History Main / OlderIsBetter

* When the [=M16=] assault rifle was introduced during the Vietnam War, many soldiers preferred to use the older [=M14=] battle rifle. While the M16's lighter direct-impingement gas system would require less frequent cleaning than the gas-piston in the M14, some severe admin errors caused A. the guns were manufactured with the wrong propellant [[note]] the propellant the gas system was designed for was not the one the US military had selected and the conversion was forgotten about [[/note]] causing even more fouling and B) the inexplicable myth of being self-cleaning, so no cleaning kits were issued. Combine those and humid, muddy jungle conditions, you have a very unreliable weapon. These teething problems where rectified and the system further improved in subsequent versions, with the [=M16A1=] being a significant improvement as the war progressed and the [=M16A4=] serving as the Marine Corps' service rifle until 2015.

* When the [=M16=] assault rifle was introduced during the Vietnam War, many soldiers preferred to use the older [=M14=] battle rifle. While the M16's lighter direct-impingment gas system required more frequent cleaning than the gas-piston in the M14 some severe admin errors caused A) it using the wrong propellant [[note]] the propellant the gas system was designed for was not the one the US military had selected and the conversion was forgotten about [[/note]] causing even more fouling and B) the inexplicable myth of being self-cleaning, so no cleaning kits were issued. Combine those and humid, muddy jungle conditions, you have a very unreliable weapon. These teething problems where rectified and the system further improved in subsequent versions, with the [=M16A1=] being a significant improvement as the war progressed and the [=M16A4=] serving as the Marine Corps' service rifle until 2015.

** During the Soviet-Afghan a lot of Soviet troops complained that their newer AK-74 wasn't as good as the older model, the infamous AKM (popularly known as the AK-47). However testing proved that this was mostly due to a "grass is greener" mindset. The 74 is more accurate, easier to use, and lighter. A soldier simply remembers every time his gun jams in combat and rarely notices when an enemy's does.

* One of the advantages that the old, mechanical cars have over their automatic counterparts is that the former can be started up even when the battery is without power by pushing the car and starting the engine while the car is in movement, something that can't be done in the latter due to its greater reliance on the battery.

* The ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' series comes pretty close to realism on this issue. [[AfterTheEnd After the nuclear war that almost wiped out civilization]], pre-War technology ([[EnergyWeapon plasma rifles]], [[PoweredArmor power armor]], and so forth) is highly sought-after and usually much better than what you'll find in the hands of raiders and psychos. But it's not the technology that's been lost so much as the means to produce it—hard to make power armor when you don't have access to anything more sophisticated than a hammer. When factions get large enough and powerful enough to build ''new'' technology, it's usually on par with the pre-War stuff.

* ''Anime/TheMysteriousCitiesOfGold'': All of the LostTechnology of the {{Mayincatec}} {{Precursors}} is far superior to what is produced now, even by the European nations. They have boats moved by solar-powered engines while Europe has not even discovered the steam engine yet.
** To say nothing of their solar powered airplane.
*** Or their ''fusion reactor''.
* Averted for fun in the ''Anime/{{Slayers}}'' TV series, where an ancient golem awakens to crush the heroes and promptly breaks down from centuries of disuse.

* The teacher that instructed ComicBook/MilesMorales and the other students to write diaries told them about a system to write them that is completely hack-proof: paper and pen.

** The Tau, on the other hand, avert this entirely; as the naive upstart race they are constantly updating and upgrading their technology, seeking alliances with other species and generally acting entirely counter to the tone of the setting...unless you are foolish enough to get in their way.

* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', the Prothean Particle Rifle will continuously fire until it overheats, at which point one has to wait until it cools down to fire, just like the guns in the ''[[MythologyGag first]]'' game. It seems the Protheans never thought of (or disliked) using disposable heat-sinks as ammo. It was explicitly stated to be a design chosen due to logistic problems.

-->“He was too strong,” she said, “too strong. There was no end to his strength, and no beginning. He is older than I.”

** [[TheSoulless The Necrons]]...basically ''are'' an Ancient {{Precursor}} race, only made into immortal, self-repairing robots and locked in stasis for 65Myr. They haven't improved their technology because it's already vastly superior to everyone else's and they are now unthinking automatons, for the most part.

* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'' and Brotherhood both feature this. Altair's centuries old armor is better than all modern armor. Justified by it being made from a {{Precursor}} alloy. Ditto for Brutus' (as in Caesar's killer) armor, which is better than modern armor too, despite being even older. Similarly, Altair's sword and Brutus' dagger are better than their modern counterparts. And even in the Modern Era, the Pieces of Eden are the most powerful artifacts ever created - another example of ancient {{Precursor}} technology.

