"American Technology resembles that of a developing nation"

[Il Duce]

http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/...lessons_1.html

From some dude who is living out of country

As an American who has lived abroad for a decade, going back to the U.S. is a mixed blessing.

The bagels are better, the Chinese food is terrible, and for the most part, the technology is entirely third world. That's right. Technology in the U.S., perhaps excluding Silicon Valley, is like that of a developing nation.
Let's try some examples. At Beijing's Capital Airport, you can buy a local SIM card for your mobile phone before you even go through border formalities. You land, you buy a card, you're connected before they've even admitted you into the country.


In March, the fine people at Cingular Wireless refused to take my money. Refused. They would not sell me a prepaid SIM card. "No, take your money away, we don't want your business." I'm not kidding. During my last three trips to the U.S. over the past six months, every single time I failed to find a mobile provider who would offer me a prepaid, local number.
Need to get online in China, at least in a major city? No problem. The local state-run ISPs (Internet service providers) have numbers to which you dial up, use a common username and password, and then surcharge the local call. They require no registration, no monthly fees, nothing. Dial up, log in, and you're connected. In the U.S., I'm stuck with AOL. It's not too bad because as long as I cancel the trial before I leave, it's free. But it's only dial-up.


Unlike major cities in China, wireless Internet in the U.S. is rarely free. In China, it's almost always free, except at Starbucks. Lists of hotspots such as http://www.chinapulse.com/wifi/ can be checked ahead of time or once on the ground, and failing that, a bit of "war driving" or parking in a major office building will usually find a free network to which you can connect.
During a flight delay (yet another hallmark of a developing nation) en route to Boston, I had absolutely no way to connect to the Internet. Newark International Airport chose to outsource its hotspot services to a third party, which only facilitates connection to subscription wireless services. The pop-up window for their short-term option didn't work. Where am I?
A call I made during the same delay cost me US$10.00. $10.00 for a three-minute call to Gloucester, Massachusetts? Where am I?
More and more, I look forward to my return to Beijing. At home I have broadband that costs me US$149 per year. My mobile works swimmingly, even if it's only a prepaid account. I can carry on working at any number of wi-fi enabled restaurants and cafes throughout the city. I can't say any of these things for my recent visits to Massachusetts, New Jersey, or New York.


China may be officially communist, but it seems their capitalist American competitors have forgotten the basic rules of the game: generate revenue. American companies now want to have a relationship with every one of their customers. What if I'm not looking for a serious relationship, but instead just want quick connectivity?


If American technology companies intend to compete long-term with China, then clearly they need some Chinese lessons about how to do business. Turning away customers who are prepared to buy products or services isn't one of them. It'll be good to be home.

I know this article is a bit out of date, but I don't think the argument has changed too much over the course of half a year. What do you guys think about this? This guys is obviously a tad on the radical side of the issue comparing it to a developing nation, but he brings up an interesting point.

[Kretchfoop]

http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/...lessons_1.html

From some dude who is living out of country



I know this article is a bit out of date, but I don't think the argument has changed too much over the course of half a year. What do you guys think about this? This guys is obviously a tad on the radical side of the issue comparing it to a developing nation, but he brings up an interesting point.

Well I've never been outside of the country except to Canada, so I can't really comment. But what does it have to do with technology? It appears to be more of a difference in culture and business practices then any sort of technological shortcoming. Saying the US has third world technology because prepaid phones aren't common seems a off-base.

[Erik]

Saying the US has third world technology because prepaid phones aren't common seems a off-base.

Agreed.
I've been to the 3rd world and I can safely say: internet and mobile phone (card) are widely available there.
As long as you are in a major city at least.

Judging by this article America has dropped far behind the 3rd world.

But we do have some of the most advanced military technology in the world. I dont see a third world country like somoila or Kenya with uav and bombs that cost $500,000 equiped to their multi-million dollar jets. So it is the airports, not the country thats third world because the United Staes is certainly 1st world.

Yes, America just choose to spend all their money on military equipment instead of public services.
Doesn't mean that America is less advanced, they just prefer to drop a $500.000 bomb instead of building a $500.000 internet server.

The reason you can get free wireless internet in Chinese cities is probably because they are government funded/sponsored.
I believe socialist France has done the same in Paris.
And the Dutch government funded internet backbone is much faster and cheaper to use than any American network.

America is much more capitalists, so phone and internet companies are free to do business however they think they can maximize profit.
And by not offering pre-paid at airports they probably make a lot more money by forcing desperate people into taking a full subscription.

[Kretchfoop]

Agreed.
I've been to the 3rd world and I can safely say: internet and mobile phone (card) are widely available there.
As long as you are in a major city at least.

Judging by this article America has dropped far behind the 3rd world.

...

Heh. Nice little turn around.

Most Americans have cellular service with a handful of major national carriers. Many get free long distance and national coverage with no roaming fees. Why would they want to buy prepaid phone cards when they can just use the one they got. There simply isn't the demand for such a thing here. If there was, there is no doubt in my mind some enterprising person/company would exploit it.

