History Main / TheWorkhorse

** Many [[HumongousMecha BattleMech]] models have seen service for [[ForeverWar centuries of warfare]] (and sometimes, the [[AncestralWeapon individual mechs have seen centuries of combat]]). The [[MightyGlacier Atlas]] is one of the [[SkeleBot9000 most recognizable mechs]], and has seen continued use and upgrades for almost four hundred years. On the other hands, most of the modernized workhorses are only externally similar to their originals; an original production [=AS7-D=] Atlas (2755), for example, shares very few internal components with the more modern [=AS7-K=] Atlas (3050), which carries a completely different fusion reactor design and weapons (dropping the short-ranged Autocannon in favor of a long-ranged [[MagneticWeapon Gauss Rifle]], for example), though it does share the same combat roles - [[FrontlineGeneral frontline command]] and [[TheDreaded intimidation]]. And that four hundred year service history? That's pretty unimpressive compared to a few other mechs like the Banshee or Wasp, which have both been in continual use (and in the case of the Wasp, continual production) for close to 700 years.

* Sony introduced the Dual Analog controller for the original Platform/PlayStation in April 1997, and refined it into the more famous [=DualShock=] in November of that year, which added force feedback (i.e. vibration). Since then, the [=DualShock=] has served as the main [=PlayStation=] controller through twenty-five years and [[UsefulNotes/TheFifthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames five]] [[UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames separate]] [[UsefulNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames console]] [[UsefulNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames generations]] [[UsefulNotes/TheNinthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames and counting]], with only a brief interlude at the start of the Platform/PlayStation3's run due to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immersion_v._Sony a patent dispute]] with the Immersion Corporation involving the force feedback technology.[[note]]Due to this dispute, the [=PS3=] launched with a controller known as the Sixaxis, which was effectively identical to the later [=DualShock=] 3 barring the lack of vibration. The [=DualShock=] 3 would be released in 2008 after Sony settled the lawsuit and entered a business relationship with Immersion.[[/note]] The only changes made at all since 1997 were the addition of [[PressureSensitiveInterface pressure-sensitive analog buttons]] on the [[Platform/PlayStation2 DualShock 2]], the addition of wireless connectivity and [[DancingBear (rarely-used) motion sensors]] on the [[Platform/PlayStation3 DualShock 3]], turning the [=L2=] and [=R2=] buttons into triggers and the Select button into a touchpad on the [[Platform/PlayStation4 DualShock 4]], and adding adaptive triggers and a slightly more rounded and ergonomic design to the [[Platform/PlayStation5 DualSense]] (a [=DualShock=] 5 in all but name). Otherwise, the basic form factor and button/analog stick placement of the [=DualShock=] have not only not changed at all, they have informed the design of almost every game controller (barring Creator/{{Nintendo}}'s Platform/{{Wii}}mote, a throwback to the original [[Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] controller) to follow in its wake.

* The Platform/Commodore64, known as "the computer for the masses, not the classes." In its day, it was essentially a gaming PC, work PC, game ''console'', and even UsefulNotes/RaspberryPi, all rolled into one. It was simple, it was effective, it was affordable, it could go online ([[OlderThanTheyThink including online gaming and social media]]), it was easy to repair, it was impossible to brick, it could be easily modified by consumers and companies alike, it could do pretty much anything, it had something for the whole family, and it had a veritable potluck of add-ons, software, and the like. So much so that the good ol' familiar "[[FanNickname bread bin]]" sold 17 million units in it's 1982 to 1994 lifespan, and is still so popular in the retro gaming community that ''new hardware and software are still being produced for it'' -- it's gotten gotten numerous clones and re-releases akin to the Nintendo Classic, tons of new hardware like Flash-compatible hard drives and ethernet cards, and receives enough new software even to this day that a user made a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGxVsBpNX8M top 10 list just of the games released in 2022]].

