I don't have an ereader - no Nook, Kindle (which I typed Kimble the first time I typed this sentence) or any of those other cool toys that come with chargers and instructions is seven languages.
I'm reluctant to give up books because I am a page flicker. What would I do if I had to sit and read from a hard plastic and metal thingy? Crap. I know. I'd twist my hair around my finger. It's a habit I've mostly broken unless I'm really deep in thought, often sitting at a stoplight.
I also don't have an iphone, android or Blackberry. I'm still using my trusty superhero red and white Samsung Propel circa 2008. It serves its purpose. My only iPod is a Nano - hot pink - that I use when I work out. Except I loaned my special Nano earbuds to Nate so..........
When Apple released their iPad and it became quite the rage among the writerly set, I shrugged. Okay. Another cool gadget, but with limited funds, I don't even window shop. It's a pointless exercise. My old laptop is fine. Pen and paper work. The desktop in a pinch until it finally died this week, taking with it unknown things that I may or may not have backed up by emailing them to myself, saving them on USB drives or posting them to flicker. Shit. Oh well.
But then, Sophie came home from school yesterday excited about a video her band instructor showed their class and I was suddenly all "Oh wow! How cool! And I need an iPad! Stat!"
I wouldn't mind the cute boy accessory with the iPhone either.
I'd make him leave his hat on.
For those of you who are musical purists, I understand. I'm a candy purist. Plain M&Ms not peanut or any of those other abominations Mars has foisted onto the melt in your mouth, not in your hand eating public. But once in a while, it's nice to try out something new, don't you think?
Do you have any of these newish gadgets? Like? Meh? Take it to bed with me? I'm sorry, were you saying something? I was too busy looking at my (fill in the blank).
Very Cool toys. I can't afford one either, but I'm intrigued by the possibilities they offer as a venue to recruit for the Rebel Alliance.
ReplyDeleteI Pad. My husband bought one for himself and I now have it. Need I say more? I see people on planes who love using them for movies and such and you can check the Internet, but I have yet to figure out how to have a writing jag on it.
ReplyDeleteBtw, don't throw away the desktop. Geek Squad might be able to recover your files.
ReplyDeleteEveryone in my office has (except me) has an iPhone, and I admit that I do covet them. That's what I get for working with IT people.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a smart phone, either, but this Fall I bought an iPod Touch and I love it for my commute on the train. I download podcasts from NPR and the New Yorker, and all the Sunday morning talking heads shows. How incredibly nerdy is that? LOL!
But the best thing about it is that I bought it on eBay for a fraction of the price of a new one. (It's first generation -- too old for the cool kids, but fine for me!)
I'm with you on the book thing -- I've read articles on this thing, but have yet to download a book.
Looks like a lot of fun but that would set me back about 147 Christmases to get all of that.
ReplyDeleteNew gadgets? I'm going backwards. Right now I'm lusting after a turntable that will play 78s.
ReplyDelete(I may have just spoken a language only those eligible for AARP will understand.)
I understand your fondness for the printed page. I, too, prefer actual books over e-readers. According to the NYT Kindles, Nooks, etc., are, however, apparently proving to be a boon to authors of genre fiction (e.g., bodice rippers) because fans of that form of literature can now read in public (i.e., on public transit) without having to shrink in shame when someone spots the cover art. One of my co-workers writes a specialized form of genre fiction (gay male romances), and her latest is apparently doing quite well at ~$5/copy online.
i had an iphone and LOVED it, but hated my inability to stop looking at it. i didn't want to be one of those people, so after two years of being able to read spam while standing in line at the grocery, i traded my iphone for an itouch with my babysitter. i use my itouch for music only. i don't download apps, i don't read emails in the car, and i now have a special fondness for my phone that happens to be the cheapest phone Tmobile had in their story the day i went in and said, "all i want to do is get and receive phone calls. that's it." they looked at me like i had asked if they sold carrier pigeons.
