The Blurb
In with the old
Saturday 26 June 2010 8.49 am
Do you ever find yourself doing that?
I have a PDA. That's a "personal digital assistant", which is a bit like a PA except without the mood swings and days off. I've had one pretty much since I was 11 - cos I was way ahead of the curve back then. My latest is a Palm TX, which even though it's 4 years old, is still the latest (get me). Maybe it'll be the last handheld computer ever made that doesn't take phone calls.
It has my calendar in it, and it's a notebook, Bible and music player. It even plays games, like the one called "Stressed" where you get to hit the screen with the stylus and watch it crack. Hours of endless fun.
So if this technological marvel does everything except the washing up, tell me this: why do I keep sticking handwritten notes to the front of it? Why do I write out my "things to do this week" on bits of A5 paper? Why do I reach for my pocket NIV instead of the six versions right there in digital form? And why did I challenge the floor of Clapham Junction Station recently to a game of "Stressed" with my phone? (The phone lost.)
Because fun as technology is, there's still something quite satisfying about writing on real paper with a real pen, flicking the pages of a real book, and actually interacting with old fashioned objects. Try it sometime.
Comments
Graham says:
How do you tell the difference between when you are winning at 'Stressed' and when you have actually cracked the screen of your PDA?? :)
Comment submitted: Mon 5 Jul 2010, 1.13 pm
Sara H says:
I like your definition of PDA - my boss liked it too (I think he's distressed sometimes that I lack the 'D' ;o)
Comment submitted: Thu 8 Jul 2010, 6.05 pm