So the other day I talked about the way in which new media interactive technologies were entering the marketplace and how they had begun to gain acceptance in mainstream culture, but I wanted to cover a little bit of how this acceptance was made possible. Looking back at the last few years we’ve seen a lot of growth in the consolidation of business practices linking technology to uses in everyday life. These in-roads have helped to develop a core acceptance of the usefulness of this technology and newer technology has been built upon the infrastructure of the older model. So basically, building the internet and attaching it to cellular technology led to the creation of smart phones. Taking that technology model and adding functionality for Apps and Full Media Integration such as web site support, Twitter, and Youtube was another step on top of that. The next step would be to take this technology and implement it in such a way that its purpose, design, and function could enhance the users experience and give the user a greater sense of intrinsic accomplishment for having used the device. For instance using an App on ones smart phone to find a restaurant and NAV technology built into the phone to help you drive there would satisfy all three requirements. Finding a restaurant would be the purpose, the App and NAV technology would be the design, and using the NAV technology to get there satisfies the functional aspect. All on a portable device that has any number of other great uses.

Taking this and applying it to other technologies brings up some interesting ideas. For instance you could take the Microsoft Surface technology mentioned in my previous article and attach it to your XBox and Entertainment Center, thus adding purpose, design, and functionality to a previously successful and developed model. While there has been some hesitance by users to use their dumb appliance television as an internet device, a coffee table style device billed as a table top computer is more likely to be adopted by the average user; an integration of the two devices in a style reminiscent of a Nintendo DS would add another level still. The Microsoft Surface could be the interface for the game system, the television, stereo system, and even internet. It would be a new system, but built upon ideas and concepts that were already widely accepted by the mass audience. And gamers, always known for being early adopters anyway, would be the initial entry into the market.

The point is this, that people will adopt in a mass market only what they think they will use, and nothing more. While it still may take some time to reach the widest possible audience due to price and other constraints; just like home theaters, LCD screens, and plasma televisions, these type of items and other products and services like them have huge potential to catch on and become staples of the economy.