The gadget economy

I was laid off in the summer of 2001. Although I wasn't working for a dot-com, I was working for a company that did consulting for dot-coms. As the bubble burst and we avidly watched the posts on fuckedcompany.com like rubberneckers staring at traffic accidents, I was not surprised to be laid off. It was just what was happening.

The first thing I did after being laid off was cancel the modem service for my Palm PDA. When I called to have the service terminated, the woman asked "May I ask why you want to cancel?" I told her I had been laid off. There were no more questions after that. I think it was something she had heard before.

Gadgets have become more pervasive than they were in 2001. Then, PDAs were less common and having an Internet compatable PDA meant you were a true geek. Now, smart phones are used by businessmen and students alike. The iPhone continues to gain market share. Will this trend be sustained as our economy flounders?

Perhaps these items continue to be popular because they are viewed as a small splurge (as opposed to a new car or something). Perhaps they are popular because their market tends to be younger, and younger people often don't worry about money, even when they should.

I guess we'll just wait and see how the economy and the gadget market evolve in the coming year(s). You can check for updates with your wireless device.