* Top-tier equipment (not just unique artifacts and relics) in the old ''VideoGame/MightAndMagic'' setting (in particular on Enroth) tends towards the old, generally for one of three reasons: it was made with the help of the [[LostTechnology Heavenly Forge]] or otherwise by [[{{Precursor}} Ancient]] technology, it is so costly and complicated to make that most examples in existence are [[AncestralWeapon Ancestral]], or it is made from materials [[{{Unobtainium}} no longer available, or at least very, very rare]]. Notably, however, it is made clear that technology and magic ''is'' being developed as the years pass, it's just that the above factors skews the perspective for the absolute top-tier equipment (and indeed there are a few cases of top-tier gear that are actually ''new'').

* In ''Anime/YuGiOh'', the older the magic, the better. This is especially seen in the Waking the Dragons arc. Got 3000 year old magic? Too bad, my magic is ''10,000'' years old. [[ZigZaggedTrope Although ''how'' much better really depended on what the writers needed for any given episode]] , and the ''younger'' magic actually did manage to defy the older one on a few occasions.

* Many photographers never use the full automatic mode when transitioning from film camera to digital. They achieve better results on manual mode[[note]]Or at least semi-manual modes such as shutter-priority or aperture-priority, or using program mode but in all cases leaving some parameters such as ISO speed to be selectable, depending of what is allowed or not by the camera.[[/note]] - they are used to it and can use it to obtain best results. They also favor their extant old lenses, which are usually metal, glass and built to last, over more modern all-plastic lenses, which are lighter but less robust.

** Prior to the proliferation of computers in the late fifties and sixties, it was considerably cheaper to over engineer projects than it was to hire someone to do advanced calculations to save building material. As a result many older structures are ridiculously strong by modern standards. An often cited example is the comparison between Hoover Dam and the Three Gorges Dam. The Hoover Dam was built in the 30s without access to computers or the same technology as the later and used a more complicated design. It hasn't cracked yet. The Three Gorges Dam however was engineered to be built quickly and use as little concrete as was needed. As was expected it formed, several non-critical cracks even though its just a long pile of cement.

* Hand tools for wood work such as axes, hand saws, chisels, hand drills, bar clamps, and bench planes tend to be of higher quality if they were made in the late 19th or early 20th century. These used to be marketed to professionals who were making huge numbers of houses, cabinets, and pieces of furniture, and they were willing to pay good prices for their tools to be sharp, accurate, easily adjustable, and durable. Then came the rising tide of electric drills, table saws, band saws, jointers, thickness planers, routers, etc. which greatly reduced demand for hand tools in the trades because they made work so much faster. A lot of companies went out of business, while a few giants like Stanley and Irwin decided to cut costs in order to stay in business, trading on their brand reputation from the past to sell hobbyists inferior versions of their old products. The role of thumb is that you shouldn’t buy a vintage hand plane made after the 1950s. Since then we’ve seen something of a hand tool renaissance, and modern companies like Lie-Nielsen and Veritas make new premium models that are in many ways even better than the originals thanks to modern steel and machining, but they are quite expensive and don’t have the same historical appeal. On one hand, people getting into the hobby will often be advised to hunt for deals on "fixer upper" antique tools that would work very well is restored, and on the other hand you’ve got the collectors (mainly of planes) who will pay huge sums for rare antique models in good condition.

* ''Videogame/DragonBallOnline'', it is said each generation of Majins is weaker than the last, the first one and its variations being a universal threat, the current ones being as weak as humans. This being a ''Dragon Ball'' game, the inferior Majins can still [[DownplayedTrope increase their power through training]], one of the first/second generation Majins [[OldMaster can be sought out to help in the process]].

** Malcolm (Dr. Calico's actor) and Penny correspond with each other via letter in "The Wedding Reception." It's suggested this may because of the latter's discomfort with more contemporary means of communication such as email.

