Technology has a linear and a
lateral way of evolving – but what if the two paths cross each
other?
AD: Hey, long time!
BC: Was sick for over a fortnight –
the doctors couldn’t find out what the problem was. What’s the
point with all this technology…
AD: Ah, I knew that was coming… why
blame your illness on technology?
BC: No I’m not. But I had enough time
to think of the two-pronged manner in which technology is unravelling
and…
AD: Two-pronged?
BC: That’s right – give me an
example of technology in our lives…
AD: Television?
BC: Er,
ok. There are two groups that are constantly trying to outdo
each other in taking television to the next level. The first group is
trying to make the TV smarter, sleeker, flatter, smaller and more
innovative, like HD TV, 3D TV, etc. This is what I call a linear
extension to the product – in other words, it’s evolution along a
straight line.
AD: And the other group?
BC: The other group employs lateral
techniques. For starters, it begins with a key question – why does
one need a television to watch TV? So it makes the TV redundant by
porting the application onto another device, like the computer.
AD: So what wins, linear or lateral?
BC: That depends on whichever is the
more convenient of the two. You can’t beat watching TV the
conventional way, so the excitement of 3G on mobiles or on the
computer has not affected the regular 29” at home. Having said
that, the computer has made quite a few things redundant…
AD: Yes, table top calendars, clocks…
even music.
BC: Absolutely! Ever since the computer
arrived with a CD drive, people stopped buying CD players. Everyone
began to listen to music and even watch movies on their computers…
AD: Then came Napster and mp3 - soon,
even CD drives and audio CDs were made redundant. People could just
download their favourite music for a nominal fee or for free!
BC: So the ‘lateral’ group has been
at work, displacing regular audio systems, huh?
AD: It looked like that for a while,
but Apple brought the linear thinkers right back on track with its
iPods – a natural extension of Sony’s Walkman and the Discman…
BC: What about listening to music on
your mobile? That’s as popular as iPod music, isn’t it?
AD: Agreed, mobile downloads are so
popular that cellular services companies are making more on music
than music label companies are…
BC: One of the most important things
that the mobile phone has successfully displaced is…
AD: …the wristwatch?
BC: Absolutely! And the…
AD: …alarm clock.
BC: Correct! Another industry that’s
been hard-hit by mobiles is the camera industry. First, digital
cameras virtually brought the shutters down on traditional film
rolls. Then they became a prominent feature in mobile phones - and
suddenly, cameras went out of focus…
AD: Come to think of it, when was the
last time you saw a good old-fashioned photo album? It’s all online
now…
BC: I don’t mind web albums, but
nothing will replace my good, old-fashioned books…
AD: Well, e-book readers are already
here…
BC: Sorry, let me continue being an
eccentric book reader than an electronic book reader.
AD: So, is it being a case of linearly
lateral or laterally linear?
BC: As long as it doesn’t make me
literally loony, I’ll just go with the flow…
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