I'm sure when my Dad purchased his shiny new iPhone almost a year and a half ago, he had no idea that it would require more time than a high-maintenance girlfriend. (And he is no stranger to high maintenance girlfriends)
The only difference between his iPhone and the girlfriend I mentioned above, is that instead of demanding a two week cruise sipping drinks by the pool, the i Phone would rather spend two weeks touring the Apple store while becoming a regular at the "Genius" bar.
Unfortunately, that last Apple software update messed up his email and deleted his gmail password and apparently, it has yet to be fixed by any of the "geniuses" at the Apple store.
Hmm...maybe they should re-think the name of their bar...
I am starting to realize that my Dad has enough "iPhone-know-how" to be dangerous - he actually knows a lot more about how to use the thing than I do. Dad has the soul of an early adopter, but the mechanics of the phone, still elude him. Let me put it this way: My Dad is an excellent driver, but I doubt he could overhaul a transmission. I have the same problem myself, both with cars and iPhones.
Can I just say: I HATE i Tunes, it's difficult and stupid!
I'm assuming the same "Apple geniuses" that created the hot mess that is i Tunes, are currently assisting my Dad at his local Apple store. Fortunately for me, any i Phone updates, issues, problems, etc. get handed off to my tech savvy husband, which allows me to avoid taxing the incredibly puny, atrophied, left side of my brain.
Dad unfortunately, doesn't have that extra help at home, so off he goes, alternately to Apple and then to the AT&T store, multiple times in a week, in the snow, uphill both ways, hoping one of their "geniuses" can figure out why he can't get email. I admire his persistence but...
I'm afraid his iPhone has taken him to distant shores without a compass...and I'm a bit concerned he might not find his way back.
I should have given him the same advice maritime explorers received from concerned family members hundreds of years ago..."Beware the edge of the world - Thar be Dragons!" I think the same goes for the iPhone and any other computing (i.e. Kindle, i Pad) or gaming device, when a user gets sucked into its' thrall.
I think this really goes for all new, exciting things we get interested in - people are compelled to jump in with reckless abandon, lunging forth to purchase that glittering, life-improving object, with only pure enthusiasm to guide their way. We all get deliriously caught up with the latest and greatest at some point or another falling prey to technology or embracing the latest fad. (Grilled cheese trucks rule!)
Sadly, we are pretty much out of new, earthbound things to explore on this planet... Can you think of some place that Carnival Cruises doesn't go...when their engines work? I didn't think so.
So, maybe programmers and computer geeks have actually created the new, final frontier entirely from their imaginations. If so, doesn't that make them "god-like creators" of our new virtual world? It's kind of wild if you really think about humans creating "Sim" worlds that evoke emotions and connections in humans through software and hardware...
If you have a sense of adventure and no vacation days, you've been pretty much screwed up to this time. However, you now have the option to escape or adventure through the Internet, the latest gadget or perhaps a mystical gaming world. You can watch movies on your wristwatch, hunt live animals on the Internet or happen upon a scantily clad, ninja hooker lurking just beyond your screen - waiting to kill or be killed. It's basically all the adventure you can imagine, without the mess of having to behead something with tentacles yourself.
Don't you think if Lewis and Clark were here today, they would run out and purchase a GPS, an LCD big screen and the latest Gods of War game? Of course they would - it's the final frontier!
With all due respect to Lewis and Clark, my Dad would kick their collective butts in any role playing game, so it's probably best they remain in their own time to avoid a showdown. Dad has mastered pretty much every game he has gotten his hands on...and quickly. But the i Phone represents the beast he has yet to tame and his sense of adventure has kicked into high gear.
To be ridiculously over-dramatic: he's on a Vision Quest of sorts - where the new software update is the Gorgon demon and the Apple store employees are the evil trolls. And as with any challenging video game, repetition is essential in learning how to get to the next level. Hence, the repeated trips to the mall.
After my Dad sorts out his email issues, he is determined to find SOME WAY to make his i Phone play Flash videos - Steve Jobs be damned! He believes it can be found by searching the far corners of the web for an elusive "i Phone flash app." Yea, I know, but, he'll figure it out.
My Dad has taught me several things about my i Phone that I had no clue about - and he'll no doubt teach me more in the future. He is completely fascinated with his i Phone and that passion will drive him to keep learning. Interestingly, my 84 year old father-in-law has also caught the same i Phone bug and when he gets together with my Dad, it's literally an i Phone-a-palooza. The world and everyone in it, completely fades into the background, as they share new apps and tips.
Where I am just a homebody Hobbit in the land of technology, Dad is Frodo planning an arduous journey to take the evil ring back to the hell mouth /Apple store - back to where it was forged...
He is off to slay his dragon, the surly beast at the edge of the new world - the one that keeps him from getting email and playing flash video on his phone. My father-in-law will probably go with him.
Keep pushing forward Dad...and don't forget to bring your magic troll dust.
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3 comments:
Every now and then, I think to myself, "Maybe I should finally get a cell phone"... and then I read another story about the endless headaches. Ok, I know that it takes a "smart" phone to cause the really BIG headaches, but still. I'm going to stick with land lines, IM, and email at least a little while longer.
Regarding frontiers, I was going to say that the Galapagos Islands surely are still pretty wild and untravelled. Then I Googled "Galapagos cruise" and beheld the depressing results. Next I tried Antarctica, and discovered the "luxury adventure" cruises to see the penguins with their "happy feet".
Maybe this is just part of getting older. KRTH now plays the songs that came out when we were in high school, and the other day I heard The Doors' "Strange Days" following "Monster Mash" or something in the supermarket's Halloween mix.
But if I feel this way because I'm OLD, then why is your dad so far ahead of me in phone tech?
So, maybe programmers and computer geeks have actually created the new, final frontier entirely from their imaginations. If so, doesn't that make them "god-like creators" of our new virtual world? It's kind of wild if you really think about humans creating their own Sim world that evoke emotions and connections through software and hardware...
This is such an interesting and true observation...loved the post
John, you probably don't need a new phone...the question is do you WANT one? "Smart" phones are really more about desire than need. Though, I have to say the email option is something I can't do without now. That said, unless someone forces me at gun point, I refuse to go on another cruise ever again. Those are definitely not worth the hassle or expense!
Aytac - I totally believe that our virtual worlds are going to become almost as important as our "real" world to people. It's a bit unnerving, but for people that are lonely or shut in for health reasons, it could allow them access to more people and opportunities to participate with real or virtual people than they have now. I can also see where people will become more removed from their real world relationships as well...
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