100112-howmanytech.jpgLaying in bed last night with my recently upgraded iPhone 5, I began to think about the technology we love and use and how quickly we churn through our tech. How many cell phones, tablets, computers, and tech in general have I gone through? It turns out my numbers are kind of shamefully high. So what's your number?

Cameras
I don't specify digital cameras, because face it, some of us grew up with cameras that actually required film (and then floppy discs) before digital cameras became the norm (and then suddenly started disappearing again as smartphone cameras started to take over with quality that was decent if not starting to be pretty darn good and always in your pocket). My very first camera was a Canon Elph that took a new-at-the-time APS film, and I proceeded to spend hundreds upon hundreds of dollars on film and processing.

While I used a lot of digital cameras owned by the companies I've worked at, my first actually owned digital camera was a Canon 300D, a digital SLR. Two years back I finally got myself a point and shoot Sony and almost immediately stopped using it in favor of my "it's in my pocket already" iPhone 4s and now the iPhone 5. So not counting crappy cellphone cameras in the past that weren't really usable for photos other than for fun, let's call it four cameras for my number.

100112_number_phones.jpgCellphones
I can remember my parents' first cell phone, one of those big Zack Morris style phones that was permanently affixed to their car. My very own cell phone came to me as I went off to college over a decade ago. Starting with a Startac (that was the first real *cool phone as I recall) and through my current iPhone 5, I can count seven cell phones for an average of one every two years. Seven seems relatively respectable — how about you?

Tablets
As of a year ago I was practically a virgin in the tablet world. Sure, I got a Nook Color, but that was really a purchase for my parents. My very first time came with an Apple iPad 2 when it went on sale shortly after the new iPad was released, and it quickly became my wife's property. A buddy sold me his Transformer Android tablet and that's been my own, yet it sits hardly used on the side table. So we'll count this as two tablets owned, even though my relationship with the Apple lasted about as long as your average middle-school romance.

Computers
Now this is going to be a high number, especially considering the expense! The number of computers I've owned (either bought or built) makes me feel like one of those guys that has to ballpark a number because I only vaguely remember some of their names. If you count laptops and desktops, the number goes through the roof. Let's just go with two dozen and stop counting while I'm ahead. They're just so cheap and easy!

So, What's Your Number? Don't be shy, share with us! There's nothing to be ashamed about! :)

(Images: Gregory Han, bvsciguy)

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