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> Fighting with Android became less and less appealing over time This rings true to me. I was long a diehard Android/Linux guy - even an explicitly anti-Apple

> Fighting with Android became less and less appealing over time This rings true to me. I was long a diehard Android/Linux guy - even an explicitly anti-Apple person. 5 years of professional development later and I'm typing on my 15" MacBook Retina Pro which I have not had to restart in something like 42 days, thinking about which iPhone I'm going to dump my Galaxy SIII for in a few weeks' time. I still run a GNU Linux on any desktop I have, and I actually don't see that changing anytime soon (my Linux complaints are generally with built-in peripherals on laptops which is hardly Linux's fault but still makes for a bad experience), but Apple has really won me over. I've got an iMac in my bedroom, an iPod I climb/bike/run/ski with. I can't see becoming a watch-wearer with the Apple Watch (I haven't worn a watch ever really) but it's not outside the realm of possibility. I'm curious to see if Apple can do what Google couldn't, and make wearables a significant presence in the market, thus forcing other companies to react. If we leave other companies to break trail, as it were, I think the acceptance of wearables is still a little further off.

jcrites 12y ago
> make wearables a significant presence in the market I think the next phase on wearable computing will include around-the-neck wireless devices. These are an example: http://www.amazon.com/s/?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=around%20the%20neck%20bluetooth http://www.amazon.com/s/?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&fiel... I've seen a lot of folks recently wearing around-the-neck Bluetooth headphones. I was really skeptical of them and considered them a fad, but then received one as a present. I have subsequently been blown away by the value and convenience, and now believe that around-the-neck will be an important part of the future in wearable computing. I think the innovation was a combination of being small, light, well designed, effective wireless, long enough battery life, and an unobtrusive place to rest on the body. Advantages: - The absence of wires between my pocket and my head is a HUGE benefit. I now wear the wireless headphones by default, which are super convenient while doing routine activities like chores around the house, or changing clothes, or while traveling between house and car, etc. Wires get in the way and are inconvenient enough to stop me from using headphones (e.g., while buckling a seat-belt, or moving laundry around). Neck headphones are convenient enough to wear by default, and don't get in the way. - The device overall is so convenient that I barely notice I'm wearing them. I frequently fall asleep while wearing them after listening to a book or podcast. They are small and light enough to evaporate from your senses. - They're small enough to fit inside most shirts if needed - Being continuously present around my neck removes the pain of unbundling wires from one's pocket. Those wires are always tangled. The neck device's wires are short and can't get tangled. The device magnetically contains its earbugs when not in use, so no dangling wires. - Battery life is good enough that I can use them the whole next day even after leaving them on overnight (assuming audio isn't playing all night) - While tethered to a primary device (smartphone or tablet), I can roam almost anywhere within my house within audio reception I'm listening to audio substantially more now as a result of the device. While I think glasses would be far too intrusive, I've started wearing wireless headphones all day long by default now. I see many people doing it too. I could see these devices either replacing glasses or complementing them (move the processing units out of the glasses frame, and down around the neck, perhaps with an easily detached wire - a wire to the neck is probably doable). What's not easy is finding new audio content dynamically while wearing them. I'm a big audiobook and podcast fan, so I listen to Audible and NPR and the like. But I have to prepare all my content ahead of time on another computing device to which the headphones are tethered. If the headphones were interactive, and commands were available by voice, to find and listen to books, podcasts, or the news, then I think they could form quite the electronic companion. A full phone could probably be designed with that form factor (but no screen). Or imagine if I could control appliances within my house. TV, turn on. Search for "<the latest movie>". The headphones relay the command to my device, which instructs the house. There's a lot of potential there.
- sfjailbird 12y ago
  Around-the-neck could be great as part of Google Glass-like headwear devices, hosting a heavy-duty battery, processing unit, everything but the display really. As you said, a necklace is unobtrusive, as long as it is kept sufficiently flat. I see it going under the clothes as a strictly auxilliary part of the headwear.
- sanotehu 12y ago
  Out of interest, which headphones did you go with? I've been looking at wireless headphones but I've always been put off by not knowing their battery life. Aside from the manufacturer's ratings, which have a variable degree of accuracy :p
72deluxe 12y ago
