[snerbles]

Fax machines are still regularly used for business purposes in Japan.

While uploading some trip photos at an Akihabara cafe in 2018, I noticed that my laptop at the time (a used Dell XPS from 2015) appeared significantly newer than the laptops of the other patrons. There were even a couple of integrated trackballs, which I haven't seen in a laptop since the late '90s. I also suddenly realized I was a bit under-dressed in a plain polo shirt and slacks.

[radicaldreamer]

Panasonic Let’s Note machines look ancient but are packed with the latest processor/memory guts.

[fomine3]

Let's note has circular trackpad (It's traditional design, IMO it's bad now) so maybe OP mistook it for trackball. There's no laptop with trackball within a decade AFAIK.

[snerbles]

Not mistaken. There were both circular trackpads and a couple of trackballs.

Like this: https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8466/8080447493_c11ce3c520_b.j...

[fomine3]

Such model exists until around 2000 but no longer exists. I suspect that you met old laptop enthusiast group at the cafe since it's Akihabara.