TO EACH IT'S OWN
Every once in a while you read something and you hit your head saying "Of course!! That's a great solution...now WHY didn't I think of that??"
I had that moment today reading Russell Beattie's post titled "Ziplock Baggies Are the Answer". 
Answer to what you say?
The answer to the problem that vexes ALL gadget geeks. How best to store all the stuff that comes with your gadget, be it digital camera, cell phone, PDA, PC peripheral, printer, etc., etc.
You know what I'm talking about...the GADGET STUFF!
It's all the stuff in the box you can't wait to throw out of the way trying to get to the actual gadget...the Playstation Portable, or that hot new cell phone you've been waiting to get your hands on. You dump the extra stuff back in the box, or if you're like me and don't like storing boxes, you throw it all in the nearest drawer that's got some room in it.
Then of course, a few days later, you realize you actually need to read the dang manual and then you're scrambling for the stuff in your closet/drawer/desk/corner of the room, etc. Or you need a specific cord or dongle thingie that allows you to connect the gadget to your PC. Or you need the clip thing to secure it on your belt. You know what I'm talking about.
We've all been there, regardless of many gadgets we consume over a period of time.
Well, Russell has an "out-of-the-box" (OBE) solution (for me anyway), that I think is a cool idea. As he describes it:
"The first thing I had to do was find and organize all the different gadgets I had and the booklets, wires, peripherals, power supplies, driver CDs and more that went along with them. I was losing my mind for a while until I finally snagged a bag of Ziplock baggies from the kitchen. Wow.
That’s the answer, man, I can’t believe I’ve never seen it before. Ziplock baggies rule!"
By Jove, you've got it, Russell!
It is a very workable idea, especially when you consider all the various sizes of bags that Ziploc sells. I especially like the big bags they've come out with, pictured here.
They're perfect for storing old keyboards, their cords, and the like.
It's interesting that even Ziploc doesn't mention this "non-kitchen" use of their product, when you look at this page highlighting the various uses their bags have been put to.
As Guy Kawasaki puts it on his as point number six in his post on "The Art of Innovation" recently:
“Innovators need to be flexible about how people use their products. Avon created Skin So Soft to soften skin, but when parents used it as an insect repellent, Avon went with the flow.
Apple thought it created a spreadsheet/database/word processing computer; but, come to find out, customers used it as a desktop publishing machine. The lesson is: Don't be proud. Let a hundred flowers blossom."
"Gadget Stuff Storage" is certainly a use that Ziploc could do a whole product line around. They could "improve" the product by selling us stickie labels for it that're color-coordinated. And of course gadget geeks will like it because it'll be cooler than just putting Avery labels on the bags. Why, they could become a must-have gadget accessory.
I mean what gadget lover could resist a product line called "Gadget Ziplocs"?
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