Here, in no particular order, are three technologies I really appreciate. I admit I use the word “technology” broadly.
1. The candle
It has no moving parts (not counting the flame), and it contains its own fuel. It’s not a case of overkill. Dropping a candle might dent or break it, but the candle will still work. The light it produces is soothing.
2. The sidewalk
Again, no moving parts. It generally adds to the safety of being a pedestrian. Crack a sidewalk and it’s still a sidewalk.
3. Life
Plenty of moving parts. Quite a talent (though not unlimited) for self-healing. Predictable enough to reward those who observe and think; unpredictable enough to humble, thrill, and amuse those who observe and think.
OK, now how do most technologies stack up to these? They are frequently complicated in such a way as to make them extremely sensitive to jostling and bad inputs. Drop an iPod, and it won’t be an iPod. Leave out a tiny semicolon from that line of code, and watch the program crash.
Very few technologies are transcendent. Most are fussy.