Recent purchase thread

[Bobby Dazzler]

Once you get used to one smartphone operating system it’s difficult to switch from one to the other, and it becomes even more difficult the longer you have used it and the older you are, and it has been the case for as long as computers and phones have been around.

In the same way that people feel a sense of inertia switching from iOS to Android and vice versa, the same was true 20 or so years ago when switching between Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola, and Siemens. Nokia phones were especially “sticky” and people tended to stick with them.

The same is true for computers too, switching between Windows and MacOS can be a challenge. Google were clever with ChromeOS because they deliberately tried to make the transition from Internet Explorer to Chrome and Windows to ChrimeOS and easy as possible.

The deliberately made the user interface feel like an evolution of the Microsoft equivalent - as if it was a major upgrade to a Windows product - but made it more simple, more reliable, more secure and most important much faster, addressing some of the biggest frustrations of Microsoft users.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I find the psychology and sociology of when people are exceptionally passionate about their choice of smartphone and smartphone OS fascinating, especially when they then go out of their way to criticise others when they make a different choice, not least because it’s a choice that doesn’t matter!

We see it with other things which are regarded as a very personal - and often expensive - choice too, with perhaps cars being the best example, as that can lead to a similar behaviour too, we even see it on this forum, an extreme form of justifying their own choice rather than truly the choice of others.

It’s the person rather than the thing though, because when they finally make the switch from their last favourite to their new favourite - from Android to iOS, from BMW to Mercedes, from diesel to petrol, from M113K to M156 - they almost always behave in the same way about the new thing.

A friend’s wife is like this. She is very vocal of her preference for Android and Samsung and insulting about Apple. When she saw my daughter’s new car rather than say nothing or nice things - whether she believed them or not - she pointed out all of the reasons why it wasn’t as good as her car.

Fascinating stuff, but a tangent so I’ll stop there!

 

[SpikyMikey]

We're bi-textual here.
Mrs S is an iPhone girl and I've recently bought a honking great Sammysung S23.
I find each 'system' has it's advantages and disadvantages, but as long as you can makes calls, browse the Web etc, I don't really care if it's IOS or Android.
Actually, on balance the best phone I ever had was of all things a Nokia Windows Phone.

 

[Swotty]

I don't have a smartphone.

Apart from the stress and ridicule of using the wrong operating system and model of 'phone, is there anything else I am missing?

 

[DSM10000]

I don't have a smartphone.

Apart from the stress and ridicule of using the wrong operating system and model of 'phone, is there anything else I am missing?

Nothing at all

 

[SpikyMikey]

I don't have a smartphone.

Apart from the stress and ridicule of using the wrong operating system and model of 'phone, is there anything else I am missing?

The joy of having to phone it because you can't find it only for it to go straight to voicemail.

 

[Dippo]

I don't have a smartphone.

Apart from the stress and ridicule of using the wrong operating system and model of 'phone, is there anything else I am missing?

There are some places in the UK where you can't park unless you download an app to be able to pay the parking company.

 

[HappytalkAgain]

I don't have a smartphone.

Apart from the stress and ridicule of using the wrong operating system and model of 'phone, is there anything else I am missing?

Oh you certainly have. You’ve missed lots out. If you utilise just a fraction of a smartphone’s capability it will assist many aspects of your life.

 

[Swotty]

Oh you certainly have. You’ve missed lots out. If you utilise just a fraction of a smartphone’s capability it will assist many aspects of your life.

But that's what Mrs Swotty's for ... isn't it?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

But that's what Mrs Swotty's for ... isn't it?

Smartphones can do lots of things but there are something best left for Mrs Swotty only.

 

[Fastcar155]

I hate phones , mobile and fixed line.

 

[SpikyMikey]

Smartphones can do lots of things but there are something best left for Mrs Swotty only.

Yep, a smartphone is cr@p at creating the perfect chicken Casserole

 

[BTB 500]

I hate phones , mobile and fixed line.

You won't have to worry about the fixed line for long.

 

[ALFAitalia]

I wouldn't bet on it....its already been delayed until 2027....and rumour has it that it will be well past 2030 until it actually happens. Not enough thought went into the getting rid of them.....alarms are amongst many other things that use them....and lots of charities for the old say that they are vital for those Lifeline type things that oldies use when they have a fall etc, as so many of them have no WiFi in their homes. And of course with no landlines many outlying places will have no Internet.

 

[ToeKnee]

I don't have a smartphone.

Apart from the stress and ridicule of using the wrong operating system and model of 'phone, is there anything else I am missing?

There's the stress and ridicule of not having a smartphone.......

 

[markjay]

I don't have a smartphone.

Apart from the stress and ridicule of using the wrong operating system and model of 'phone, is there anything else I am missing?

You'll be mighty offended when you realise that everyone else get their phones snatched by hoodied 'youf' on bicycles, while no one want to nick your own pride and joy....

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Wanted a Swatch Moonswatch since they were released but rarely anywhere near a Swatch store which stocked them and even then they were always sold oiut.

I passed one in London today so egged on by the beautiful Mrs D I called in to ask if they had any in stock, naturally expecting them to give me the old J R Hartley.

To my surprise they had all but one of the designs. Even more surprising was that the one they didn’t have was not the one I wanted, Mission to the Moon. Swiftly purchased…

…only for Mrs D to scoop it up exclaiming that I can have it for Christmas!

 

[John N]

 

[ChrisHGTV]

Well I fell foul of not following my own policy of not buying cheap tools! I bought a compression tester from ECP for £25 (which are the same ones you can get on line for £15, but I wanted it today).

This was for the Alfa, after warming it up and removing the plenum and other gubbins to get to the plugs the hose failed on testing the 4th cylinder. (It’s supposed to be rated to 300psi). The first cylinder was good at 205 psi the subsequent ones were 160 odd before it failed so I’ll discount those readings until I can measure again with a new gauge.

I also got the oil analysis back which is interesting - no wear metals of note but 1300 ppm water which seems high so I’m wondering if head gasket, hence doing the compression test. Millers though who did the analysis state there’s no evidence of coolant leak into the oil. hmmm. This is all trying to determine the cause of a slight knock I can hear at idle when warm….

Anyway the learning of today = beware of cheap tools!

 

[HappytalkAgain]

Wanted a Swatch Moonswatch since they were released but rarely anywhere near a Swatch store which stocked them and even then they were always sold oiut.

I passed one in London today so egged on by the beautiful Mrs D I called in to ask if they had any in stock, naturally expecting them to give me the old J R Hartley.

To my surprise they had all but one of the designs. Even more surprising was that the one they didn’t have was not the one I wanted, Mission to the Moon. Swiftly purchased…

…only for Mrs D to scoop it up exclaiming that I can have it for Christmas!
View attachment 161451

’ll be here before you know it Roberto.