Thursday, April 21, 2011

Functions of My Computer


My computer has replaced:
  • Newspaper purchase/ subscription
  • Buying CDs and DVDs
  • TV (except during major sporting events especially since the January 2011 crackdown on sites broadcasting pirated feeds of cable broadcasts, or so I've been told.  I still have cable but what I mean is that I could get by without it with all the video content available for free online.)
  • Books (except brand new works which can still be had through the library and frankly I get distracted when trying to read anything that isn't intensely compelling using the computer.  When I have the internet at my fingertips I typically don't stick to reading anything too dense for long.)
  • Asking for directions
  • Maps (My old AAA maps have become informative wall art)
  • Other Entertainment of any other kind (although it hasn't stopped me from spending a lot of money on other forms of entertainment)
  • A Calendar
  • An Address Book or contact list
  • A Camera (Technically, I have one built-in to my netbook although I do still use a Canon 6 megapixel digital camera and my cellphone camera)
  • Any other source for a weather report
  • A notebook and pen (although I find them useful still when my laptop is out of power and there is no outlet, I want to sketch something quickly, I need to take down information somewhere a laptop would not be convenient to operate, etc.)
  • A phone by using Skype (although those around me still insist on using cellphone and landline technology so I pay more than I think is reasonable for a sort-of-smart phone service plan)
  • A magazine subscription of any kind
I thought about all of this while walking through an Office Max recently.  I came across a whole aisle of leather, vinyl and paper planers, organizers, address books and notebooks in all sorts of sizes and colors.  What stuck me was just how worthless these things are to anyone that knows how to use a computer.  Google's Calendar, Apple's iCal, the contacts feature inside of Gmail, and any of the huge number of word processing applications available have rendered all of these things obsolete.  

I figure keeping a list of the things my computer does will help me avoid redundancy in my future purchases.

    18 comments:

    1. its quite the compound of items

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    2. So true... I refuse to put stuff down on paper now. Come check me out, alphabetalife.blogspot.com

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    3. It's done the same for many!

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    4. Everything in the future is going to be done on the good ol' computer!

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    5. @Jessica

      Refusing to write anything down on paper is intense- I'm not there yet.

      I think there are a lot of times when a traditional notebook and pen make the most sense. For example, I still use a notebook and a pen to sketch and make quick notes so that I don't forget them while waiting for the computer to boot or Open Office to load. At work I use a notebook and pen to record anything I have to do and scratch it off when I'm done. I think it's easier to take a message or make notes about a phone call with one hand using a pen and the other holding the phone that it would be to try to type while pinching the phone between my shoulder and my ear. I suppose if it was my company I could use a bluetooth headset linked to a cell phone for all calls and still use both hands.

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    6. this is both awesome and a little bit concerning....

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    7. well the important is for the computer never to replace one's life.

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    8. Sweet! ^ my computer replaced my life years ago... my social life!

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    9. the only thing that we have to keep in mind is that papers dont have virus and dont need charging or outlet.

      nice post!

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    10. I agree with you on this one. Hell one thing ive noticed is a lot of peoples handwriting has deteriorated in the last 10 years because of the increased use of computers for everything

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    11. when is it going to poop for me?

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    12. That's a pretty good list. Still hasn't replaced paper and pen for me though, I'm more likely to remember if I write it rather than type it.

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    13. Heard of the Phrase "your only as strong as your weakest link"? well this applies to your computer. WHAT IF YOUR COMPUTER BREAKS! YOUR DEAD!

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