A number of books have often dedicated their first chapter to a narrative covering the historical aspects of wireless technology. It's a process that seemingly brings the reader up to date; a snapshot, if you like, of where we are and how far wireless technology has evolved. Nonetheless, whilst we acknowledge that wireless technology has reached a level of maturity with venture capitalists, product developers, engineers, and consumers alike, this chapter will instead focus on the changing perception of wireless technology and consider how it is fundamentally perceived by consumers. A comprehensive historical introduction to wireless technology would have certainly been relevant 20 years or so, maybe even as little as a decade, ago, but many consumers have now abandoned their cables for the transparency, simplicity, and ease of use that is often purported by advocates of the technology, making such lengthy historical introductions unnecessary.

Anyhow, wireless technology is still a relative newcomer in enabling a wealth of consumer electronic products, although its penetration isn't as pervasive as some would like. In short, we no longer need to dedicate a lengthy introduction and discussion surrounding wireless technology to explain the historical perspective of its conceptualization and ultimately its formation; nor do we need to discuss the ingenuity of the pioneers who were instrumental in paving the way for today's voice and data communication capabilities. Undoubtedly, these pioneers will never be forgotten, and will most certainly be remembered in other various guises and texts. Instead, in this chapter, we may use historical references merely to reinforce models of perception and primarily to illustrate how consumers have adopted wireless technology so comfortably. Likewise, we analyze consumers’ perceptions of the small wireless world, offering perspectives from both the consumers themselves and the consumer electronics industry. This will provide you with an insight that will enable you to form a better understanding of consumers and their ability to adapt to the new technologies that are becoming increasingly inherent in today's innovative products.