Andoran is as technologically advanced as the other prosperous Inner Sea nations, but there are some noteworthy differences around the use and prevalence of high technology. In Taldor, Cheliax, and Qadira, conveniences such as clocks or running water are the prerogative of nobility and symbols of great status. Even if a humble merchant could afford such things, owning them might be seen as above his station. In Andoran, people can buy anything they can afford without fear of seeming uppity, and prices for technological items are not driven up by overzealous guilds or government price-setting.
The egalitarian nature of Andoran has another effect as well. While useful items are much more widespread here than elsewhere, luxury items that serve little useful purpose are rare. The courts of Taldor and Qadira are full of ingenious clockwork contraptions that, while extremely expensive, serve only to entertain the idle courtiers and royals. Such ostentatious displays of wealth are frowned upon in Andoran, where those of great resources are expected to invest them in furthering the creation of wealth rather than squandering it.
Eyeglasses are a technology that is more widespread in Andoran than elsewhere. Not only are there a comparatively high number of lensmakers, but in some cities there is government funding to subsidize eyewear for those in important occupations that require superior eyesight. Where a Chelish clerk with old eyes might be forcibly retired, Andoran gives such people a new chance at their livelihoods, at least if their skill gives their work greater value.
Andorens have taken to paper with great excitement, and a small but substantial share of Andoran’s timber goes into the paper mills. Paper has supplanted parchment for much of private enterprise, and while the government still uses parchment for official decrees, the many volumes of regulations that run the country are printed on paper for uniformity and ease of storage.
Printing presses are another example of Andoren government providing high technology for the use of the less wealthy. Government-owned printing presses which are used during most of the year to print government documents are made available during election season to allow candidates to print campaign literature for a nominal fee. This ensures that those candidates without deep pockets can have their voices heard. Andorens see furthering democracy and freedom as the highest use of any technology, and the government often gives grants or loans to natural philosophers and inventors who claim to be on the cusp of a new discovery, in hopes that it can be harnessed to further the goals of the republic.