“Should I Throw Away My Old iPad?” - Reconsidering Usefulness in Obsolete Devices

Device obsolescence contributes to the rising levels of annual e-waste. The research presented in this extended workshop paper summarises the findings of two studies conducted in 2021 and 2022 that highlighted the difficulties faced by consumers in downloading and installing applications on a legacy device classified as ‘vintage’ and, then subsequently, as ‘obsolete’. The results of both studies demonstrated that few applications could be downloaded directly but, with the help of a non-legacy device’s purchase history, the majority of applications could be downloaded and, furthermore, were functional. These results raise important questions about legacy devices and whether devices classified as vintage or obsolete could have longer lifespans as functional and useful devices. Informed by discussions at the ‘Sustainable Human-Work Interaction Design’ workshop at the 2023 INTERACT conference, this paper considers these questions, discusses possible prospects for devices nearing obsolescence and the sustainability implications of continued use of legacy devices.