"The over-all point is that new technology will not necessarily replace old technology, but it will date it. By definition. Eventually, it will replace it. But it's like people who had black-and-white TVs when color came out. They eventually decided whether or not the new technology was worth the investment"

Steve Jobs reflects on the cyclical relationship between new and old technologies, underscoring that technological progress is rarely abrupt or absolute. When a new technology emerges, it doesn’t instantaneously erase or eliminate what came before. Instead, the existing technology often continues to be used and valued, but it becomes marked by its age and begins to feel outdated compared to the innovation that has just arrived. The phrase “date it” is significant, it conveys that the presence of something new casts the former as belonging to an earlier era, subtly encouraging change without enforcing it immediately.

However, he acknowledges that, “eventually, it will replace it.” Over time, as the benefits or capabilities of the new technology become more evident, a transitional process unfolds. The old technology starts to recede, not because it stops working, but because its comparative value diminishes. Users are left to weigh the merits of upgrading against the comfort of familiarity and the cost of transition.

Jobs illustrates this process with the example of black-and-white televisions and the introduction of color TVs. When color televisions became available, the older black-and-white sets didn’t suddenly become obsolete or stop functioning. Many people continued using them, resistant or indifferent to change. Yet, the availability and growing popularity of color TV “dated” the older units simply by existing. Over time, the perception of value shifted, and gradually, most households transitioned to color displays as the new standard, driven both by the technical superiority and the social momentum of adoption.

Through this lens, technological change is depicted less as a rupture and more as a gradual evolution. The decision to adopt new devices or methods is influenced by individual priorities, societal trends, and the increasing obsolescence of the previous standard. Jobs’ insight speaks to the natural pacing and psychology of innovation: it coexists with familiarity before ultimately reshaping it.