Why I don't like smartphones
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Why I don't like smartphones
1–10 of 294 posts
Re: Why I don't like smartphones
#2"Smartphones are unapologetically devices for consumption"
I see. The author has never noticed anyone taking pictures with their smartphones.
And Snapchat is also pure consumption. Except that users are taking pictures (and videos). And modifying them. And transforming them.
Re: Why I don't like smartphones
#3Glad to know somebody else also recognising position:fixed problem. It's really a nightmare. Is it really difficult to understand for their product managers to see that blocking top 20% of user's mobile screen just to hang a navigation which serve no purpose whatsoever is not cool.
Re: Why I don't like smartphones
#4The irony in this article is, due to the lack of a sensible line width, it is much easier to read on a phone than a PC
Re: Why I don't like smartphones
#5> They have ruined web design.
Ironically, the site itself looks super good on a smartphone. I didn't check the source (because I'm on a smartphone...), but it doesn't seem to have any CSS styling applied to it.
Re: Why I don't like smartphones
#6"Smartphones are unapologetically devices for consumption" I see. The author has never noticed anyone taking pictures with their smartphones. And Snapchat is also pure consumption. Except that users are taking pictures (and videos). And modifying them. And transforming them.
Fair point regarding creation, specifically A/V content. What are your thoughts on the rest of the argument beyond that point?
Re: Why I don't like smartphones
#7I'm not sure that this article is that contentious. Modern smartphones are unabashedly consumer devices made for the mass market and several of the criticisms in this article are features that most people don't want/need.
What most people want/need from a smartphone is a device that lets them do things (e.g. send messages, keep up with friends, make phonecalls, browse the Internet) without getting in their way. They're not really in the market for a general purpose computing device like a PC.
If you want that kind of device in a smartphone there are less mainstream options, but I don't regard it as surprising that larger companies don't actively cater to them (it's a niche market place)
Personally I've got a range of computing devices that I use for different tasks. When I want to read a book, or surf the Internet I use my iPad. When I want to write some code or do my technical job, I use Linux.
Now there's the obvious argument that people should have the freedom to control all their computing devices, but that freedom comes at a cost, which is that freer devices are, I would suggest, harder to maintain.(i.e. you need to understand more about the operation of the device in order to manage it). If you're a technical person, you may not see this as a problem, but remember mass-market consumers aren't necessarily very technical...
Re: Why I don't like smartphones
#8I don't like smartphones also, but I hadn't thought of any of these reasons.
Re: Why I don't like smartphones
#9pfffft... the first line shows an extremely limited world view.
Plenty of people are creating using smartphones. Sure, no one is programming on a smartphone, but plenty of people are creating art via the cameras and on-device editing tools. And doing so much more spontaneously than when you had to awkwardly carry around a camcorder waiting for inspiration to hit.
Similarly, lots of people only use PCs for consumption. It is their reddit/hulu/netflix device.
Both PCs and smartphones are used for creation, just for different types of creation.
Re: Why I don't like smartphones
#10I liked many facts that are provided in this text. Kinda feel the same way about many of those things. But! I kinda do not have courage to leave smartphone and go for standard cheap cellphone ala 15 years ago. Because I would then have to carry an iPod with me... So music and emails, (I am still student so it is relatively rare occasion to have to respond from phone) are reasons why I am still bind to it. But time I spend on phone is low. Like really low. Especially low since I bought new MacBook, and I usually carry it with me, so those moments when I am forced to use phone for anything (besides listening to music while in transport) are extremely rare. Probable once or twice a month.
I always felt there is something wrong with all those smartphones. Mostly because I had a feeling they are time wasting devices (don't get me wrong there are still a certain percent of people who do real work and are very dependable on smartphone and that's ok, but I am not one of them, as for now at least...). When you look at all those apps people install, like 5 different IM apps, 5 social network apps, 10 games, 5 productivity apps... like what the hell? I used to "consume" phone like that, but after few years got really tired, so I introduced life rule that made me feel much better about these devices. Do not install anything that you do not need (Thinking like "Oh, this could come in handy for X situation", no!). Use one app for one task... So I use stock apps and one app for every need I have. So it makes it 5 additional apps besides default ones. And after all that decluttering I found that I simply do not use smartphone as smartphone. I use it as a phone. (Only "heavy usage" could be music where I have Spotify, SoundCloud and Music app installed). I kinda felt better, like I had few more hours packed in a day, so it would be better for me to spend them differently, sit down, order some coffee in cafe and stare through the window, better than staring at 4.7 inch screen, scrolling dozens of unimportant informations...
Those reasons are all less technical but equally important in my opinion.