John, regarding toothbrushes, calculators, phones and computers. I have one toothbrush [which my wife throws out after a few years along with my other treasured possessions]. I have calculators all over the place - the numbers have increased from when my first calculator cost as much as my latest super duper computer. We have half a dozen computers of which 4 are in constant use. We have, oh heck, 6 mobile phones in use [counting the offspring], and ADSL line, a WiFi link and I think 6 landline phones [portable and wired] around the house.
I expect in 5 years I will still have one toothbrush but maybe a dozen or two dozen [with offspring thrown in] cyberphone devices and wireless links to cyberspace.
Admittedly I'm a technowacko extremist, but when the gadgets are simple enough and cheap enough, I can't imagine more than 5% of the NZ population not having a cyberphone or three. Then there are all the Graviton.com type devices which will be transparent to users. Our cars will inform the vehicle supplier directly about our negligent attitude to maintenance and will sneak out, when we aren't looking, for a spot of oil, new brake pads and tyres.
NZ is well down the OECD list these days in per capita income, so I guess that most people around the world [including China] will have cyberphone gadgets way up their shopping list - perhaps before toothbrushes in many cases.
I'm a trialist [one of 100 apparently] for Telecom's new JetVideo which gives me movies and music videos via ADSL and my WiFi link to my notebook puter. There's a bit too much buffering but it's not bad. At present there's no charge, but costs will be about US30c for old movies and $2 for new ones.
Mqurice |
