Technology changes over the years ..

As usual I am a skeptic when it comes to accessing and purchasing new technology. I adore old technology and want to fully utilise it before experiencing new technology. Though I can understand new technology and its advantages, I somehow feel the old technology should be fully utilised and exploited before we sidestep it and access better technology. I am afraid of it, but feeling of perfection, whether what it being purchased is the best in the market or are there better alternatives available, if not in this market or country, in other countries, has always bogged me a lot. 

Britannica  defines technology, as the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life or, as it is sometimes phrased, to the change and manipulation of the human environment.

Bill Gates once famously said - "We are changing the world with technology". The agonising question is are we changing it for the better ?

Refrigerators have played an important role in human society and life. Though the first refrigerator was invented by Britisher Jacob Perkins in 1838 in London, ice making machines were introduced in 1854 The first commercial refrigerator was developed by Albert MNarshall in 1889 and commercial refrigerators were mass produced by Frigidaire in 1923. 

Refrigeration slows bacterial growth. Bacteria exist everywhere in nature. They are in the soil, air, water, and the foods we eat. When they have nutrients (food), moisture, and favorable temperatures, they grow rapidly, increasing in numbers to the point where some types of bacteria can cause illness. www.usda.gov

Introduction of Freon as the refrigerant made refrigerators popular during the 1930s. Unfortunately only later the world came to know of the damage the Ozone hole inflicted on human life and how Freon was majorly responsible for this. Modern refrigerants are now ozone friendly.

It was indeed with some hesitation and scepticism that I gave away my perfectly working old design 27 year old Tata brand Voltas 300 litre refrigerator couple of weeks back to an orphanage in Tumkur. I checked up in Amazon for a replacement. My daughter suggested a 250 L capacity 2 star double door refrigerator from Samsung through Amazon. After some thought and some days dillydallying, we decided to go ahead with the purchase.

Samsung is one of the largest white goods manufacturer of the world, at #15, it is the second largest electronics manufacturer of the world after Apple. The looks of the modern refrigerator that works on digital inventor technology is killer type. At least 5 ft tall, it is very convenient to handle, open, place items and retrieve from the refrigerator.

The good thing about it was the dashing looks, compact frame. There are no exposed refrigerant tubes behind. A 2 star energy rating indicated it uses a max of about 243 electricity units (Kwh) annually, ie running expense of about INR 2000 annually. At cost of Rs 8 per unit of electrical energy, Kwh, it costs just Rs.6 a day to run this refrigerator.

The ergonomically designed handles fused into the body, the product overall design and final finish is simple superb. Being a value addict and a tough value master, unless I find great value in the purchases, I do not go ahead with them. Regarding this purchase, I am extremely satisfied. Having worked in the industry and having worked with 200 Ton industrial scale chilling plants in the tyre industry, I know this purchase of a 0.25 Ton refrigerator is chicken feed. In addition there is a 10 year warranty on the compressor and no need of an analogous voltage stabiliser.

Unlike the standard single-speed compressor, which is either off or operating at full speed (typically about 3,600rpm), the digital inverter compressor is almost always on, but can operate at different speeds – from 1,100 to 4,300rpm. This ensures high efficiency and consistent temperature inside the refrigerator. It also results in significant cost savings, a reduced carbon footprint, less noise and a longer lifespan for the compressor. The digital inverter compressor is one of the most important innovations in the history of refrigerators and food preservation and Samsung has led the way. www.samsung.com

But the extent to which Samsung has made the product extremely customer attractive and given fantastic finishes, I can only say they are doing a good job. South Koreans are no doubt, doing a satisfying job in India and they are bound to grow even further, be it mobile phones, white goods like refrigerators, washing machines or even automobiles from Hyundai. Tata recently trounced Hyundai to be the second most popular and largest automobile brand in the country.

The customer obsession in this product is extremely gratifying. The looks are extremely stunning. My friend has the same 7 year old model in his home, working perfectly fine. A big thanks to Amazon for having given a 12 % discount on the price and delivered the product without any damage in the best condition in two days. And Amazon charged me just INR 22,300/=. When I did check up with another store in my vicinity on what could competitor's refrigerators offer, I was surprised to find LG and Voltas come with equally stunning and energy saving models. 

While the variable speed rotary compressor inside the fridge is the new technology, using the ambient solar energy inside the room to power the refrigerator would be the new technology that would disrupt household refrigeration in the near future. 

Samsung from South Korea is the second large technology company of the world, standing at rank 15 in the global 500 list from Fortune mag, with revenue surpassing $200 billion and profits $22 billion.