Over time I’ve noticed this tendency by some journalists who marvel at bits of technology that most people have gotten used to years ago.

The following quote is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. It’s taken from the story “Yesterday takes shape with retro appeal” by Deborah Netburn of the Los Angeles Times:

“Consider the iPhone: It’s a camera, a newspaper, a video game, an alarm clock, a music player, a map and, occasionally, a phone. And yet, it doesn’t look like any of these things. Compact and plain, the iPhone most resembles a flat-screen television, or maybe the front of a microwave oven.”

Here’s what she could also say:

“Consider the iPhone: it’s a Telex that goes through the air, at least a hundred 8-track tapes that rewind and fast forward at the touch of a button, a VCR that can play remotely like over infrared, or a fax machine that allows you to send messages to your friends through electronic mail or ‘e-mail’”.