Mobile vs Desktop/laptop

When I was presented with the abundant of statistics in about 3 and a half minutes I was overwhelmed to say the least. The common thought I had throughout the whole video was "how has that changed from the times where we only used computers". By that I mean, before mobile phones had the ability to surf the web and download applications, how were these statistics compared to before the internet. Most of the statistics were a direct reference to communication or marketing. You could say they are directly related and sometimes one and the same. But the video particularly pointed out texting, coupons, and consumption of data or "data usage". I think most of us in this class can remember when the most high tech application that a cell phone had was the "Snake" game where you directed a line of dots around your screen in order to avoid hitting yourself.  So go back to that time and what were the statistics of the average computer owner?  How much did their coupon printing increase compared to a time when you actually had to clip coupons?  How quickly did people respond to email compared to regular mail, which was utilized more?  So while I feel that these statistics and projections are completely relevant and true, I have to wonder what the next “big thing” will be. 

Even though I work in I.T. in a hospital, we are constantly getting requests for our medical software to be available through mobile devices, namely phones and tablets.  Although the functionality is less than ideal, the end users will always prefer convenience over full functionality.  What I mean by that is that if I have a piece of software that allows a doctor to view x-ray images on his computer.  He is able to measure the image and provide some diagnostic course of action.  That same doctor would prefer to have that image available on a mobile device even if he cannot take diagnostic measurements from it.  He would rather wait for a radiologist to read the image and create dictation.  But now the doctor can show his/her patient the image on a mobile device and use it as a teaching aid in the exam room.  So even though the doctor loses true functionality of the application, the convenience is more important.  So I have to agree that even if your company is not in marketing or manufacturing of a product, it is still very important to keep your finger on the pulse of technology or you will end up lagging behind and hopefully not losing your business in the process.