Description: Computers have been around long enough to have technology that was made obsolete by newer tech, or simply retired due to lack of use. This article will provide you an overview of some older legacy connections that have been used on computers in the past or are currently being phased out of modern systems.

The PS/2 port was used for mice and keyboards, with one dedicated port for each device. This port is still around on many modern motherboards, typically one single port that can operate both a mouse and keyboard from one connection. While the single port allows users to connect a PS/2 style mouse or keyboard, it rarely sees use outside of troubleshooting because USB mice and keyboards are much more widely used.

Serial ports have not seen use in quite some time. Going as far back as 1960, it had many revisions and other configurations that would see it go from a 9-pin to a wide 25-pin variant. Within the last decade their use has been almost nonexistent. Prior to that you could see some motherboards still using the port, but it has been almost completely phased out of modern hardware.

VGA or Video Graphics Array was the first widely adopted video connection. It is a serial 15 pin connector and is still used frequently even on modern machines. However, today monitors are running higher and higher resolutions and refresh rates than they ever have in the past and VGA has been left behind. Some companies have made a push to stop supporting VGA in order to retire this well aged connector.

DVI or Digital Visual Interface is still a very common port to see on motherboards and graphics cards. There are several variations of DVI connections that made it flexible in its application, such as the ability to be configured for both digital video as well as analog video making it compatible with VGA connections. DVI is starting to be phased out in favor of more modern digital connections such as HDMI and DisplayPort.

Before USB connections and WiFi existed, there was the Printer Parallel Port. Yet another variation of a serial connection, this port was the main source of printer connections until USB took over as the main connection in the 1990s. Most motherboards carried a parallel port through the early 2000s until wireless networking became more widespread.