Techno Zen: Be Happy With What You’ve Got

I’d love to buy a new laptop. I’ve got a decent job and some savings, and I am constantly writing, building websites, and playing with tech tools. It just makes sense for me to have a laptop. The only problem is that I’m cheap, and even more importantly, I hate to upgrade or switch technology when I don’t have to. My general philosophy is be happy with what you’ve got. This little nugget of wisdom has lead to more peace of mind and a better ability to deal with technology than any new gadget or software ever could.

I still use the G4 Mac that I bought over 5 years ago. I listen to a second generation Ipod. And, I take all my notes and organize my life on a $129 Zire 31 with a $59 wireless keyboard. The Zire with the keyboard is my $188 laptop. I’ve also got a Nikon digital camera and I upload my photos to Ophoto.com. What else do I need? Nothing.

There is something zen about realizing that there is an end to technology and a limit to how far it should encroach on your life. It is also nice to know that purchasing all this stuff in the past five years has cost me less than $3000 dollars. And, I don’t feel any more limited than friends and business associates, who spend that much on their technology budget in a couple months.

Techno angst and gadget lust will probably be serious issues in the coming century. People will talk to their psychologists about hard drive crashes erasing the family photo album, and how they start uncontrollably salivating over the newest media player, which will be so small that it can be surgically implanted at the base of your skull. No doubt many of us suffer from the precursors of this potentially serious condition right now.

Please all technophiles, listen to me. Be happy with what you’ve got.