Everything you buy is multi-functional in this day and age and almost nothing is made for a specific purpose, nothing electrical anyway. Manufacturers have worked out that we like as many functions as possible no matter how insignificant and mundane they may be. New products being released are not simply a phone or only transmits TV signals, not at all. Now they can access the internet, download apps, record programs and even tell other electronically devices what to do without actually physically picking them up. Is this the dawn of innovation or the beginning of a new age of laziness?
The internet itself is constantly spreading to every inch of the globe through portable devices such as phones. This has left users with a constant stream of information and has given us endless applications. Users are now able to listen to music, read a newspaper, download a documentary and watch a cat play a piano all by looking at a 12cm x 6cm piece of plastic. Innovative, yes. Necessary, hardly. It now seems to be the lazy mans way of releasing a 'new and improved' product into the market place. Instead of really altering the product e.g. a phone, by means of making it faster or changing designs, instead they install every single piece of technology that is on every other phone on the market. At the present time finding a phone which can simply make calls is almost impossible, instead they all have to have WI-FI with 3G and be able play music while shooting birds at pigs. It seems as though these manufacturers have found this inspiration in the strangest places. In the words of Homer Simpson: "People are afraid of new things. You should have just taken an existing product and put a clock in it or something."
I personally have around 6 different electronic devices in my room alone, whether it be a phone, an iPod, a computer or an alarm clock. All of which serve a similar function: they tell the time.
I think that the world is just getting lazy. It is cool having some things converged, but everything does not have to be in one device. As for your comment on a phone that only makes calls, I have a story about that. Well, kind of about that. I went to get a new phone at Verizon (my carrier in the US) and I discovered that they do not sell phones anymore without a data package. You have to buy a phone that goes on the internet, even if it is only minimal access. I personally think that is a rip off. I didn't want a phone that went on the internet, but I had to buy one anyways.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, every single goods which we purchase has more than one function, as you said that everything we but is multi-functional in this day. Actually I agree with you. Multi-functional been shown within vary media commodities. For example, except basic function of mobile, we also use mobile to listening music and watching videos. I think it is a very good thing that goods terns to multi-functional which could bring so many advantages to people’s normal life. I am also interested in the other opinion of you, we like as many function as possible no matter how insignificant and mundane they may be. As for me, I do not even know how to use some functions of my mobile, I still please to keep them.
ReplyDelete6 items you say. I found roughly the same, and hadn't really realized till I read you post and actually looked around.
ReplyDeleteIt's entertaining to see how brands have noticed our habits so quickly and have taken full advantage of our multifunction love. Scary and yet sad that we don't notice it ourselves :)
I think its interesting how you have challenged the idea of distinction between brands.
ReplyDeleteIs the problem that we as consumers are addicted new and up to date technology?