The author does have a few interesting points. But overall it just seems that he is throwing a fit because he likes how certain services are handled in China and wants them like that here.

[Erik]

Heh. Nice little turn around.

Thanks

Most Americans have cellular service with a handful of major national carriers. Many get free long distance and national coverage with no roaming fees.

This is about tourists and businessmen from outside the US who have to pay roaming fees when they are in the US.

And those fees can be high:
For me it's 95 euro-cents per minute in Western Europe or the US, and 1.95 in other non-European countries like China for example.

So buying a pre-paid card for the country you are in can safe you a lot of money, and the minute you arrive at the airport you might already want to call a friend to come pick you up, or call your hotel that your delayed or something.

But this all makes sense from a capitalistic p.o.v.: the more money I waste on roaming fees the more money phone companies make.

[Scarecrow]

Thanks
But this all makes sense from a capitalistic p.o.v.: the more money I waste on roaming fees the more money phone companies make.

Very true. See the US has the technolagy, we (our government) just chosses not to use it. lol

[Last Roman]

so it's not the technology is out of date, it's the companies. Well, even then, it's not really that they're out of date, just that they squeeze out every nickel and dime.

[Il Duce]

Technology
–noun
1. the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment, drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied science, and pure science.
2. the terminology of an art, science, etc.; technical nomenclature.
3. a technological process, invention, method, or the like.
4. the sum of the ways in which social groups provide themselves with the material objects of their civilization.

Just so people don't get confused

[Last Roman]

4.the sum of the ways in which social groups provide themselves with the material objects of their civilization.

I suppose if we go by this definition, then ya. Though I still wouldn't compare the US' technological capabilities to that of Mexico or some other developing nation.

[Il Duce]

I suppose if we go by this definition, then ya. Though I still wouldn't compare the US' technological capabilities to that of Mexico or some other developing nation.

Yeah, that's why I said the dude is kind of on the radical side of the argument. You obviously can't make a comparison between America and say, Mongolia, but some officially developing countries (China, even though Eastern China is the most productive area in the world) might have superior "technology" (used loosely).

[Kretchfoop]

Yeah, that's why I said the dude is kind of on the radical side of the argument. You obviously can't make a comparison between America and say, Mongolia, but some officially developing countries (China, even though Eastern China is the most productive area in the world) might have superior "technology" (used loosely).

Yeah I guess if you really loosely use the term you could say the technology is inferior. But really it's not like the American companies can't do that stuff. It's just that for whatever reason they don't. I mean just cause this guy wants to buy prepaid phone cards and stuff doesn't mean that enough other people also want it so it can be worth a companies time. It appears to me that it's mostly just a difference in business models, neither of which is really better or worse.

[RusskiSoldat]

Cheaper internet access=/=massive technological advantage

[Il Duce]

Cheaper internet access=/=massive technological advantage

Duh. And don't forget how much 3 minute calls to Gloucester cost in the US too.

I put the title in quotes because I think the way the guy presented the issue was outrageous, but the actual topic does have good arguments going for it both ways

[DariusEG]

Duh. And don't forget how much 3 minute calls to Gloucester cost in the US too.

http://www.allfreecalls.net/

Free international calls for all calls originating from the U.S., I use it all the time.

Call quality is not always great, but so is bad cell phone connection. Sometimes it will cut me off. But I was always able to call right back. Much better then some phone card we used in either quality or reliability.

[Scarecrow]

well that may be the truth but, it is our airports that dont allow it. Some terrorist might get off the plane and make a make-shift bomb out of it (very unlikely). But we do have some of the most advanced military technology in the world. I dont see a third world country like somoila or Kenya with uav and bombs that cost $500,000 equiped to their multi-million dollar jets. So it is the airports, not the country thats third world because the United Staes is certainly 1st world.

[RusskiSoldat]

The explanation is quite simple: there is no significant profit to be made off this.
While China is a fairly recently liberalized country, and as such small scale businesses tend to pop up everywhere, American amenities are owned by one large corporation or another most of the time.

[greek302]

Lol, thats the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Not only do we lead in computers...(Intel, AMD, Microsoft, Mac, Maxtor, Google, Yahoo, The internet, Just about everything to do with computers). We also lead in Medicine, Medical equipment, Biochemistry, and genetic engineering + just about every other tech enterprise. This guy is right in some respects, we are falling behind..but were still ontop. We also have the cheapest internet acess...not to mension best cell phone coverage of any country.

[DariusEG]

Just thought about it. May not be about technology, but there is one thing for sure we are not on top anymore (recently), our education.

[greek302]

I agree, I am beating that though by communting to Canada to be educated...our education problems will work themselves out eventualy though.

[boofhead]

Yeah, NASA and Stealth fighter and bomber aircraft are almost stone-age.