All do most, none do all part 2

While we're at it, lets talk about gizmos, gadgets, and mobile devices, which have a similar problem as the websites I was just talking about.

It used to be that every hunk of plastic you kept in your pocket had its own purpose. The phone was the phone, the camera was the camera, the video game was the video game, the music player was the music player, the computer was the computer, etc.

But now, everything is trying to be mashed together into one everything-device, like some screwdriver I once heard about. At first, this seems like an awesome idea. I saw Star Trek too, and I love the idea of some all-purpose high tech tool that can do all the things I need. The trouble is, it doesn't work. Not quite, anyway. Like the social networking sites, each device attempts to have multiple functions, but doesn't do most of them well enough to eliminate the need for all the others.

Take the MP3 player. Theres the iThing and other dedicated devices, sure, but most phones come with players now, as does the Kindle, the PSP, and the new DS, and even a camera. Theres probably a good amount of people out there who own most of if not all of these things; do they load their playlists up on every single one? Probably not since most of these things dont even come close to the storage capacity of a real mp3 player, not to mention the ease of use.

And the camera? Again, the iPhone has one, regular phones have one, the fucking DS has two. I'll bet most people can find at least 5 digital cameras in their houses, and yet we still need REAL cameras if we want to take pictures of any quality. Same goes for the internet. Most things can connect now, but who's throwing their laptop away? Didn't think so.

Anyway, I know its a pointless rant. I know it doesnt really affect me in any way, having 3 mp3 players that I never use or 4 video game capable devices that dont have any games. But I know that a true device for all occasions will never happen if not for technology and financial restraints then for corporate competition. And I find a simple elegance in things that are designed for one function and do it well. So maybe let's leave the cameras off my new wideo game and maybe drop the price by a few bucks instead?