5 physical media devices I should never have gotten rid of

• An original Xbox
• My Nintendo Wii
• Numerous TV seasons of DVDs
• A landline phone
• My MacBook Pro with a CD drive

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Ain’t that the truth? I’m a tech journalist, so I get to keep tabs on a lot of cool devices that come out each year.

As the years go on, I’ve upgraded plenty of devices — some because they became obsolete, some because I just wanted something new. That said, I still cling to a few older favorites that I refuse to part with. Once you move on from one device, you might think about why you need to keep it. It’s just taking up space, right? And the new model is supposed to be better anyway.

Like most people, I have gotten rid of my fair share of tech products. But I’ve come to the realization after it’s too late that I miss some of my favorite gadgets, devices, and physical media that I shouldn’t have tossed or sold. Seller’s remorse is real, and there are five items in general that I truly regret letting go of.

An original Xbox

I used this for many reasons

I’ve always been a Nintendo guy. I had the NES growing up, and getting a Nintendo 64 for Christmas is still probably the best holiday gift I’ve ever received. These days, my go-to console is the Nintendo Switch. But I did stray from the Nintendo world for a bit — specifically when I got an Xbox. That Xbox was the system I brought to college with me, and Halo and Halo 2 just hit different. At the time, no other game matched the pure chaos and fun of multiplayer Halo sessions in a dorm lounge.

But what made the Xbox even more important to me was that it doubled as my DVD player. All it took was a little adapter, and suddenly it played DVDs without a hitch. I liked the Xbox controller and played many sports and adventure games on the platform. As time went on, I stopped using it more and more. It couldn’t play Blu-rays, so I got a cheap Blu-ray player and never went back to using it for that purpose again.

But I wish I had my original Xbox in my spare room, so I could hook up some old games and watch some DVDs on my spare TV.

My Nintendo Wii

This used to be my workout companion

When the Nintendo Wii came out, it was one of the coolest experiences I’ve had gaming. I’ve never been much of an online gamer — I just want simple, genuine fun from my games. And Wii Sports still hits. Playing golf, bowling, baseball, or tennis and just waving the controller around was so much fun. I even used to use Wii Fit to try and get myself moving during the day.

Tracking my weight on the balance board was basically like using a scale, but better, because it showed how much progress I was making with movement. Adding the Nunchuk to the Wii Remote and using it for real games was also a blast. I’ll never forget having so much fun playing The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword on the Wii. It was a completely different style of game that helped me fall even more in love with the franchise. I feel quite dumb having sold my Wii.

Numerous TV seasons of DVDs

You think all of them are on streaming until they aren’t

I’ve been an avid physical media collector for years. My DVD and Blu-ray library used to span entire shelving units in my room — alphabetized and everything. But, over time, I had to consolidate space. I got rid of all the DVD and Blu-ray cases and moved all the discs to a few larger CD cases.

I used to seek out special editions to build up the collection, and even now, I’m still proud of what I’ve kept. Which is why I’m kicking myself for getting rid of some TV series I had on DVD. I had a few shows that were just a few seasons on DVD. I had all of Homeland on DVD as well as multiple seasons of Grey’s Anataomy. What if they aren’t available to stream one day? I’ll never be able to rewatch some quality programs.

At this point, it is what it is, but I’ll never enjoy those special features again.

A landline phone

I can’t believe they’re making a comeback

Yes, obviously I make all my calls from my cellphone. Most people do, and it makes life much simpler. While it was cool to actually have to memorize people’s phone numbers, and you could spend hours talking to friends after 9PM when it was free to call, once cellphones came about, it became easier to keep in contact with others. Most people avoid a phone conversation like the plague now and only want to text.

As a parent, I’m not going to be ready to give my daughter a cellphone at a young age. Even if her friends have cellphones, I’m not certain I’ll cave. That’s why I’m considering getting a landline. Having that be something she can use to get in contact with people seems like a logical option. Once she’s staying after school for activities, it might be a different story. But, for now, a landline might be the next best thing.

My MacBook Pro with a CD drive

It was the ultimate versatility tool

I got my first MacBook Pro around 2011. I used it for 8 years until the video card just stopped working. It was a bit heavier than almost any other laptop I’ve had in my life, but it was powerful and worked incredibly well. I got my first full-time job using that computer, so it always provides me with some sentimental value. Unfortunately, I got rid of it because it stopped working.

But, the best feature of this MacBook Pro was that it had a CD drive. Plenty of computers and laptops had CD drives, as it was common to enjoy games and programs through CDs. Being able to pop a DVD into my computer basically turned that into a portable DVD player. It was basically my first streaming service, since I was able to watch content from wherever I was. It was a premium laptop with great graphics and a good processor. I wish I still had it to play my DVDs on.