How IT became fashion
Do you remember when IT became fashion may be a question your grandchildren ask you in the future.
In the old ages, computers were a few, large, shared by several users and owned only by large corporations. Nobody would have a computer a home. That was unthinkable. As years came by, computers gradually got a smaller and they started to get more personal.
One of the first glimpses of the future came in 1984 when the first Mac was released. Dubbed as a toy by IT professionals in the beginning, but then windows, pointer and mouse became the norm for computers for decades to come.
After the internet became popular in the new millennium the adoption rate of computers in home increased dramatically. However, they still something that often was shared by many persons in a household and they had only a few individual variances.
The first mobile phones became popular among masses in early 2000's with the development of GSM-networks and Nokia became the largest handset vendor. One reason for this was that they offered the possibility to express yourself with your mobile.
Then came the modern smartphone that rapidly became the norm for a personal thing you never would leave behind. A thing you didn't need, but you wanted it and was affected to it. Like a pair of favorite jeans as a teenager or a precious ring.
Somewhere round mid 2010's, everybody in the world who could afford to buy stuff had a smartphone. I think it was at this time when IT became fashion and lifestyle, and not just for problem solving in companies.
They called it Internet Of Things and computers able to communicate became so cheap that they were used everywhere. The first wearable's went mainstream and the smart-watches gained popularity among early adopters.
In ancient times, you had one pair of clothing that you mended when it was worn out. The idea of having a wardrobe full of clothing if you were an ordinary man was as ridiculous as having a computer at home during 20th century.
The same happened to computers around that time, in 10's. They became so common that you didn't count them any longer, as little as you count pairs of socks in your drawer.
IT was not longer bought by companies to fulfill a need. Computerized things were bought by consumers because they wanted. IT had become fashion for the masses instead of tool for professionals. Brand and design matters a lot more than technical spec's.
Kids, have you seen grandpa's pocket-watch?