Here’s a question for you – what makes something become “cool tech” in the BlogIdol sense of the word?

Do some or all of these choices fit the model for Cool Tech:

  • Brand new and pretty ?
  • Neat functions, even if only games ?
  • Over-hyped in the press ?
  • Made by Apple ?
  • Inexpensive and readily available ?

I’ve been coming to the conclusion lately that a whole different set of “abilities” might be a better (although more conservative) definition for coolness.  This includes:

  1. CapABILITY – it actually does what it was supposed to do
  2. CompatABILITY – it works with lots of other software and systems and components
  3. ExpandABILITY – it can grow bigger and better without being totally replaced
  4. ManageABILITY – it can easily be set up, configured, attached, diagnosed, etc.
  5. IntegratABILITY – it works well with all the other cool tech things out there
  6. ReliABILITY – it doesn’t break physically and the software doesn’t fall apart
  7. AvailABILITY – of course, but also availability of support and assistance
  8. RepairABILITY – can be fixed without being sent away for 6 months
  9. UseABILITY – you don’t need a “personal IT geek” to help you use it

I’m sure there are more of these abilities, but you get the idea.   (Provide more in your comments!)

So, here’s a coupe of personal examples:

I recently installed a clean copy of Windows 7 on my home desktop (several years old, was running XP) because I had 2 separate disks die so I had to re-install the OS in any case.  Since then I have been getting frequent Blue Screens – I have checked drivers, etc. but still things seems to be flaky.  A quick search on the Internet shows lots of others having similar difficulties.  A definite lack of the ABILITIES.

I currently have Outlook for my desktop contact list, and I try to synchronize this with both my Blackberry  and, via Apple MobileMe, with my iPhone.  In addition, I have also tried to link my contact lists in Facebook and LinkedIn with Outlook.  Sum total is that I now have many copies of everyone in each of my lists.  I have many alerts for people’s birthdays in each of my “cool tech” devices.

These aren’t trivial things to fix, and certainly not for people who like to think of “cool tech” as being like a toaster or a toothbrush – always there, always working, and always easy to use properly.

So, what do you think?  Is “cool tech” just the latest iPAD, Netbook, Smartphone and MP3 player, or is it all of those things but only when they also exhibit exemplary ABILITIES ?