The Lifetime of Technology - Marie Stewart

The media regularly encourages us to purchase the latest and greatest by inundating us with images of the newest phones and technical gadgetry.  Some of us buy into it because we want our technology to be able to perform with the newest games or software upgrades.  Others do it because they want to be able to impress people or show off to their friends.

As consumers, we are showing a trend toward rising expectations and it’s those expectations that sometimes push companies to tweak their products just slightly and then market it as something else entirely.  These companies are pushed by a combination of, what the marketing sector calls, the early adopters and early majority.

Innovators and entrepreneurs are enamored with the early adopters.  Early adopters don’t often care if new products will even serve a purpose before adopting it.  They take more risks than the rest of the population.  They are quickly bored with the latest and greatest toys and are regularly looking for something new.  The early majority wait just a little bit longer.  They will adopt new ideas just before the average member of society.  They aren’t quite as eager to pick up the newest toy, but they are nowhere near as skeptical as the average person.

So what are you to do if you don’t fall into the category of early adopter or early majority?  What if you want your technology to last so long that you might even fall into the category of laggard?  Personal Computers (“PCs”) should typically last you an average of 3-5 years.  Of course, this is dependent upon the quality of the parts, how well you take care of them, and how they are used.  An Apple or Mac product will usually last 2-3 years more than a PC but that is mostly because you cannot buy a $300 Apple or Mac anywhere.  Cell phone contracts are generally two years long which is the life of an average phone.  Sure, some last longer, some shorter.  Again, it depends on the quality of the product, how well it’s been cared for, and how much it is used.

                There are some tips and tricks that you can do, however, to make your new toy last a little longer than the last one did. 



Just like a car, when you stay on top of routine maintenance and treat your tech with care, you will likely squeeze a few more years out of the piece.  Remember, when you consider the cost of your tech, it makes sense to invest a few additional efforts to stretch your money farther and gain additional quality and quantity from it.


Wade Stewart is the Managing Member of Stewart and Son Computer Services, LLC in University Place, WA and serves as a trusted partner to many local small and medium sized businesses.
You can read more from Wade at Stewart and Son by visiting the following blog sites:
http://stewartandson.wordpress.com/
http://smokingwires.blogspot.com/
Content Copyright Wade Stewart (C) 2014


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