Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Oversupply

It seems like yesterday that I asked my most Apple-savvy friend to help me order our first iPad as a surprise for my wife.  He had waxed poetic about the device and showed me statistics that it had sold more units, at a fairly high price, in less time than any other product in the history of business. 


About 30 years ago, I went through all sorts of contortions deciding whether an Apple IIe or an IBM PC was to be our first home computer.  I finally decided on the Apple, as my friend assured me that I was already behind and should have followed his example and purchased this weird contraption called a "Mac".

 

But some checking this morning showed me that it wasn't yesterday at all.  It was close to three years ago. Even without checking, I do know that the iPad is the most recent computing/communication device added to our lives so when I realized that it has gone through several upgrades and modifications, I notice.  For Christmas, I gave the same wife an iPad Air, which meant that her original iPad was not needed.  It was surplus.  It is still a fine machine and she gave it to some relatives who can make good use of it.

 

But that event brought up something that I have been seeing more and more signals about.  I think of the phenomenon under the heading "oversupply".  Having our newest gadget become surplus was just another marker in various fields of oversupply, extra, surplus stuff.

 

I read that the Swiss are considering a guaranteed annual income of $33,600 a year but I can't find when they will make the decision.  I am very surprised to find that there are similar ideas floating in India, Brazil and Namibia.  I am even more surprised that at least in some places both liberals and conservatives can be found in support of the idea.  Liberals tend to think such an arrangement will help the poor while some, I repeat, some, conservatives think it might lower the cost and complexity of government.  The idea seems to be related to the emerging notion that more and more jobs will be done by robots, leaving less and less for humans to do.


The situation might move to where your parents let you know that they really don't want the house in the Amazon rainforest anymore and are wondering if you and your family would like to have it.  Same with that one yacht they have kept in the South Seas.  They really aren't using it and are thinking of giving it and the funds to operate it and support its crew to your brother.  It is a shame to let it go to waste.


Surplus can be tricky.  An older computer or an older yacht, might in this time of strenuous innovation, lack the latest features and include an outmoded design that is no longer used because it is too harmful or wasteful or dangerous. 


--
Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety



--
Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety


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