ReplyDeletei love my books. the stacks i keep on my nightstand. the random ones loitering around my house. on the kitchen counter. in the passenger seat of my car. on top of the dvd player. you can't leave a trail of crumbs with an e-reader.
but, damn, those iPads look cool even if they were poorly named.
You and I are on the same technological wavelength!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite gadget is still the iPod...
Pearl
Wish I could loan you F. for a couple of days. He's a genius with recovering files and fixing up old computers. He also thinks the folks at apple are merely marketing whizzes and not so much the best at making computers and gadgets. He grumbles about all the kids around here being brainwashed by advertising and product placement until all they want for Christmas is an i-something.
ReplyDeleteThe music was cute, a nice little gimmick. But Northpoint Church creeps me out.
No. I said no. Dammit. Wait. Was I? Charles Nelson Reilly.
ReplyDeletelotsa new things out there. and the iNorth Band is very good. i don't think i could get anything with a touch screen, little thing about finger prints would drive me nuts. have a nice day~
ReplyDeleteI have a new Netbook that I adore. It's SO sturdy compared to the piece of crap Dell laptop I used to have. And a desktop that's still very decent. I had an iPod classic (nano's or shuffles are too small for my music addiction), but I need a replacement that HOPEFULLY Santa is bringing. I was a very good girl this year.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the new technology. I'd like a smart phone but I surely don't need one. I have no interest in an iPad. A Kindle though...I'm beginning to think that a Kindle is a necessity for me. I'm too entirely addicted to books and quickly running out of space.
Since getting an iPad, I spend less time at the main computer and I use the iPhone mostly for calls and i mostly ignore the apps on the phone.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the iPad. Since we've run out of space for book shelves and there's many stacks of books waiting for someplace to nest, I find reading books on the Pad very easy and space saving.
LOVE those videos! I'm going to steal the first one for facebook. And yes, that cute boy app would be nice.
ReplyDeleteI have NONE of those gadgets, not even an iPod. Financial reasons. I get along fine with my desktop and fuddy duddy cell phone.
And nothing beats the feel of a real book in my hands, with hot coffee at the ready
I have an iPod Touch, and I love it. And I can see why people would want iPads. Nice for browsing blogs, newspapers, magazines. Kindles are supposed to have a more "book-like" feel with a non-glare screen.
ReplyDeleteI can see the advangtages of having digital books. But it kind of makes me worry about physical libraries going the way of the dinosaurs. How will people who can't afford to buy books be able to read them?
And then, of course, the dystopian future that will throw us back to the Dark Ages. Digital books will be useless then.
No new gadgets for me. Ny nightstand would miss all the books and magazines. I hate my blackberry. Worst phone I have ever had. I just use it to make phone calls. Obviously that it is not its purpose. Plus I keep forgetting to plug it in. I would have a problem remembering to plug in any other device also. I guess they won't get rich off of me. I would like a battery operated car though.
ReplyDeleteWay back when the doctor I worked for in RI made a huge deal about his car phone that was the size of a shoe box I started telling people I could only afford a pay phone in my car and that it was frikkn hard to get the door open when the damn thing rang.
ReplyDeleteWe had to buy a cell phone when we were in the process of moving from there to here so we got the old model G3 i-phone. The gps was very cool but the charges were huge especially with global roaming once we crossed the border. Once everybody who needed to know got our land line number we canceled the contract.
Yes, we have an i-Pod classic, a Bose sound system, a MacBook, a MacBook Pro, a 4 year old Sony Bravia, and assorted game systems but no eezy readers. numb says he wants an i-Pad if his computer dies but I'm hoping that won't be for a while.
I'm thinking of joining the Rebel Alliance or Anonymous so may need to up my tech level soon. I'll let you know.
*sigh* somehow my family thinks that food and heat and lights are much more important...gah.
ReplyDeleteI love all things Apple Products.
ReplyDeleteI have the love of my life also known as a MacbookPro, the iPhone, and the iPod nano. [I used to have the iPod Touch, but after I bought my iPhone I gave it to my son.]
And now? I am DYING to get my hands on the iPad.
