Useless Things That will Hasten the Demise of Civilisation

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  • Jay dubbleU
    Jay dubbleU Posts: 3,159
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Jay dubbleU wrote:
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Jay dubbleU wrote:
    Rolf F wrote:
    Attica wrote:
    Hang on, surely there were things that did exactly the same job (albeit with less storage capacity) I think they used to be called personal stereos or if you're insistent on using a brand name:- Walkmans.

    MP3 players aren't new really, just better at what they do.

    The point about the walkman was that it was self limiting. Yes, you could wander around in a state of zombiness but only for so long - battery life and the size of the cassettes meant that people didn't get out of bed and put the walkman on for the whole day. Nowadays people seem to listen to the ipod over breakfast, listen to the ipod on the way in to work, listen to the ipod during work, listen to the ipod on the way home, listen to the ipod whilst having tea, listen to the ipod whilst watching the TV, listen to the ipod whilst having sex, then probably listen to it whilst asleep.

    Honestly, ipod is evil. Just say no!

    +1

    So, what, anything people can use all the time is evil because it's not self-limiting? Right, that's TV, computers, cookers, landlines.... actually anything mains-powered out the window. In fact, let's make everything AA battery powered.

    What about bikes? They don't even need batteries. You can use them whenever you feel like it. Get rid of them immediately. I wonder if we could convert them to AA batteries...

    You're missing the point LiT - computers,cookers, landlines etc don't turn people into zombies for me to run over

    Right, I see. Well, that's it, I think we're just going to have to ban stupidity. That's the only way forward. And possibly daydreaming too.

    I can live with that - you may have saved the human race :wink:
  • Dog Breath
    Dog Breath Posts: 314
    Wallace1492 wrote:
    UndercoverElephant wrote:
    Attica wrote:
    BTW, why tie yourself to iTunes when another MP3 player will let you drag and drop your music at will?

    There's no point in getting anything other than an iPod. I realised this when I saw that even Sony home stereos come with iPod docks, rather than docks for Sony MP3 players.

    iPod is the best MP3 player by far. Sheer and utter genius.
    The Sony one looked good and I bought one, but the interface was/is terrible.....

    You obviously haven't looked at Creative. I got the Zen Vision M when the 30Gb HDD iPod was the comparible product. The Creative got much better reviews all round.

    People are too blinkered to look at any alternatives ti iPods or iPhone. Apple is not the be all and end all for phones & mp3's.
    Planet-X SL Pro Carbon.
    Tifosi CK3 Winter Bike
    Planet X London Road Disc
    Planet X RT80 Elite
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    Jay dubbleU wrote:
    Rolf F wrote:
    Attica wrote:
    Hang on, surely there were things that did exactly the same job (albeit with less storage capacity) I think they used to be called personal stereos or if you're insistent on using a brand name:- Walkmans.

    MP3 players aren't new really, just better at what they do.

    The point about the walkman was that it was self limiting. Yes, you could wander around in a state of zombiness but only for so long - battery life and the size of the cassettes meant that people didn't get out of bed and put the walkman on for the whole day. Nowadays people seem to listen to the ipod over breakfast, listen to the ipod on the way in to work, listen to the ipod during work, listen to the ipod on the way home, listen to the ipod whilst having tea, listen to the ipod whilst watching the TV, listen to the ipod whilst having sex, then probably listen to it whilst asleep.

    Honestly, ipod is evil. Just say no!

    +1

    pffft, fricking luddites. I love my iPhone. I'm still on PT at the mo. Thnaks to my iPhone I can watch Battlestar Galactica (thanks again Greg66) in HD on my way into work. Fab!

    Dunno why people hate Apple so much, I've always found their stuff works very well. Even managed to get iTunes running on a NAS drive at home so me and the missus can access my music wirelessly on our respective laptops, whilst I can use my Home Cinema setup to browse albums & movies via my Apple TV and play through my HiFi, display on my TV. Fecking superb. I love modern tech, things like iPlayer on the PS3 now is excellent, no more plugging the laptop into the AV amp etc.

