technology news always makes me understand marxism better

So the Pandigital e-reader thing came and I opened it up grimly to learn to use it and get it all ready and clean for my mom's birthday--and I just could not deal with how slow it was. Or rather, I could not deal with the fact that for only a bit (er, twice the price plus a cover) more, she could have a nice, shiny Kindle Fire, and honest to God, I would not use mine happily if I saw her meandering sadly with that one.

Hence, we're going with Kindle Fire for Mom and both my conscience and my glee at helping break the iPad's death grip on tablets are pleased (I still can't think of it as a tablet no matter what I do, but apparently, I'm the only one in the universe. No matter how many movies I may or may not stream on it). I do not hate iPads, and Apple's hands aren't any dirtier than any other company, so I think it comes down to Apple's highly successful use of snobbery in its ads that turned me against them for life. It's about as logical as navigating by cloud (no amazon pun intended), but the smug Mac computer commercials combined with the constant refrain both implicit and explicit that people who do not have iPads just can't afford them (if one more reviewer says, amused and disparaging "Oh, well, at that price" as if consumers will buy any old junk because it's cheap really--gets to me.

I have to admit, after a long time bowing at the throne of Apple, the way that Amazon's freaked out the complacency of the tech world since Wednesday has been nothing short of hilarious to watch. The constant, consistent, exhausting way the entirety of the tech universe seems to hang upon The Next Version of the iPhone and The Next Version of the iPad et al like the Gospel got caught up in what could almost be called surprise--and amazon hasn't hidden what they're doing either, so it's not like Fire fell from the sky (no reference to the movie implied) to land on their laps like Aphrodite rising from the ocean (not so wet, for one thing). I get the feeling they expected another iPad clone to follow the standard and were completely nonplussed to see something that was uncomfortably close to a suggest that maybe iPad is not the be-all and end-all of what a tablet should be, but just--heresy--a variation of what tablets might be.

I do enjoy watching confusion in the technological trenches, I admit it, and for more than my stock portfolio's health. Though I do wish they'd just get this one thing (I give up on teh entire "only cheap people won't get an iPad" thing; tech's love of Regency-level class lines is not exactly new); at seven inches, fourteen ounces, and less than half an inch thickness...size, people, is a feature. It fits in my bag, my purse, my coat pocket, in one hand being carried while walking, in one hand while reading, watching, easy to pull out, easy to put up, easy as a book to read, use, hold up to show people, glance at, and put away.

That's a feature.

(Only here, quietly: I really wish they'd add the 3G. But I am also thinking how even my phone does not get fantastic reception in most places and a million and a half new Fires coming online abruptly would be--slow, to put it mildly.)

Comments

[1001cranes.livejournal.com]

for what its worth, I totally have a macbook pro, and someone will have to pry it from my cold dead hands. to me, the added price is more than worth is for all the added (or at the very least not lost) productivity - I cannot properly explain how many times my first laptop, non-Apple, crashed, gave me the blue screen of dash, or had to be rebooted in the middle of something important. we have PCs at work, and something freezes or crashes at least three times a day. plus, all the waiting. I have no idea how people function with them, and I, too, try not to be the "pretentious evangelist stereotype"

[traveller.livejournal.com]

yeah, I got a netbook last winter, because I wanted something smaller and more portable and, ut supra, couldn't afford the iPad. I used it in exactly the same way I used my macbook, and it lived about six months through frequent crashes and freezes before it got a virus that AVG couldn't block and got so fucked up that now it doesn't even boot. that was a really depressing experience for me, and it was a loss of money that I didn't really have to begin with. :\

[1001cranes.livejournal.com]

that really sucks, man, I'm sorry :(

you're probably aware of this - thought maybe not! - but buying a refurbished computer/ipad from apple is a bit less expensive, and they have the exact same warranty. I saved about $200 when I bought my last one, if you ever get scrounge up enough money to get one. believe me, I understand - my new one was using cash from selling an older one on ebay, and christmas/birthday money.

also, I just read your Winchester primer, and as someone originally from upstate NY, it made me giggle :D

[seperis.livejournal.com]

Before I say this, I don't actually object to your comment. This is more--general.

I cannot properly explain how many times my first laptop, non-Apple, crashed, gave me the blue screen of dash, or had to be rebooted in the middle of something important. we have PCs at work, and something freezes or crashes at least three times a day. plus, all the waiting. I have no idea how people function with them, and I, too, try not to be the "pretentious evangelist stereotype"

In the comments of an entry where I at no time criticize Apple hardware or Apple software, simply blogosphere evangelism and why it's annoying, there's a slam at PCs and wonder about how other people use them. I mean, I know this isn't directed at me or the entry--I think?--but discussing with traveller, which is fine, but--still.

And seriously, I have no objection here (at all! Really! This is literally you happened to make a comment with the blue screen objection thing! No problem!), but holy GOd, imagine every article, everywhere, where every comment is either evangelical on the perfection or slamming PCs for not being Macs. I'm starting to kind of hate the sight of the fruit also known as an apple at this point, it's that pervasive in technoblogging.

Again, seriously, yoru comment, not a problem because it was a discussion in context here, but they are way too prevalent without decent context other than "You are speaking of something that is not a Mac, why?"

[1001cranes.livejournal.com]

no, I get it. I mean, it's basically what you were saying with the ipad vs. tablet vs. ereader thing - for me, the ipad? that it's an apple product? I give no fucks. that does not matter to me. that's a priority for a laptop/desktop, yes, big time. I took a hit in memory/processing power, I have middle of the line battery life, but for a laptop, that's a choice I am more than willing to make. not so much for nebulous ereader/tablet choices. that does not mean every other choices should be "... but it's not a mac" or "well, if you don't want to spend the money and get something worth it", etc. etc. to the end of time.