IPv4 wrote:why smartphone?
-GPS
Mullet Death wrote:After owning them for a few years now I'd say smart phones and tablets, regardless of OS, are really unnecessary and overrated.
There's nothing a smart phone does other computers can't do better; its only real pro is being able to go with you almost anywhere in any situation as it fits in your pocket. Ultimately what I need a phone to do is call and text; whatever services you need in some "smart" (and that term is being used rather ironically these days, as I don't think consumer-grade computers of any kind are very smart) capacity can wait until you get where you're going, be it web services or any other application. Other than some vain purpose like having a better phone than anybody else, unless you have some specific need (like being able to access a specific application on the road for your job, as my friend who works for Dish does) then a smart phone does nothing for you as all that other stuff can be done on x86 or x86_64 when you get home, to work, or in a situation you can pull out your laptop. Emails, web browsing or looking something up, games, ebooks, whatever... That can all wait. You don't have to do all that right then and there, pinching and zooming through an inherently limited interface and control scheme, especially not when you're supposed to be driving, or eating dinner with your date. That's the conclusion I've reached; smart phones are big time wasters that tear you away from the here and now and do what more traditional computers do more poorly.
Again, the only pro a smart phone can give you is convenience. If you have need of GPS to get where you're going, then traditional GPS devices still exist for a reason. Calling and texting can be done on less expensive, more durable traditional cell phones (flip phones.) Most "apps" are time and money wasters and don't do much for productivity, much less improving your life somehow or being genuinely entertaining works of art.
Tablets are a complete joke across the board. They can appeal to people who don't understand technology much-- just press stuff on the screen, and stuff happens! No scary keyboards, mice, buttons, or command lines required! And I sometimes see them used in retail for signing stuff, taking orders and such, because apparently paper is too expensive and hard to understand. But apart from that I don't see their appeal or use. Too big to be convenient, not close enough to a real computer to be useful for anything with the slightest bit of importance.
So when you say that "all the cool stuff is on phones and tablets [nowadays]" it makes me wonder if you've really had much exposure to them. It's probably just the same old "grass is always greener" mentality ingrained in our fallen human nature. They're not really all THAT cool, and the person saying this isn't exactly some know-nothing technophobe. Honestly, I would recommend living without them if you can.
VR is a whole different ball game, but is certainly right now nothing more than an expensive vanity toy, as you're clearly aware. I have no personal exposure to VR gear, but I was under the impression you don't need a smartphone to use them. It's not as if the hardware in a phone is going to power a VR experience... What you will need is money hand over fist and a rather powerful PC, and most VR setups will require a Windows PC in particular at that. This is not to suggest that horror games with VR for example would not be pretty cool, because they certainly would be. Anything by Frictional Games would be especially legit. That would be cool, but not cool enough for me to dish out the cash any time soon.
I think it goes without saying that nothing I have submitted here claims to be objective, if value statements about smart phones and the other technology discussed here could ever be considered objective in the first place.
Mullet Death wrote:IPv4 wrote:why smartphone?
-GPS
Ever heard of a Garmin?
Xeno wrote:They're internet connected refrigerators. They usually sync with like Google Calendar so it keeps your calendar on the outside door. Some will take a picture of the inside of your fridge and text/email it to you so you can see what you're running low on. It's all pretty dumb.
Mullet Death wrote:There's nothing a smart phone does other computers can't do better;
Xeno wrote: on my days off my phone sometimes is barely touched because I'm usually in front of my computer so my iPhone is just for phone calls and an occasional text message at those times.
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