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The advancement made in the solid state technologies are so glaringly significant that electronic and IT devices and hardware purchased in the past couple of years could be deemed as obsolete and have since been replaced by newer improved models that are relatively cheaper, smaller and in fact with more features and capabilities. The turnover cycle of these products are getting even shorter as competitions in the industry intensified to develop and market products that promises enhanced performance to the likings of a more sophisticated customer and user base who also at the same time demand affordable and perhaps even cheaper services costs so that they could enjoy and maximize the benefits from Information and Communication Technology (IT/ICT) to the fullest extreme.

Phones
Traditional and simple fixed land line phones (POTs) are now rapidly being replaced by the likes of DECT and Cordless phones with answering machine capability, caller ID, mass phone number memory, call waiting, call barring and a lots of other advance features previously considered as luxury. Mobile phones are seeing the deployment of different technologies such as GSM, EDGE, GPRS and now 3G and beyond.

Computers
Faster and better quality computers in the form of Desktop, Laptops, PDA and tablets are flooding the market at more attractive and affordable pricing for the masses. It would not be surprising that a household in Klang Valley may own more than four (4) computers as Dad, Mom and the children demands exclusive use of their own sets. Tremendous efforts have been made by governments such as Malaysia to promote and implement the idea and concept of one home one computer usage in order increase the uptake of information and communication technology right to the rural areas and distant villages.

Television
Basic television are now considered boring and in countries such as Malaysia it is quickly replaced by satellite broadcast services such as Astro with more than 50 channels available for the ever more entertainment hungry consumers. As If this is not enough, more service providers are coming into the market with competitive alternatives taking advantage of the recently developed and improved ICT infrastructure enabling the services such as Internet TV, Video on Demand etc. In turn these causes the mass consumers the need to procure the right hardware that would enable them to subscribe to these services which require a more than basic sets of TV, Display, Audio, Setbox with capabilities of High Definition/Resolution, Interactive, 5.1 channel THX and others.

Networking
Network infrastructures are becoming essential and perhaps had been established as a norm in government institutions, varsities, business organizations and others. Against the backdrop of a broadening base of internet users worldwide and rapid convergence to IP networks for voice, data, and video, networking offers economic growth and social development; whether it be through information, e-commerce, communication/social networks, the participative web, entertainment, Web services, e-government or for critical infrastructures such as power grids, financial systems, air traffic control and intelligence systems. The deployment of alternative technologies in networking such as Ethernet, PNA, Powerline and Wireless have made it more attractive to the mass consumer to select or opt for the most appropriate system that would best suit their budget and utilization needs.

New ICT Society
It is beyond any doubt that the countries throughout the world is seeing vast and dynamic social and economic changes that are being shaped and influenced by globalization which are further fuelled by enhancement made in the Information and Communication Technology. Competitiveness of countries in facing globalization would be greatly dependent and edged by their adaptation to the dynamics of ICT evolution. As such, governments the world over are tirelessly working to quickly reform, develop and adopt more contemporary policies in their infrastructure, economic, social and education policies in the effort to turn their societies into more relevant knowledge based societies.

Practical IT Hardware for SOHO & Individuals

Mobile phones are no longer absolutely mobile phones but in addition with built in features such as megapixel cameras, music players (MP3), card memory storage capabilities, GPS and Electronic Organizers. Mobile phones usage are increasing drastically in the recent years taking over obviously from road side public phones which were said to be once cash cows to the Telcos. Basic mobile phones in turn are under treat to newer technologies such as WiFi, WiMax, DECT that enable cheaper communication services via VOIP for example.