As I have explained before I liiiike things with chips in them. And gadgets. I've had a mobile phone since before they were fashionable. I discovered SMS messaging when nobody else had a phone that could receive the messages and correctly predicted that it was going to be Huuuuuuuuge. (my reasoning was that it was much easier to text someone because you didn't have to get put on the spot by instantly answering any questions about whatever it was - you could think at your leisure or just ignore them - I'm pretty sure that's not far from the truth.)
I've had "smart" phones since about 1998 and have endlessly attempted to do web and email on a succession of hardware, starting with the Psion 5 and an Ericsson SH888 (the first phone to have a built-in wireless modem)
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| Psion 5 |
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| Ericsson SH888 |
These were linked together using an infra-red wireless(!) connection which meant that you had to carefully position both the Psion and the phone so that they were in line and close, but not too close and not in bright sunshine because that would ruin the link. This would give me a whole 9.6 kilobits per second!!! (Eat sh*t eight meg broadband!). I even ran my business using this combination while on a rowing training camp in spain in 1999.
So I've been looking for a usable smartphone for just about as long as everyone. I've tried every combination and particularly I had a series of iPaqs (HP "personal digital assistants") and Windows Mobile phones and they were all, how can I put it, CACK.
In 2004 I got the latest greatest windows mobile phone, and it was getting there - in that I could web browse and do my email, but it had a stylus that you could lose and when you answered a phone call there was a 3 second pause while it stopped what it was doing and decided to try and become a phone again. I said at the time - "All I want is the screen. I don't need any of these buttons I don't need a keyboard - why can't I just have a phone that you press the screen and then it could draw the buttons on the screen and they could be anything you want - a phone that is ALL SCREEN".
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| What I wanted. Basically I invented this. Really. |
I got one pretty soon after they came out in the UK (just after they dropped the price - I'm not that mental) and I haven't looked back since.
Of course Android is all the rage now, and there's a lot of antagonism between iPhone vs Everyone Else but you simply cannot get away from the fact that iPhone invented the way that "smart" phones should work - and *I* invented the iPhone.
And I blogged on it while running on a treadmill earlier on today - now that's progress.
Janathon Stats:
Today:
Distance: 4.2km (2.61 miles) Time: 25:00 Avg Pace: 5:57/km (9:35/mile)
Overall:
Distance: 56.18km (34.91 miles) Time: 5:13:11 Avg Pace: 5:35/km (8:58/mile)
Distance: 4.2km (2.61 miles) Time: 25:00 Avg Pace: 5:57/km (9:35/mile)
Overall:
Distance: 56.18km (34.91 miles) Time: 5:13:11 Avg Pace: 5:35/km (8:58/mile)
I am enjoying your alphabetical blogs, I still have one of those Psions in the back of my desk, and I too remember using the Ericsson as a modem, thought we were the bees knees at the time. Looking forward to 'j'
ReplyDeleteYou should sue that Steve Jobs. Then I could buy lots of dresses.
ReplyDeleteDo you still have all your old gadgets? I reckon you could open a museum.
ReplyDeleteHow are the leggies? xxxx
PS don't forget the shoes Mrs Badger. And the sparkles.
I've still got most of my old gadgets - including that Psion and the phone.
ReplyDeleteI held off on the smartphone world as long as possible. They make me dumber, Google at your fingertips.
ReplyDeleteThat said. Thank you for inventing iPhones and the like. Because, you invented them solely for ME.
And nice treadmill run/blog today.
They are amazing, I held off for a while then I started feeling like a dinosaur still pressing buttons whilst everyone else was swiping...you should sue him, ooooh and make a film out of it it'll be just like that facebook film cept you'll be the goody and he'll be the baddy...who would you get to play you and mrs lumpybadger?
ReplyDeleteEasy:
ReplyDeleteMe: Robert Downey Jr (I've been told he's a less good looking version of me)
Mrs Badger: Jennifer Aniston. Mmmmmmm.
loool!
ReplyDelete