In praise of obsolete technology

I was slightly amused to read this light trend piece, regarding those current dinosaurs of the technological age that cling to "obsolete" gizmos like phones that only make phone calls (you know, the definition of a phone).  Who knew I was so "hardy" or unique?  My current phone is a clamshell LG phone that has been in service for over 3 years.  It can make and receive phone calls, has a nice speaker phone, and can text message very slowly (although this might be operator error).  It has a camera and has probably taken upwards of 4 photos.  It's run time is a solid week between charges.  It does not have the web, or email, or navigation, video capabilities, or anything else.  While I certainly would enjoy another beautiful piece of i-technology, I currently do not want a smart phone.  I can't take a cell phone to work so why bother?  When at home, my ipad can fulfill all of my time wasting requirements just as easily, with the bonus ability of not being able to fit in my pocket. All of my instant desire for information while out and about can be fulfilled by Ali's iPhone, and if I am in dire need of some piece of information, I can always use my dumb phone to call someone for help.

My other favorite piece of technology is my small 2nd generation ipod shuffle which has been in continuous use for approaching 5 years.  I listen to podcasts when cycling, doing yard work, cooking, etc.  It holds more than enough listening materials and the battery life is still greater than 10 hours on a single charge.  Does it have a fancy screen or the ability to access streaming over the web?  No, but it has the perfect form factor to be easily portable and very useful.

Viva obsolete technology!