Did people say “The refrigerator reminds me of work?”

Posted on June 7, 2010 by Jonathan "Brew" Brewer

During a long car ride filled with men over 60, I overheard someone say “I don’t use the computer to do anything any more.  I used a computer at work, and now that I’m retired, I don’t want to use the computer, because it reminds me of work”.

WHAT???

Isn’t the computer a common household appliance? My children look at our computers the same way they look at our refrigerator. You go to the refrigerator to get food, and you go to the computer to get answers.

Was there a time in U.S. history that I could have overheard a refrigerator repair man say “yeah, we don’t really use our refrigerator at home. That new technology just reminds me of work”.  I’m fairly certain no one ever heard Benjamin Franklin say anything of the sorts about electricity.

Maybe it’s because I”m sometimes an innovator and always an early adopter.
I like “technology”.  It fascinates me.  Hasn’t the computer crossed the chasm?  If you haven’t already read Crossing the Chasm, let me explain:   Geoffrey Moore’s chasm theory says that thanks to early adopters,  high-tech items initially sell well.   Then, however, they often hit a gap instead of moving on to the early majority.  This is what often kills high-tech products.  Moore also explains that he believes this is unique to the high-tech industry.

So I leave you with one question for the day:
Will the computer ever reach “refrigerator status” in all homes?


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2 Responses

  1. Adam "Jameson" F., on June 7, 2010 at 12:52 pm said:

    I believe the point at which people see a computer as an appliance are those under 50. As people get younger, the higher percentage of people see the computer as that. I do believe the PC as we see it today will not be that appliance unit our kids will be using on a day to day basis, and I embrace that change. I believe the tablets are the future of basic every day home use. We will still have PC’s to do the more powerful calculations and entertaining us, but the true appliance will be tablets.

    I love the idea, and I was excited seeing all the innovation reading all the Computex updates from the previous, it really is a sign of things to come.

    Reply
    • houseofbrew, on June 7, 2010 at 3:22 pm said:

      Thanks for the insight, Adam. I’m just sick of those over 50 people boasting how they don’t even know how to text, or boast that they can barely turn on the computer. Did people once boast about still using candles to light their homes, or boast about going to the bathroom outside? “Pfft, Dude, I still go outside. I’m not into that whole indoor plumbing stuff”.

      Reply

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