On the awesomeness of technology

[annathepiper]

Something that has really come to light for me in the last couple of years is that I’m really, really, really tired of the “my choice of technology is better than your choice of technology” attitude so many of my geek brethren espouse. Whether it be “Linux is better than Windows” or “Macs are better than PCs” or “Open Source is better than paid software” or “my smartphone is better than your smartphone”, I have yet to see that this is anything more than the simple human tendency to divide up into camps and loudly proclaim how one’s camp is superior to everyone else’s.

And you know what, folks? When it comes to geek technology, this is really kind of silly.

When you get right down to it, no matter what operating system it runs, a computer is pretty goddamn awesome. So are smartphones–I mean, c’mon, you guys, we are all carrying around tiny computers in our pockets. And when I think about this, especially when I think about how computers used to be gigantic boxy things that would take up entire rooms, it’s even more amazing to me.

I’ve been thinking about this this week because I’ve gotten the expected amount of shit for the fact that I’m getting an iPad. But really, I’ve been thinking about it ever since a coworker of mine showed up at work preemptively expecting that the team was going to give him shit for having a Windows phone. That struck me. If you’re going around automatically expecting your fellow geeks to hassle you about the device you’ve chosen to purchase, that really takes a lot of fun out of having it. And it shouldn’t, because again, computers are awesome. And smartphones are just tiny computers.

So I would now like to take this opportunity to celebrate all technology, no matter who makes it. I invite folks to join me in the comments to express love of whatever technology you have and why you love it. I’ll start!

I love my MacBook because it’s clever enough to dual-boot between OS X and Windows 7.

I love Windows 7 because it’s a version of Windows that is not only not sucky, it’s elegant, doesn’t get in your face with the UAC dialogs, and able to play nicely with Bootcamp.

I love Linux because I’ve found it to be an excellent platform to write Python code on. Also, excellent for running our home servers at the Murk, and for playing Nethack on, and hosting my web pages and blogs!

I love Open Source because of healthy respect for the ethic of creating programs just because you love to code.

I love paying for programs I need or games I want because I myself work in the computer industry, and I love supporting my fellow geeks for their work.

I love Firefox because c’mon, FOXES, how can I not?

I love Safari because it’s fast.

I love Internet Explorer 9 because whoa, hey, a version of Internet Explorer that’s actually fast and compliant to recent web standards? Awesome! Well done!

I love my iPhone because it’s a tiny, tiny thing and yet it lets me do so much.

I love my nook because it lets me carry around an amazing number of books with me, and in one small sleek package.

I don’t own one but I love seeing other people’s netbooks because small, cute technology that can go toe to toe with bigger laptops is awesome.

I don’t own one but I love hearing from friends who own Android phones or Windows phones just because a friend saying “I have a toy and it does this really, really cool thing” is awesome, too!

I love flatscreen monitors because yay for occupying less desk space, not to mention no longer throwing radiation at my poor neck.

And I’ll save telling you about why I love my iPad after I’ve actually had some time to break it in. :D

Your turn, people! What technology do you love, and why? (And remember, this is not about ‘I love technology X because it’s not technology Y’–please, let’s not snark. Let’s make this a celebration of all things that are awesome. Thanks!)

Mirrored from annathepiper.org.

Comments

[rfrancis]

As usual, you are my kind of peeps. Currently in this very house at this very moment there are: Windows 7 desktops and laptops. A netbook running XP. A Macbook Pro running OSX. A server running CentOS Linux. A beta Google Laptop running ChromeOS (yes!) even. An Android phone. You get the idea.

Yes, the Mac belongs to work. Because it is expensive. If someone can afford Apple stuff, I can't imagine a reason not to go for it. They don't burst into fire when brought into the presence of PCs. I'm positive!

I do admit I use Chrome everywhere because it pays off to stick with it in synchronized environments and the like. But that's me.

Other beloved tech: the Roku. the Veebeam. the often-maligned Wii. My DVD players that have USB ports right in the front. My Blue Snowball microphone. :)

vi, however, I will always prefer to emacs. ;)

[annathepiper]

Yay for a multi-platform household! :) And I gotta say, even though I prefer OS X over all, I really rather like Win 7.

You're the second person I'm aware of who's gotten hold of a Google Laptop, the first being the author John Scalzi; sounds like you like it, cool beans!

And I'm with you on vi. ;D

[rfrancis]

Well, it's Moira, not me, that has the Google laptop (apparently there were plenty of other Linux sysadmins who wanted one, GO FIGURE) but she loves it, yes.

And we both have Sony eReaders (although I barely use mine now, because running FBreader on my phone is so doggone handier), forgot to mention those. :)

[ariaflame]

At home I have an EeePC, an old PC running Ubuntu, an old dell laptop running XP, Mac Book Pro, iPad and a Sony Ericsson P800. At work I use XP. I use whatever is appropriate to the occasion. If other people like the things they use that's fine. I can't understand the factionalism either.

[annathepiper]

Multi-platform computer use FTW! EeePC's are awfully cute. :D

At work, I have a Mac Mini running Leopard, a PC running Windows 7, and another PC running Ubuntu. My work desktop is very egalitarian!

And at home, solarbird and I both have laptops running Snow Leopard as our personal boxes, but our servers run Debian, and my laptop dual-boots with Win 7. Dara's got a VM of her old install of Win2K on her Macbook, too, because it's got tools in it that still meet her needs, and it's amazing how much faster that VM is than the actual original machine she cloned it from.

Right tool for the right job, indeed. :D