“I increasingly feel like technology is more about distraction than actually productivity or creation or innovation. It’s all just a bunch of shiny crap.” – Leo Laporte, TWiT 270, Oct. 17
This statement came about during the TWiT netcast where the topic was the iPad and what it meant for Leo and some of his guests, like Dwight Silverman of the Houston Chronicle, who said he’s using the iPad now more for amusment: for consuming media content and reading. But not for surfing the web nor for email.
I find that ironic since the iPad, as most people here in Manila use it, seem to be the de facto device for people on the go who still want to check their email, Twitter feeds and Facebook updates. I guess Pinoys have a different way of handling their hardware. Most probably, locals feel the iPad as a status symbol; a must-have device if you want to be counted as “in” or part of the rich and famous.
I see people carry em around in the malls, in the office, and coffeeshops. Somehow, it looked like the modern version of the old clutchbag that old guys used to carry around. While the clutchbag carried “essential” personal stuff like money, a comb, keys, a checkbook perhaps, the iPad carries the “essential” digital stuff, like your Facebook account, passwords, addressbook, photo album, videos, etc.
When I was in Singapore, I didn’t see that many people with iPads. But almost everyone had an iPhone. I guess the iPhone is still the most efficient mobile Internet device one could carry around easily.
Leo Laporte also noted that in the airport, “it’s almost weird if you don’t have an iPad or an iPhone.” That’s how it is in the U.S., where its not surprising to see even parents in Middle America use them to check sports scores, the news, and other such mundane things. Then, John Dvorak quipped that people laugh when they see him with a laptop! To which Leo adds, “he must be an old curmudgeon.”
Right now, how do we use our devices? Our phones have hi-res camera lenses embedded in them, and you can get broadband access on the go, too. The iPad has a GPS app that shows you maps and routes to locations you need to go. You can place video calls to friends who have the same iPhone 4. I mean, to what extent do we depend on these gadgets for really simple tasks?
Am I the only one who doesn’t want to have one fully converged device? It’s a matter of priorities, of whether you can bear carrying multiple devices (digital camera, MP3 player, mobile phone) or bring just one device that delivers all of that.
Some have said that the best camera is the one that you have with you. And for most, that would be a mobilephone. I agree, to the extent that you have to be willing to sacrifice a bit of quality in exchange for capturing the moment. Unless you normally carry a DSLR with you wherever you go, I’m sure you’d agree with this, too.
I really think having a mobile phone that has everything will just distract you from its main primary use — to make calls or SMS. I’m always worried that a call will come in while I’m taking a photo with it. Or that an SMS will suddenly flash on screen while I’m watching a video.
In any case, these “distractions” can lead to a lot of wasted time. Like when shopping in malls that have free Wi-Fi. Sometimes I find myself spending more time trying to go online than actually shopping. This is also similar to the case of someone going to a beach resort for the weekend but instead of enjoying the sun, sea and sand, he ends up going online using the free Wi-Fi access at the resort. Isn’t that pushing it too far?
So now I’ve tried to limit my online time especially when I’m out with my family, on vacation or social gatherings. It helps to make that decision early on, and not succumb to the allure of being connected 24 x 7.
I thought I’d get a liking for the iPad when it first came out. The initial attraction of a touch-screen tablet device, with ample screen real estate for watching videos, didn’t last long for me.
But I felt like I needed to have a keyboard under my hands, and a mouse or trackpad to take care of scrolling every which way.
So instead of pining for an iPad, I’ll just focus my thoughts on the best shiny crap that recently came out — the new MacBook Air.
I guess I’m just an old curmudgeon.
