Somewhere on the other side of Nowhere. That's where we're going and we'll know when we get there

nerd bloggery

Well I finally got my magical, revolutionary new device and the early reports are that I love it. Yes, I'm a super geek when it comes to my technology. Yes, I'm even more of a super geek when it comes to my Apple technology. Yes, I happily handed over a big chunk of cash from the sale of my Jeep fully confident that this new thing from Apple would address needs I wasn't even aware I had in a smooth and intuitive way that somehow made food taste better and music sound cooler.

After waiting twice as long as I was told in the store by the friendly Apple employee I have iPad in hand (3-4 week wait for the case!) and it has started a technology upheaval that I've been dreading and looking forward to.

This gadget has managed to crystalize the geek argument between men and women for me - my wife fought unsuccessfully against the iPad, using the logic that I already had a bag full of different gadgets that together achieved the same result. To me, that simply demonstrated the obvious need for this new magical, earth-shaking, revolutionary device. Thanks.

Yes, the iPad has already allowed me to consolidate my Kindle, Roku player and iPhone as well as addressed the infrequent times I find myself wishing I had a laptop computer (given, this is still in the early honeymoon period. I'm sure things will only get more wonderful....much like my marriage did after the honeymoon...). I have since scaled my phone down to my wife's old Samsung DumbPhone, which is a jarring transition from the iPhone - a device I have repeatedly referred to as the single most useful thing that I own - but I'm already getting used to the idea that my phone is a stupid, single-purpose thing that almost never gets used and the rest of my computing and communication functions are handled by something separate. I entertained the idea that I could go phoneless and just use my Google Voice and Skype apps for all my phone-related needs and the only thing that saved the phone was the need to be reached by the babysitter when I'm away from the house.

I think by this point most everyone else has learned to try pretty much every other way to reach me before resorting to picking up the phone and I like it that way.

The pleasant side-effect is that I don't get the sudden flash of "hey I'll just fire off a quick email at this stoplight" or check my electronic leash every time I have a moment of pause that comes with having email and every other app just a little too conveniently packaged in a pocket-sized device I always carry with me.
It's taking some getting used to but I think it'll be for the better. I'm sure I'll still be over-connected in many ways and still get a good percentage of emails that begin with "holy crap, that was a fast reply" but now I have some division between being able to connect anytime I want and always being connected.

Did I "need" it? Maybe not.
Did I "need" to have email in my pocket this whole time? Probably not and it probably didn't form any healthy habits
This feels a little more normal. Thanks, Apple, for selling me the heroin and then inventing the methadone. Someday they'll invent a really slick solution to have a phone hang on the wall in my kitchen with a long cord and my computer will have to dial out to an Apple server to get online - and it will be hailed as a revolution and I will probably stand in line to shell out for it.