ljsinclair

Dumbphone and other retro tech

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Dumbphone update 3

So the dumbphone downgrade is still working to my advantage time-wise.

It's really interesting to find my habits have changed in only about a month.

Doomscrolling the internet is no longer just a touch away. Now if I want to look at something I have to grab my tablet computer out of my bag, turn on, login and open the web browser.

I'm reading much more as a result. But also I'm finding I genuinely don't care about all the websites I used to look at. I go on them perhaps twice a week. And each time I find myself less inclined to hunt for something that's interesting.

I'm also far less vulnerable to the psychological tricks a lot of websites use to keep me flicking through their content. Even on sites I used to hang out on. I've got ADHD and this is a real benefit.

Muscle memory means I've picked up old-school texting again. And I'm more conscious of what I'm writing, not just bashing out a long response on an alphanumeric keyboard. This also means I'm writing shorter messages that get to the point.

I need the internet far less than expected when I'm out and about. Things I thought would be a problem suddenly aren't. If I need a password while I'm out and about, I just fire-up the Surface Pro I habitually carry around with me. If I need the internet, it takes a couple of minutes to tether the tablet to the phone.

So I'm calling this a success and moving on.

Retro tech - iPod Classic 80GB

So my good friend Emily gave me a 5th gen iPod yesterday to play with.

The battery survived an overnight charge and I'm finding the interface vastly better than anything smartphones ever provided. Especially the issues I was having with playing music on the Android with the always-on interface that appeared in the notifications panel.

I'm suddenly conscious I'm a 50 year old bitching about new things. Why'd it take so long to realise that?!

Still to do:

Retro tech -- Palm Tungsten

I had a Palm IIIc back in the day and I've considered getting one of these to handle a calendar and contact sync.

Once again, Emily to the rescue! She had a Palm Tungsten that dates back to around 2001.

The battery is kaput so I'll pull it open and see if I can replace it.

The interface is pleasingly simple and lacks the bloat and clutter of modern devices.

Syncing is going to be tricky as this is very old technology. It's so old it doesn't even have wifi. But it does have bluetooth. Not that I could get it to connect to anything.

For all its retro charm, it may be simpler to work out if the iPod can do contact/calendar sync instead. I'd forgotten it originally had that ability.

Early days, though.

Still to do:

Thoughts? Leave a comment