Hello, my name is Benjamin, and I?��Ǩ�Ѣm a technoholic

I found out today that I have a problem: I like technology too much. Good tech, bad tech, expensive tech, cheap tech, I like it all and WANT it all. That?��Ǩ�Ѣs the problem.

I have wanted an Xbox 360 ever since I first heard of them. What a cool bit of technology that looks to be. Only thing is?��Ǩ�� I?��Ǩ�Ѣm not a gamer. Not only do I suck at gaming, but I simply don?��Ǩ�Ѣt have the valuable time necessary to, well, game. So why in the world would I ever want an Xbox 360? I?��Ǩ�Ѣm a technoholic.

I have owned such great pieces of gaming hardware as the PSP, original Xbox, Playstation 2 and Gamecube. I play each for about a month, remind myself that I?��Ǩ�Ѣm not a gamer, then sell the equipment at a great financial loss (usually for ?Ǭ? of what I originally purchased it for). Outside of gaming I have owned the Apple Newton, Philips Nino, EyeTV (when I didn?��Ǩ�Ѣt even have TV), every Bluetooth headset ever made, Handspring Visors, Palm Pilots, XM radios, about a dozen WiFi routers in the last 2 years, and that?��Ǩ�Ѣs just what I can think of in 60 seconds. The list goes on and on and on and on. This would not be a problem if I could sell the equipment for just as much as I purchased it for, but technology depreciates too fast and I almost always take a big hit.

I realized my problem today (I have known it for a long time, but never wanted to admit it) while at an Electronics Boutique. They had an Xbox 360 Core system. I wanted the larger system with the wireless controller, hard drive, component HD cables and headset, but they only had 1 core system which has none of that, just the basic system. This was at 4:45pm. I went home and called my wife (who is in school until 5:00pm) leaving her a voicemail asking her opinion. Should I spend $300.00+ on a system I know I?��Ǩ�Ѣm going to get rid of in a month? Should I suppress my technology obsession and not get the system? What should I do? My wife called back at 5:30pm and told me to just get it and shut up (I think she was sick of me talking about it). I went back to Electronics Boutique to pick up the system, and the person right in front of me bought the system. OUCH, burned.

When I got home I started thinking about why I want the system. Is it marketing? Is it status? Is it ?��Ǩ��mine is bigger than yours?��Ǩ�Ѣ syndrome? Why did I want it? Why do I want all the technology that I want? I want it because I?��Ǩ�Ѣm a technoholic. I am addicted to technology. I must have the latest and greatest hardware. Computers, gadgets, devices, whatever. I want to see it, play with it, figure out how it works, and once I know it inside and out, upside down and backwards, I?��Ǩ�Ѣm bored with it and don?��Ǩ�Ѣt want it anymore.

Am I the only one? Are there other technoholics out there? If so, what drives you? How do you curb the desire to have the latest and greatest? Am I doomed to a life of buying technology as soon as I see it, or is there hope for me?

I think that sometime soon there will be a 100$ laptop suitable for everyone. And the processor and harddrive innovations will only benefit the server hardware. As with an internet connected cheap and reliable portable client hardware, you will have access to all multimedia files hosted on the internet.

Only profetionnals will need big desktop computers with fast processor and big harddrives. Normal people will suffice with light internet access clients. Though the set-top-box will be powerfull, in everyones living room, with even powerfull 3D console eigther external (like the Nintendo Revolution) or built-in (like the xbox360). That powerfull living room set-top-box will manage High Definition video playback and encoding for mpeg4-2 and h264.

So basically one portable pocket device, or 100$ laptop sized and one standalone home centric device, connected to a High Definition projector, that is all people will need. And each of those devices will cost 100-200$ (exluding harddrives). Thus everyone will have them.

Charbax, as much as it would be great to live in the world where everyone will have a $100 laptop and be happy with it... i dont think it will *ever* happen. This entire game is based on one and one principle only... $$$ - commerce - stock price - market share!

Look at Apple... look at how many versions of the ipod they launched in the past year and a half... just when we thought the ipod photo is God's gift to music geeks, they launched the nano! Then when we thought we can take a rest for another year or so for the next big thing... BAM... ipod video! And I know that my friend Ben here, couldnt resist either of these two new ipods (Ben, you wanna sell me one for half price??) heheh

Corporations will continue to lure us geeks (and other consumers) into spending more and more for things we dont really need and can live without... hence I actually see this getting worse in the future as the technology advances into unreal domains!

Comments

1. Posted by: brendan on January 28, 2006 7:56 PM:

I know that feeling all to well.

Technology vendors play on the very weakness of all geeks. The "cool" factor. Products are hyped and made out to sound just so damn cool that we just have to fork over cash for it. Then we realise 2 months later that we never use the thing. :)

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