Joe Gregorio
The introduction of a computer into a house or business meant the introduction of more stuff. Computer, monitor, cables, printer, etc. The whole "Paperless Office" thing was a sham, owning a computer meant even more paper than ever was printed and lying around. But recently that trend in our house has started to turn around. We're not actually moving in the other direction yet, but I do see things leveling off. Part of that has been the improvement in technology, for example, Google Docs. The value of the electronic form of the document (collaboration) now exceeds the value of the printed form (ease of reading, off-line access). That got me to thinking of how much stuff I own, besides the printer, that may eventually go away, and it was then that I realized that there's already a bunch of stuff that I will never buy again thanks to owning an Android phone:
- Watch
- MP3 Player
- GPS
- Compass
- Alarm Clock
- Stopwatch
- Camera
- Calculator
- USB Thumb Drive
That list will only grow. For example, I soon expect to add Boarding Passes.
And yes, I know, if you are serious about something then the smartphone version won't do for you. For serious photography people it won't replace their camera. Really into camping and wilderness survival, then I doubt you want the smartphone compass. But for most uses the smartphone version is good enough, and that means less stuff.