Discuss the following statement. Before the advent of computers, the telephone was regarded as the most significant invention.

There are many different points of view on what should be regarded as the most significant invention before the computer. Let us look at the phone in terms of a time­saving device and as a catalyst in the development of modern telecommunications.

Firstly

, long-distance communication constitutes a substantial

as well as

an indispensable part of the daily activities of modern man.

For example

, the time, and

therefore

money, saved by any business, irrespective of type or size, by using an effective telephone system is simply incalculable. From the housewife on a lonely farm in the Australian Outback to the greatest government, from workers and students to tycoons, all of us would get a great deal less done if not for the simple telephone.

Secondly

, except for the wheel, the telephone, more than any other invention ever in history, has served as a catalyst for the development of an array of devices.

For instance

, the greatest phenomenon of all time, the internet, came about

as a result

of service providers using telephones to connect with each other.

In addition

, new technology will soon result in videophones becoming a common piece of equipment in modern society.

Lastly

, the mobile phone, to name but one, has led to the birth of a number of complete industries, generating unprecedented wealth and in the process providing a livelihood for millions. Because those tiny instruments are now taken for granted, we seldom realize the significance of what Mr Bell did.

To conclude

, the phone is undoubtedly the most significant invention before the computer.