Some Computers Getting Overkill?

So, as I have stated before, I recently bought a EEE PC, and I was happy with how much I was able to do with it, especially compared to how much it cost and how small it was. During my time with my EEE PC I have spent many an hour at eeeUser.com, and I have learned a lot about my new little computer, and a lot about the people who use it.

Before I talk about that, though, I'd like to just establish one thing. You see, the standard computer user does three main tasks: Browse the internet, check email, and use standard productivity apps (As in word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation software). Now, while there are plenty of people out there (myself included) who use their computers for infinitely more, most people just deal with those three. What's really funny about all of this is that computers have been doing just that for almost two decades now, and yet people still buy computers that are better than the ones they used to use. Don't get me wrong, though, a lot of the improvements that have occurred over the years were very necessary, but certainly not for everyone.

Now, back to the EEE PC user community. A lot of people who were sharing their experiences with the EEE were saying that they had all but ditched their desktops and just started plugging their ultra-portable into a monitor, keyboard, and mouse while at home. In other words, the things they normally needed to do could be handled with an underclocked 800 mHz cpu and 512 megs of RAM.

So, why is it that so many people get technology that is much greater than they technically need? The main reason is because that's what the main players in the Personal Computer market tell them they need. For example, my wife's grandma needed a new computer a while back. Her old one had too many failing components and she needed a new computer to do taxes and check her email on. What did she end up getting? A Intel Core 2 Duo 2.6 GHz, 4 gigs of RAM, a 300 gig hard drive, along with a nifty new dedicated graphics card by ATI that would allow the pictures of her family be all the more vivid. In the end, that computer was incredibly overkill, and most people's computers are, as most people don't use their computers for anything other than surfing the web, checking their email, and running office apps.

I'm sure that you're probably wondering what my point with all of this is. I mean, doesn't the mass production and distribution of better hardware benefit everyone, especially those who will actually fully utilize that hardware? Yes, it does. And yes, hardware does become cheaper when it is bought up by a larger client base. But, my point is that with the rise of cheaper, smaller computers, both desktop and laptops, we find that people are finally starting to realize that, no matter how exponential the technology gets in its growth, the average user will probably never need to keep up with it. We have taken a long step into a world where computers are more affordable and disposable, especially because your average user will never want to upgrade components in their machine, they will just want to get rid of it.

In conclusion, don't start thinking the cheap computer craze right now is just a phase in the tech rush. With the economy how it is now, people will continue to want smaller, more portable, and more affordable stuff. Because in the end, most people just care about checking their email and surfing youtube.