Sometimes I ponder ideas and can’t get a specific theory out of my head. I don’t know if anyone else does this or if I’m the only one, but I can’t seem to stop thinking about the hypothesis that we’ll never make full use of the newest technologies. There will always be one component of a new device or system that is limited by older technology.
One of the networks I’m setting up this month requires completely new wiring. Because Massachusetts requires all wiring be done by licensed pro’s I always require the customer to hire an electrician. The electrician inquired “if it really makes a difference whether he uses CAT5E or CAT6.” This comment started me thinking about old technology limiting new developments.
His point: Even though CAT6 network cable can handle significantly faster speeds than CAT5E, the customer will never make use of the higher throughput. Equipment provided by the internet provider isn’t fast enough for CAT5E cable and the networking equipment I’m providing won’t come close to taking advantage of the benefits of CAT6.
I can keep applying my hypothesis to other technologies as well. Cell phones, for example, connect to the same towers they did two phone generations ago. It makes no difference that my new iPhone connects to LTE service when I’m never connected to an LTE tower. I would have to change when and where I use my phone to take full advantage.
Even though the computer I’m using to type this article has the latest processor, I’m still limited by the speed of the hard drive. Hard drives, as I talked about a couple weeks back, are being replaced by solid state. Replacing my mechanical drive with solid state technology really won’t gain me much because I’m still limited by memory technology that’s been around for five years.
Companies are developing better handling cars based on the same drive train technology that’s been around forever. No matter if it’s an electric or gas motor, it still connects to the road with tires that are similar to those on any car. Even though the best handling car can bank a corner at lighting speeds, it’s ability to grip the road depends on decade old tire technology.
A friend of mine spent nearly $1,000.00 on a laptop that advertised impressive graphics. When she cracked her screen she brought it to me for the replacement. After pulling her laptop apart I realized we stocked the screen and it was the same one used in most laptops. Even though my friend has an expensive laptop with great processing speed, her screen was no better than the one in my four year old $250.00 laptop.
Maybe I’m crazy and perhaps my theory is a little ‘out there,’ but I really started thinking about all the time and money we spend getting the best only to find out we need more. We, as consumers, are constantly in search of faster and better but rarely stop and think about what we’re buying.
At the end of the day I’m still using the same wire crimping and testing tools I was 15 years ago. I’m still diagnosing computers using the same equipment I’ve been using forever. And I’m still soldering the same wires I was when I was a kid. Maybe I’m as crazy as some of my customers who think their computers are receiving signals from aliens, but I’d like to think I’m on to something.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can read past articles at www.LocalComputerWiz.com.)