Confessions of a Newb

March 25th, 2010

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So I finally joined this generation and bought a smartphone, an Android to be exact. To be honest with you, I was overwhelmed at first and semi-hated it for a few minutes. Yes, I know I should be judged and made fun of for making that type of outlandish statement. How can I work for a tech start-up and be afraid of technology?

I couldn’t help it though. I went from a phone with a decent touch-pad and ugly browser (too horrific to use) to a mini computer in my purse. I had convinced myself that all I needed was a phone to text and make phone-calls. Nothing more or less. I was in denial and this made me reminisce about the days of little me. It was then that I had my ‘a-ha’ moment.

Growing up, I was one of the last kids in my class to have a computer and type on a keyboard instead of a typewriter… yes, a typewriter. Posterboard presentations had to be hand-drawn and centered with the use of a good ol’ ruler, pencil, pen and some markers to make the text and pictures stand out.

The rest of my classmates would print all their pictures, text and designs on their huge computer printers that took a minute or more to spit out a page but hey, they were still ahead of the game. I was cool though. I was keeping it real, a geek nonetheless but keeping it real.

*I use this word because it was not cool to be a geek back then.

Back then I had no other choice really, but honestly I’m glad it turned out that way. Am I still figuring out my phone? Yes. Do I still get lost with some of the features? Yes I do. But I get a real kick because I can use a 5 megapixel camera with a flash and then upload the image to friends via email or social network. I can Google nail salons or Mexican restaurants with the best ceviche or carne asada plates, and then receive turn by turn directions.

I get a kick out of that, the ‘simple things’ that most of us have enjoyed for so long, I swoon over. And because I get so excited, I decide to play even more with my new toy. I’m confident that I will figure it out – slowly but surely.

All in all, whether you grew up around computers or just recently discovered what a tweet is, it’s good to remain open-minded and a bit picky. Maybe you’ve tried a piece of new or semi-new technology, and you’ve decided that you hate it. So you’ve shun away from anything innovative because of your bad experience or because it was too confusing. Before you decide retreat back to the 1990’s, STOP! Don’t let your bad experience with one gadget or service taint you. Drop that one piece of service that made you frustrated and move on. Your favorite gadget or new piece of technology is out there and will create grins of satisfaction and a few ‘a-ha’ moments, so keep exploring.

Keep that mind-set open. Those worth-while companies that make good tech products and services will only make them even better so don’t miss out. Be part of Beta versions, invite codes and commentary – you may surprise yourself in a good way. Tap into your inner geek even if you are quick to dismiss or just keeping it real. Tap into those personas. From one scary-cat to the next, I promise you won’t regret venturing out.

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Tagged with: gadgets, new technology

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