Today, it's definitely not a JustifiedTrope in RealLife. Modern science has surpassed the science of the ancients, meaning newly adopted technology has important advantages over older technologies. It does not have to be an improvement in all areas, but there is generally an overall improvement, which is why the technology could replace older versions. However, in pseudosciences like astrology and some alternative medicines (un-touched by the scientific method), the idea persists: these ancient knowledges and traditions have been around for so long, unchanged, so that must mean that they are better than modern science! It's the same logic as with the OldMaster: if a tool has lasted for centuries and is still usable, then it must be damn good. Compare with AppealToTradition, the logical fallacy that believes Older is Better just by virtue of being older. [[http://web.archive.org/web/20130727103912/http://www.badmartialarts.com/myths/ancient_knowledge.php Bad Martial Arts]] has a page debunking the idea.

* ClassicalMythology: Though the Olympians were the ruling pantheon, their youth made them pale in comparison to the older generations of gods. For example, to defeat the previous generation of gods, the Titans, they needed help from defecting Titans, the hecatonchires, and the elder cyclopes. And the gods who predated the Titans, known as the Protogenoi or Primordials, were even more powerful than the Titans. So much so that Zeus himself was afraid to get on the bad side of one.

The idea, especially in Fantasy settings, that older things generally are better. The swords left behind by an old civilization are better than those made by their modern descendants. Same goes for armor, magic, or whatever. Anything that can be described as "ancient" is better than its modern counterpart, as if people are regressing rather than inventing new technologies and improving on old ideas. In fact, this technology is so superior that it continues to outperform modern ones [[RagnarokProofing despite spending a dozen centuries half buried in dirt in a cave]]. This can be explained by a setting with MedievalStasis: if technology is not advancing, then older items made by legendary craftsmen will be better than modern gear made by run-of-the-mill craftsmen. Sometimes this can also be explained by the source of the items being a {{Precursor}} race or Civilization, with the "modern" civilization having simply not caught up to them yet. Sometimes Science Fiction has LostTechnology after a dark age. In fantasy, it is often explained in the idea that [[StrongerWithAge magical beings and artifacts become more powerful with time]].

* Even in cases where the new is near universally considered better, sometimes there are a few advantages that the older technology possessed. For example, digital TV is runs circles around analog tv in most regards. Digital is more compact, has an order of magnitude better resolution[[note]] though its obligatory to mention that analog sets practically unlimited horizontal detail but a very much fixed number of lines along the vertical axis[[/note]], less artifacts in the picture, and are inherently easier to use with digital devices than analog. However, in two ways digital has worse viewing angle. Analog TVs inherently have to have a convex curve in order to work, which makes them easier to clearly watch from more areas of the room. Digital has a relatively narrow band of optimal viewing angle before glare gets nasty and it’s hard to see anything. Furthermore, it was common to mount analog TVs on lazy suzans and orient them as needed. This hasn't been as common on digital TVs since, counterintuitively, the lighter nature of the devices makes them easy to fall over and break. Nearly nobody who has a digital TV would trade theirs for an analog one for this advantage, but there was some questioning why convex digital TVs aren't made when manufacturers released digital ''concave'' screens.

* Older appliances tended to follow a DifficultButAwesome mindset while newer top of the line ones are something of a SkillgateCharacter. Your grandparents drier operated on one motor controlled by a completely analog dials. It takes a lot of trial, error, and practice but they would have learned how to use it and gotten consistent results from it and expected it to last a life time. The drier however has several servos thrown in to articulate the drum, thermometers, multiple scales to detect weight distribution, humidity sensors, and a digital computer to control everything. It can deal with whatever mess you haphazardly throw in it pretty well, but after a year or so something has probably started to fail and you won't get as good results when you try to learn what all those fancy settings actually do. While most users accept the convenience the modern option offers, there is a reason older generations can legitimately say theirs was better.

** In a particularly notable (and a RealLife example of TheyDontMakeThemLikeTheyUsedTo) example, the dryer's close cousin, the washing machine, is a particularly notable example. Pretty much every single person who has used an older machine with an electromechanical timer will say they preferred the mechanics over the circuit boards in newer machines, and for good reason. Older machines ''were built to last'' - you can find machines that are on average 40 to 50 years old and still run almost perfectly with only minor fix ups, and there were cases of automatic washing machines dating back to '''1937''' (i.e. the very first automatic washers ever produced) that were in almost mint condition! Another big problem (besides the retirement of the mechanical timers) are the new ecology regulations - while they are (arguably) a smart proposal, the implementation of eco cycles ranges from decent to abysmal - the new spray nozzle systems that add water to the drum have been decried as faulty and absurdly disfunctional compared to the classic water pump systems, as people have stated that the nozzles simply ''don't wetten the clothes enough'' (y'know, the basic point of a washing machine?) and cause moulding which may result in various negative health effects.