It seems now more than ever that old technologies from not too long ago are being pushed completely out of the way. One dying technology I am interested in is that of the home phone. Only 10 years ago it was the only way for personal communication with anyone instantly in the world. But then cell phones became smaller, and the internet took off, so did e-mailing, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, texting, and I guess now- FaceTime. So many forms of instant communication we are now a forever connected society always on the go. It seems like everyone over the age of 8 now has their own cell phone and multiple social networking pages they check every minute so why bother with being tied down with a home phone?
I myself do not have a phone in my house that cannot fit in my pocket. When people ask me for a number to reach me at, I never worry that I don’t have a home phone for them to reach me at because I have a cell phone with me 24/7. Why even pay X dollars more a month for a home phone from your service provider? Is there any benefit to having a cell phone and a home phone? Just the cell phone works just fine, it has everything a home phone has – it can make and receive calls and record a voicemail. Done.
So the question we have to ask – is the home phone dead seems pretty obvious. Sure it will hold out for maybe a few more decades but eventually just as the last Pinto is rolled out, the last Cassette Tape is recorded, and the last VHS is boxed, the home phone will die out soon enough.
(Unless this is the home phone of the future – in which case, that’d be awesome.Wait, Steve Jobs… did you travel Back to the Future to come up with FaceTime?)
Hi I read your article and I don’t agree with you about the the home phone that is about to be dead.I think that it may happen in the future but in many years ahead.Here in Greece there is almost nobody that hasn’t a home phone.I’m sure that you in the U.S. are ahead in technology but I also believe that the home phone is not just a device that will die so young.