US's Slow Embrace of Information Technology

mattnyc99 writes "To motivate his new column, Popular Mechanics' Glenn Derene takes research data from a discussion here of his last column. He analyzes a new study released this week — revealing that fully 49 percent of Americans 'only occasionally use modern gadgetry' — to compare the rise of the PC with that of the TV and ask a big question: What keeps the most important and powerful communication tool since the telephone from being universally embraced?"

Comments

Difficult

[gambit3]

Cuz it can be difficult, frustrating, and a pain in the ass? Whereas TV consisted once of only three channels and a power button? One of my great-uncles didn't even use the power button, he's just unplug the set.

Plus, TV is completely passive. You just have to turn it on, and it entertains you. Even when it's online, a PC is not that passive and easy to use.

Re:Blame the phone companies

[metamatic]

Government 'entwined with' corporations sounds more like socialism, although you could also argue that given big corporations' lobbying power, it looks like US democracy.

Kinda depends on whether the government controls the corporations or the corporations control the government. The former tends to be called Socialism, the latter tends to be called Fascism, more properly Corporatism.

Re:Blindingly obvious

[Johnny5000]

WTF are you going to do when GWB is out of office?

Throw a party.