Product going out of production

VCR? That seems like something from the past, a relic of the olden days. Those were the days when people got video cassettes, plugged it into the VCR and watched movies missed in the movie halls and even serials which they wanted to relive.

Today, in this era of USBs and internet downloads, even DVDs are being eased out. Thus it comes as a surprise to know that a Japanese company, Funai had continued to make VCRs even till end of last month but has now finally decided to stop production. Funai began making videotape players in 1983, and videotape recorders in 1985. The company says they were among its all-time hit products. Last year, Funai made 750,000 VHS machines that played or recorded cassette tapes. In 2000, it made 15 million of them, 70 percent for the U.S. market.

Funai has said that it will be selling the VCRs till inventory runs out and will provide maintenance services as long as it can. ­­

Film cameras are already gone and so have floppy disks, music cassettes, walkman. What next?