    Back to your caves luddites.
  • Jay dubbleU
    Jay dubbleU Posts: 3,159
    Il Principe wrote:
    Jay dubbleU wrote:
    Rolf F wrote:
    Attica wrote:
    Hang on, surely there were things that did exactly the same job (albeit with less storage capacity) I think they used to be called personal stereos or if you're insistent on using a brand name:- Walkmans.

    MP3 players aren't new really, just better at what they do.

    The point about the walkman was that it was self limiting. Yes, you could wander around in a state of zombiness but only for so long - battery life and the size of the cassettes meant that people didn't get out of bed and put the walkman on for the whole day. Nowadays people seem to listen to the ipod over breakfast, listen to the ipod on the way in to work, listen to the ipod during work, listen to the ipod on the way home, listen to the ipod whilst having tea, listen to the ipod whilst watching the TV, listen to the ipod whilst having sex, then probably listen to it whilst asleep.

    Honestly, ipod is evil. Just say no!

    +1

    pffft, fricking luddites. I love my iPhone. I'm still on PT at the mo. Thnaks to my iPhone I can watch Battlestar Galactica (thanks again Greg66) in HD on my way into work. Fab!

    Dunno why people hate Apple so much, I've always found their stuff works very well. Even managed to get iTunes running on a NAS drive at home so me and the missus can access my music wirelessly on our respective laptops, whilst I can use my Home Cinema setup to browse albums & movies via my Apple TV and play through my HiFi, display on my TV. Fecking superb. I love modern tech, things like iPlayer on the PS3 now is excellent, no more plugging the laptop into the AV amp etc.

    Back to your caves luddites.

    you are so wrong - i have no objections to HD TV, computers, or Apple as such - its sensory deprived morons wandering under my front wheels that I object to
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    Russell Brand isn't useless - we could put him in mobile stocks and drive him round the country so that people around Britain can take out their frustrations on the mincing c***.
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • Roastie
    Roastie Posts: 1,968
    Dog Breath wrote:
    People are too blinkered to look at any alternatives ti iPods or iPhone. Apple is not the be all and end all for phones & mp3's.

    +1000

    I am so glad to see that so many people share this view. For Christmas I bought SWMBO a Sony Walkman. A lot cheaper than the equivalent iPod. Has more functionality than her old iPod. Is a LOT smaller and just as easy to use. Plus it doesn't need iTunes or any other proprietary rubbish software.

    Personally I think that Apple is the new Microsoft.
    David
    Engineered Bicycles
  • attica
    attica Posts: 2,362
    HD? On a handheld device?

    Now that is a marketing success and a half. Whoever thought that one up AND managed to sell it to people deserves a christmas bonus from their employer and public flogging from the rest of us.
    "Impressive break"

    "Thanks...

    ...I can taste blood"
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    Roastie wrote:
    Dog Breath wrote:
    People are too blinkered to look at any alternatives ti iPods or iPhone. Apple is not the be all and end all for phones & mp3's.

    +1000

    I am so glad to see that so many people share this view. For Christmas I bought SWMBO a Sony Walkman. A lot cheaper than the equivalent iPod. Has more functionality than her old iPod. Is a LOT smaller and just as easy to use. Plus it doesn't need iTunes or any other proprietary rubbish software.

    Personally I think that Apple is the new Microsoft.

    Not blinkered, I bought a sony walkman and found it was terrible. Rubbish software, not clear controls, hard to make and control playlists. I did have high hopes for it, as I liked the look of it, but it did not do the business.

    Have also used a friends Rio, but still found that iPod is the best.
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • Bikerbaboon
    Bikerbaboon Posts: 1,017
    Wallace1492 wrote:
    Roastie wrote:
    Dog Breath wrote:
    People are too blinkered to look at any alternatives ti iPods or iPhone. Apple is not the be all and end all for phones & mp3's.

