[kirse]

This stuff is all amazing and I hope I never take it for granted.

Don't get me wrong, but usually people say they don't want to "take it for granted" about something that has a high level of intrinsic value.

For example: other people, our relationships, running water, principles for living, etc...

Streaming movies and reading on our $700 iPads generally falls into the category of "useless consumerist things we could do without"

[jacquesm]

The Ipad is a consumption device, unless you've found a professional niche to employ it you probably could do without it. But for me the magic is when I'm in some foreign country sitting in a hole in the wall cafetaria and my mom calls me and doesn't even realize I'm not even on the same continent.

There is plenty of magic in all this new stuff, you just have to think for a second what life was like in the 80's (2 MHz computers and bigger stereos) to appreciate the benefits of all this stuff.