By Art Gillis

It wasn’t February 4th, but I was cheering like crazy when Steve Croft presented his segment on the complexities of technology. Even though I have been earning an excellent living as a technology guy, I confess now that I never really loved its complexity, and I’m now out of the closet, thanks to 60 Minutes.

I got my first exposure to computers as a 2nd/Lt in the Air Force in 1958. My most used response to technology then was, “You gotta be kiddin’.” I’m saying the same thing today. As a member of USA TODAY’s Technology Panel, I participated in a survey on January 26, 2007. The question was, “Are you considering upgrading your TV for the occasion (Super Bowl)?”

This is how I responded:

I should tell you I have been working with information technology for the past 49 years. One important lesson I learned was to identify the need first, and then shop for the right solution. I just purchased a new TV because the old one broke. That need was clear and crisp, without emotion or bias. I didn’t want to buy a new one, I had to buy a new one.

Functionally, the new one is just like the old one, but the screen is a little larger. We’re not always glued to the TV, so as long as we can see a very clear picture and hear the sounds, the new TV does the job, it cost half the price of the old one, and I didn’t have to go to school to learn how to use it. The real test in selection was availability. We live in a shopper’s paradise, Dallas, and you’d be surprised how low inventories are. I didn’t choose my new TV, the shelf told me what to buy.

Speaking of that, in today’s news there are two stories about car manufacturers. (1) Toyota is #1, (2) Ford lost $13 billion. Yesterday I bought a new car. I tried to buy a Ford. The dealer didn’t have the exact color and interior for me to look at. They didn’t even have any 2007 brochures so I could at least read about it. I was offered a 2006 brochure and a cup of coffee. Am I in a Starbuck’s? I went to a Toyota dealer and within 48 hours I had the car of my choice down to the smallest detail. The Toyota salesman said yes to everything, or we can get it by 5:00 PM. Ford doesn’t have to hire McKinsey & Co. to figure out why the company is failing. But maybe Toyota did 40 years ago. Technology is great only if you realize that using it is the goal, not the process of getting it and making it work.