    +1000

    I am so glad to see that so many people share this view. For Christmas I bought SWMBO a Sony Walkman. A lot cheaper than the equivalent iPod. Has more functionality than her old iPod. Is a LOT smaller and just as easy to use. Plus it doesn't need iTunes or any other proprietary rubbish software.

    Personally I think that Apple is the new Microsoft.

    Not blinkered, I bought a sony walkman and found it was terrible. Rubbish software, not clear controls, hard to make and control playlists. I did have high hopes for it, as I liked the look of it, but it did not do the business.

    Have also used a friends Rio, but still found that iPod is the best.

    The bit i like about the i-stuff is it works. used to run a creative system always had a hard time gettign the tacks to list right. I have then used a N95 phone for music again could not get teh tracks to transfer properly the phone missing some tracks. Could not get vidioes to be encoded right to upload on to the phone to play. trying to get applications on to the phone was a pain. Getting emails set up was a nightmare.

    2 Months ago swapped to an i-phone and every thing aboe that was hard just works. the I tunes and phone interface is easy to use and is now shaired across the 5 PCs i have in the house, i have docking stations ready to play the music that i want. Getting the apps that i want is easy and from what i have seen are well supported. the only instructions i have had to read for hte i phone is how to get the sim card in.
    I would recomend this phone over any of the other phones i have ever had.
    Nothing in life can not be improved with either monkeys, pirates or ninjas
    456
  • suzyb
    suzyb Posts: 3,449
    edited January 2010
    Attica wrote:
    I love my Creative

    Incidentally, Creative own the rights to the menu system showing artist then album then tracks, so Apple must regularly pay them for the privelege of using it - copyright law is rudddy daft sometimes.
    I got my Father a Scandisk one for christmas. Seems pretty decent for the price of it.

    And I used to carry spare batteries around for my walkman in case the ones in it ran out and I had to go music less.

    Yet now I have an iPod shuffle I rarely listen to it.
    Whippet
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    Attica wrote:
    HD? On a handheld device?

    Now that is a marketing success and a half. Whoever thought that one up AND managed to sell it to people deserves a christmas bonus from their employer and public flogging from the rest of us.

    I appreciate that it's not actual HD (for a start mine are the broadcast versions at 720), but the quality is still better than non HD content that I've managed to get on there. (Thanks Handbrake, iSquint et al)... or perhaps it's just me. I understand that the iPhoen is technically capable of playing HD though: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/20/iphone-3gs-totally-capable-of-1080p-video-playback/

    But I'm not a true nerd, I'll leave that to Attica, Jon, Bass the Boffin et al! :wink:
  • Poacher
    Poacher Posts: 165
    Built-in obsolescence.

    One of my freeview boxes has packed in completely, and the other's on the blink. :evil:
    Ceps, morelles, trompettes de mort. Breakfast of champignons.
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    Poacher wrote:
    Built-in obsolescence.

    One of my freeview boxes has packed in completely, and the other's on the blink. :evil:

    Well don't try SKY HD, good service, awful boxes.
  • Jay dubbleU
    Jay dubbleU Posts: 3,159
    Il Principe wrote:
    Poacher wrote:
    Built-in obsolescence.

    One of my freeview boxes has packed in completely, and the other's on the blink. :evil:

    Well don't try SKY HD, good service, awful boxes.

    I refuse to use SKy on the prociple that it's putting money in Murdoch's pocket
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    Jay dubbleU wrote:
    Il Principe wrote:
    Poacher wrote:
    Built-in obsolescence.

    One of my freeview boxes has packed in completely, and the other's on the blink. :evil:

    Well don't try SKY HD, good service, awful boxes.

    I refuse to use SKy on the prociple that it's putting money in Murdoch's pocket

    I am happily filling Mr Branston's trousers, and have Virgin Cable and a V+ box.
    On a related subject, I see no difference in quality between normal and HD (yes, TV is HD)

    Other useless invention: Dishwasher
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    edited January 2010
    Il Principe wrote:

    pffft, fricking luddites. I love my iPhone. I'm still on PT at the mo. Thnaks to my iPhone I can watch Battlestar Galactica (thanks again Greg66) in HD on my way into work. Fab!

