Flat panel monitors: love them but tons of people threw out their functional CRTs to get a flat panel. Still love them though.
Wireless mouse and keyboard: are you dancing while computing? Tons of desk jockeys threw out their wired keyboard and mouse for a wireless even though they barely move an inch all day. Plus, PLUS!!! You have to put batteries into them.
The dual monitor set up. Are we launching rockets or looking at Excel files? Two monitors means twice the maintenance and replacement. Not a big deal for one person, but as soon as one desk jockey gets one, everyone else wants two monitors too. Now we have twice the expense in monitors and less space on your desk.
Tablet PCs. Cost $$$$, are hard to use, the handwriting analysis features are spotty, they are heavy to carry around to take notes on, and people dump them and want a lightweight laptop asap.
Lightweight laptops. I get it, you travel and want something light. You have to battle in the “who has the lightest laptop” war with your buddies. But you are squinting at the tiny monitor and wanting a laptop with a large screen.
That is all for now. I needed to rant after an exec asst asked me to replace one of her two flat panel monitors because one screen was slightly larger than the other and it bothered her. grrrrrrrr.
Wireless mouse and keyboard: are you dancing while computing? Tons of desk jockeys threw out their wired keyboard and mouse for a wireless even though they barely move an inch all day. Plus, PLUS!!! You have to put batteries into them.
I see what you are saying. But as a person who uses a wireless mouse for my laptop, I can only say that my choice was made becaue I carry my laptop around where I go (like many people I imagine). If I had to always wind the cord up for a corded mouse or whatever, it would be a total pain and would likely go the way of my laptop’s AC adaptor-shorted out.
I would never get a wireless mouse for a desk top though and I don’t have one for my desktop.
Agree with you on all counts. Although I use flat panels at home and work, I still keep an old Sony Trinitron CRT when graphics and a fast refresh rate are paramount. Just consider the landfill impact of all the functional CRT’s thrown away for flatscreens. I have given up on wireless “mice”. They eat batteries, and break very frequently. Never had a cheap wired one fail. Besides, I love my trackball mouse. So much more comfortable. I like my laptops full size. Real screen, real sized keys, functional. Heck, they are still smaller than desktops.
The other not so little secret about this is the actual “recycling” that happens.
60 Minutes did a segment on this. Local recylcing companies advertise a Green recycling/drop off event. What happens next is that the stuff gets sorted at the local recylcer, rebundled, and shipped to Lower/East Asia, where it is melted down to recover the precious metals (platinum, gold, etc). The melt shops are manned by kids over open fires and everyone in the villages by the dumps gets exposed to the exteremely toxic fumes. The ash/waste gets dumped in the local ditch and finds its way back into the local groundwater. Not so Green or environmentally friendly.
60 Min. tracked a shipping container end to end to verify. Might not be the case with all recyclers, but with the popularity of recycling, you can bet that lots are taking advantage.
**Flat panel monitors: love them but tons of people threw out their functional CRTs to get a flat panel. Still love them though. **
The use a fraction of the power that CRTs use. They are “better” for eye strain.
The dual monitor set up. Are we launching rockets or looking at Excel files? Two monitors means twice the maintenance and replacement. Not a big deal for one person, but as soon as one desk jockey gets one, everyone else wants two monitors too. Now we have twice the expense in monitors and less space on your desk.
Our office is TRYING to go paperless. With that in mind, trying to do or respond to discovery during litigation is a nightmare w/o paper. Plus, document review is a pain in the ass. The dual monitor makes this much easier to do. I have the discovery document on one screen and all the documents/exhibits on the other.
Tablet PCs. Cost $$$$, are hard to use, the handwriting analysis features are spotty, they are heavy to carry around to take notes on, and people dump them and want a lightweight laptop asap.
We have started using them to capture signatures on legal documents. Again, TRYING to go paperless.
Lightweight laptops. I get it, you travel and want something light. You have to battle in the “who has the lightest laptop” war with your buddies. But you are squinting at the tiny monitor and wanting a laptop with a large screen.
I agree with you on this one. Yeah, I like light, but, features are more important.
I would say that I don’t completely agree with your rant although understand it.
Flat Panel’s are awesome for space saving and seem easier on my eyes.
Wireless Mouse - I use a rechargeable on for my laptop when I’m traveling. Charges off USB port. As far as keyboard and desk mouse both of mine are still wired with no desire to change. I like the wireless when traveling for ease of use, no cords etc. If you do get one get the blue tooth enabled version vs the IR version. Range from the lap top is hugely increased and it performs better IMO.
Dual monitor set up is great also if you have the need. Many of our engineering folk use them where they can have a CAD file open on one and use the other for normal business. I have a monitor and lap top dock with lap top open serving as my second screen. Works fine so I don’t have to stare at a small lappy screen all day. The 12" screen creates eye strain for me.
