Actor, Writer, and Human Encyclopaedia, Stephen Fry, recently wrote on his blog, "I have never seen a SmartPhone I haven't bought". Being a fellow gadget nut I can completely relate to this sort of childish greed to have all the toys. I don't have the money to fuel such a habit, but if I did I still would remain frugal when it comes to the shiny must-haves. The reason for my conservative buying patterns is my concern for the environment; until gadgets can be sustainably consumed and disposed of I will not be adopting Stephen's approach.
Instead of a hardware junkie, I am more of an avid collector of "how-tos". I have spent years and years learning how to get the most out of computers - more powerful than any other upgrade I know of. I know Stephen sees them as objects of desire, but in my opinion gadgets are tools and true creativity comes from humans, not the machine. I have seen talented digital artists create fantastic designs using old computers. In contrast there are people who spend a fortune on the latest gear and don't have the understanding to create anything particularly special. There is probably a proverb that sums up my opinion but I can't think of one; I'm sure Stephen would be able to real off half a dozen because he has more information in his brain than Wikipedia.
Come to think of it, I have never thrown away any of my mobile phones which I have been upgrading since 2002. I just can't do it knowing that they contain lead, mercury, and other nasties, which if I put in the rubbish might end up contaminating someone's drinking water. Instead they are living in a shoebox above the washing machine for the foreseeable future. Perhaps in 10 years time, recycling technology will be able to safely dispose of these handsets - if not I'll have to start a second box and wait a bit longer.
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