The telegram was the easiest and the fastest means of communication in the nineteenth century. In 1937, Samuel F.B. Morse received a patent for an electrical telegraph, from which he developed a user-friendly machine with the help of other scientists. The telegraph allowed messages to reach recipients promptly with minimal costs. Even though Morse faced difficulties in accessing funds so that he could send his first telegram, he continued improving his machine until he received funds from the Congress.
In 1844, Morse sent his first message “What hath God Wrought”, which was a quote from the bible. According to Robert Alwan, Morse’s telegraph system grew at a high rate over the next decade. In 1857, the Western Union Company, which was to cater for telegram services emerged, but was later, replaced by the email service due to competition, and in 2006 it sent its last telegram.
New Technology
I received an iPad from my dad on 4 June 2012 as a gift. That was the first time I used an iPad. I was very excited and any other scheduled activity came to a standstill as I focused my attention on the iPad partly because of curiosity and partly because of the desire to learn the operations of the gadget. Time went by so fast yet I needed to learn the operations of the iPad on the same day. I felt loved and appreciated considering that an iPad is not every other kid’s gift. It was one of the happiest moments of my life.
The iPad marked a complete departure from the desktop computer just as the telegraph marked a departure from the telegram. The iPad, just as Tama in the “Telegram” says, is “user-friendly” and is fast becoming a world standard. First, the iPad was portable and as such, I could do my work from any location. The desktop computer was cumbersome and presented difficulties in carrying it around and one had to work from its location. I could carry my iPad to school and carry out my routines like checking emails while still at school yet a desktop computer demanded that I had to go home in order to check my mails, and connect with friends on social networks.
Secondly, one had to be plug in a desktop computer into electricity to work on it while an iPad stored its own charge for many hours. Briefly, the iPad was a portable and convenient piece of technology. However, the iPad proved quite low. One can only operate one program at a time unlike the desktop computer, which has an allowance for multi-tasking. Overall, the iPad remained better than the desktop computer. The iPad allows for taking of pictures and since it is portable, it is easy to use it in functions and expenditure. It is possible to post such pictures into social networks directly from the iPad. However, concerning keyboard, iPad presents some challenges for someone who is used to a physical keyboard, as it does not have a physical keyboard. Also, the iPad does not allow installation of more programs.
Email replaced sending letters by post the same way the telegraph replaced the telegram. In a way, just as Tama in the “Telegram” said of the telegraph, email is a “wired” version of letters sent by post. The world is electrically connected. People used to write letters before bringing them to the nearest post office where affixing of postage stamps took place before such letters reached the intended recipients through road or air.
It was such a tedious activity laden with uncertainty because letters failed to reach intended recipients in some cases. With the introduction of emails, I needed to stop sending letters through posts since emails were real time and all that one needed to be a computer connected to the internet to operate an email account. The level of certainty concerning emails rated highly compared to letters sent by post. Also, email grants a user the chance to edit the letter before sending without necessarily making the final draft dirty. Email is computer-based, and therefore, the basics of smart editing still apply. There are different templates available for the user to customize any letter as per their wish.
Previously, one had to be keen not do make mistakes while writing and at times involved coming up with a draft before writing the final letter. In case the email does not reach the intended recipient, the sender is notified immediately while letters sent by post meant waiting for days to ascertain if the letter got to its destination or not. Technology has incorporated cellular phone applications making it possible to access emails through such phones. In addition, it is possible to receive alerts through cellular phones whenever a new mail gets into the inbox.
Conclusion
Technology is dynamic and therefore, clinging to obsolete technology might lead to lagging behind in news as well as encountering inconveniences in the day-to-day life. Everyone must be willing to change along with technology by embracing what it has to offer each new day. Obsolete technology causes people to lag behind economically, socially and politically. Technology is necessary to update an individual on the happenings all over the world.