Something that has really come to light for me in the last couple of years is that I’m really, really, really tired of the “my choice of technology is better than your choice of technology” attitude so many of my geek brethren espouse. Whether it be “Linux is better than Windows” or “Macs are better than PCs” or “Open Source is better than paid software” or “my smartphone is better than your smartphone”, I have yet to see that this is anything more than the simple human tendency to divide up into camps and loudly proclaim how one’s camp is superior to everyone else’s.
And you know what, folks? When it comes to geek technology, this is really kind of silly.
When you get right down to it, no matter what operating system it runs, a computer is pretty goddamn awesome. So are smartphones–I mean, c’mon, you guys, we are all carrying around tiny computers in our pockets. And when I think about this, especially when I think about how computers used to be gigantic boxy things that would take up entire rooms, it’s even more amazing to me.
I’ve been thinking about this this week because I’ve gotten the expected amount of shit for the fact that I’m getting an iPad. But really, I’ve been thinking about it ever since a coworker of mine showed up at work preemptively expecting that the team was going to give him shit for having a Windows phone. That struck me. If you’re going around automatically expecting your fellow geeks to hassle you about the device you’ve chosen to purchase, that really takes a lot of fun out of having it. And it shouldn’t, because again, computers are awesome. And smartphones are just tiny computers.
So I would now like to take this opportunity to celebrate all technology, no matter who makes it. I invite folks to join me in the comments to express love of whatever technology you have and why you love it. I’ll start!
I love my MacBook because it’s clever enough to dual-boot between OS X and Windows 7.
I love Windows 7 because it’s a version of Windows that is not only not sucky, it’s elegant, doesn’t get in your face with the UAC dialogs, and able to play nicely with Bootcamp.
I love Linux because I’ve found it to be an excellent platform to write Python code on. Also, excellent for running our home servers at the Murk, and for playing Nethack on, and hosting my web pages and blogs!
I love Open Source because of healthy respect for the ethic of creating programs just because you love to code.
I love paying for programs I need or games I want because I myself work in the computer industry, and I love supporting my fellow geeks for their work.
I love Firefox because c’mon, FOXES, how can I not?
I love Safari because it’s fast.
I love Internet Explorer 9 because whoa, hey, a version of Internet Explorer that’s actually fast and compliant to recent web standards? Awesome! Well done!
I love my iPhone because it’s a tiny, tiny thing and yet it lets me do so much.
I love my nook because it lets me carry around an amazing number of books with me, and in one small sleek package.
I don’t own one but I love seeing other people’s netbooks because small, cute technology that can go toe to toe with bigger laptops is awesome.
I don’t own one but I love hearing from friends who own Android phones or Windows phones just because a friend saying “I have a toy and it does this really, really cool thing” is awesome, too!
I love flatscreen monitors because yay for occupying less desk space, not to mention no longer throwing radiation at my poor neck.
And I’ll save telling you about why I love my iPad after I’ve actually had some time to break it in. :D
Your turn, people! What technology do you love, and why? (And remember, this is not about ‘I love technology X because it’s not technology Y’–please, let’s not snark. Let’s make this a celebration of all things that are awesome. Thanks!)
AMEN!!!
OK, I’m sorry I gave you shit about ordering your IPad; it’s really not about you having one–it’s more about my husband bringing one home and badgering me about how great it is, when all I could see was that it kept fucking up everything I wanted to do. The best example I can think of is this: In the middle of trying to watch Scott Grimes “Hide” video just before Alan Doyle was supposed to appear, it inexplicably changed the screen to my Twitter account. ARRGGH! So in the most-cliched-breakup-line-ever-but-actually-honestly-meant-this-time, “it’s not about you, it’s about me”.
And I love my Great Big Sea Benefit Bar ToolBar. Couldn’t get along without it. Oh, and I really love being able to download specific Tweets (there HAS got to be a better word!–makes me sound like a G-D four-year-old!) to my cellphone. Thus, I can stay connected to friends wherever I happen to be. That’s cool.
I love my frankensteined Inspiron because, well, I franked it. Myself. With Love. and my own money. Oh, and because is my brain, and my principle interface with the world.
I love my droid x because, as stated above, it’s a computer that fits in my pocket. and it connects me to my friends. and it tells me when they want to connect with me. and it has a gps on it, so I don’t have to be lost if I don’t want to. and it is the droid I’m looking for. and between the two of them, I am able to work, and I love my job. If I didn’t have bills to pay, I’d do it for free, because I just like fixing things.
Mostly, I love the interwebs, because I have friends, and blogs, and facebook, and chatrooms, and email, and wikipedia, and why do I never have enough time?
Sara, thank you for that, I appreciate you coming over to this post to say so. :) For the record it’s not you in particular that provoked this post; it’s more a general ongoing thing I’ve had coming at me from several directions. And, as I mentioned, that experience with my coworker expecting people to give him shit about his Windows phone. Which struck me as not cool.
And see, your experience with your husband’s iPad is part of why I’ve come to think that people’s personal experiences with technology are just going to be subjective–one person’s awesome technology is going to be another person’s thing they want to pitch out the window. And if you have a bad experience with a particular device or system, it’s absolutely okay if that means you won’t care to repeat the experience. I’m down with that. :)
As to the rest of your comment–woo! Great Big Sea toolbar! Technology + GBS is always a win. I am happy to have the GBS app on my phone. :D
David, homebuilt computers are their very own kind of awesome. :D Go you!
Hee hee hee, as a longstanding Star Wars fan, I am obliged to always giggle at “this IS the Droid I’m looking for”.
And yeah! Internets! *flies the flag of Dork Nation* It’s letting us have this very conversation, and also, it is full of lolcats. :D
I have panic attacks when I get lost, especially when I’m supposed to be there at a certain time. Thus, I love my Garmin GPS and Google Maps so theoretically I’ll never have to get lost again.