In my experience when people start referring to something as a "gadget" their minds have already been "made up."

I use an Oudie (or mobile phone running XC Soar or iGlide), an SN10, a FLARM brick and a Nano. With the exception of the Flarm (which is completely autonomous), all of these products do exactly the same thing as their predecessors (map & data for nav, audio vario, flight logger). The only difference (debatable) is that they are slightly better, smaller or more efficient than their predecessors. By no means are any of them outrageously expensive based on the sport of flying/soaring norms. These products simply make basic navigation and thermaling easier (and perhaps more reliable and convenient) than using a paper map or constantly looking at a non-audio vario. In reality, these "gadgets" are hardly looked at during the flights, even in National contests.

Now, this thread is well down the path of suggesting that those that use newer tech are perhaps less intelligent, etc. That is interesting. No glider systems that I see on the market are really very mind blowing or change what you do during a flight significantly. Most of us simply have some form of map, an audio vario (all based on the exact same basic technology) and perhaps some form of flight data logger. You hardly use these gadgets while in the air. 99% of the time the glider pilots eyes are out the window looking at clouds, terrain and of course looking out for other airplanes and gliders (enter Flarm as an added audio assistant for that function). How are these gadgets changing how we all fly again? What is different between the guy with "gadgets" and the proper "old school" pilot exactly?

All I can say is, Wow. I think this thread is becoming "a bit" overblown.