zlacker

I can't stop thinking that we're circling back to how "tech" was before when it was limited because it fits our needs better. Slower, some complexity, less possibilities at every time.

>>agumon+(OP)
Yes I think the smartphone is an instance of "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.", when tech had higher constraints there was more thought put into determining what was essential.

When I want to put on headphones to do chores around the house I pick up my 2006-era iPod. No wireless pairing to screw with, no distracting notifications, just a library of music I've already listened to a hundred times so I can just think, which of these albums am I in the mood for, and choose. The interface is simple to navigate because there's just not much to navigate, and IMO that goes a long way to have a predictable experience that never introduces frustration.

>>jazzyj+v3
The irony is that, the iphone era was somehow everything I wanted to see. But indeed this unified (incredible) device, ends up being a sink in itself that sucks so much of your thoughts to provide very few on average (there's some fun stuff given by having a pocket computer to be fair).

>>jazzyj+v3
In the west I guess there's some truth to that but I think phones have been emancipatory in the poorer parts of the world.

>>agumon+yj
For me the tipping point was when I could no longer FTP files to my android phone. Not much of a computer IMO !

>>jazzyj+v3
But the universality of phones also made them great tools. Maps, calls, messages all can be enormously beneficial.

The problem comes when they are both a tool and an entertainment device, as they are inseparably linked together.

>>consta+Am
I think the universality hides the fact that these are not really made to stay in the flow of life but to be cute and shiny in themselves, capturing your attention instead of being the shortest path on providing what you need to keep going. Then there's the instability of platform (plethora of messaging apps..), the usual ad infestation (google maps now shows a lot of local shop whether you asked for it or not) etc etc. Old devices had to be tailored and became a side element in your life.

>>consta+Am
Even removing entertainment wouldn’t solve the problem because these devices have been engineered to be ad delivery platforms. You would have to ban advertising on the device.

>>agumon+(OP)
Apple naysayers have been bitching at them for decades and decades about how simplistic their apps are and how they need to wake up and join the real world by adding features K-Z to their apps in ordered to be considered a real product.

Meanwhile Apple has had to wipe away their tears at such harsh treatment with their gigantic piles of cash.

To this day I don’t understand why we have half a dozen automakers creating sleek vehicles that take care of things automagically but in computers it’s just Apple. Where’s the Audi and Lexus of computers?