The Good vs. The Bad and the Ugly

Good Lo-Tech

Bad Hi-Tech

Datebooks, Address Books, etc.
Immediate access as long as you have the presence of mind to keep them with you
Databases and Electronic Calendars
Vulnerable to power outages and and disk crashes; it takes a long time for your computer to start up just to get a friend’s
number for a thirty-second call to an answering machine
Nice, Solid Wood Furniture
Easily repaired and looks better with age
Any Furniture from Ikea
Sure it looks sleek, but it’s often wobbly after a while, and that formica-covered pressed wood is awful to the touch
Stationery and a Nice Pen
Nothing says “I care” like a handwritten letter
Word Processors
A note to a friend should never look like a memo from the boss
A Screwdriver, a Pair of Pliers, and Gaffer’s Tape
Can be used to fix almost anything with a little imagination
Telephone Tech Support
Punching buttons to get through a complex maze only to wait and then have someone condescend to second-guess everything you’ve already tried
Incandescent Lamps and Candles
Warm and soothing
Flourescent Light Fixtures
“My, what an attractive complexion you have;” Flickers just enough to be annoying
SLR Cameras
The crappiest 35mm camera from the Salvation Army can still produce a picture with rich color and good detail as long as you hold it pretty steady
Any Affordable Digital Camera
One-tenth the quality at four times the price. Don’t even get me started
Leather, Silk, Cotton Naugahyde, Acetate, Nylon
Goosedown Fiber-Fill
Reality
Touch it, smell it, taste it, do it now
Virtual reality
Wait for it, pay for it