I was talking about tech toys with Gerry yesterday and we came to the realization that what we want from our tech is that it be exciting, shiny and new for the first couple of days then to quickly become invisible. So cleanly and effortlessly integrated into our life that we don't even realize how heavily we rely on it. 
The conversation was a result of our recent switch back to Telus. As is expected in our Canadian telephony melee, we had to change phones in the process. Me from the Nokia I received as part of a blogger outreach from Matchstick. Gerry from the one I dumped to switch to the Nokia. It was obviously Ger's turn for a kick-ass tech-toy (Yes. we take turns, don't you?)
So I did the research and found a sweet deal for two-for-one matching phones that had a funky keyboard integrated into the dialpad.
"Right on!" I thought. "that'll let me blog and text like the connectivity-freak I know I am, and get Gerry up and texting." But they only had one in stock, so the woman helping us, Hope, offered to let me get a different, pricier phone and would "
find a way to make it work for us."
"Right! ON!" I thought, my hand reaching for the slickest and most stylish phone on the rack. The LG Chocolate.
Now, due to an off-the-blog promise I made I won't tell you exactly what happened, but I will say the following:
If you've been using a Nokia Smartphone for over a year, using it for daily photos, blogging and all the other snazzy Smartphone software features, you will NOT be happy with an LG Chocolate. Not happy at all.
If you are lucky you'll be dealing with someone like Hope from the Telus store in the First Canadian Place, and you'll catch it before you are locked into a shiny, slick and not-so-Smartphone for three years.
[This post composed** entirely on my new, not-so shiny, chocolate-butt kicking HTC S720 complete with photos that are not mirror images of reality.]
** note - photos and links inserted later I haven't figured that part out yet, but I will
I'm sorry I couldn't hear you over the music coming from my iPhone.
I know... I know... it's not a smartphone. But it rocks. Go to Buffalo and I'll unlock one for you! Take the simcard from whatever you gots now and whammo. Style, function and connectivity. Plus, the little nub on the headphones is a microphone AND a way to pause/advance music without being ugly and bulky.
I like your "becoming invisible but invaluable" theory. My iPhone is becoming a second brain. I can't imagine leaving the house without it.
Posted by: Deadrobot | November 03, 2007 at 04:48 PM
You and your little nubs! I may take you up on that iPhone unlocking... but not for a while. Right now I'm basking in smartphone tech and all the bells and whistles that come with. For example, this comment came through on.. you guessed it... my not-so-shiny new cell phone.
Another point I didn't make above... my new cell phone doesn't get all smudge up if you touch it. HA!
Posted by: Lex | November 03, 2007 at 07:47 PM
All the more reason to whip out my iPhone and polish it!
(was that rude?)
It looks like the big boys are starting to copy the touch tech so greasy ear prints are inevitable.
Posted by: Dead Robot | November 05, 2007 at 04:41 PM
The background music playing when I read your comment certainly enhanced the rude-factor.
re: glossy = greasy - I think that matt-finish will soon become the new premium add-on feature on personal tech.
Posted by: Lex | November 06, 2007 at 04:13 PM