[NTLK] iPhone is not the new Newton (& announcing a Newt sell-off shortly)

Lord Groundhog lordgroundhog at gmail.com
Wed Dec 30 05:46:51 EST 2009


~~~ On 2009/12/27 10:17, James Fraser at
wheresthatistanbul-newtontalk at yahoo.com wrote ~~~

> The above is, perhaps, why I consider the iPhone a descendant of the Newton
> only in the broadest possible sense.  Let me see if I can adequately explain
> this outlook so that people will be nodding their heads, if not in agreement,
> at least in understanding.

...
> 
> ...                            The problem I've experienced with
> asking iPhone owners to demonstrate their device for me in the Big Room is
> that the ones I encounter seem to suffer from an overabundance of enthusiasm
> for the thing; after ten minutes or so, my eyes start to glaze over and,
> before I know it, I'm Stephen Hawking. :)


Best,

James Fraser













> 

FWIW, James, I find myself in nearly total agreement with you.  I read your
missive with my head nodding like one of those horrid little dogs some
people have in the back windows of their cars -- until I smacked myself in
the head to stop.  My biggest beef is with any technology that is
manufactured to keep me as ignorant and uninvolved as possible, and doesn't
let me have the option of learning and doing more for myself *if* that's
what I want to do.  I was glad you mentioned it; it grouts my rat to be told
that I can't treat MY gizmo, paid for with MY cash, as MINE.   It makes me
think of a dysfunctional parent that not only doesn't toilet train their
kids, but actually refuses to let them try.

My second biggest beef is with any technology is that kind of arrogant
know-it-all paternalism to which you also make reference.  No, King Steve,
you DON'T know what I want to do with this or that object, and if you come
at my battleship with your car keys I'll break your fingers!

And herein is why although I have newer computers, the only items in my
collection that I actually enjoy, care about and (dare I admit it?) love are
my Newtons and my Pismos.  The rest are just items on my insurance contents
list.  

Having said that, I have the tiniest of reservations about Big Jobs' motives
for killing Newt.  I'm happy to accept that it was done for ego *as well as*
business, but I'm not quite convinced that even King Steven would've
indulged his narcissism if it wasn't justifiable as a business move -- it
would hurt his ego to be such a bad businessman as to let techno-xenophobia
overrule his business acumen.

As for the rest though, I'm completely with you.  And that's why the iPhone
is just a not-very-interesting shiny toy for me.

 
Shalom. 
Christian 

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

³Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from a Newton.²
            -- what Arthur C. Clarke meant

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1ZzpdPJ7Zr4
(With thanks to Chod Lang)
http://tinyurl.com/29y2dl
http://www.diyplanner.com/node/3942

~~~ ~~~ ~~~
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