dammIT

A rantbox by Michiel Scholten

Using older devices


Sony ereader in case with light

As an enthusiast for technological things in general, and gadgets in particular, I like to use (and own) shiny devices. Be it a fast (and slightly big) smartphone with the latest OS, or a laptop with a lot of muscle and a 4K (touch)screen, I really can find a use for them :)

However, I'm not a person to throw out older devices so easily. I even still have my first cellphone, and most of those from then to my current one. Just recently, I gave away a lot of old motherboards and other perfectly usable, but outdated computer hardware and peripherals to an acquaintance, which will use them again.

Also, devices nowadays are perfectly capable to serve for quite a while. Smartphones tend to age rather a bit (I really hope my Nexus 6P stays with me a bit longer), but laptops and the like from a few years ago are still capable of doing the web browsing, photo editing, word processing and (software) developing that they were bought for.

Lately I had been looking at the newer Kobo e-reader models because of their highres screens and WiFi connectivity (I like that they can sync with Pocket). However, I still enjoy reading books on my Sony PRS-650 that I got at the start of 2011. I even love how it's starting to look nicely beaten up: it's getting used :)

Same goes for the Acer C720p hacktop - er - Chromebook that I got almost three years ago. I use it quite a lot, throw it in my backpack for some quick hacking while traveling by train or note taking at work, and it still runs fine, even for the modest specs it has. It's not new anymore and has some minor marks of usage, but it's passable for barely used, while I whip it out with pride because it's such an odd but useful little thing.

My previous 'main' laptop is also still going strong, and serving as a mostly-stationary workstation on which I do most of my work when working from my home office.

It's easy to want the latest, greatest and fastest devices, but appreciating the trusty older ones that are still serving just fine (helped by new software) should not be forgotten. Take care of the things that you got, you can always dream of that Next Big Thing.

If you read the above as my way of talking myself out of getting a Chromebook convertible with Android apps support like the Asus C302CA you're... erm... right, but I truly am happy with my trusty gadgets (some might even sniff at them and point at their laptop tank from 2001 and go 'puny laptop', but I really like this era of SSD's).

PS: what the frak Kobo, why did you discontinue the Kobo Glo HD with the excellent 1072x1448 screen and only offer a 768x1024 Aura HD or 6.8" H2O (2) with that previously high resolution? It's 2017...

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