Tools and platforms
Amongst tool aficionados one debate always rages - is it better to have a single-purpose implement that does one thing really, really well, or is better to have a tool that does many things in a small package? Sort of toolbox vs Leatherman or Swiss Army Knife.
In my plasterboarding adventures I realised that the board lifter was a perfect example of the specialist tool. It does the one job just soooo well. But I can and do use the power screwdriver for lots of different things and it’s really good. And then I realised that the screwdriver is, [drum roll], a platform. I can slot all sorts of things into the chuck and it becomes a specialist drill, screwdriver, hex key, spanner, whatever your need. It’s extensible, it has plugins.
An example - when driving plasterboard screws they tend to go through the board quite easily. So you can adjust the clutch so that it’s not so strong, but then it won’t go into the batten. So lo, you get special wallboard drill bits that have a cowl over the bit that set the screws to just the right depth. It’s a specialist wallboarding tool
So we love tools that do one job very well, but why does the combitool hold such a strong hold on us? I reckon it’s because we use it for quick fixes, the unplanned emergency maintenance job, the get-you-home bodge. And hence it has warm affection, even though we know it’s not the best job.
I’m intrigued by all this because it directly impacts mobile use. When penknives came out they were for just one thing - trimming quill pens, and over the years they have accreted extra bits for removing stones from horse hooves, laser pointers and other stuff. So mobile phones used to make and receive calls. And now they have a gazillion things that most people don’t use. (Come on Swiss Army Knife owners - have you ever use the stitching spike on your knife? I haven’t!)
So what does that make the phone’s extra functions good for? All those emergency tasks, the things that you have to do as you’ve no other tools at your disposal. And that’s exactly what we see. Good triangulation.
