When it comes to technology, Churchtown resident Jordan Lockhart goes by the adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".
"Basically, if it works, I keep it," said Lockhart, 16. "Unless I have to update, usually I don't."
Lockhart noted that she had to update her cell phone last year because her old one broke.
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ASHLEY HILL The Marietta Times
Reno resident Sabrinna McAtee, 20, uses her cell phone Tuesday. She said she doesn’t try to keep up with the latest technology because it’s too cos
It seems the world of technology is constantly changing and keeping up can be quite costly, which is why some people, like Lockhart, don't even try.
According to frugal-living-freedom.com, money can be saved when a person replaces technology only when they need to, rather than replacing it just to have the latest version. This applies to not only cell phones, but computers, printers, copiers, fax machines, stereos, alarm clocks, microwaves and other electronics.
Cell phones, though, seem to be the things that become outdated the fastest. According to an article on money.cnn.com, cell phone manufacturing cycles are getting shorter, with smart phones spending only six to nine months on the market.
For example, the Motorola Droid went on sale in November 2009 and by January 2010, the twice-as-fast Nexus One hit store shelves. The HTC Droid Incredible followed closely behind, hitting the market in April. The Evo 4G was released in June, and later that same month, the Samsung Galaxy S went on sale.
CNNMoney has dubbed the trend "Android's Law" because Android - an open-source, free-to-license operating system - gives device manufacturers the ability to load ready-made software onto their phones rather than paying for the creation of a proprietary operating system.
It used to take much longer to design the components for a phone, the article says, and manufacturers would leave them on the market longer in an effort to make back their investment.
Analysts believe that while things will never go back to the way they were, customers' inability to absorb products so quickly will result in the market cycle ceasing to shorten.
Vincent resident Samuel Greenlee, 17, said "for the most part", he tries to keep up with technology.
"It's just cool to have something new - all the different abilities the phones and stuff have," he said.
Greenlee added that he has a Nintendo Wii video game system, but he's not as concerned about keeping up with the latest video games.
"I just wait until they get on sale," he said.
The Wii was released in November 2006, with a price tag of $249.99. Initially, the console was available only in white. Now it's available in white, black or red and costs $199. There are hundreds of games available for the system.
