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Just Say No!

Posted by Steve Mueller on January 24, 2009 – 3:19 pm  Share
closeThis post was published 9 months 28 days ago.
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Steve Laser might have been more accurate than intended in his I Want a New Drug article.  If you just_say_nofind yourself getting bored with your current PDA or phone (or any tech accessory), consider this — you might be a junkie.  No, you probably aren’t hanging out on street corners looking for somebody selling hot phones in their trench coats or turning tricks for a new piece of software, but you may have a problem nonetheless.

This may sound like heresy, but remember that a PDA or phone is just a tool.  It should make your life easier.  Do you get bored with your hammer and feel that you need to buy a new one?  Do you sigh with ennui every time you use your electric drill?  Do you get frustrated with the toaster because its interface hasn’t changed?  I hope not.

Don’t get me wrong — I’m a techie.  I’ve had Windows CE PDAs since Windows CE 1.0, I have four LCD TVs in my house (if you count my daughter’s) plus a few tube TVs, I have three working Replay TV PVRs (plus two that died) and so on.  However, I very rarely buy gadgets to add spice to my life — they either fill a need I have to get something done or they’re replacing a product that’s going bad.  For example, I upgraded my original Motorola Q to a Q9m not because I had to have the latest device, but because the Q9m had HTML E-mail (thanks to Windows Mobile 6), allowing me to link to my Google News alerts that I use to keep abreast of the tech world (and because it was almost a free upgrade).

So, if you find yourself getting withdrawal symptoms because your phone isn’t sexy enough, consider checking into rehab.  If you want excitement in your life, take up skydiving, bungie jumping or street luge.

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Steve Mueller (12 Posts) - Website | Twitter | Facebook

I do software development and quality assurance professionally. I'm the owner/Web master of Silicon Valley Pocket PC (http://www.svpocketpc.com) and the founder of the WinMoInfo social network. I've had Windows CE devices since 1998. See more about my PDA history at my history page (more than you probably will ever care about).


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  • Msliberty
    It is exciting to see how a new tool can best treat me. If a ruler or hammer does what it does best, then long live the boring tool. But better ones come from creative minds. I like the creativity and interactivity of my computer and ppc. If one has tv's as tech, well there's not much one can do, but be a spectator. Cyberspace opens information, people, literature, movies and movie times, (and tv too, I must admit), and then --setting up the perfect arrangement in my device, specific for me alone, is half the fun. New applications and new styling is how I define my lust. Think of a vehicle-- you can get somewhere in most any auto, but change, developments, style, handling, all are in the mix. And yes, I've donated toaster ovens and coffee pots for new, improved models. I used to see lots of changes in the tech world. CES was not exciting this year. All I see is the same stuff, repackaged. This drug may be a bit addictive, but it does not harm anyone unless it affects one's daily life. And unlike other addictions, you can stop cold for vacations, weddings, or special projects, and then get back in again whenever you want. It can be boring unless things change and people grow.
  • CodeBubba
    Oh-oh, Steve. I think you may have just pidgeon-holed Chris here!

    -CB :)
  • well, i hear what you're saying. it's a wise man who rules his technology, it's a fool who's ruled by it. :-) sure.

    but, it does take a leap of faith sometimes to discover how a new technology could become a useful productivity gain, right?

    maybe the gadget lust is a yearning for more capability, but an undefined yearning... one that is seeking an application. :-)
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