Table PC’s I have no need or desire to use.
Lightweight Lap Top has been a big deal for me. I have a 12 screen on my IBM X61. After lugging around a much larger version for years it’s nice to have something smaller and lighter. I spend a fair amount of time traveling and appreciate the size/weight. Could care less if someone has one smaller than me though.
I think I have you beat. In my drawer right now, I have no less than 76 “old” Blackberries. Whenever a new model comes out, every single stupid senior management seem to “break” theirs or start reporting “oddities” (that I can never seem to replicate) and that they want me to buy a new one.
It’s ridiculous.
believe me I’m waaaiiiting for my tube TV to die so I can get a flat screen. The computer, I don’t care as much. It took me a long time to get rid of the CRT at my work - it was 100x clearer than the lcd they shoved on me. Yes, its a waste but at least the LCD uses a lot less energy than the CRT. I figure its also better for my eyes.
the mouse… sorry… I like it. I don’t use one, but I’ve definitely had my cat attack my mouse cord more than I’d like him to.
Still have a crap tube TV in our house that we purchased 11 years ago. Refuse to replace it until it dies.
For us, it makes no sense to run out to the store just because we ‘want’ something. Most everything we purchase is ran through a “want” or “need” thought process. Stuff is just that…stuff. Doesn’t make us any happier in the long-term.
Wireless mouse and keyboard: are you dancing while computing? Tons of desk jockeys threw out their wired keyboard and mouse for a wireless even though they barely move an inch all day. Plus, PLUS!!! You have to put batteries into them.
The battery in my wireless mouse is rechargable. I always had motion problems from the cable snagging with the wired mouse. I did go back to a wired keyboard because when the wireless keyboard loses it’s connection, you have to find a plug in keyboard to set it up again. I’ve recommended wireless keyboard/mouse sets in situations where the furniture configuration made wires impractical.
Whether these devices are wasteful depends on the reasons for wanting them, how / where they will be used, etc. For example, Boeing has well over a thousand tablet PCs up in the Everett airplane factory, and outside of an office environment these tablets (or PDAs, or wearable PCs, etc.) are far more practical and better suited to the physical environment than something as fragile and expensive as a laptop.
The other not so little secret about this is the actual “recycling” that happens.
It’s a bit of a dirty secret actually. Much of the world’s eWaste ends up back in a small area of China in a few cities that focus almost exclusivly on recycling the stuff. So the stuff goes in a bit of a circle really: made in China - used elsewhere for it’s life however long - then back to China to be recycled. Problem is there are absolute mountains of eWaste piling up. They can’t recycle it fast enough. Also their are no regulations or controls on the recyclers - they recycle what they want and dump the rest. Heavy metals are smelted out of motherboards and other peices of eWaste with no environmental controls or protection for ther people doing it. Cancer rates in these cities in China are extraordinarily high and the ground water is polluted with leeching of other toxic wastes out of the mountains of eWaste sitting around or just dumped willy-nilly anywhere and everywhere.
I say this out of frustration, because there is no easy solution to this. We are all part of the problem. When new a computer or electronic technlogy is developed their is no thought put to - what happens with this thing when it becomes obselete, where will it end up.
We have done our little bit by buying used computers for home and for work for the last number of years and we try and hang onto electronic stuff for as long as possible. I have had the same cell-phone/PDA(Palm Treo) for three+ years now. It’s working perfectly fine. I note that my service supplier is enticing me with free upgrade to a new Blackberry or other smart phone!!
Flat panel monitors are nice. They take up less space and less power. I only get LCDs when my CRTs die though.
Wireless mouse and keyboard is great. I just got one for my computer at home where it is really useful. I actually move around a bit. Also, I use rechargeable batteries.
Dual monitors are absolutely wonderful. I feel like I’m so much more productive at work. I’ve actually tried to get a few people to switch to dual monitors and they stay at one. I’m one of two people in my group of about a dozen with dual monitors. I’ve seen the way of dual monitors and I’ve tried to convince others. If they don’t want it, that’s fine with me.
Tablet PCs. I agree.
Lightweight laptops are OK. I would rather have a decent sized laptop in the 13-15" range. Fairly light and usable.
… The dual monitor set up. Are we launching rockets or looking at Excel files? Two monitors means twice the maintenance and replacement. Not a big deal for one person, but as soon as one desk jockey gets one, everyone else wants two monitors too. Now we have twice the expense in monitors and less space on your desk.
…
A recent study showed that you are 44% more efficient when using a dual monitor. You may be looking at Excel files, but some of us are launching rockets or stock/bond traders. I been using dual monitors for 10 years now, finally the rest of the world has cought up to me.
