Asymptomatic

Overtech

April 13, 2009 4:25pm · 6 Comments · , and

Yes, it's true, I am a gadget junkie. Anyone who has visited my house knows this. I have all kinds of gadgets all over the house. I've got computers laying around my family room, computers hooked to the TV, and even my TV remote control is a computer. This causes particular consternation for my grandmother, Nana, who watches the kids during the day.

Nana is a kind of Luddite. Sure, she has a TV at home, and she has the latest Verizon fiber TV service, but that's about the extent of things. She listens to radio in her car, which doesn't sound too bad, but I can't remember the last time I listen to the radio and it wasn't tuning in an FM transmitter that was broadcasting something from an iPod. She has a pretty hard time getting around the house because everything has some buttons or switches.

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She is frequently amazed by some of the movies that the kids watch, particularly the ones that use 3-D animation. It seems like every time she watches a DVD with the kids she remarks about how it's so amazing that the characters in the show are able to move like that. Riley has a show that he watches during the day that is completely computer generated stuff. Anytime I come in the living room while the show is on, Nana it talks about how amazing it is.

I suppose that if you're not familiar with how this stuff works it would be pretty amazing. Even thinking about it now, and knowing how it works, and having seen it done, and having done it myself, it's still pretty cool. It's strange that this sort of thing has become so commonplace.

In always looking out for the next thing, whether it's gadgets or other new technology, you kind of miss out on appreciating all the stuff that you have already. I have all this cool stuff, and it seems like I'll enjoy any one thing for a week or so, and then I'll move onto the next thing. Worse is that it's almost expected that I do this kind of thing; all of my friends always seem to want to know what most recent gadget I've gotten is, and as if keeping up with that expectation, I don't fail to provide.

There are a few things that stick gadget-wise. I've been using my LiveScribe and a bit more to take notes when I'm out, and that's really one of the coolest gadgets I've got. Much to my dismay, I use the iPod Touch much more than I ever hoped to. And that Harmony remote sees a whole lot of use. But I should take some more time to appreciate the gadgets I already have, and marvel at their convenience like Nana does.

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Comments

  1. I remember reading something that suggested that some people actually experience the release of a pleasure-inducing hormone when discovering a new gadget... and it can become addictive. ;)

  2. Mmm. Pleasure-inducing hormone.

  3. My last gadget was a pre-iphone smart phone. It was one of the first generation with stylus, web browsing, e-mail, calendars, Word, and after a while I realised I needed none of those things and was much happier with a small phone that did phone things.

    I have, so far, never owned anything made by Apple.

  4. I occasionally feel that way, but I do a lot of web browsing on my phone when I'm traveling. And I don't even know how the kids type on those number keypads.

    I agree about the implied Apple sentiment, and I was more than a little distraught when the iPod Touch became a more important tool in my regular set than I had intended it to be.

  5. Avoiding products because they have Apple-hype is, IMO, the same thing as using products because they have Apple-hype. Other side of the same coin.

    I'll use a product if it's fun to use, makes my life easier, etc. Sometimes apple products meet these criteria (iPhone), sometimes not (iPhoto, mighty mouse, and so on).

  6. Yes, although I would say that my tendency to avoid Apple products is a result of being primarily a Windows user, for which the interface to Apple hardware is notoriously crap. Case in point: iTunes.

    If the iPod Touch could operate completely without iTunes, it would be fine.

    As for Apple computers, I actually have one, but I don't use it. All of my good tools are on Windows. Maybe similar tools exist for OSX, but then I'd have to obtain all of those.

    So it's really less about hype than practicality. For me, most Apple products would not make my life easier because I'm already doing pretty well. For other people, I'm sure it's a fine choice.

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