A typewriter is a computer that prints while you type and you don’t have to plug in

This tweet from the Wired Conference, taking place in London, caught our eye today as it summed up the benefits of thinking differently to everyone else.

The typewriter through the eyes of an 8yr old: “A computer that prints while you type and you don’t have to plug in.”

That eight year old has a good point. While you or I may think of a typewriter as an outmoded piece of technology, a relic of the past, this child picked out its benefits. You can use it anywhere and it includes a real-time printing feature! Sure, in a world where we’re constantly connected to each other and can share a thought with the world in a second, the benefits of a typewriter may seem slim, but there’s a real benefit to thinking of the world the way others don’t.

We recently reported on how ‘digital native’ children’s views of technology can be a valuable tool in working out new directions for technology to take. Children born surrounded by Internet-connected devices see the world the rest of us will never be able to. As Neela Sakaria, Senior Vice President of research firm Latitude said in that piece, “Digital natives allow us to see unrestrained possibilities for Web-based developments.”

The tweet above is also a reminder not to get hung up on always having the latest technology just because it’s new, and spotting the benefits of what you’ve got. That first generation iPhone may seem a little out of date, but you can still do more with it today than anyone could do with it when it was released.

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Just look at our very own Boris’ review of a new technology called ‘paper‘ which, he suggested, could replace e-readers. While this was, of course, a joke, it made an important point. While new developments might make the products of the past seem outdated, they still have uses and will live on in some form.

“Paper is clearly a fad – nice to have and something to impress your friends with. Sure, it will sell to a selected group of early adopters who will talk enthusiastically about the smell of paper and the hefty feel.”

Technology doesn’t have to die – it can find new uses.