The latest a greatest technology - Are you avoiding it?

cranky

cranky

Time Out
Apr 17, 2011
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I love my netbook too.

If i could offer advice, figure out a way th protect your data.
I use google docs for business, and 'Dropbox' for personal. Both are free. Dropbox keeps a local folder plus automatically syncs with an online copy. It protects me from running over my laptop, and it provides me with offline access to my files. Anything online is probably safer and more secure than on my laptop or memory stick.

I still use google docs because it integrates with my CRM software,allowing me to link files to specific contacts and project, also allows multiple uusers contributing to the same file.
 
JLM

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
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SLM said:
For me it's not so much that I consciously avoid the latest and greatest techonolgies, I just have a tendency to wait and assess the potential value of owning it. But I'm not specifically adverse to any of it.

I have a cell phone simply because my mother is in ill health and somewhat dependent upon me, so I need to be available at all times. I went with a Blackberry a year and a half ago because my daughter lives about 6 hours away and we tend to communicate daily by text (after texting for 3 years on a regular cell phone, I was desparate for a qwerty keyboard, lol). I went with the 1G data shared plan with my daughter because, once bundled with the other services from my cable provider, it essentially cost me the same amount as my old cell phone+text plan with Telus. I also make good use of it for email. For me the cost is worth it.

I have my daughter's old iPod (rarely use it), an LCD flat screen TV (don't bother with HD), no blue ray, no pvr-just don't feel the need for it.

I do have a Wii (it was a gift) and a Kuerig coffee maker (for which I've purchased the reusable filters-allowing me to use my own coffee instead of the prepacked ones).

I'm currently considering either a tablet (iPad or other) or a netbook (for greater portabilty than my laptop) but otherwise I don't really feel like I'm missing anything.
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A sick parent would be among the best reasons I can think of for using a cell phone.
 
W

wulfie68

Council Member
Mar 29, 2009
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Calgary, AB
I'm like SLM: I don't go out of my way to avoid technology, I just wait abit, assess and get it as I want/need.

iPod- have one and its nice. how else can I get the best of several hundred CDs and carry it with me, wherever I want? Sure its a little indulgent but not excessively so

computer - nothing fancy here. I like being able to run some new programs (especially games) but thats mostly in the video card now

TV - we have an HD TV and the picture quality is great. we didn't get carried away and I don't see a need for 3D

cell phone - I hate them but they are convenient, especially if my wife or I is out and the other needs the traveling one to pick something up and save a trip/some time. She bought us an early smart phone about 18 mos ago but we don't use most of the apps: just plain old talk/text and voicemail.

iPad - this is getting into the realm of what I see as redundant. Some people need smart phones and the apps. Some people need laptops. I don't really see where the iPad fits except it has a cool factor. If you want it and can afford it, all power to you though.
 
SLM

SLM

The Velvet Hammer
Mar 5, 2011
29,151
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London, Ontario
wulfie68 said:
I'm like SLM: I don't go out of my way to avoid technology, I just wait abit, assess and get it as I want/need.

iPod- have one and its nice. how else can I get the best of several hundred CDs and carry it with me, wherever I want? Sure its a little indulgent but not excessively so

computer - nothing fancy here. I like being able to run some new programs (especially games) but thats mostly in the video card now

TV - we have an HD TV and the picture quality is great. we didn't get carried away and I don't see a need for 3D

cell phone - I hate them but they are convenient, especially if my wife or I is out and the other needs the traveling one to pick something up and save a trip/some time. She bought us an early smart phone about 18 mos ago but we don't use most of the apps: just plain old talk/text and voicemail.

iPad - this is getting into the realm of what I see as redundant. Some people need smart phones and the apps. Some people need laptops. I don't really see where the iPad fits except it has a cool factor. If you want it and can afford it, all power to you though.
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Actually, now that I think about it, the most redundant thing I have is probably my home phone. If I had to do it over again, I probably would have opted for cell only with voicemail. Since I live alone,there really is no reason for me to have two phones. But since it's the least costly service in my bundled plan and my discount would drop from 15 to 10 percent, it probably isn't worth getting rid of it.

As far as indulgences go, a lot of really, truly new technology is priced to cover the cost of R&D. Remember how much VCR's and DVD players were when they first came on the market? And how much the price dropped with the first five years? So what may be truly indulgent today may not really seem that indulgent in a few years.

Time is really the great equalizer here, I think.
 
Retired_Can_Soldier

Retired_Can_Soldier

The End of the Dog is Coming!
Mar 19, 2006
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Twitter. I don't understand it, although once my book launches I might have to.

Twitter sounds like a good place to get yourself into a scandal of some sort.
 
Praxius

Praxius

Mass'Debater
Dec 18, 2007
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I haven't owned a cell phone until I came to Australia, and only for the main purpose of getting a hold of someone if I get lost. I never wanted on while in Canada because I couldn't accept the type of contracts that exist in Canada and how much you pay for so little compared to other countries.

Once I get more settled, I'll be getting rid of my hand-me-down Blackberry Pearl and looking into getting an HTC Trophy with Windows 7..... I'll be damned if I'll invest in an IPhone.
 
JLM

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
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There's a difference between messages and conversation, but some people can't seem to distinguish the two. Cell phones are excellent for messages.
 
Praxius

Praxius

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Dec 18, 2007
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Halifax, NS & Melbourne, VIC
JLM said:
There's a difference between messages and conversation, but some people can't seem to distinguish the two. Cell phones are excellent for messages.
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And here in Australia, you can actually have conversations on your mobile via unlimited local calling and unlimited text, and with some deals, unlimited long distance calling within the country, and even better deals when calling another mobile that has the same provider as you.

People who try and imply that you have it good in Canada when it comes to Cell phones, obviously have no clue about what they're missing out on compared to other countries around them.

And cell phones in Canada are hardly "Excellent" for messages...... they're barely adequate. They toss you a bone with having a couple of free minutes during business hours and free local calling after 5-6pm..... and they not only charge you after so many text messages sent out, but wasn't it not too long ago that they decided to charge everybody for receiving text messages too?
 
SLM

SLM

The Velvet Hammer
Mar 5, 2011
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London, Ontario
JLM said:
There's a difference between messages and conversation, but some people can't seem to distinguish the two. Cell phones are excellent for messages.
Click to expand...
Possibly but, in my experience, people also often assume that face to face means only conversations. That's not necessarily true, often the kind of communication that occurs is really just "messages". For instance, both my kids live in different cities and I've found that I feel a lot more involved in their day to day lives because of the ability to instant message each other. It's the little things like, "you wouldn't believe the morning I've had" or "I ran into so-and-so this afternoon", the kinds of things that do keep us involved with one another and that can be taken for granted when people are in closer physical proximity to each other.
 
DurkaDurka

DurkaDurka

Internet Lawyer
Mar 15, 2006
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I don't necessarily need the latest and greatest but I do like my technology. I have an Android smartphone, Macbook, Quadcore Dekstop, PS3, 50" LCD, Semi-Pro DSLR, half dozen lenses and a whole bunch of rubbermaid containers full of "old technology"

Generally, I don't buy first generations of tech items as they tend to be somewhat buggy, usually I'll buy in after a couple revisions and a price drop.
 
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