Back in 2005, my husband had a desktop PC custom designed by a store called Microcenter here in Chicago. Since then, we’ve been using this machine for nearly all of our home computing needs. For me, this adds up to a lot. Like most people, I spend hours shopping online, scheduling engagements, corresponding on social networks, and reading news every day. But I also conduct the majority of my business affairs via the computer as well. I write book chapters, blog posts, e-newsletters, and articles, and e-mail interview answers back and forth. I maintain a website. I host a podcast. The list goes on and on. I use the computer so much that I have a special keyboard that is supposed to prevent my hands from falling off due to carpal tunnel syndrome.
I had a Blackberry for a while and hated it because it took forever to load pages and the graphics were hard to view. I kept going back to my good old reliable desktop PC. And generally, the machine has done right by me. It seldom crashes or announces weird and incomprehensible error messages that keep me on hold with IBM, HP, or Microsoft for hours on end. But lately, I’ve been feeling a little insecure. For instance, my dad, a self-proclaimed early adopter, was visiting last week and chastised me for not having a computer that could effortlessly host videos of his new grandson while running five RAM-heavy applications in the background. I couldn’t help being defensive. After all, in 2005, this machine had what was considered quite a bit of RAM, and it had always efficiently handled any software we needed. How could it be that this not-even-three year-old computer was already totally obsolete?
It seems that at the pace technology is developing, you’d be justified in replacing each of your devices (computer, iPod, cell phone, camera, etc.) once a year. But who can afford that, and who has the time? Please share how you deal with techno-insecurity and whether you think it’s really worth it to keep up with the Joneses.
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Personally, I allow function to be my guide. I, too, have a 3-year-old computer, drive a '95 buick, and watch a regular picture-tubed television. It's not that I don't have the money, or that I don't want these things, it's just that my money does more for me earning interest and dividends. I did buy the Ipod touch, because it filled my need of accessing the internet quickly and easily while on the go. I did buy a PS3, but only after the first playstation finally died.
When I became unexpectedly unemployed, I was grateful that I had plenty of money saved on which I could rely until I found my next job. I'll continue to live this way, looking forward to the day when my old Buick finally dies and I can pay off the entire amount on a new car.