Gadgets and Ponies

There used to be so much hassle around a new gadget: unboxing, drooling over, taking photos of every stage of onboarding. Like getting a pet and welcoming it into your home and your family. The gadget, too, needed adaptation, adjustment to your routines, getting fed with your data and settings, fine-tuned with content and account info.

Now, the excitement is there, but faded. I’m getting a new iPhone today, waiting for the delivery in the next 30 minutes, and I don’t feel the need to take a series of photos — from the box itself to unboxing, arranging all the pieces on the table, and finally set-up-ready-to-go. As if you got something unique, not at all mass-produced at a factory in China, that a million other people already have. I used to savor my first impressions and fresh experience with a new gadget. Right now, the attitude leans towards ‘okay let’s go’ kind of mode.

A new gadget just isn’t a pony anymore.