Why newer is not better: notes from laptop shopping

(NB: This tech rant was written 9 months ago. It's a little dusty.)

After years of mulling it over, I finally managed to purchase a new laptop. The sad fate of a tech-loving anthropologist in the concluding months of a PhD program is that cash flow is at an all-time low, while new gadgetry is at its shiniest. Even on my spartan budget, however, such is the diversity of the general consumer marketplace that I was able to maximize my hardware options at competitive prices. In the end, I managed to procure a brilliantly performing Win7 laptop for under $500. It isn't the MacBook Pro I had so hoped to acquire, but it has proven reliable. Even Windows 7 is not too shabby.

The process of buying a new laptop or computer today is complicated given the range of products, brands and features available. I am often asked for advice on this subject, which inevitably becomes a very personalized process of narrowing down needs and wants against a set budget. Novices who are unsure about computers in general are unanimously overwhelmed by the choices and frustrated when they end up with something they don't want (or that ends up being "too complicated"). Still, it's even more difficult when you know exactly what you want and need it to come out of a reasonably priced box. It therefore took me about 4 months to narrow down a system and specifications within my price range (which consistently became obsolete with each month that passed) and I remained undecided until the last moment.

I had never purchased a laptop in a physical store before, having previously ordered online. I realize now how lucky I was that the product which arrived at my door in 2002 was a quality machine with a decent build and intuitive design that suited my needs. I now fastidiously check local shops before purchasing products online to test their build quality and suitability. I spend more waking hours interacting with computers than any other activity, so I am very picky when the planets miraculously align and I can afford a new purchase. In short, design is everything. Drives and memory can be updated, but you're stuck with the shell. This is where tactile perception counts. It has to feel right.

Although I have been in constant contact with innovative technologies, brand new hardware and cutting-edge devices in the course of my research, this was my first major, personal acquisition in over 8 years. I am happy with the speed and flexibility of my new system, but I miss some design features of the old one. In my shopping experience, I must have literally tested hundreds of laptops of different specs and models. Here are my impressions:

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The Internet as imagined in the future before this one

The fun part of past projections of miraculous household devices of the future is how they are always cloaked in technologies of the time, like the stunning circuit board feature in this video. The computers here are even discussed as sentient beings that can inform their owners and be informed of transactions. Particularly endearing is how the wife's machine is designed for child monitoring and home-shopping, while the husband's machines are designed for finance, record-keeping and worldwide communication. Still, this is a pretty accurate (for its time) rendition of what the Internet would be like, only without any real notion of cyberspace or a concept of digital storage. I think you will agree that the acting is exceptional (especially the simulated print scene).

I had to add this second video of the technology as it was realized a couple of decades later, when computers had finally matured to "tools of the human spirit". The electronic screen means you're connected ... to a computer network called "Internet".



For more insight into the true evolution of the web (read: hilarity will ensue), I recommend reading the comments on YT for each of these videos.

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Conflicting views on Web 2.0 (Part II)

With reference to my recent post on Web 2.0 sites catering to non-generating content 'viewers' rather than uploading 'contributors', here's more on the debate.

Since the media starting emphasizing the low percentages of 'participants' who actually create and upload content to sites like YouTube, Flickr, and even Wikipedia, the phenomenon has been portrayed as some kind of failure of the socialized web initiative. As I mentioned earlier, this neglects several important factors. Firstly, the Internet, like many things, is characterized by a user participation which necessitates only a few content 'producers', because it is the viewing of this content which promotes further production. Secondly, and I think more importantly, media commentators neglect that Web 2.0 sites still work along the same premises as other sites always have: get as many viewers as possible, then advertise to them. Whether that advertising is third-party or not is besides the point. The intention on the part of those who upload videos is to have their material seen. Some content-generating users are also 'viewers' (and vice versa), but that does not have to be the case to have a significant 'social' presence on these sites. None of the weak percentage rates given to UGC (such as 'only 1% of users contribute to YouTube video content') seem to emphasize the participatory social nature of the comments that users leave based on videos they watch, the ratings they give them, the feeds they subscribe to, how many times they email or link to them, or other elements of facilitating, and contributing to, the prolonged existence of the site. These websites remain popular regardless of the number of unique content producers. Many people probably feel they do not have the technical knowledge, time, inclination or patience to put videos on the web.

