Time Management - Marc Mancini
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<strong>Time</strong> <strong>Management</strong><br />
• Consider buying a maintenance contract with every purchase.<br />
Be sure that it offers a temporary replacement unit<br />
if yours must go in for repairs.<br />
• Ask friends to share with you their experiences with similar<br />
devices.<br />
• Consult publications and Web sites that assess product<br />
reliability.<br />
• Try to have a backup unit or system in stock or in place<br />
in case of a breakdown.<br />
Planned—or Unplanned—Obsolescence<br />
Not too many years ago, consumers suspected that manufacturers<br />
deliberately planned for their products to become obsolete.<br />
The auto industry was a prime example. Models would<br />
capriciously change each year and automobiles would appear<br />
old within a short time.<br />
Planned obsolescence is no longer necessary. Because of<br />
the speed of technological change, things become obsolete<br />
without planning. Such quick change is most obvious in the<br />
electronics industry, where things become noticeably smaller,<br />
swifter, and more powerful within months.<br />
When you commit yourself to a new tool, do plenty of<br />
research and then ask yourself, “Will this still serve my needs<br />
and make me competitive in five years?”<br />
It will be a hard question to answer because it’s impossible<br />
to know everything that’s on the technological horizon. But the<br />
question will force you to project your needs and research the<br />
product. And articles appear constantly that attempt to predict<br />
the near and not-so-near future, so you won’t be entirely without<br />
guidance in answering the question.<br />
The Basic Hardware<br />
There are certain technological tools that almost no business<br />
can do without in today’s environment: the telephone, of course<br />
(and voice mail), the personal computer (together with software,<br />
modems, scanners, and printers), fax machines, pagers,