Let's get the obvious stuff out of the way; Apple had a big event today:
-New super-slim MacBooks with just a single connector (USB-C) in 3 colors (silver, "space grey" and gold).
-Apple Watch that starts at $350 for the smallest, cheapest one and goes UP TO $17,000 (are you effin' kidding me?! They'll make it obsolete in a year with V2!).
-Apple TV is cheaper at $69, but no major updates except HBO Now at $15 a month.
Now, on to a post that's been stewing for a while.
Every time one of the Big 3 (Apple, Google, Microsoft) make an announcement, I get tech-lust. The "oooh shiny" factor has me starting to think Craigslist trades and whatnot. I realized today that I think I'm finally getting past that. Yes, it'd be awesome to get every new piece of consumer tech that comes out. But I really feel like I've found my personal tech "groove" so to speak. I love my Windows phone, my Surface Pro 3 handles all of my computer and tablet needs (and then some), and I read books on my Kindle Paperwhite. It's just about the perfect balance for me. Finally.
I have zero desire for an Apple Watch (I still really don't like the look of it). I don't want the new super-thin MacBook. Or the "new", more powerful MacBook Pro. It's just... Meh. I'm over the hype. I'm over finding the pitfalls of the "best new thing ever". Apple's way of controlling their hardware/software/ecosystem with an iron fist is great for the average consumer. It puts out a high quality, reliable, consistent product. But by controlling it so much on their end, they take control from the consumer. There's no avoiding the grid of icons on an iOS device. You can't install Mac OS on anything other than their hardware. The Apple Watch will only work with the iPhone. The list goes on. There's just so much you have to accept from your benevolent Apple overlords.
I want the freedom to do what I want and change up what I use more or less at will. And because of that, I'm finding that I prefer tech that helps facilitate that. Pebble was a good example of that. It worked with my iPhone and Android. No Windows Phone support (yet), but I was able to traverse phones with more ease than the Moto 360 (Android Wear). Amazon at least makes it easy to get Microsoft gets that. The Microsoft band works with Windows Phone, Android and iOS. So yes, while one of the driving factors for my desire for it is that I have a Windows Phone, if I decide to play with a different phone, I can still use it. Hell, it can be paired with multiple devices at once. Stuff like that, no matter who makes it, excites me. Sure, Nest doesn't make a Windows Phone app, nor does Phillips for the Hue bulbs, but they have open APIs that 3rd party developers can use, so I can use those devices no matter what phone/tablet/computer I have.
I live in a cross-platform world. Sure, I've raved about Microsoft products and services, and for good reason: They have a cross-platform mentality. The Microsoft Band is a good example of that. But so is OneDrive or Office. Skype works for any device. Hell, even Xbox Music is available on iOS and Android. Meanwhile, Google will only release apps for Android and iOS. Apple won't even touch anything other than iOS (Beats was already cross-platform before they were acquired). It's absolute hell trying to access anything iCloud/iWork without an iDevice or a Mac. It may look like Microsoft is the 3rd class citizen by how Google and Apple treat them, but they're ensuring their future by being available everywhere to the consumer. Yes, like any company, they'd prefer if you bought into their devices as well as services, but they're also all about facilitating access to their products if you use "the other guys". It's really nice to not feel "locked" into a system.
With my Surface Pro 3, I have not only a powerful computer, but the openness of the Windows ecosystem. I have an awesome tablet with a pressure-sensitive stylus. It's an incredible digital comic reader. Windows 10 will transform it into a gaming device by being able to play games on my Xbox One directly on it. Oh, and it's thinner than that newfangled MacBook (without the keyboard). It syncs and shares information directly with my Windows phone (HCT One M8 for Windows) to the point that it can even initiate the hotspot on my phone if I need it on the computer without touching my phone. As far as my phone goes, I still think Microsoft truly innovated with their interface. It's not a grid of icons or pages of widgets. It's useful "Live Tiles" that show relevant information for the apps they represent. Voice interaction, as well as at-a-glance information, with Cortana is far better than Siri or Google Now(and she's even psychic when it comes to sports and award shows!).
You'll notice I didn't touch on Android much. Android is kind of that ol' reliable OS for me. It's always there, it'll get the job done, but getting how I want it takes a lot of work. I like it, and it's fantastic, but I quickly fall down a rabbit hole of trying every new messaging app and launcher that comes out, and it gets tiring. lol I just wish Google would give Windows a little more love; it's really the one thing that keeps me from being able to recommend mobile Windows devices to everyone. I'm cool with the workarounds I've found, but most people just want their Google stuff to work.
Ultimately, what works best for the consumer is up to the individual. Some people truly like the simplicity of iOS and the deep integration across devices that Apple can provide with things like iMessage and FaceTime but loose control and customizability. Others like having full-on control over everything and don't mind dealing with the complexity of it all, and for them Android is where it's at. But it's like politics: It may look like a 2 party system of extremes, but there's actually a reasonable middle ground. I guess Windows is that Libertarian longshot in the race. lol
-New super-slim MacBooks with just a single connector (USB-C) in 3 colors (silver, "space grey" and gold).
