Hardware convergence is when devices that are traditionally used for certain tasks are adapted, to be able to do more than what they were initially designed for. Overall this is a great thing, a phone that can also send emails? Adaptations like this are perfect for tackling ever more complicated tasks.

But the effects of this convergence can have a further, but more subtle impact. As individual pieces of hardware are adapted and stretched beyond their capacity, often they become less effective at doing what they were initially intended for.

An example of this can be seen with the development of high-powered mobile phones. As they became more powerful technologically, so as to be able to tackle more advanced applications, things like battery life began to suffer. Almost defeating the point of a ‘mobile’ phone, since it had to be charged regularly. Charging time which is often spent in the vicinity of a LAN-line phone.