Starting with a Tandy 200 in the 80's I've been looking for that perfect portable backup brain. I always end up back with a Blackberry. My recent dalliance with a Windows mobile smartphone turned out like a bad country song.
ReplyDeleteIf that PC powers up but won't boot from the hard drive, you might try a Rescue CD. A good rescue CD will have tools to permit you to at least try to repair the (I'm assuming) Windows installation or, failing that, give you an opportunity to move important files to backup media or the cloud.
Not even the peanut M&Ms? I mean, the coconut and pretzel ones are abominations in the sight of God, but the peanut ones have prevented me from killing people.
ReplyDeleteMy husband got an iPad with a bunch of gift cards that he'd been saving for a long time. I don't really like it much. I can't stand a touch-screen keyboard. I guess it's fun as a toy but as a computer it is worthless as far as I'm concerned. I need a real keyboard with actual moving keys.
I desire some sort of mp3 player that I can use at the gym. That way, my phone won't go dead after every workout.
ReplyDeleteMy husband keeps trying to sway me towards a kindle/nook/other reader, but I don't know. I'm a tub reading kind of girl, and clumsy to boot. I'm fairly certain that it would die a quick, watery death.
I'm a rotary-dial Luddite.
ReplyDelete'Nuff said.
I have been an i disciple for some time....
ReplyDeleteI am not afflicted to the point I'd spend an overnight to be the first to get the next shiny "i-thing"... I am more of a let those people be the beta testers & work out the bugs.... I'll wait till they fix the bugs & the price comes down a few hundred bucks.
My son had an i-pod, he had mixed feelings that they may be anti-social, but scrapped the moral dilemma by running it through the washer a few times too many.
I have an i-touch. Great for tunes. but the tiny keyboard is annoying. The features only work if you have wifi connectivity.... Even tapping the screen to expand the text to a size that can actually be read... but even then .. if you are a keebler elf w 20/20 vision.
May as well just use the regular computer & save the eye strain.
The i pad looks interesting enough.... but the local Mac store people moved from a humble site to the freaking mall. They no longer answer their phone, and have become elite snooty.
Screw them & the i horse they rode in on!
Bought an i pod replacement in a non mall store w a coupon for more $ off, so pttttttt to the i -mall store.
I did get close to an i-pad display & overheard the clerk saying "there's an app for that"....
really? How much do those apps cost?
Sold separately! One can buy as many app$ as they like!
Meanwhile an i replacement electric cord cost $60 bucks.
Someone is making a lot of i-bucks.
Funny my bare bones cell phone worked like a charm when we were stranded in the Denver airport for 10 hours. Lots of people w fancy so-called "Smart Phones" were having dropped calls, trying to call the airline & get booked on an alternate flight.
I have an android phone, and my favourite thing about it is the camera - or the camera apps. They've given me all sorts of fun. I have a decent camera - and I think it's mad at me.
ReplyDeleteIf I had the money - I'd buy an i-pad. It's shiny and fun looking. I'm a sucker that way.
I have a very old iPod which I use with old fashioned over the head, head phones because those bud things doesn't stay in my ears.
ReplyDeleteI had a 2007 phone that was only a phone until my b-day then I got a phone with bluetooth capability and texting keyboard! but that's as "smart" as it is...My husband has a negative attitude about Apple products, so I doubt an iPad will ever be in our future.
the iPad is genius. because it's so adaptable and people are so creative with the apps for it. totally worth saving up for (or just splurging on and eating toast for the rest of the month).
ReplyDeleteLove my iPad. I bought it on Day 1 and have never regretted it. I use it to check email, write and manage blog posts, watch TV shows, twitter, AIM. I've been adding some of those drawing apps on it, using it to sketch out various ideas.
ReplyDeleteI have an iPhone, I had such envy and I do love it, and I'm way too attached to it. I got a Kindle @ 5 weeks ago and I do really enjoy it, I thought I'd miss pages more, but not yet. I will still read books, borrowed or from the library etc. I've been amazed at how many free or low cost books are available.
ReplyDelete