-Apple Watch that starts at $350 for the smallest, cheapest one and goes UP TO $17,000 (are you effin' kidding me?! They'll make it obsolete in a year with V2!).
-Apple TV is cheaper at $69, but no major updates except HBO Now at $15 a month.
Now, on to a post that's been stewing for a while.
Every time one of the Big 3 (Apple, Google, Microsoft) make an announcement, I get tech-lust. The "oooh shiny" factor has me starting to think Craigslist trades and whatnot. I realized today that I think I'm finally getting past that. Yes, it'd be awesome to get every new piece of consumer tech that comes out. But I really feel like I've found my personal tech "groove" so to speak. I love my Windows phone, my Surface Pro 3 handles all of my computer and tablet needs (and then some), and I read books on my Kindle Paperwhite. It's just about the perfect balance for me. Finally.
I have zero desire for an Apple Watch (I still really don't like the look of it). I don't want the new super-thin MacBook. Or the "new", more powerful MacBook Pro. It's just... Meh. I'm over the hype. I'm over finding the pitfalls of the "best new thing ever". Apple's way of controlling their hardware/software/ecosystem with an iron fist is great for the average consumer. It puts out a high quality, reliable, consistent product. But by controlling it so much on their end, they take control from the consumer. There's no avoiding the grid of icons on an iOS device. You can't install Mac OS on anything other than their hardware. The Apple Watch will only work with the iPhone. The list goes on. There's just so much you have to accept from your benevolent Apple overlords.
I want the freedom to do what I want and change up what I use more or less at will. And because of that, I'm finding that I prefer tech that helps facilitate that. Pebble was a good example of that. It worked with my iPhone and Android. No Windows Phone support (yet), but I was able to traverse phones with more ease than the Moto 360 (Android Wear). Amazon at least makes it easy to get Microsoft gets that. The Microsoft band works with Windows Phone, Android and iOS. So yes, while one of the driving factors for my desire for it is that I have a Windows Phone, if I decide to play with a different phone, I can still use it. Hell, it can be paired with multiple devices at once. Stuff like that, no matter who makes it, excites me. Sure, Nest doesn't make a Windows Phone app, nor does Phillips for the Hue bulbs, but they have open APIs that 3rd party developers can use, so I can use those devices no matter what phone/tablet/computer I have.
I live in a cross-platform world. Sure, I've raved about Microsoft products and services, and for good reason: They have a cross-platform mentality. The Microsoft Band is a good example of that. But so is OneDrive or Office. Skype works for any device. Hell, even Xbox Music is available on iOS and Android. Meanwhile, Google will only release apps for Android and iOS. Apple won't even touch anything other than iOS (Beats was already cross-platform before they were acquired). It's absolute hell trying to access anything iCloud/iWork without an iDevice or a Mac. It may look like Microsoft is the 3rd class citizen by how Google and Apple treat them, but they're ensuring their future by being available everywhere to the consumer. Yes, like any company, they'd prefer if you bought into their devices as well as services, but they're also all about facilitating access to their products if you use "the other guys". It's really nice to not feel "locked" into a system.
With my Surface Pro 3, I have not only a powerful computer, but the openness of the Windows ecosystem. I have an awesome tablet with a pressure-sensitive stylus. It's an incredible digital comic reader. Windows 10 will transform it into a gaming device by being able to play games on my Xbox One directly on it. Oh, and it's thinner than that newfangled MacBook (without the keyboard). It syncs and shares information directly with my Windows phone (HCT One M8 for Windows) to the point that it can even initiate the hotspot on my phone if I need it on the computer without touching my phone. As far as my phone goes, I still think Microsoft truly innovated with their interface. It's not a grid of icons or pages of widgets. It's useful "Live Tiles" that show relevant information for the apps they represent. Voice interaction, as well as at-a-glance information, with Cortana is far better than Siri or Google Now(and she's even psychic when it comes to sports and award shows!).
You'll notice I didn't touch on Android much. Android is kind of that ol' reliable OS for me. It's always there, it'll get the job done, but getting how I want it takes a lot of work. I like it, and it's fantastic, but I quickly fall down a rabbit hole of trying every new messaging app and launcher that comes out, and it gets tiring. lol I just wish Google would give Windows a little more love; it's really the one thing that keeps me from being able to recommend mobile Windows devices to everyone. I'm cool with the workarounds I've found, but most people just want their Google stuff to work.
Ultimately, what works best for the consumer is up to the individual. Some people truly like the simplicity of iOS and the deep integration across devices that Apple can provide with things like iMessage and FaceTime but loose control and customizability. Others like having full-on control over everything and don't mind dealing with the complexity of it all, and for them Android is where it's at. But it's like politics: It may look like a 2 party system of extremes, but there's actually a reasonable middle ground. I guess Windows is that Libertarian longshot in the race. lol