How many digital devices do you carry?
Fidelity Observer wants everyone to do a little exercise, right now. Think of the last time you travelled to the office, or went on business, and count the number of digital devices on your person. Look in your pockets, briefcase, or on your wrist. For most people, it's almost guaranteed that it's at least three, and as many as six or seven.
I went through this exercise myself on a recent business trip. It occured to me that the digital device explosion was getting out of hand, when I counted the following items filling my pockets and briefcase while I was packing. There were the following items:
1) Laptop
2) Mobile phone
3) USB flash drive
4) iPod
5) PDA
6) Digital voice recorder.
There would have been seven items if I had brought my watch, but I seldom do anymore because three of the other devices I am carrying -- the PDA, laptop, and mobile phone -- can tell the time. Bringing a watch would have been redundant.
The overkill doesn't end with telling the time. I was carrying five devices capable of playing back audio (the laptop, phone, iPod, PDA, and voice recorder), three devices with some sort of calendar function (laptop, PDA, and iPod) and several devices capable of serving as near-range flashlights (the phone, iPod, and PDA).
Did I need all of these devices? I certainly used them all, but probably could have gotten by without the iPod and USB flash drive. But they serve useful functions, too -- the iPod for entertainment on the plane, and the USB drive to backup and transfer crucial files on my laptop.
As people living in modern society, digital devices certainly can make us more productive as workers, or make life more enjoyable, but they can also be a burden -- not only in terms of cost, but also in terms of lugging the darned things around! It would be great if some of these functions could be effectively merged into a single device, so I wouldn't have to carry so many
So do your own digital device inventory. I'd be curious to know -- do you think that you really need them, or are they more in the line of entertainment devices, or even status devices?
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The devices are starting to be combined, haven't you seen the Motorola Razr or Rockr? It has phone, Ipod, and I think a camera too. Don't think it can record audio, but I could be wrong.
I've tried my best to pair down what technology travels with me by switching out the mobile phone/pda/voice recorder setup with a single pda smartphone. This does have the added convenience of carrying around one device instead of three, the trade-off being since you use one device more often than three somewhat occasionally it tends to take a bigger hit on the battery which means packing extra charged spares (just in case) in addition to the charging cable itself.
All that travels with me are my notebook, iPod, smartphone and flash drive. However, even if three of the four devices can tell time, Im still compelled to wear a watch on my wrist. It is a great deal easier to pull back a coat sleeve to glance at the time rather than reach into pocket to fetch the pda out and turn it on, wait two seconds for the time to update then turn it back off and replace it in a pocket, even more so if executing this maneuver in motion while in a crowd.
Every year I try and cut down, but it is difficult. My bare essentials are: laptop, blackberry, cell phone, each with their own chargers. I'm still waiting for that killer pda-phone type thing but so far nothing has lived up to the hype.
Great observations, gang -- I had forgotten about the photo issue, and at one time used to bring my digital camera along on the road. I don't do it now, it's just too much, and I am also reluctant to get a photo camera because of quality issues and the subscription requirement.
Jerry also brings up the issues of chargers. This can be significant; some of the laptop power bricks and batteries can weigh more than the smaller devices. On short trips I usually try to charge all of the smaller devices beforehand and use them sparingly (ie turning off the phone at night) but with the laptop I have to bring along the charger and two batteries for the plane trip and long meetings without power outlets.
