PROGRESS.......?

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Robin and I were at a local wireless phone store last week so she could replace her semi-working RAZR. This is a good reason to get another phone, as opposed to many people I know that change phones like they change underwear. There are several reasons for this: Some have to own the latest and greatest technology (whether they'll even use it or not), call it "Bragging Rights". Others do it because someone they know got the newest phone on the market, and so they had to "Keep up with the Joneses".

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As I perused the various selections I wondered if we really needed a phone to watch movies, music videos, or browse the Internet on. I could see some reason for "MIFI" feature, allowing up to 5 computers access the Internet via the phone, but many other bells and whistles seemed overkill. When I replaced my phone several years back, it gave me the option to store MP3 music on it. I've never used that feature - I like my "Classic" IPOD.

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Phones aren't the only target in this post as the same applies to computers, software, and yes...HAM Radio. As an IT person, it's hard to get an end-user to believe he or she really doesn't need to get a new PC, just because a co-worker in the next cube did. Sure, it was .4GHz faster, but unless they were a power user, most people use their work computers for E-Mail, Web Surfing, Instant Messaging, Word, and....an occasional spreadsheet. Nonetheless, the end result would be another new computer and of course, "Bragging Rights". Servers are another example. If your server is used for storage, and user accounts only, it doesn't make sense to buy the biggest, fastest box on the market. Software? Microsoft is up to Office 2010, yet I have no issues with Office 2003, and if truth be told (ed. - it's about to), I've always preferred Wordperfect. I could bend your ear with other examples but I've picked on computers enough.

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HAM radios. They get smaller, thus the knobs or buttons decrease in size - and quantity, while menu's get deeper and deeper with a steep learning curve. They're also built to die off faster (and this isn't just an Amateur Radio issue - it's an issue with most electronics and Chinese quality control). Parts become obsolete in 4 or 5 years, whereas you can find what you need to repair rigs that are half a century old. To bad there weren't as many HAMS as computer users because I have a dandy of an idea for a business - something along the lines of a "HAM GEEK SQUAD", ready to be dispatched to your QTH and program your new radio for you. They'd pull into your driveway with a sleek black SUV, with so many antennas mounted on it the vehicle would look like a shrimp boat on wheels. Impressive.

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It's not that I woke up in a foul mood this morning and decided to write this post, it's just a thought, born from a visit to a cell phone store that's been circling around my brain ever since. It was merely coincidence that I woke up early in a foul mood...

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'Nuff Said, Woody