Well, here it is 2008. Seems like only yesterday it was 2007….oh, wait….it was practically yesterday. In any case, we’re here in ‘08 and it seems like we’ve got lots to look forward to on the tech front (as well as lot’s to loathe) for the coming year.
Over the year, I’ll be discussing tech as it relates to the typical consumer that is likely to read a tech blog. Namely: Computer saavy, handy with tech and forward thinking. Probably would be considered an early adopter of new tech and expecting that most devices are not truly “plug and play”. Willing to get one’s hands dirty and fiddle with things. Maybe, if things get REALLY out of hand, even resorting to reading the manual *gasp*.<gasp>
Most tech sites, and blogs in particular, are written by writers that are too involved in the technology to “see the forest for the trees”. They have a tendency (in my experience) to talk from a top-down perspective that leaves the actual real-world use by the consumer glossed over.
Probably the best example of this that I can think of is the yearly fiasco that’s taking place right now in Las Vegas: The International Consumer Electronic’s Show (CES). Of the tens of thousands of products displayed, only a relative handful will actually be something that you and I will purchase in the coming year. If you believed the hype of CES, we’d all get rid of our current ‘junk’ and be prepared for OLED HDTV’s, Video-on-demand (VOD) with 1080p, 24fps and 7.1 DTS Master Audio. We’d cut all cords and be using wireless HDMI connectors as well as wireless, multi-zone speakers. We’d need to be replacing our refrigerators with internet connected fridges and our cars with radar guided, GPS navigated, PC integrated vehicles.
Obviously, while all of these things would be nice, neither you nor I are Mark Cuban (unless you are, of course, Mark Cuban – in which case, let me know how that fridge works out), so we’ll stick with most of what we’ve got and change out bits and pieces as we can. Too many companies are hell bent on creating needs for their products to fill, rather than creating products that fill needs. Do you own a barbeque-mounted light? If so, did you really ‘need’ it? (If you answered ‘yes’ to that question, then you are apparently BBQ’ing in a cave……at night…Batman, is that you?).
Hopefully, this blog will be a little corner of sanity, clarity and brevity that deals with us ‘real’ tech-geeks.
I’ll look forward to your comments and suggestions as we ride out 2008!
R