I have always been interested in computers, and would find myself hanging out with the Computer Science students instead of the Aviation Management or Business Management students I was a part of. At home and at work I have been largely self-teaching myself using computers starting with Excel and Access with VBA through ASP and SQL at work. Thankfully my current employer values education, and so I have been taking classes and not only learning the technology, but un-learning what I have been doing wrong over the years. At home, though, I have been teaching myself Linux, system administration, networking and the overall method of migrating our system from Windows to Linux. I am involved in the Danbury Area Computer Society (DACS.org) I have the opportunity to take what I've learned the hard way and hopefully help others.. I have been enjoying Open Source for a while now, and I am hoping to get a better understanding of the entire model and application.
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I say laptop, in part because I am one of the few that don't have a smartphone yet.
Although with the recent power-outage from Sandy I do see the benefit of a smartphone in those scenarios. My chromebook includes free 3G (until January) so that became one point of contact to the outside world.
So if I had a smartphone, I suspect I would select that.
Ultimately, though, either means is to what I am even more thankful for: the Internet. :)
I like it. I'll have to see about using it the next time I am in this sort of a situation (which is, unfortunately, too often).
I would say the vast majority of people don't want ot bother opening the hood, or caring how a car works. If it doesn't work (or the "check Engine" light goes on) they take it to a mechanic and expect it to be done.
Yet food is something everybody knows, and most people have some understanding about putting things together, using an oven or stove or grill, and somehow it comes out as something to eat. Heck, even making a sandwich is related.
So I think people will relate more to cooking or baking than to car mechanics.