Is 2017 the year where tech will become uncomfortable?

Hello dear reader!

Once more, it is time to say goodbye to another year and prepare ourselves for the next. I have a feeling that 2017 is going to be an amazing year, but before, it is time to take a little stroll down memory lane and think about what this year will mean to the tech world.

We could probably talk about this topic endlessly, there are many blog posts that highlight all the advancements and most important milestones in technology for 2016, but I’d like to take a minute to talk about what I think is a curious trend we are seeing.

When the IPhone 7 was launched in September, it was received among mixed feelings. Some people praised the plus double camera and the water resistance it promises, but Apple decided to kill the headphone jack and sell you some ridiculously expensive AirPods. As if that wasn’t enough, the headphones that come bundled with the iPhone have problems with the audio and you are forced to un plug them and plug them back in if that happens.

Moving on, when the new MacBook where released in October, we got a fancy touch strip, which apple dubbed the “magic bar” in their everlasting pursuit of finding cool names. This was a move to tell Microsoft that they had no interest in making a device like the surface which has a touch screen tablet surface with a full laptop. Not only did they do that, but also they removed the USB ports, leaving only USB type C ports and ironically, the 3.5 mm jack. This is fun, because if you buy an iPhone 7, you cannot connect the headphones to the MacBook Pro, neither can you connect the iPhone to your laptops. Bang up job Apple!

This is particularly hilarious, because Tim Cook once addressed the audience on a keynote assuring that Apple had a clear path ahead, because it wasn’t trying to make tablets into laptops and laptops into tablets. Moreover, he used an image to define the competition which you can see below.

It’s funny though, because Microsoft Surface is on the up (they are reporting record sales compared to iPad), and the switch is mainly due to discontent with the new MacBook Pro. So one can only beg to question, who is confused? We are being imposed a new standard that might be the future, but that in the present day means we have to rely on dongles and all kinds of adapters to connect our camera, USB drives or phone to our computer. It might be the future, but do we want it today?

There an amazing video, which always manages to put a smile on a face which I think sums this all up. Hope it makes you laugh too 😉

What do you think? Are you happy with how things are moving? Or are you a bit worried about where we might be heading?

After our small rumbling, I wish you a happy new year and I hope that 2017 comes packed full of everything you desire most.

Thank you very much for reading!

See you next year!