And all those gadgets have affected the way Americans live over the past 20 years, he said. We have pagers, cellular phones, cordless phones, laptop computers, the Internet, all of which make us more mobile and keep us connected. More people work at home because of computers, fax machines, answering machines and other devices. Computers get faster and more powerful, the prices get lower. It's just not true of automobiles, clothing, real estate, mortgages, you name it.
Ease of use remains a challenge, especially for computers.
Barry said PCs are easier to use than they used to be, and will continue to improve, especially to reach a wider market. But they do want e-mail or to surf the Internet. Part of the transition will be products such as WebTV, which will allow Internet access from a television without the extra costs and functions of a computer, Barry said. Some consumers are frightened by the sheer pace of change. And a lot of people don't.