Underdressed in Silicon Valley

I try, but can’t compete in the capitol of tech fashion.

Published: March, 2006

In NYC, my home, the immigrants who arrived thought that they’d find streets paved with gold. In Silicon Valley an immigrant expects to find state of the art high tech gear. Unlike their NY counterparts, they’re usually not disappointed. Every trip I make into the Valley, despite my best high tech efforts leaves me feeling technologically underdressed.

By the time my plane taxied in from the runaway a half dozen Treo 700w’s were already working overtime. Those who

Wrigley or iPod: Side by Side in a Silicon Valley Vending Machine
found the Treos too bulky seemed to gravitate towards the Razr route. My stubby looking T/Mobile 7100 Blackberry seemed like the clumsy farm boy.

Making matters worse are my own eccentricities. I carry a rapidly aging Compaq iPaq because I like the way it synchronizes with Outlook’s calendar better than my phone. So, you’ll often see me with two devices in hand — one to talk, the other to enter contact and calendar info. To the untrained eye using 2 deviecs at one time scores extra geek points on the multitasking scale. But the Valley-ers see right through it. They know that I’m a technologically underdressed immigrant.

How cool is the Valley? So cool that my hotel the vending machine in my hotel dispensed iPod nanos, noise cancellation headsets and routers right next to the chewing gum and candy bars. My old iPod classic was looking kind of shabby next to the nano but somehow I couldn’t bring myself to pull the lever. That said, I’m thinking of finding “rent-an-image.com” for my next Valley trip just so I don’t stick out like a tech sore thumb.

Silicon Valley Candy