Computers generally become obsolete at some point. Most audio equipment doesn't - newer equipment might be cheaper, more reliable or more convenient to use, but it probably doesn't sound any better. The cachet and mystique surrounding vintage equipment means that it often appreciates in value with age.

Vacuum tubes are considered obsolete in pretty much any other field, but they're still the gold standard for guitar amplifiers. Despite huge advances in digital modelling, many guitarists still strongly prefer traditional tube amplifiers. Tube amplifiers are fragile, finicky, incredibly heavy and frequently too loud for domestic use, but they sound superb. The NuTube is by no means the first product to promise the sound of tubes in a lighter and more reliable package, nor will it be the last.