Technology

I have seen the future and it is tech shaped

You are either technophobe or a technophile, I don't think there is a half way house. Once upon a time you could survive without gadgets that do things you didn't used to need, no more.

I must confuse that I tend to be the 'early adopter' the person beloved of marketing people who wants a new gadget, because ......... well because it's new.

I remember the first PDAs I had several versions of Psion Organisers, I remember the early mobile phones and I wondered why they couldn't combine them with the Psion ! I was just ahead of my time, I had the various incarnations of Nokia Communicators and loved having all my calendars and contacts and other stuff with me, though getting them to sync with my works computer networks was a bit of an issue. I find that some IT people don't like being asked why they can't do things like that !

I had the first IBM compatible the Amstrad 1512, young readers may not know that the first PCS all came from IBM until Alan Sugar got involved, I had the deluxe model with twin 5 inch floppy disks !

More recently I have gone Apple, first with an IMac with a stunning 27 inch all in one screen, processor, hard disk etc and wireless keyboard and mouse and now with the magical IPAD. Only worrying thing is they are already planning IPAD2 !

But back to the point, all this means I constantly have to review what I've got, what I need, and what I want, astute readers will note that need and want are NOT the same thing.

Since IPAD appeared, I have replaced my IPOD, my Sat Nav (bye bye Garmin), saved having to buy a Kindle, disposed of a nearly new netbook and retired the makeshift setup under the TV which allowed web surfing in the lounge. I have also found that my latest smartphone, a Nokia E71 is increasingly only a phone again.

Now I know many who use all the features on their smartphone, but I still think a stand alone camera is better, and I speak from starting with 2 megapixels, via a semi pro digital SLR with separate lens and any settings you could imagine, back to a Panasonic lumix, probably out of date now, but with 10 of those essential megapixies and a really great Intelligent Auto mode which sorts out the settings and takes fab pictures.

I want calendar, I wants contacts and other data, but the IPAD does those and Itunes syncs everything. The Nokia died on holiday, so not yet time to check out the battery charging .......... but phone lust is rising within me. I bought an old LG from Ebay for £12, it works well and rescued me when the Nokia died, but it doesn't seem right, though it will make and receive calls fine, I find myself looking at adverts for new touchscreen phones with all the features I don't need.

You see the problem, the IPAD does everything but phone calls, though check out Truphone or Skype and then it partly does, but since I retired no body really rings me, so a £30 a month contract on an Iphone is not economic, though attractive in a subtle, cunning way.

I shall continue the exploitation of tech but my recent experiences on the Continent were marred not by the gadgets but by the suppliers who supply what is in fact the one essential tech needed by everyone, I mean of course connectivity to the web and email.

There is a long saga as to why I lost connection, partly due to 3 forgetting to tell me things I needed when I asked for the IPAD to be activated for roaming, ie that you had to pay on account, partly because the hotel advertised wifi but didn't state it was chargeable and that their speeds were abysmal and their router didn't like IPADs. Like having to ring the UK to charge up the account, and of course why your inclusive data is restricted to the UK, who owns 3 ITaly anyway ????????? for heaven's sake .... Especially hurtful and surprisingly disorientating however was the loss of instant on, instant access to the net, any question any time being available for answer. All the apps that need Internet, news, weather, maps.............

So the tech we need is connections, always on, always fast, always there, anywhere, affordable, ........ "one day my prince" will come as the song says, in the meantime thanks Macdonalds.