A recent road test in a BMW reacquainted me with the task of drawing letters on a touchpad. BMW’s version of the in-car screen system consists of a controller that you twist like a knob, shove in several directions like a joystick and press like a button. This controller is about two inches in diameter. When you use a feature that requires text input, like the navigation system, you can “write” each letter on the surface of this knob using your finger. It’s a surprisingly quick method to enter an address.
This experience got me thinking about the Palm devices I’ve owned over the years, several of which still sit in a drawer. Palm 3, Sony Clié, Palm Tungsten… I used these and other handhelds to stay organized on the go for about a decade.
The last time I used any of them was nearly a decade ago. None of them can hold a candle to my iPod Touch or iPad. But I still respect this old tech. I believe that if I were to charge these devices, they would still work.
I can’t bear to put perfectly functional electronics in recycling, even if all they do today is gather dust. But I’m unlikely to ever use these gadgets again.
What do you do with gadgets you don’t use anymore? Sell them to collectors? Dispose of them? Power them up every now and then? Am I the only person who’s conflicted like this?
Let me know in the comments below.