When it comes to technology in my life, I tend to utilize multiple, simple solutions that work best for me.

I try not to have anything, anyone or any single technology device for that matter, do everything I need to do.

I’m pretty slow to the table when it comes to being an early adopter. No big surprise there. I am an advocate of value when it comes to technology choices and possess zero allegiance to any single brand, company or platform. I guess you could say I have a well-rounded, hardware/software mix that when put together, serve my needs well.

You really have to define what it is you want from your devices.

Personal computers, with their market saturation, have achieved appliance status for the most part.

PCs have become pretty much now like refrigerators, washing machines and toasters: that is, when they wear out you replace them.

It wasn’t always like this of course. In the early days of pre-Pentium microprocessors like the 286 and 386, users were longing for more speed as soon as they took their rigs out of the box. Gains in chip speed came quite rapidly, though, and today computing speed has become relative.

Newer, bloated computer operating systems require the latest hardware in order to run some of the current generation software and games. For the average consumer or home user, however, it is not uncommon to hold on to PCs for several years.

These folks are content with the speed their machines provide for simple browsing, some YouTube, email, word processing and spreadsheets. Unless some new feature is required, many are quite happy staying with their machines for good stretches of time—perhaps at the most, they’ll inexpensively upgrade a graphics card here or add more memory there, to keep their machines chugging along to their satisfaction.

So basically, like a refrigerator motor that burns out, a hard drive that goes south or a CPU that fails after overheating, consumers may only then go to the appliance, I mean, electronics store, to kick the tires on the latest PC manufacturer offerings. It is perhaps at that time when repairing their old box or laptop may prove cost prohibitive.

Today I read a stat that a third of the world is now connected in some fashion, or has access to, the internet—talk about a small(er) world!

I’m pretty sure many of the less affluent regions of the world are using dial-up and even older PCs to do all this connecting, too.

The incentive to purchase the latest and greatest is not all that much, when your means, like your hardware requirements, are modest.

hittingthesweetspot occasionally touches upon the economy and how it’s doing, ahem, less than stellar.

Businesses are still not hiring, although many have instead made significant outlays in new and more modern technology.

Windows XP is being replaced with Windows 7 (my current personal desktop OS preference) in the business world, as IT departments undertake rigorous testing of proprietary software to ensure successful functionality among its end users.

iOS and Android devices are on the periphery of such deployment in that we need our mobile devices to not only work well at home and on the go, but also while we are at work, using them in conjunction with our desktop and laptop PCs.

Although I could type this blog on my iPhone 3GS, I would never dare.

I suffered an accident many years ago that necessitated reconstructive surgery of one of my thumbs. This was before mass adoption of cell phones, mobile devices and texting. The plastic surgeon that performed the surgery was very pleased with his work. It was my own self-inflicted version of being “Bobbitized.” No, there was no significant other (gasp) involved in this “severing of ties.” It was simply an accident, I wasn’t paying attention and like a lot of things in life, it just happened.

Although I digress, I must do so further, as in hindsight, this helps explain my choices as to how I directed the plastic surgeon to proceed on the day in question. Gruesomely enough, I had completely severed from in front of the thumbnail, the flesh above the upper knuckle of the thumb. I brought the severed thumb part with me to the emergency room.

My thumb “chunk” as it were, was placed in ice while we waited for the plastic surgeon. If it happened today, I would have been wondering if my texting skills would ever be the same. Back when it actually occurred, however, all I wanted was for the doc to reattach my thumb and get me back to living.

When he finally arrived on the scene, much to my chagrin, he advised foregoing attaching the thumb piece as he said I would probably not have feeling in it. What he ultimately ended up doing was simply rebuilding the remaining thumb from the knuckle up and after a good deal of molding and stitches, you really can’t tell anything’s wrong unless you look closely at the scar or I place it side by side with my longer, good thumb. And, I ended up having feeling in it to boot, so the good doctor rightly felt he did nice work for me.

I was someone who was late to the texting party. When I finally got around to trying it, I realized my bad thumb was sort of a hindrance. I really couldn’t navigate the characters as well as I could with my good thumb. But, I do it, and even if my thumb accident never happened, I don’t believe I’d like texting all that much anyway.

I need the appendages known as my fingers using a keyboard, actually an ergonomic one (love my Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000) and a nice big screen to look at everything, when I’m doing serious work.

Apple’s Siri looks like a lot of fun in the commercials with actor John Malkovich. I don’t deny it’s a wonderful tool. But I have an iPhone 3GS, remember? Siri doesn’t play there.

And so I don’t need her, but may want her, someday.

That day’s just not here yet.