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Technically
speaking
The launch last week of the new Apple iphone got me thinking about gadgets.
I wonder if my lack of interest in gadgetry is a thing that happens when you get older, a woman thing, or just me. Actually, it's probably me. I've never been into gadgets. I'm not quite a technophobe, but I really don't see the point of some of them.I recently went to buy a new mobile phone. If it was totally up to me, I wouldn't bother; but hubby thinks I should have one in case of emergencies. Except that, usually when he tries to ring me on it, I haven't even switched the thing on.
The mobile phone companies certainly don't make any money out of me that's for sure. I have 'Pay as you go' and put ten pounds on it about once every four months. Unlike my twenty-one year old daughter who goes through about £30 a month on hers now, but when she was younger it was almost double that.
Anyway, we went to get this phone - I'd been using an old one my daughter gave me years ago, but it had packed up. We tried all the mobile phone shops, and could I find one I was happy with? Could I heck! I simply wanted a phone. Not a phone and camera; not a phone that had a camera and played games. Just a ruddy phone; and not an expensive one either.
A young lad showed me all these super duper phones, which I am sure were very good once you'd got the hang of them, but I shook my head and asked 'haven't you got one which is just a phone?'
The answer was - no.
The next shop wasn't any better. When I stated again that all I wanted was a phone, and not a camera or all the other bits that went with it, the salesperson looked at me as if I was mad. He then showed me a flashy expensive looking model, 'But you can take really great photos with this one.'
'What do I want to do that for? It's to make phone calls with. If I want to take photos, I'll use a camera.'
'Well, you can also go on the internet too.'
'But if I want to do that, I'll use my computer at home.'
'Ah, but this does all those things in one nifty little package.'
'I DON'T WANT ALL THOSE THINGS, I JUST WANT A PHONE!'
I got so frustrated that I walked out of the shop leaving the salesperson looking somewhat perplexed. I am sure he thought he was offering me something wonderful, and couldn't understand why I was getting so worked up.
We have a friend, who is the master of gadgets. Whenever something new comes out he just has to have it, and I don't understand why. It's almost as if having all the latest gizmos makes him feel better. He has an MP3, an ipod, a super thin mobile phone that does everything you can think of, a PDA, a flashy digital camera (8.2 million pixels don't you know!), this new tiny home cinema surround thingummy that you can plug your computer into - you name it, he's got it. I have no idea what most of the stuff he's bought is, or what it does.
His poor wife is fed up because she doesn't know how to work any of it. She can't just turn the TV on anymore; you have to switch something else on, then change the screen, then turn on another thing, so she just goes upstairs on her computer - they have one each; his is a fan-dabi-dozi one of course - and leaves him to play with his toys.
Maybe it's a man thing, but my hubby isn't gadget mad, so maybe not.
We don't have any of those things. We've got a digital camera, but a bog standard older one. I don't even really know what an ipod is, and would be baffled as to how to use one. I know it's for music, but what's wrong with putting on a CD? It works perfectly well. I've got a very impressive CD collection.
Yes, I know that without gadgets, we would still be doing things like washing clothes by hand or cooking over an open fire, and yes, some gadgets do make our lives a lot easier, but you can go over the top. With the way technology advances so quickly nowadays, I dread to think what life will be like in years to come. Will we have robots doing all the household chores, will cars drive themselves, or will we not need cars because we'll be able to beam ourselves wherever we want, like they do on Star Trek?
I did eventually manage to find a mobile phone by the way, which was just a phone. It was an old Nokia and cost me £30. I am very pleased with it as it does exactly what I want, when I remember to switch it on that is!
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