It should also not be surprising that, as people spend more time sitting in front of their computers, the machines will take the place of the old magic box, the television, which is relegated to that archaic location: the 'family' room. Yes, it used to be called that for a reason.


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To speak is human; to email, divine.

Nuns get into the Internet habit
Cloistered nuns at a convent in Sicily have decided that their vow of silence may rule out gossiping with locals or telephoning old friends, but it does not exclude going online to swap emails. The 12 Cistercian nuns of the 13th-century Santo Spirito convent in Agrigento have set up a website and are happy to take questions about what it is like to pray for hours in silence every day. The sisters, who speak to visitors, if pushed, through a grille, are being bombarded with inquiries at santospiritoag.com, said Sister Maria, who agreed to answer questions over the phone. Would-be nuns can receive advice from Santo Spirito's novices on the lifestyle they might expect, said Maria.

"We also wanted to set up the site so that people could email to ask us to say prayers for them, as well as to show the world what our mission is here," she said. "We hope to show that there is some good on the internet and not just bad things." Although criticised as a distraction by parents and bosses, the internet is not interfering with the nuns' prayer routine, which starts at 4.30am, said Maria. "There are no limits on internet time, but discretion is required," she said. The nuns are now in regular contact with fellow Cistercians in the US and France via email, said Maria, while the site also has a pop-up box allowing users to reserve a guest room. [source]

Just another example of the pragmatic nature of the Internet. This is also not the first time it has been shown to be a tool for organized religion. Is there something about the Internet which makes it particularly attractive as a medium for religious or spiritual activities? Another way of looking at this story is that it emphasizes the distinctions between 'real' speech, face-to-face interaction and computer-mediated communication. Some say such distinctions are weakening. But are they?

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Botswana to receive affordable computers

The digital divide between developing countries and industrial societies is seen as problem and a disadvantage that needs to be rectified. I tend to agree, in that it is a disadvantage not only to the developing nations, but to the rest of the world. As has often been argued, the Internet is a global technology. We hear every day about the benefits that come from the way it 'connects' the world. However, not all corners of the world are as 'connected' as we are often made to believe.

What can be done about these technological inequalities? I recently collaborated on a short survey of commercial Internet usage in an African country. Well, it started out as a survey of Internet representation in general, but gravitated towards commercial usage as that was most prominent. Similar to its early days in Europe and North America, the Internet and the IT industry in general lend themselves to entrepreneurship and small business. The plans of Botswana's government to provide financial aid for young people to set up cybercafes will hopefully prove fruitful in the short term, but also in setting up an infrastructure which will promote technological development into the future. It is also easy to understand why civil servants should be introduced to computing.

I would like to find comparative examples of this type of governmental initiative. Many times it is presumed that finances are the only barrier to computing practices. Cost is a major issue, but it is not the only preventative factor in many places. The education and training they are offering to young people and civil servants in Botswana looks promising. Perhaps the program will be successful in uncovering further reasons for the lack of technology adoption in Botswana and other areas with low computer usage.

Computers will be affordable
GABORONE - The Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology has formed a partnership with computer software giant Microsoft through which computers would become affordable to Batswana. ... Mrs Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, said through the partnership, government was aiming at promoting information and communications technology and bridge the digital gap. Mrs Venson-Moitoi said Botswana was faced with the challenge to reduce the digital gap with developed world.

She said long-term vision for the ministry was to have a computer in every home and create an enabling environment for IT development. ... Microsoft would assist in bringing down the cost of computers for identified youths and civil servants. Unemployment youths, information technology graduates and civil servants would also benefit from the scheme. She told the audience that CEDA would assist youths in setting up cyber cafes while the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sports would assist by identifying youths eligible for the programme. ... First National Bank would offer an easy credit scheme for civil servants.

... Microsoft General Manager for East and Southern Africa, Mr Thapelo Lippe, said e-governance required that citizens have computers, in other words it requires e-citizens. He said training would be offered to civil servants and it would be offered at appropriate levels, that is, beginner level for those who do not have any knowledge in computers. ... Three to five youths would each operate a cyber cafe and they would be provided with finance in the form of a grant and loan combination, he said. Youths setting up cyber cafes would be provided with computers, Internet connectivity and access. ... the gesture from the stakeholders was a clear commitment to assist governments efforts in empowering youths in the country. BOPA [source]


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