Is Technology Leaving You Behind?

By: Sheryl on August 11, 2011 — 

I ask myself this question every day - is technology leaving me behind?  When Intellect Solutions started off as a partnership back in the 90s, the focus was on selling computers.  We kept a few of those invoices to look back on, because it's phenomenal how much more the parts cost back then.  Today you can get a computer with decent speed for a few hundred bucks or a new 22"+ monitor for under three hundred dollars.

I can appreciate the beauty of technology in a lot of ways - the ability to be connected for business or personal reasons wherever we are, quicker ways to receive answers to our burning questions, the ability to figure out how to head in the right direction after a wrong turn, etc.  I am impressed by touchscreens, tablets and apps, but they need to hold value in order for me to incorporate them into my world.  I got my first laptop last winter and this summer I have enjoyed working out on the deck in the fresh air and engaging with my kids at the same time.  Last summer I resented being cooped up indoors, keeping up with everything when the sun was shining.

Koji and I are lucky that technology allows us to work from home - something that would have been unheard of for both of us a few years ago.  Intellect Solutions shifted its focus again in the early 2000s to not only selling computers, but servicing and repairing them.  Slowly over time our world has become a virtual one - where information is hosted on remote servers and programming takes place online.  Now Intellect changes with the virtual world, creating websites and opportunities where none would have been found before.

We recently picked up an Android tablet to further improve our testing of new sites.  I've played with it a bit and am impressed with its easy use, but it won't be replacing my laptop anytime soon.  I still have my LG phone which -GASP- does not have any games on it, nor internet access.  I've been considering not replacing it when the contract runs out because sometimes it's nice to just go somewhere and not be reachable except to those you are with.

According to Wikipedia, technology has "allowed the rise of a leisure class."  This is evident on evening walks when every window is lit with a television or computer screen.  It's clear in posts on social media sites which update who is playing what game at all times of the day or night (or during working hours).  It's also easier to decide what to do with leisure time - there are a multitude of choices which did not exist before due to monetary accessibility. With each new advance in technology, it becomes easier to determine what device we will try out next - there are reviews to search, opinions to solicit.  I've found that the technology revives pieces of culture too - Scrabble and Smurfs, for example.  Seeing a virtual version of a game has often led to our family playing more of the original board game.

It's difficult to be out in the world today and not be intrigued by the selection of new devices, apps, computers, fancy keyboards, accessories and on and on...For those who use technology daily it's difficult to imagine pulling back or managing without our favourite search engines or social media feeds.  Many of our conversations revolve around technology - how to PVR, how to get rid of a virus, which new games to try.  

Back to the question at hand - I believe technology can only leave you and your business behind as much as you're willing to let it.  My curiosity allows me to keep my finger on the pulse of new advances, but in my leisure time, I'm happy with phone and texting capabilities - and give me a paperback book any day.

What about you?