonauer, editor-in-chief at LaptopMag.com, says they will probably be obsolete even before then. In addition to becoming unnecessary, the devices — which are typically plugged into many different computers — are increasingly being blamed for the spread of computer viruses, he says.
6. Business cards: Why carry around decks of business cards when social networking makes faster — and stickier — connections? LinkedIn says 15% of those surveyed expect business cards to become obsolete. Apps like CardMunch now allow people to hand out an endless supply of digital business cards.
7. The office cubicle: Call it corporate glasnost. Nearly 20% of those surveyed say management will tear down the walls of cubicles and replace them with open-plan work-spaces But while such layouts may foster teamwork and brainstorming, a recent survey by the Berkeley Center for the Built Environment says people are more sensitive to noise in open-plan offices.
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http://www.marketwatch.com/story/7-office-gadgets-headed-for-the-graveyard-2012-09-29?link=MW_story_insert
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