/ Apple

Why Apple Products are Good for Me

I am a product of my culture and a bit of a computer geek and, as such, have an affinity for getting the newest, most up-to-date x (where x = “pretty much damn near anything tech/computer related). Of course, I have never had the income to really pursue that affinity to the lengths that I might want. However, even if I can’t afford to get the newest, coolest x, not having it produces a vague sense of dissatisfaction1 . Ironically, I find that by switching to a Mac as my computer and buying an iPhone I am able to excise some of that dissatisfaction and be content with my current set of tools.

Investing in Quality

My Macbook Pro is the most expensive computer I’ve ever purchased and it’s almost 20 months old–which is like 5 of our people years. Since then, the line has had a minor refresh and a major overhaul with the new (pretty!) unibody construction. Until I switched to a Mac, I was always buying low- to mid-end computers that meant I wanted to upgrade every 6 to 12 months. I wasn’t actually making a serious investment in my computer equipment, so I was seeing each computer as temporary, merely a brief stop on my way to the next, better computer. Not so much these days. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I think the new Macbook Pros are gorgeous, and if someone were to give me one, I’d surely take it, but I honestly don’t feel like I just have to have the newest and latest model because my computer remains an excellent tool that is more than sufficient to my needs. This is partly because of the quality of Apple products and partly because I consciously invested in getting a computer that would last 4 or 5 people years.

Updates? We don’t need no stinkin’ updates.

I have a jailbroken iPhone. Primarily for two reasons and secondarily for one reason. Mainly I keep my iPhone jailbroken for 1) Video capability–even though I haven’t had a use for this, I like knowing that I could capture video if necessary and 2) tethering, which can come in handy if there’s no other source of internet access. Additionally, I like being able to individualize the look of my iPhone and have a theme that I think is actually nicer than Apple’s (though many of the themes are not). One of the ramifications of keeping my phone jailbroken is that I need to be careful when updating the phone and this is forcing me to reconsider my knee-jerk reaction to hearing about updates to any of my technology which has generally been, OMG I need to update NOW!

Patience, they say, is a virtue, and my (jailbroken) iPhone is helping me learn a bit more patience than I have previously maintained . . . at least in this one area of my life (but maybe it’ll bleed over into other areas).

Using a well made tool will make any task more enjoyable than using an ill made tool, and Apple products, beyond their sleek design and sexy looks, are well made tools that are helping me focus a bit more on how and why I use technology instead of just wanting to play with the newest, coolest, most cutting edge x out there.

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On this day..

  1. capitalism at work!! [↩]