* The UsefulNotes/Atari2600 was the first home console video game system to be a major success, and, despite gradually being outdone in terms of power and sales by newer consoles, it was supported and sold from 1977 to 1992, about 15 years. The 2600 even managed to live longer than systems that Creator/{{Atari}} intended as its successors such as the UsefulNotes/Atari7800 and their [[UsefulNotes/Atari8BitComputers 8-bit computer line]]. One major factor is that being the first successful game console meant that the concept of a "console generation" cycle (where a console is sold and supported for roughly 5-7 years before getting phased out in favor of newer hardware) had yet to take hold in the minds of developers or consumers.
* The UsefulNotes/Commodore64, known as "the computer for the masses, not the classes." In its day, it was essentially a gaming PC, work PC, game ''console'', and even UsefulNotes/RaspberryPi, all rolled into one. It was simple, it was effective, it was affordable, it could go online ([[OlderThanTheyThink including online gaming and social media]]), it was easy to repair, it was impossible to brick, it could be easily modified by consumers and companies alike, it could do pretty much anything, it had something for the whole family, and it had a veritable potluck of add-ons, software, and the like. So much so that the good ol' familiar "[[FanNickname bread bin]]" sold 17 million units in it's 1982 to 1994 lifespan, and is still so popular in the retro gaming community that ''new hardware and software are still being produced for it'' -- it's gotten gotten numerous clones and re-releases akin to the Nintendo Classic, tons of new hardware like Flash-compatible hard drives and ethernet cards, and receives enough new software even to this day that a user made a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGxVsBpNX8M top 10 list just of the games released in 2022]].
* Sony introduced the Dual Analog controller for the original UsefulNotes/PlayStation in April 1997, and refined it into the more famous [=DualShock=] in November of that year, which added force feedback (i.e. vibration). Since then, the [=DualShock=] has served as the main [=PlayStation=] controller through twenty-five years and [[UsefulNotes/TheFifthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames five]] [[UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames separate]] [[UsefulNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames console]] [[UsefulNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames generations]] [[UsefulNotes/TheNinthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames and counting]], with only a brief interlude at the start of the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3's run due to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immersion_v._Sony a patent dispute]] with the Immersion Corporation involving the force feedback technology.[[note]]Due to this dispute, the [=PS3=] launched with a controller known as the Sixaxis, which was effectively identical to the later [=DualShock=] 3 barring the lack of vibration. The [=DualShock=] 3 would be released in 2008 after Sony settled the lawsuit and entered a business relationship with Immersion.[[/note]] The only changes made at all since 1997 were the addition of [[PressureSensitiveInterface pressure-sensitive analog buttons]] on the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 DualShock 2]], the addition of wireless connectivity and [[DancingBear (rarely-used) motion sensors]] on the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 DualShock 3]], turning the [=L2=] and [=R2=] buttons into triggers and the Select button into a touchpad on the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 DualShock 4]], and adding adaptive triggers and a slightly more rounded and ergonomic design to the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation5 DualSense]] (a [=DualShock=] 5 in all but name). Otherwise, the basic form factor and button/analog stick placement of the [=DualShock=] have not only not changed at all, they have informed the design of almost every game controller (barring Creator/{{Nintendo}}'s UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}mote, a throwback to the original [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] controller) to follow in its wake.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Film]]

* Sony introduced the Dual Analog controller for the original UsefulNotes/PlayStation in April 1997, and refined it into the more famous [=DualShock=] in November of that year, which added force feedback (i.e. vibration). Since then, the [=DualShock=] has served as the main [=PlayStation=] controller through twenty-five years and [[UsefulNotes/TheFifthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames five]] [[UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames separate]] [[UsefulNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames console]] [[UsefulNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames generations]] [[UsefulNotes/TheNinthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames and counting]], with only a brief interlude at the start of the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3's run due to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immersion_v._Sony a patent dispute]] with the Immersion Corporation involving the force feedback technology.[[note]]Due to this dispute, the [=PS3=] launched with a controller known as the Sixaxis, which was effectively identical to the later [=DualShock=] 3 barring the lack of vibration. The [=DualShock=] 3 would be released in 2008 after Sony settled the lawsuit and entered a business relationship with Immersion.[[/note]] The only changes made at all since 1997 were the addition of pressure-sensitive analog buttons on the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 DualShock 2]], the addition of wireless connectivity and [[DancingBear (rarely-used) motion sensors]] on the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 DualShock 3]], turning the [=L2=] and [=R2=] buttons into triggers and the Select button into a touchpad on the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 DualShock 4]], and adding adaptive triggers and a slightly more rounded and ergonomic design to the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation5 DualSense]] (a [=DualShock=] 5 in all but name). Otherwise, the basic form factor and button/analog stick placement of the [=DualShock=] have not only not changed at all, they have informed the design of almost every game controller (barring Creator/{{Nintendo}}'s UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}mote, a throwback to the original [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] controller) to follow in its wake.

-->-- '''Triad Technologies' marketing slogan for the STK-3F "Stalker"''', ''TabletopGame/{{Battletech}}''

* The original Land Rover, a 4x4 designed to replace the original Jeep in 1948. Equally if not more successful as a civilian utility vehicle, it would stay in production with relatively minor external revisions until 2018, when it was reluctantly phased out due to a lack of safety features. Licensed production continues overseas, and hundreds of thousands of all marks of [[AffectionateNickname Landy]] are still running decades later. A new generation, dubbed the Defender series, is to go on the market in 2020.

