Can definitely relate to the keyboard over smartphone feeling. Right now I'm heading somewhere and trying to comment using my phone. It's not pretty. I'm a swipe-typer but the phone often guesses the wrong word and I have to type it out anyway. Ugh.
Do you remember a brief moment when Nokia (I think it was Nokia) launched a fashion mobile phone without a number dial that only had a ring that you turned to pick what to type? And that was almost at the peak of texting being popular! I never understood their reasoning. I'm pretty sure it was a flop.
I think you have to be born with the type of hands that are best suited to typing on the miniscule keyboards they have on the phones. My fingers work fine on my computer keyboard, but I think they're too fat for the phone's keyboard.
I can't imagine a writer using their phone to compose meaningful, longer works... but then again, I am continually surprised at how differently everyone's minds work.
I remember the early days of mobile phones. Not only was it hard to text but not many of my friends did text, so what was the point! Cell reception was also a bit hit and miss. And it could be expensive, as you mention.
Nowadays I find I exchange small texts quite frequently with friends, and have fewer long conversations on the phone. We probably meet up as frequently. I think short texts do keep me in touch better than in the past. I have not found voice-to-text useful.
But the mobile phone has become a vital part of my life. And no more hanging around street corners waiting for a date!
I think I use my "phone" far more as a "computer" in the classic sense than for anything else. Very quick research, and fast communication with folks, but little beyond that.
I use it for everything - reading, emails, texts, bank, games, task list, notes, research, news, maps, calculator, calendar and agenda, clock and alarms, photos, photo books, finance, Substack, train tickets. In fact I rarely use it as a phone!
I don't really like to read on my phone. I feel like I need many more words in each line in order to read comfortably and quickly. I also read pretty fast these days.
Normally I'd agree, but I read everywhere. So the benefit of having something small and light, with hundreds of books on it, overcomes my issue of a small screen.
I'm wondering if some of it is my vision being crappy compared to when I was younger, and how much is sort of habit. I tend to try to do things in batches, too, so I'll delay until I have a screen by default a lot of the time.
I got my first cell phone in 2003 too, also after years of fighting it until I figured I’d lost the fight and had to comply. Same thing with smart phones, first one was 2012. I hate the damn things, but they’re here to stay I guess! I’m kind of a Luddite however
"Maybe I felt as though mobile phones were a means of control, and you were giving up a degree of freedom to be tethered to them all the time."
That says it all doesn't it? I knew the social fabric was going to be screwed when the smart phone came out. I remain convinced. It's not just texting, it's all the other distractions these little computers in our pockets offer: social media toxicity, games, etc. Go anywhere and all you see is people looking into their own little bubbles. Anything to not deal with people and reality in real time. Despite all the benefits of convenience, I think the point stands.
Years ago, I found texting slow and laborious. Now, I find texting slow and laborious. In the future, I guess I will find texting slow and laborious. I love typing on the keyboard any day.
Can definitely relate to the keyboard over smartphone feeling. Right now I'm heading somewhere and trying to comment using my phone. It's not pretty. I'm a swipe-typer but the phone often guesses the wrong word and I have to type it out anyway. Ugh.
Do you remember a brief moment when Nokia (I think it was Nokia) launched a fashion mobile phone without a number dial that only had a ring that you turned to pick what to type? And that was almost at the peak of texting being popular! I never understood their reasoning. I'm pretty sure it was a flop.
I just found it! This one: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_7280
Well, it was one of the best products of 2004!
It can't even carry the Sidekick II's jock strap, as far as I'm concerned.
Fortune Magazine? More like "False Tune Magazine", am I right folks? Folks?
I think you have to be born with the type of hands that are best suited to typing on the miniscule keyboards they have on the phones. My fingers work fine on my computer keyboard, but I think they're too fat for the phone's keyboard.
Same. My thumb covers like 4 letters.
No texts for me. I use e-mails, particularly for my writing work, and old fashioned landlines for calls.
I can't imagine a writer using their phone to compose meaningful, longer works... but then again, I am continually surprised at how differently everyone's minds work.
I remember the early days of mobile phones. Not only was it hard to text but not many of my friends did text, so what was the point! Cell reception was also a bit hit and miss. And it could be expensive, as you mention.
Nowadays I find I exchange small texts quite frequently with friends, and have fewer long conversations on the phone. We probably meet up as frequently. I think short texts do keep me in touch better than in the past. I have not found voice-to-text useful.
But the mobile phone has become a vital part of my life. And no more hanging around street corners waiting for a date!
I think I use my "phone" far more as a "computer" in the classic sense than for anything else. Very quick research, and fast communication with folks, but little beyond that.
I use it for everything - reading, emails, texts, bank, games, task list, notes, research, news, maps, calculator, calendar and agenda, clock and alarms, photos, photo books, finance, Substack, train tickets. In fact I rarely use it as a phone!
I don't really like to read on my phone. I feel like I need many more words in each line in order to read comfortably and quickly. I also read pretty fast these days.
Normally I'd agree, but I read everywhere. So the benefit of having something small and light, with hundreds of books on it, overcomes my issue of a small screen.
I'm wondering if some of it is my vision being crappy compared to when I was younger, and how much is sort of habit. I tend to try to do things in batches, too, so I'll delay until I have a screen by default a lot of the time.
I got my first cell phone in 2003 too, also after years of fighting it until I figured I’d lost the fight and had to comply. Same thing with smart phones, first one was 2012. I hate the damn things, but they’re here to stay I guess! I’m kind of a Luddite however
"Maybe I felt as though mobile phones were a means of control, and you were giving up a degree of freedom to be tethered to them all the time."
That says it all doesn't it? I knew the social fabric was going to be screwed when the smart phone came out. I remain convinced. It's not just texting, it's all the other distractions these little computers in our pockets offer: social media toxicity, games, etc. Go anywhere and all you see is people looking into their own little bubbles. Anything to not deal with people and reality in real time. Despite all the benefits of convenience, I think the point stands.
Also I noticed a typo: "Maybe I felt as thought..."
Years ago, I found texting slow and laborious. Now, I find texting slow and laborious. In the future, I guess I will find texting slow and laborious. I love typing on the keyboard any day.