The IT industry has seen its fair share of turmoil of late, and in many ways has been undergoing a significant shift in its business models over the years. Gargarella explained that while the market for technology products has remained the same, in the past ten years the number of IT vendors has exploded, to include Toshiba, Lenovo, HP, Asus, Acer, Samsung, Mecer and Sahara.

Another change in the IT space has been the reduction in profit margins, which has compelled PC vendors to aim for greater volumes. Gargarella elaborated that notebook prices cater to particular income groups, with more expensive PCs catering to a smaller market segment of people in a higher income group. But, making a device more affordable opens vendors up to a larger market of lower income earners. This, he continued, has made selling lower priced devices more profitable than higher priced ones, and accounted for the recent trend of seeing higher-end features, such as a Blu-ray player, in mid-range notebooks at more affordable prices.

The challenge to users

Gargarella lamented that many consumers go into a shop and use their hard earned money to buy old technology, because people don't know what the technology on offer can deliver or what value it can bring to their lives. This is exacerbated by the fact that technology is changing so quickly, with almost every month bringing new developments, as well as the fact that people are constantly bombarded with new technology to come to terms with.

He pointed out that, while many people think that any computer will allow them to do whatever they want, there existed a big difference between computers that are suitable for office and internet browsing and those geared for photography, multimedia work and video editing. "My advice to users before they go buy a new computer is to take a moment and ask themselves why they want a computer and what they want to use it for. If buyers wait one more month before making their purchase, they could save money and buy a better model," he added.

To the point

According to Gargarella, the good news is that amid the changes technology is undergoing and bringing, it is ultimately becoming more human-centric, enabling people to do more with less time and expanding their freedom.