** In the Rebel starfighter corps, the Y-Wing is seen as this, in contrast to the newer, faster, shinier X-Wing. X-Wings are generally held to be superior fighters and fighter-bombers (although they aren't quite the Y-Wings' match in the dedicated bomber role thanks to the latter's heavier maximum payload), but there are never enough of them to go around. In ''Rogue Leader: RogueSquadron II'', General Rieekan (who provides the vehicle descriptions) even calls it by the trope name.

** In the Rebel starfighter corps, the Y-Wing is seen as this, in contrast to the newer, faster, shinier X-Wing. X-Wings are generally held to be superior fighters and fighter-bombers (although they aren't quite the Y-Wings' match in the dedicated bomber role thanks to the latter's heavier maximum payload), but there are never enough of them to go around.

* ''LightNovel/KnightsAndMagic'': The kingdom's mainstay [[HumongousMecha Silhouette Knight]], the Kaldatoah, has been in service for over a century, and some even earlier designs still see limited use. Ernesti's groundbreaking new Telestale boasts heavier armour, more than double the power, and a pair of {{Backpack Cannon}}s... but due to its high cost, low fuel efficiency and swingy controls, it's rejected as AwesomeButImpractical. Instead, the king orders Ernesti to share the Telestale plans with his most experienced engineers, who refine them into the kingdom's new workhorse, the Kaldatoah Darsch - a unit with a still-impressive 30% performance increase over the base Kaldatoah (plus Telestale-style cannons) but zero drawbacks. Interestingly, TheEmpire soon starts using an EvilKnockoff of the original Telestale to fill out the bulk of ''its'' army, as their different power technology allows them to better compensate for the design's flaws.

* Franchise/StarTrek:

* The [[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSeries Obelisk of Light]], the Brotherhood of Nod's iconic defensive laser emplacement, first created in the 1990s, the same curved spire-like design served Nod as an effective defense against GDI's main battle tanks, and a slight annoyance to it's [[MightyGlacier various Mammoth Tanks]] all the way to 2077. Unlike typical Workhorses, the Obelisk tends to be on the bleeding edge of Nod laser weaponry, with most every other laser weapon being based on the Obelisk itself, making it pull double duty as a testbed for any innovations the Brotherhood comes up with.

* ''Series/HaltAndCatchFire'': Deconstructed. At the last second before its exhibition, Joe decides that the Cardiff Giant will work best marketed as a computer with this type of performance (a "station wagon", in his words) and orders his team to remove all of the fancy parts of the operating system to achieve this. The unfortunate result is that it just cannot compete with the fancy stuff that IBM is showcasing and the following season begins with the CEO of Cardiff Electric deciding the computer division (to make a long and dreary story short) and shuts it down.

* ''Series/HaltAndCatchFire'': Deconstructed. At the last second before its exhibition, Joe decides that the Cardiff Giant will work best marketed as a computer with this type of performance (a "station wagon", in his words) and orders his team to remove all of the fancy parts of the operating system to achieve this. The unfortunate result is that it just cannot compete with the fancy stuff that IBM is showcasing and the following season begins with the CEO Cardiff Electric of deciding the computer division (to make a long and dreary story short) and shuts it down.

* ''Series/HaltAndCatchFire'': Deconstructed. At the last second before its exhibition, Joe decides that the will work best marketed as a computer with this type of performance (a "station wagon", in his words) and orders his team to remove all of the fancy parts of the operating system to achieve this. The unfortunate result is that it just cannot compete with the fancy stuff that IBM is showcasing and the following season begins with the CEO of deciding the computer division was a busted gamble and shuts it down.

A Workhorse is a type of vehicle, weapon or other type of equipment, that is so reliable or cost-effective that it's [[LongRunners kept in service for decades]], outlasting other more flashy and advanced types. While the Workhorse might receive some modifications and upgrades during its lifetime, it is never as advanced as its newer cousins. Likely an example of BoringButPractical.

Compare DamageProofVehicle, OlderIsBetter, BreakOutTheMuseumPiece, and SimpleYetAwesome.

* The UsefulNotes/Atari2600 was the first home console video game system to be a major success, and, despite gradually being outdone in terms of power and sales by newer consoles, it was supported and sold from 1977 to 1992, about 15 years. The 2600 even managed to live longer than systems that Creator/{{Atari}} intended as its successors such as the UsefulNotes/Atari7800 and their [[UsefulNotes/Atari8BitComputers 8-bit computer line]]. One major factor is that being the first successful game console meant that the concept of a "console generation" cycle (where a console is sold and supported for 5-7 years before getting phased out in favor of newer hardware) had yet to take hold in the minds of developers or consumers.