Technical Evolution

Technology not only continues to be a driving force in our everyday lives, but since we’ve become so dependent on it, we should be mindful of the trends that could directly impact how we live, attend classes and do business.

The following trends address the continuous evolution of digital technology and how you can adapt and benefit (by saving money!) from knowing what technology can help (or not help) you.

 Computing Horsepower

It’s safe to say that computers built in the last 5-6 years still have relatively enough horsepower to help people plow through everyday tasks like email, MS Word/Excel, Facebook and iTunes. However, one trend that could help consumers who are looking to buy a new rig is the advent of integrating the graphics card and the CPU into one single package. Intel already has this technology, called Sandy Bridge, in which the graphics card is inside their CPU. (Intel Core i3- i5-i7 processors)

Unfortunately, Intel’s flavor (HD 3000 series) leaves much to be desired. A cheaper alternative, AMD’s Fusion APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) has better built-in graphics (Radeon 6000 series). What this means for consumers is that if you’re looking to build a new system and your multimedia needs are moderate, opting for an Intel Sandy Bridge or AMD APU can save you from spending extra on a physical graphics card. It also provides a smaller computer chassis to save space.

The Future of Gaming

Two trends are currently changing the way people enjoy digital gaming. The first is Cloud computing in which cloud computing servers perform game management such as the gaming platform Steam. Functioning like iTunes for PC gamers, Steam manages game settings, installed game images and even allows the buying and downloading of games. OnLive provides a cloud gaming solution that enables people to sign up like a Netflix account and the gaming experience is handled by OnLive’s game servers which do the physical graphical crunchwork. In other words, the consumer can have a non-gaming computer but have a special window he/she plays on and doesn’t have to worry about upgrading or having the best hardware available to run the latest games.

The second trend that is gaining momentum is the proliferation of handheld device gaming. For example, Angry Birds has become a popular game due to its free price and easy-to-play setup. Many game developers on both iOS and Android continue to release games on mobile phones, iPads and Android tablets. In addition, these mobile gaming alternatives enable people to connect and play each other just like Xbox Live. As a consumer, you might not want to drop $260 on a new Playstation 3 if you’re a casual gamer and know that you would better enjoy simple, no-hassle gaming on a mobile device that can be played virtually anywhere. These two gaming trends might affect the overall long-term success of the upcoming Sony Playstation 4, Microsoft Xbox 720 and the Nintendo Wii U.

Digital Cameras and DVD Drives

The next wave of smartphones offer 5-8 megapixel resolution cameras built-in which means it’s one less accessory to bring to a family reunion or wedding. In addition, these smartphones enable the user to directly share/upload pictures and videos directly to other cell phones, Facebook and Kodak Gallery virtually eliminating the need for clunky USB cables and plugging SD memory cards into computers.

If you combine netbooks, cloud-computing, ubiquitous Wi-Fi networks, and continuouslyincreasing broadband Internet speeds, you have the approaching death of the DVD drive. While these gems were revolutionary back in 1997-98, most consumers don’t even use their DVD drives on their laptop and desktop computers these days. Solutions such as Netflix, Netflix streaming, iPod/MP3 players, flash drives and software imaging programs (e. g. Alcohol 120% and Magic ISO) reduce the dependency on having to use discs which could get lost, scratched or stuck inside the drive. Granted, Blu-ray discs continue to dominate the multimedia segment with movies and TV shows, the majority of consumers will most likely want material delivered to them on-demand such as a Netflix-type solution or a download via cloud computing management. (like Google Docs and Dropbox)

Desktop or Laptop Computer?

Let’s face it, just about everyone has a computer these days. Most consumers have more than one computer, at least one desktop and laptop.Consumers also have more disposable income which has contributed to Apple’s continued phenomenal success of their iPhone and iPad tablet computer. So the question is what’s right for you? If you want to jump onto the tech bandwagon to stay up-to-date and abandon desktop computers, you’re missing the other trend that desktop computers and computer parts continue to drop in price. For example, DDR3 RAM is dirtcheap for both laptops and desktop computers right now. Also dropping $499 for an Apple iPad or $99-$149 for an HP Touchpad (Fire sale!) should require you to ask yourself if this would help you do better in school or increase productivity at work and not just function as a fashion accessory. Another trend is that netbooks appear to be dying since their introduction/explosion back in 2007. If you’re looking for portability and don’t need that much computing horsepower, you might be able to snag a netbook for a good deal for back-to-school. (e. g. Gateway LT2802U for $199 at Best Buy) In addition, other computer parts like LCD monitors continue to grow in size and drop in price such as the Viewsonic VA2431WM which offers 24” of LCD-ness for $139.99 at Geeks.

Be mindful of your (technological) surroundings, Young Jedi

As rapid as technology continues to advance, consumers aren’t obligated to hop aboard quickly in fear of getting left in the dust and becoming obsolete. Rather it’s more important to determine which technological advance(s) could and would benefit your personal/academic/ business lifestyle so you don’t end up unnecessarily spending your hard-earned cash.