Why Do You Like Technology / Geeky Stuff?
Posted in Random by Dan at 11:00 pm
Here we sit hunkered down in front of our computers, surfing the internet lusting after new shiny gizmos and gadgets, but what inspired our lust for silicon? We at UNEASYsilence are interested in your story on why you are attracted to all things tech. Care to explain how your technoust started in the comments?
Just because we are born in this age, doesnt mean its still unbelievable what we can do with technology now adays.
Just like you ol’ man says that 50 years ago a home computer would be OUT of this world, and never happen. Well it has happened and its just as unbeleivable.
Its the same reason we want toys as kids i guess, its hard to describe, but the fact that we love to do stuff we couldnt do before so we gotta have the toys that allow us to do it. And then we gotta do it faster! :)
It’s the smell. There’s something intoxicating about opening up the package of a fresh piece of electronics. But like all things new, the smell fades and you just have to get another fix. New Car Smell doesn’t hold a flame to shrink wrap and resistors, to fresh pressed dvd’s or the ‘never before flipped’ user guide.
When I was four years old, my uncle, an electrical engineer, passed away. I wasn’t entirely aware of the connection at the time, but my family inherited his computer (I wish I still had the details…all I knew was that it ran on DOS). I would spend hours and hours playing the only two games I had for the system: Sesame Street, and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego.
I think that experience of getting on the computer at so young really influenced me. From there I got my first Windows box (95!), got decent with that, and figured out how to fix the stuff I broke. Process repeats for over a decade, and here I am.
Computers really have been available to me my entire life, and I can honestly say that I’ve spent years of accumulated time in front of monitors. So, really, I guess I can thank my deceased uncle for my passion for technology.
I like new things in general. I like spending money…. it’s sad and true. I like having cool stuff and cool stuff that looks cool is even cooler!
@Cynic
word.
Whoa, never thought to question myself this though. But I was addicted after I wonder about HTML back in mid 90′, then I start to get more and more source of gadget and getting myself into the tech world.
I don’t spend a lot on gadget, but I went for testing at friends or demo at shops.
You can do so much with computers now a days that the newer and better they are, the more your life will be simpler. Plus I was always in awe ever since my sister got her first Windows 95 long ago…(too bad I spilled soda on it..)
I suck at everything else.
Because I am a curious person by nature. As a kid, I was the one who always took my toys apart to find out how they worked. Now that I am older, I still have that same burning curiosity…except my toys cost a lot more, so I while I don’t always take them apart, I am still trying to push the envelope in what my toys will do.
I think that 99% of the people who read this site are exactly the same way.
“I suck at everything else”
Haha me too! I suck at handcrafts, theater or even instructables.
As a kid, I also took apart my toys to see what the hell was going on inside and I just loved to see them working without the shell.
My first PC had just 8 mb in ram (don’t remember how much capacity did the HDD have) and it ran Windows 95, oh oh! and it had a turbo button (yeah remember the turbo button?).
I loved to go to radioshack just to buy soldering kits or just some leds and batteries to make throwies. I got my first mac when I was 14, it was an ibook and boy, I’m totally not turning back to windowz, never.
Mr. J. Labombard’s comment above is generally on the right track. It’s part of our insane Consumerism culture to always desire the latest gadgets and trendy toys. Especially if we get a good bargain on them! One of the online tech bargain guide sites has the motto “How to go broke saving money” which is absolutely on-target.
That being said, I just love tinkering with computers, seeing if I can put together something cool and different and fun. And helping others with less tech experience also gives me a lot of personal reward.
Turbo! Hell Yeah.
I remember being quite young, about 8, when we got our first PC, running 95. Had 5GB HDD by the end, which I think might have been upgraded. Ran maximum RAM at 24mb and was a P1.
I can still remember so many things about getting the PC so vividly. My dad opening his post in bed, and one of them being the check which he would buy the PC with. The envelope of cash that was taken out of the bank the day before the computer was bought. Helping unload the PC from my dads car.
He stayed up all night, setting it up and installing everything…and i’m not much different when I get a new PC…You’ve all been there!
All these things come together to make me into the tech nerd that I am today, but i think the most defining moment, and one of my fondest memories is about a year after having the PC, it needed formatting, and Windows reinstalling, and my dad talked me through doing all of it, and I sat there for hours, waiting to put each new floppy disk in, and having that sense of achievement when it was complete.
I blame (owe) my dad. He started to teach me, around 7 or 8 yrs old, when he realized I was interested enough to be dangerous. Wonderful bonding moments since. And now I just find tinkering fun and technology beautiful.