Legacy Device

What Does Legacy Device Mean?

A legacy device refers to a computing device or equipment that is outdated, obsolete or no longer in production. This includes all devices that are unsupported or no longer commonly used by most devices and software applications.

Techopedia Explains Legacy Device

Typically, a legacy device consists of non plug-and-play (PnP) devices that lack a peripheral controller interface (PCI) and requires manual configuration and jumper installation. A legacy device also includes computing equipment rendered obsolete by modern technologies.

For example, because CD drives replaced floppy disk drives, there are few new computers distributed with built-in floppy drives. Similarly, native legacy devices are not supported by most modern software applications.

Related Reading

How to Get the Most Out of an Old PC
How IoT Can Compromise Your Home’s Safety and Security

Margaret Rouse

Technology expert

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.

All Articles by Margaret Rouse