Technology

Is it strange to get attached to pieces of technology?

I don't mean it in the "is it unusual" sense because I know it's not unusual to get emotional at technology, because it's there, and it's so integral to the things we do nowadays that they are the equivalent of the most frequently used, precious and hard to replace (or at least expensive to) tools. I mean it in more the sense of "neverminding that we all do so, is it strange?"

After all, they're inn inanimate. They're not going to get their feelings hurt and start malfunctioning in a fit of petty vengeance. Though it certainly does seem that way at times.

I'm currently dealing with two such things. My laptop gets no love anymore. I'd feel bad for it, but if it was sentient, I'd say it was really out to get me and has a warped sense of humor. That thing is getting wiped and recieving shiny new parts soon anyway. It had better forgive me for whatever gave it the grudge, or so help me...

...I guess maybe it does count, so subject B of this account is my shiny desktop, on which I am typing this blog. My kitten got it for me, and while it's not nice to cuddle or adorable and sweet like she is, Asmus is a powerful machine and has been extremely reliable and helpful so far. Also, Windows 7, which makes me wonder why my laptop did not abandon Vista the moment the new OS came out. I plan to demand that's part of the reformatting. But I'm even more fond of it as it's a gift from her. It's the thing that lets us do all of our favorite relaxation activities together, and has helped maintain my sanity, along with her and a few other choice friends, during the rougher patches this past year. I owe her a lot for it. I try to use the gift to give right back, but sometimes it's difficult to figure out just how- and I am distractable.

Thirdly, there is my phone.

I am very fond of my phone in the sense that I am comfortable with it's physical design and programming. It's a good shape for me, it's small enough to easily stick even in tiny pockets, it does everything I want a phone to do, excepting that the picture quality could be better, and it is sturdy. I've dropped it and banged it about a number of times to no avail, where as the newer models of phones I distrust for how many people I've seen drop them once and have them wrecked entirely, not to mention that I prefer the classic flick open design for several reasons over the flat slide or flip phones. And don't even get me started on using touch screens. The kinds of problems Tabi had with hers would instantly become pet-peeves for me, and the touch pad liked her. It did not like me, they never do. Not one bit.

But it need to be replaced, I know.

Before I smash the damned thing.

Not for the first time it simply refused to send something for unfathomable reasons, within a full bars zone. I was initially reluctant to blame it since I am so used to and appreciative of it's design, but much as I might enjoy the skeleton, the innards need to go. So unless I go all Frankenstein on it, it's damn time I get a new phone. This weekend unless I am grossly unlucky, and it sounds like with a large discount. It dropped a text I was sending, without ever making a sound to signal this. Because of this deficiency, Tabi thought I never answered her.

And so I've spent the day since that point making calls that apparently weren't made after all, due to this thing being a piece of shit, on a semi-regular basis. Left a message or two, though I'm not positive she got even one. Think she said she did. Not 100% sure. Texts dropped. Not received. Etc. It's happened before. Never happened to me with anyone but her, but it has had notoriously bad signal (which I am now starting to believe might be the phone's fault as well as my campus. There's no doubt this place has poor signal strength). But I'm running out of excuses for it, and interest in defending it. If all of this is even partly it's fault, you know what? I'm ready to toss it out.

I just wish there wasn't that old codgery technophobe in me grumbling about how the next model will have more bells and whistles mucking up a good design by overcomplicating it and be buggier for it all at the end. Urg.

If it gives me constant, sure fire texts and calls in clear quality to Tabi though, I'll get over it.

...do hope it's not a touch screen though.