Consumer resistance?

We're used to queues outside game shops, pre-ordering, massive crowds all trying to get the latest console. The Nintendo wii was no exception despite its name.

But the new Playstation 3 just doesn't seem to have inspired this excitement. Why?

Well, partly, I think, lack of backwards compatibility. You're not going to be able to play all your PS2 games on the PS3 and that has taken the shine off the console.

And also, it's the wrong time of year. Without the Christmas rush, there's less urgency to the release. Besides, many people are probably still stuck with paying off the credit cards from Christmas.

But I suspect there may be a turning point in the cycle for consumer electronics. Because we've also seen yet another profit warning from digital photography retailer Jessops. As I suspected, DSLRs are just not selling the way that compacts did - and with prices coming down, the retailer has been left heavily exposed.

I'm getting a feeling that consumers might be getting tired of new products. They've done promiscuity, they've done gadget-swapping and multiple peripherals - they just want to settle down and use what they have. Or perhaps they just don't have the money for more.

I wouldn't be looking to the consumer side of the tech sector for growth right now.