I Want A Phone to Simply Call Someone

First off, let me say I am not a person who lives in, or wants to remain in the Dark Ages. I believe in technology advances and we need to look forward. However, with that said, I have to admit I am finally sick of technology, especially after all of they hype of the the I-Pad.

I have to admit, the early "hints" and "released secrets" of the I-Pad sounded great! I was really seeing a way to blend a lot of different technologies together and maybe make something a bit more compact. I saw this as very similar to the move from the desktop computer to the laptop computer. However, I was far from impressed. Now granted, I was not there to play with the new toy, but I couldn't avoid hearing about it on the radio (yes, I do listen to that thing in the car), or reading about it in the newspaper (yes, that paper thing), seeing it on the TV (no I don't own a HD-Plasma/Espresso machine) and seeing it on line. But still, it didn't impress me. It was doing what technology was already doing and then, charging me a ton of cash.

All I heard people hyping was the abiltiy to play nifty games and watch movies. I ask you, are your friends around you so boring that you can't just talk to them? Do you have to play games in all of your spare moments? Seems to me, anyway, that everyone rushed out and got the latest "cell phone" (and I use that term sparingly) this Christmas that did just the same thing.

"Oh, but Scott, the I-Pad will let me read books," you sigh in my misguided direction.
"Ahh, yes, and so does your Kindle, Nook, and Sony, as well as your laptop, your netbook and that weird thing in your had with pages called a REAL BOOK!" I finally scream.

I saw the same thing with a phone. When I go in to get a cell phone, I am constantly screaming at the sales clerk that I don't want something that will do my laundry for me remotely, I want something that calls people. They always look amazed. "What do you mean call someone, you can text them?" NO! I want to hear them!

Look people. I am all for advances, but giving us a new toy is not an advance. Playing a computer game faster is not an advance.

I have to say, my prediction is that devices such as the I-Pad are not going to increase literacy in the world. The e-readers might have since all they allowed you to do was read, but if we are again faced with all of these other distractions on the I-Pad, we will end up feeling more like playing some stupid racing game on the techology than opening a book.

There.... A Rant.

Now, I am off to read a book and then talk to someone on my ANALOG phone.

Scott