    Dunno why people hate Apple so much, I've always found their stuff works very well.

    + The Human life force.

    As a iPod owner and recent iPhone convert. I can firmly say that I'm happy with both.

    My friend broke his iPhone and shelled out £200 on another contract because there simply wasn't another phone he could live with. I couldn't understand his reasoning at the time. Now I own a iPhone I completely understand. It just works and the things it does work well

    That is the thing about Apple, they just work! Sure their items don't do everything and other products do, arguably, more. But they work and function beautifully.

    As my Dad, I and many PC owners have said. Ever heard of an Mac owner complaining about viruses or Real Player crashing or Ms Windows not working? Nope it just works.

    If you're prepared to pay the premium for peace of mind, easy connectivity, functionality and navigation then you'll be happy.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    Wallace1492 wrote:
    I see no difference in quality between normal and HD (yes, TV is HD)

    Are you sure you're watching something sent by a proper HD signal?
    Other useless invention: Dishwasher

    What!!? Nonsense and absolute. When I was a lad Mother had me wash the dishes and it was painfull! The Dishwasher was my salvation! Sure there was still stuff that needed to be washed but nothing like the magnitude of plates, glasses, cups and cutlery prior to the dishwasher. Load it, turn it on and do something else. The only chore was unpacking the damn thing.

    Sheesh, I guess the microwave is the spawn of the devil as well.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Wallace1492 wrote:
    I see no difference in quality between normal and HD (yes, TV is HD)

    Are you sure you're watching something sent by a proper HD signal?

    +1 The difference is night and day. Especially when you stick on a Bluray and compare it to a SD movie.
  • suzyb
    suzyb Posts: 3,449
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    As my Dad, I and many PC owners have said. Ever heard of an Mac owner complaining about viruses or Real Player crashing or Ms Windows not working? Nope it just works.

    If you're prepared to pay the premium for peace of mind, easy connectivity, functionality and navigation then you'll be happy.
    I'm not a mac owner but the one I've used was a pain in the butt to get connected to a network.

    There are Mac viruses out there just not as many as Windows since it's not as widely used as Windows. And because of that you don't hear about it.
    Whippet
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    -null- wrote:

    There are Mac viruses out there just not as many as Windows since it's not as widely used as Windows. And because of that you don't hear about it.

    Kinda my point. Irrespective of cause Mac owners have less to complain about.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • Roastie
    Roastie Posts: 1,968
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Ever heard of an Mac owner complaining about viruses or Real Player crashing or Ms Windows not working? Nope it just works.

    All the time. My sis relies on a Mac for her business and forever has hassles with dealing with crashes or corrupted files and folders. She'll be the first to say that it isn't bulletproof.
    David
    Engineered Bicycles
  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    Worldwide market share for Macs? 10%.
    Number of viruses? 1, and it asked for a username and password before installing.

    Worldwide market share for windows? 88%
    Number of viruses? Roughly 1 million.

    Do you really think that people aren't trying to be the first to properly floor the Mac?
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,120
    I-phones and Blackberries.

    Nice ideas, but mostly used by poseurs. Mobile phones should be just that - phones. Not MP3 players, cameras, calendars, or pointless fashion accessories.

    Oh - and Celebrity Magazines, from Hello down the food chain. The use of trees to produce such sh17 is offensive beyond belief.
    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    SecretSam wrote:
    Oh - and Celebrity Magazines, from Hello down the food chain. The use of trees to produce such sh17 is offensive beyond belief.

    Now this one I really do agree with. + however many as I'm allowed.
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    SecretSam wrote:
    I-phones and Blackberries.

    Nice ideas, but mostly used by poseurs. Mobile phones should be just that - phones. Not MP3 players, cameras, calendars, or pointless fashion accessories.

    .

    Why on earth not? Should I carry a diary, MP3, camera, AtoZ and phone with me everywhere, and then pop into an internet cafe when I'm out on appointments just to check email?

    or just have one gadget that takes care of all?

