Ikea and new technology
I have to admit that I am ambivalent towards the furnishings
giant Ikea. On the one hand, there is no doubt they have great products. On the
other hand, their stuff is a pain to put together.
Having said that, their advertising is often brilliant,
bordering on the cheeky at times. Case in point: their latest “BookBook”
campaign. It’s a poke (well deserved) at the
‘nerdy-look-at-me-I’m-much-trendier-than-you’ approach of techno giants such as
Apple. In their minds, you have to have the latest gizmo or feature and they
regularly add ‘features’ that suddenly become ‘must haves’.
Ikea introduces the outrageous notion that books—yes ordinary
books—are a technological wonder. They store information, easy to share, easy
to search and bookmark, not need for plugs or wifi, and so on. And it is all
done with Ikea’s trademark sense of humour.
But it does bring about some interesting thoughts. Books,
hard copy printed materials, may just be making a comeback after too many
computer or ebook crashes, internet malfunctions, gigantic data bills and
hacking issues. And why not. Books are simple, easy to use (no manual
needed—and if you did need a manual, it would be a book!) cost efficient, found
everywhere online or in brick and mortar stores. It’s an idea whose time has
come!
Not too long ago, the techno revolution swamped the concept
of vinyl LP records in favour of compact disks which were then swamped by mp3
and itunes. The sound was said to be inferior. Now, however, vinyl is making a
comeback and it is said to be superior to CD’s and digital offerings.
The wheel is turning. It’s not just troglodytes embracing the
joy of holding a book in hand, turning the pages and revelling in a good story.
There’s hope for me yet.
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