The common rap against technology is that it leads to an accumulation of devices. But the nature of technology is changing. Fewer products are doing more tasks - all accomplished by countless lines of massless software code.
And so we no longer need to accumulate products. If anything, we can cut down. The question is, which gadget can be replaced and which are fine, or even preferable, to keep? It is plain as day that paper maps and Rolodexes have given way to their digital counterparts. But what else can you get rid of? Here is a list of common consumer technologies and products and a somewhat opinionated judgment on whether to keep or ditch it.
DESKTOP COMPUTER
Lose it. You may have one now, but are you really going to replace that deskbound PC when it becomes out of date? Assuming that you are not a hardcore gamer or a video editor, laptops have all the necessary computing power the average user needs. Even netbooks are getting more powerful by the day, with dual-core processors, dedicated graphics chipsets and HDMI out. If you want to replicate the desktop experience, you can always connect your laptop or netbook to a larger display and keyboard.
HIGH-SPEED WIRED INTERNET AT HOME
Keep it. With the advent of devices like the Tata Photon WiFi or Vodafone's R201 MiFi, which convert a 3G/EVDO mobile signal into a Wi-Fi cloud for multiple devices to share, you might be thinking about giving your Internet service provider the boot and using your cellphone as your primary Internet connection, even when at home. That would work - provided that you get a consistent speed and a strong data signal that doesn't drop off where you live; that you never intend to stream video from YouTube or other sites; that you don't need to download large files; and that you have an unlimited data plan from your wireless provider. Given all these caveats, it probably makes more sense to stick with your regular ISP for now.
CABLE TV or DTH
Keep it. HD broadcasting is picking up steam and several HD set top boxes and HD recorders are now available. It's only a matter of time before more HD channels start getting added into the mix. And besides, if not for DTH, what other legal options for movies and TV series would you have? Other low-cost subscription services like Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant Video are only available in the US.
POINT-AND-SHOOT CAMERA
Lose it. Yes, a dedicated camera will probably take a better picture than the small lens and image sensor of a smartphone, but it will not be that much better. (Look at the Nokia N8 to see how smartphone cameras are evolving. Not only does it have a xenon flash, but it also has an active shutter and a larger sensor that most other smartphones). Besides, how many people actually print photographs these days? The photographs are, at best, shared via email or uploaded to photo sharing or social networking sites.
And a point-and-shoot has limitations of its own. It is hard to share photos until you have transferred them to your computer, and there are no apps for cameras, as there are for smartphones, that allow you to quickly apply cool filters and treatments to the shots you took. Perhaps most important, a camera may or may not be close by when a photo-worthy moment arises, but it's very likely that your phone will.
CAMCORDER
Lose it. Camcorders get squeezed at both ends of the video spectrum. On the lower end, smartphones can capture video, and while it may not be super-high quality, many people do not care. Ultra-cheap, pocket-size, zoom-less HD camcorders like the Creative Vado are also available. For the same price as a flash-based HD camcorder, digital SLR cameras like Canon's EOS 550D and Nikon D3100 (both of which cost well under `40,000 including a lens) can take great stills and shoot full-HD video while taking advantage of all the interchangeable lenses that were created for still photography. That camcorder you have now is probably the last one you will own.
USB THUMB DRIVE
Lose it. File sharing does not require hardware anymore. In almost any case you can think of, you can move files around digitally via the Internet. That could mean signing up for a service like Dropbox, which creates a private, shareable hard drive in the cloud, or by simply e-mailing yourself attachments and storing them in the drafts folder of Gmail, Yahoo Mail or free services like SkyDrive. A USB drive is just something to misplace or break.
DIGITAL MUSIC PLAYER
Lose it (probably). Do you have a smartphone? Then you have a music player. Why load yourself down with an extra gadget? Apple popularized the music player with its iPod, but when was the last time you saw that iconic white box with the dial on the front? Music is data, and many multifunction devices can handle it along with many other kinds of data (like video, e-mail and apps). The one exception may be if you enjoy music while exercising. In that case, a tiny player like the iPod Shuffle might be a better accessory than a larger, heavier smartphone.
ALARM CLOCK
Keep it. Smartphones can be terrific alarm clocks. They can ramp up the volume gradually, display weather information and awaken you to your favorite song. And when on the road, they are still light-years ahead of the incomprehensible alarm clocks in hotel rooms. But recent reports suggest that keeping an active phone near your head the whole night, every night, could expose you to more unnecessary radiation. Furthermore, setting and resetting smartphone alarms may require a dive into one submenu too many; turning a little knob on the back of a clock and flipping a switch is still simplicity itself.
GPS UNIT
Lose it. The least expensive GPS units cost around `8,000. But your existing smartphone with A-GPS can do the same thing, if not more, for one fourth that price, or even free. Nokia smartphones with GPS come pre-loaded with Ovi Maps, which offer turn-by-turn directions for free. Many other smartphones come pre-loaded with GPS maps.
BOOKS
Keep them. Yes, e-readers like the Kindle are amazing, and yes, they will probably become a more dominant reading platform over time, but consider this about a book as compared to any electronic reading device: It has a terrific, high-resolution display. It is pretty durable; you could get it a little wet and all would not be lost. It has tremendous battery life. It is often inexpensive enough that, if you misplaced it, you would not be too upset. You can even borrow them for a small fee from places called libraries.
But there is possibly one area where printed matter is going to give way to digital content: cookbooks. For example, Martha Stewart Makes Cookies, a $5 app for the iPad (a free, lite version is also available), is the wave of the future. Every recipe has a photo of the dish (something far too expensive for many printed cookbooks). Complicated procedures can be explained by an embedded video. When something needs to be timed, there's a digital timer built right into the recipe. You can e-mail yourself the ingredients list to take to the grocery store. The app does what cookbooks cannot, providing a better version of everything that came before it.
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