    :roll:
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    Il Principe wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Wallace1492 wrote:
    I see no difference in quality between normal and HD (yes, TV is HD)

    Are you sure you're watching something sent by a proper HD signal?

    +1 The difference is night and day. Especially when you stick on a Bluray and compare it to a SD movie.

    Yes, getting a proper HD through my V+.
    I honestly cannot see difference.

    A few mates also concur, and they have seen it in shops where they show a spilt screen with the difference. The difference is, there is no difference. It is the Emperors New Clothes.
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    edited January 2010
    UndercoverElephant wrote:
    Worldwide market share for Macs? 10%.
    Number of viruses? 1, and it asked for a username and password before installing.

    Worldwide market share for windows? 88%
    Number of viruses? Roughly 1 million.

    Do you really think that people aren't trying to be the first to properly floor the Mac?

    I'm not seeing your point, beyond scare mongering. If I bought a Mac today I take solace in knowing that there is less chance of it being attacked by a virus. I also would take solace in knowing that everything works.

    Edit: I can't at present justify the cost of a Mac.

    Edit: Most of the people complaining about successful pieces of technology like a phone, dishwasher, iPod and generally things that make modern day society lenjoyable are coming across as techno-phobes.

    Pretty much the same as the witch-hunters back in the darkages that pushed humans backwards after all the wonderful advancements the Romans made. "Aquaducts who needs them, lets just throw all our waste out the window or into the cesspit and bring forth the black death" :roll:

    Rant away, people, rant away.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • Bikerbaboon
    Bikerbaboon Posts: 1,017
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    UndercoverElephant wrote:
    Worldwide market share for Macs? 10%.
    Number of viruses? 1, and it asked for a username and password before installing.

    Worldwide market share for windows? 88%
    Number of viruses? Roughly 1 million.

    Do you really think that people aren't trying to be the first to properly floor the Mac?

    I'm not seeing your point, beyond scare mongering. If I bought a Mac today I take solace in knowing that there is less chance of it being attacked by a virus. I also would take solace in knowing that everything works.

    I cannot afford a Mac.

    +1 from me
    Nothing in life can not be improved with either monkeys, pirates or ninjas
    456
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    Il Principe wrote:
    SecretSam wrote:
    I-phones and Blackberries.

    Nice ideas, but mostly used by poseurs. Mobile phones should be just that - phones. Not MP3 players, cameras, calendars, or pointless fashion accessories.

    .

    Why on earth not? Should I carry a diary, MP3, camera, AtoZ and phone with me everywhere, and then pop into an internet cafe when I'm out on appointments just to check email?

    or just have one gadget that takes care of all?

    :roll:

    You don't need all that stuff. A to Z - Look at a map the night before, and you will know where you are going, if you get lost ask a Policeman!. A diary - small scrap of paper, back of fag packet. MP3 - hum a tune in your head. Camera - are you the press? No, well you need not a camera. Phone - a couple of shiney 2p pieces will sort you out at any of the red phoneboxes dotted handily all over the place. E-mail - just pop a letter in any of the handy red pillar boxer dotted all over the place.

    My next thing you will be wanting some stables for your horesless carriages!!

    Yours, Victorian Father.
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    Wallace1492 wrote:
    Il Principe wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Wallace1492 wrote:
    I see no difference in quality between normal and HD (yes, TV is HD)

    Are you sure you're watching something sent by a proper HD signal?

    +1 The difference is night and day. Especially when you stick on a Bluray and compare it to a SD movie.

    Yes, getting a proper HD through my V+.
    I honestly cannot see difference.

    A few mates also concur, and they have seen it in shops where they show a spilt screen with the difference. The difference is, there is no difference. It is the Emperors New Clothes.

    You want to come round my gaff then and have a gander. Either your eyes are f*cked or you're doing something wrong fella! The difference is pretty stark especially with programmes like Life. Perhaps your TV is a little on the old side? Or you're running via SCART or something? Two of the directors in my office upgraded over xmas and keep banging on about it, and they're both luddites...

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