I recently acquired a decommissioned microfilm reader. Machines like it played a central role in both research and secret-agent tasks of the last century. But this one had become an embarrassment. Unlike a computer—even an old one—it was heavy and ungainly. It would not fit into a car, and it could not be carried by two people for more than a few feet. Even moving the thing was an embarrassment. No one wanted it, but no one wanted me to have it around either.