Power tools and the wireless revolution

We all love wireless technology. Mobile phones, the wireless mouse on your computer, easy internet anywhere in the house, a doorbell that doesn’t require endless fiddly installation. Wires and cords are a pain and doing away with them has been one of the great achievements of electronics in the last few decades.

It’s easy to forget, in this age of information superhighways and pocket-sized computers that can do almost anything, that the wireless revolution began with bigger wires- the cords on power tools. The very first cordless tools appeared as early as 1961, decades before anyone even dreamed of wireless internet and the mountain of wireless gadgets that now grace every home.

Cords get in the way. That’s pretty obvious to anyone who has tried to plug in a DVD player or a home printer. It’s even more obvious to those of us who use serious tools in demanding situations every working day. Not only are long cords a trip hazard, they are also easily damaged, time consuming to put away neatly, and generally clutter up a space that would be better off remaining clear. Cordless tools made the workshop much tidier and far more convenient. They meant it was easier to work on ladders and in confined spaces and avoid electrical, heat, and water hazards.

Now, there is a world of difference between a cordless device- one that supplies its own power- and a wireless device that receives information without any direct physical connection. Nobody could realistically claim otherwise. However, it was innovations like cordless power tools that showed the world just how much easier it was to use a piece of equipment that wasn’t attached to a fixed point with cords or wires. Next time you log on using a wifi hotspot, remember to thank your faithful cordless drill!