Are You Going Wireless?

In the past two decades, new and improved wireless products have come out of the market. In more recent times, consumers have changed from the power cord to complete wireless control. In some cases wireless is necessary, for example the wireless cell phone. If it weren't for this invention, how would people communicate?

Now you are probably asking, so what's the point. Well, recently I had to make a choice between a wireless drill versus a cordless drill. Thinking like most consumers in 2010, I chose the wireless version. For about $60, I got a 14.4V wireless drill, 2 rechargeable batteries, and a case, not a bad deal. Wrong!

I decided I better charge both batteries the day before my project, just so I wouldn't have any problems with battery life. After drilling in a few screws, and drilling a 2 inch deep hole, it happened. The drill started to slow down, it wouldn't spin, and I was left with about 4 hours worth of work. It had only been about an hour or so and I had already lost power, so I decided to trade batteries, thinking that maybe the first one was a dud. About an hour later the same thing happened again. I couldn't believe it. I had put in two hours of work and had about 3 hours of work left, and I was astounded. I would have had to charge both batteries again, which would have take almost the rest of the day to do, so instead, I decided to go wired. I took the wireless drill back to the store that I bought it, and then bought a wired drill and a long outside extension cord that costed me about the same. I took that wired drill home and finished my outside project in less than three hours with no power loss. As a result of my ordeal, it got me thinking about wireless products in general. I started naming items that have went from wired to wireless, and listed the pros and cons of each item I could think of. Well, of course the #1 pro was convenience, but then again what about the inconvenience, which one weighs the most. Lets look at a few examples.

The wireless gaming controller. It was first introduced as a wired controller, but became a problem simply because the wire got in the way. The cost for a wired controller new is about $30 and a wireless controller is about $55. A wireless controller you have to buy batteries and they can't be cheap ones, because they will only last about a day or less. You can purchase rechargeable batteries for a little less than $10 for 4 double A batteries and constantly switch between two every few days. Or you can buy a rechargeable pack that is a battery pack attached to your controller and the a wired piece that attaches to the controller as well when it needs recharged, or a docking station you can sit your paddle on. I am not sure that the battery usage is more convenient than a wired controller that is pure simplicity, just plug it into the game system and that's it. No accessories that cost more are needed.

Wireless home and cell phones. These are both excellent ideas, because you can roam around freely and not have to stay in one particular room or designated spot. Wired phones however are less expensive, and you always know where it is. Wireless phones get stuck in couches, dropped in toilets or sinks, and must be charged or it loses power. Wireless home phones go out when the electric goes out, so you can't call anyone, bu,t a wired phone will.

After looking at the above examples, you can probably think of many pros and cons on your own. depending on which side is more convincing , will help you select your item. Just imagine in the years to come what else will change over to wireless. Eventually consumers will have drawers full of power cords, rechargeable stations and batteries that do plug into the wall socket. Counter spaces and end tables will be littered with every wireless power cord, just for consumers to make it through the day. One good thing about it all, battery company's sales will sky rocket, along with new products that recharge wireless products faster.