A Japanese exchange student, who joined my school in year 10, kept up with classes by translating unfamiliar words in her electronic translation dictionary. When I saw the same gadget on my first exchange to Japan, I would have bought it if I’d had the money. By the time I went back two years later, you could buy a similar device with multiple dictionaries, and even a calculator, loaded on removable cards. I spent the whole year fighting the urge to buy one.
Soon the idea developed into personal organisers like the Palm Pilot and again I fought the temptation to buy my own. What would I really use it for, once I’d spent the money? I didn’t need a diary or a calculator because I had a computer. Then Apple created the iPhone and soon it seemed that everybody had a smartphone, but still I resisted. I hated being tied to a phone and rarely took my feature-poor mobile out of my bag. Besides, if I was going to live in a developing country a smartphone would be an unnecessary reminder of wealth disparity and I probably wouldn’t have a data connection anyway.
Now that I’ve decided to stay in Australia for a while, I have finally succumbed and I’m loving my Android phone. Fiona teases me for constantly checking facebook, IMDB, movie times, ebay, goodreads and LinkedIn and even more for playing Alchemy and Flow. I even take it with me so I can monitor videoconference equipment when I support meetings at work. My computer is now almost redundant.
So despite my frustration at the turnover of mobile phones (figures say the average usage of a mobile phone is just 18 months), I understand the desire for the latest gadget that puts knowledge in your pocket. I don’t understand, however, why anyone would line up all night to get the latest iPhone. Are these people afraid they’ll miss out if they wait until the following day after work?
One suggestion is that they are app developers and need to have the latest gadget before everyone else to get ahead of the game. Surely that doesn’t account for everyone in the long lines. Unless one of my readers can enlighten me, I may just have to join the line next time to find out for myself.
It’s mostly fanboism. I use my android a lot (never replaces my computer though) but people prefer to be locked down and are attracted to shiny marketing so much that they will stand in line to show how much of a fan they are. It’s sorta like showing dedication in religion by fasting I guess.