Quote Originally Posted by i3igpete View Post
The thing is though, the tech sector (whether it be computers, engineering, etc) is booming now more than it ever did back then. Sure, we don't have a centralized government to put together the stuff on the shelf, but that doesn't mean technology still isn't leapfrogging itself year after year. Hell, just look at the stuff that was brand new just 5 years ago. The original iphone made everyone blow their load in 2007, and now everything about it just seems totally dated. Apple's value is about to soon outpace entire retail sectors of the US, and this huge growth isn't just limited to Apple.

Okay, but is equating a financial boom in the tech sector equivalent to a boom in advancement of technology? Apple's huge growth has been attributed to the Ipod, the Iphone, and the Ipad.

Except that they're all the same tech, more or less...and apple doesn't even make it. All the big smartphone/tablet manufacturers have their products built for them (by foxxconn, etc.) with hardware built for them (qualcomm etc.), and in some cases, a.k.a. Apple, its the same damn thing on the inside, whether its an Ipod or an Ipad...so really instead of getting new tech, we're paying thrice for the same thing.

Does this really equate with pushing the boundaries of science and technology to the same extent as we did back in the 50s and 60s? There are some that would argue that on a per capita basis, our rate of innovation is slowing, such as Jonathon Huebner http://accelerating.org/articles/Inn...erTFSC2005.pdf

Is this movement in the market towards "repackagers" as opposed to groundbreakers not a signal of a push towards playing it safe, as opposed to taking risks on new ideas and discoveries?