Friday, May 25, 2012

Early adopter

These days, it seems that everyone has a smartphone.  I recently read that 37% of the cell phone market consists of smartphones today, and that it is now a more popular personal computing device than the computer itself.  It hasn't been that long ago that I could flip up the antenna on my Palm VII, connect to the Internet, and impress every other geek in the room.  Clair Lindquist, our Information Technology manager, has a knack for recognizing and preserving future collectibles.  He is the keeper of the stack of now-obsolete smartphones, which someone in a future generation may appreciate as much as the typewriter.

Clair's collection includes that Palm VII (technically not a phone, but a wireless Internet device), a Kyocera 7035, an HTC, and a Samsung Omnia, all of which rode in my pocket or clipped to my belt.  There is at least one missing from the pile: the orginal Motorola Droid.  I think my smart phone habit dates to about 1999, but I was using handheld devices considerably earlier.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am so far behind the curve. I like simple things. A cell phone with just the basic call out/call in.

I want a car with just the basics also. A five speed manual and a 4 cylinder motor. No extras other than AC and a heater. I have been looking at new cars but everything I have seen so far has an extra $15K of bells & whistles. I'll just find an old pickup and drive it till I drop.

Gun Nut

ARRRRG!!!! said...

Modern technology sure has come a long way.

Anonymous said...

So what kind of smartphone are you carrying now?

Tom Casady said...

9:43,

iPhone 4.

Anonymous said...

I agree with you, Gun Nut.

Anonymous said...

I'm with gun nut on this one.

Anonymous said...

Get a no-contract flip phone, probably from Verizon, since they do have the best coverage in this part of the country.

Or just continue complaining.

Kia Rio, Ford Fiesta, etc. Don't buy off the lot, just order a stripper without any factory, port-installed, or dealer-installed options that you don't want.

Or just continue complaining.

Anonymous said...

The best handheld device for a cop? I'll go with the .45 acp.

Anonymous said...

Tom-My wife won't let me get an iPhone because we've noticed there apparently isn't an app that advises the user how to turn it off and enjoy a conversation with a family member at dinner, or perhaps a day at the beach doing something besides staring at your device. So I'm using a flip-phone that causes most teenagers to laugh. That is, of course, if they look up from their iPhone and notice me talking on the antique.....

D256