Electronic Gadgets

Latest Gadget - a Nokia E71

In this technological age there is a temptation to get hold of the latest electronic gadget and since the early eighties when Sir Clive Sinclair launched the ZX80 home computer the proliferation of such gizmos has mushroomed. Bill Gates was quick to cash in on the computer market with software, and from there on, the competition has increased, resulting in numerous computerised items, and in more recent years the emphasis has been on miniaturization, especially with the aid of nanotechnology. One only needs to look at the mobile phone market to see thousands of phones available for purchase. The Apple iPhone when it was introduced two or three years ago was the most desirable gadget for yuppies. More recently there’s been a rush to buy micro- laptop computers that are small enough to fit into a lady’s handbag, and yet the technology is such that the lady can browse the Internet from any location where there is a dedicated mobile phone service.
Needless to say, I was not immune to the ‘must have’ gadget syndrome, but most of the time I lagged behind getting such gadgets when they were first introduced because of their high price due to demand and a need for manufacturers to recoup their costs. Two or three years after first hitting the market, articles that were ‘must haves’ can be obtained for a fraction of their original price, and by then any of their flaws have been rectified; hence my delay in acquiring such products.
Having the time just now for a clearout of accumulated electronic bits and pieces I have decided to auction them on Ebay, but I am amazed how little they are worth, because when I first obtained them I had to pay considerably more. Nevertheless, if I can add to the cash in my wallet I shall be satisfied, but the interest in my auction items is minimal, as far as I can tell by the counter that monitors the number of watchers who may be interested in bidding. Still, recycling my unwanted gadgets by extending ownership of them, rather than throwing them in a dustbin is more satisfying. Maybe when they come to the end of their useful life, they will be disposed of for final recycling into various materials for the process to continue, i.e., the manufacture of electronic gadgets for profit and for the satisfaction of those who must have the latest techno-gadget.