hype  

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I am on my second Apple computer. I find it satisfactory. I have no plans to "marry" a cell phone of any description.
SDR U S A

regarding gadgets
I personally resist the temptation of buying the first generation of any electronic gadget.

We played
We had a chance to get one and passed. We played with one today and the internet was fun, not to mention the the maps that would be priceless when needed. Overall i'm not a technology hyped person, I don't even have a cell phone and my wife is the one who wanted it. I convinced her to wait until the get a lot of the problems worked out and come out with a newer generation. I'm sure we will end up ordering one soon, her want overcomes my common sense. If anyone does get one, let us know you throughs.

your post reminded me of the
1st generation Eames Rocker. When I finally got my hands on one, I was so excited to sit in it, with my naive logic thinking the desireability of a chair must equally translate into its comfort level. So I sat, rocked back, rocked forward, and then that criss-cross sank deep into my achillies tendon..... bummer.
There's really no substitute for real-world testing.

had to have operation
I had a executive hickory chair for 25 years bought when i moved to my first office I took the chair home when we changed offices and used it as my home chair. Since i use to sit in my home office with no shoes one I would hit the back of my heal on the wood base as a force of habit, since i was not wearing shoes after a year i developed severe trauma and developed a bone spur.
Next step big time operation and total rehabilitation and had to walk on crutches for 2 months
The reason i mention this is after I got my cast off I gave the chair to goodwill and bought a new Eames aluminum group chair. I love that chair but not great for a executive Desk chair ( more than likely not designed for the big boss ) just for the people who visit the big boss, after that i finally found the best of the best and one is for sell just like it on ebay,

V 1.0
I still have my first generation iPod:

It was worth the thrill and it's still a beautiful and fully working design icon. But my favorite iPod is the lastest shuffle. Clips anywhere, weighs nothing, I got the pink one natch:

james
I got one for Christmas from my daughter and i love it, at least 200 songs and sounds great, perfect for flying or jogging so light This little shuffle is a real winner in my books . I have reservations about the
new i phone I love one of the reviewers that said the day it was released was going to be the best day.. from that day forward it would all be down hill with someone trying to catch up with some new toy for us all to gawk at ,and have to have.

I must admit...
I am also one of those who do not have a cell-phone. I am lucky, we are so close to the base of the south sloop of a mountain that it cuts off the signal so I would not be able to use it here...which is where I am most of the time. This being said...we seem to move toward a marketing system in which products are made attractive by showing that they are attractive for others...products used to be linked to a particular life style and having them would be part of the rite of passage. It had the potential of becoming a more mature approach to products. You could be part of it or not and if you are part of it you would avoid becoming passionate about it because that's the opposite of "cool". But nobody would force you on to a golf course or make you love the opera.I think that this hype is another kind. It is not something you buy because it fits your life style (and location) but because of one of the worst reasons to buy a Dyson...you have to have one because it seems so attractive for others.

and furthermore
I read two months ago that 60% of consumers had already come to the decision to own the iphone, though it was not yet even clear when the thing would become available. Not to dismiss the buying process of the average consumer, but there is no rational reason why 6 of 10 people should own this not-so-cheap device. When decisions on spending are never easy to make, how is it that the iphone has become a must-have when it so cleary is another vanity purchase, at best? Is Apple marketing so savvy as to price in a product like this (with zero true technological innovation, despite claims to the extreme opposite) and hype it so that it is an almost automatic and resounding "yes" from the marketplace? I think, yes, in fact that is the answer. It costs just enough that it is a "spoil yourself" gadget. And spoil yourself without any respect for the individual self, that everyone will relate to how you have spoiled yourself. Only the color of your skin makes your different. "Think different" is what saved Apple from demise. This is the evolution of such attempts at consumer reinforcement - think-different-like-everyone-else. It seems to work, doesn't. We is so smart, us people.
Four and half years ago Ericsson invented this iphone (see link). I saw the Ericsson and Sony execs on a plane from Amsterdam to Stockholm playing with a prototype and I overhead their conversation. I went out to buy one as soon as it was available. That was cool. The ipone is so retro.
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/0,1000000091,2129541,00.htm

and furtherfurthermore
It seems another money sucking addiction Apple is selling with the iphone. Forgetting all the .99 mp3s you will need to fill the memory, apparently the battery replacement requires official servicing from apple: send it in and in three days you get your iphone back with $85 ibill. iii.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19627590/wid/11915829?GT1=10150

Room 606 and all
If you...
Room 606 and all
If you guys haven't seen this guy from the states yet, give this a look! He is a real funny guy that lays the sword to cultural BS. I got a chuckle out of this jab at the Mac world.
http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=macs_cant

iPhone
Say what you will about it but the iPhone has made some real interface technology breakthroughs. You want to zoom in on a spot on a photo, touch the spot with index and thumb and spread them apart, the image zooms accordingly. The sheer useuability of the interface in ways that are utterly instinctive is astounding, but I was just trying a friends. It doesn't really do anything I need or especially want to do right now. I don't use a fraction of the features on my Razr

iphone
that zoomfunction; my gps has the same...
wouldn't it be great to have a cell phone that is small lightweight and can only be used for calling and textmessaging? okay the clock and alarmclock may stay. do we really need (and use) those other features? Wich features do you want, need, use in your cellphone?

basic mobile
well, i use exactly 5 functions on my mobile:
1 calling
2 textmessaging
3 clock (can light up)
4 alarm clock
5 reminders with alarm (v useful ! esp when you have a tendency to get distracted, and there is sth you do not wish to forget to do :o)
all the other stuff i do no t care for...
when my old mobile bailed on me after six years of loyal service, i was trying to find a simple mobile, that did not mms, not serve as a camera, not bluetoothed etc. Most models (even among of the lower priced ones) already came with all that stuff included. I wonder whether most people really need it ?