Has the switch to Apple devices happened because you have had increased purchasing power as a developer? Before these 5 years, you likely had disdain for Apple devices as being "overpriced" compared to PC equivalents, and thought "I could use Linux for that!" and would spend plenty of time hacking around to get things working. Are you now an "Apple guy" because you have money to spend and no longer consider Apple devices overpriced for their value, and you now value your time more? Just curious (this is what happened to me you see; I want to spend time getting things done, not faffing around).
- Kurtz79 12y ago
  That has been definitely my case as well. I never "disdained" Apple devices, but they were not in my acceptable price range until I started having a regular salary. But I don´t really think they are so much better than Windows or Linux systems in terms of "getting things done". I just value their design and the tight hardware-software integration, and I find the premium price to be acceptable, now.
- ameen 12y ago
  Not the parent, but as someone with a similar history (Symbian / WinMo Hacker), I used to ridicule Apple at every chance I got. I used to be a hardcore PC Gamer (builder as well, and have built atleast 20 rigs for others). When I was presented with the original iPhone, I was pissed but overtime as I came to see the merits of it, and by extension Apple hardware. At work I use an iMac, but my personal laptop still is a Lenovo (with Ubuntu 14.04). But I'll be pre-ordering the next MBP as soon as it is announced. I don't have the patience that I earlier had to debug seemingly simple but drawn out errors/bugs. Apple nails the entire experience (s/w & h/w), and for a developer for whom Time = Money, this is the best possible investment one can make. I also wouldn't have considered Apple hardware had I not been working (and earning) substantially. But I'm still not an Apple guy and for one-off setup stuff I stick with non Apple hardware (routers, etc). But I wouldn't call them overpriced, they work out of the box with as minimal config required as possible.
- mbillie1 12y ago
  > Are you now an "Apple guy" because you have money to spend and no longer consider Apple devices overpriced for their value, and you now value your time more? This is definitely a big part of it, yes. I could make it work with Android/Linux, but I can afford Apple products now. Also, as a 100% remote developer, I need my laptop/phone/ to be totally reliable, or it reflects on me professionally. For this reason also I am far less tolerant of say, random battery life issues with my phone. Additionally, some proprietary software (quite annoyingly) only runs in Windows/OSX. Again, I could boot a VM, but I'd rather not, and I suppose these days I can (literally) afford not to.
xorcist 12y ago
>> Fighting with Android became less and less appealing over time > This rings true to me. I was long a diehard Android/Linux guy - even an explicitly anti-Apple person. I keep hearing this but there's always some other reason lurking behind it. I have never been an anti-Apple person. I use Linux on my desktop because I need something that just works. It must never fail on me and all tools I need must be readily available. Mac probably comes the closest, but speak with any Windows person and it's "yeah just install this usb driver to get the adb going and then install this binary stuff from a website and then..". No thanks, I have work to do. I suppose the same can be true for the iPhone as well. Instead of rooting and installing homebrew and stuff to tether, just get something that works and click the button. I don't "fight" my tools, Linux, Mac or otherwise. I get something that works instead. For the past decade, that has equated to Linux on a Thinkpad for me.
- theintern 12y ago
  I absolutely agree. With Linux on a Thinkpad I never have to worry about my tools. They just work, upgrade without issue and don't get in my way. Suspend works, and the hardware is solid and upgradeable. I really can't fault the setup. They're not as shiny as Macs, but give me a Thinkpad any day.
  - xorcist 12y ago
    I just realized I've used the same Linux installation for the better part of ten years. It has survived many in-place upgrades and two hardware changes (where I just move everything over, no need for a reinstall). Since Linux users for the most part doesn't need to mess with drivers, it just keeps working. (And thank you everyone out there who keeps making this possible.)
- mbillie1 12y ago
  > I use Linux on my desktop because I need something that just works. Agreed - I still use Linux on my desktop for this reason as well. I can have years' worth of uptime, if need be. I haven't used a Thinkpad, which the comment below suggests is a better laptop/Linux experience, and I have had some annoying issues with Wifi drivers, etc while using non-Ubuntu versions of Linux. There's also inevitably some corporate software of some variety that you run into that needs IE/Safari, so it's nice to have them around. The software for my GPS has no Linux installer, and while that isn't a deal-breaking fact, I use that software to plan climbing and skiing trips, so it's nice to have. It's one more voice saying "pay for the convenience" I suppose.

jcrites 12y ago

> make wearables a significant presence in the market I think the next phase on wearable computing will include around-the-neck wireless devices. These are an example: http://www.amazon.com/s/?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=around%20the%20neck%20bluetooth http://www.amazon.com/s/?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&fiel... I've seen a lot of folks recently wearing around-the-neck Bluetooth headphones. I was really skeptical of them and considered them a fad, but then received one as a present. I have subsequently been blown away by the value and convenience, and now believe that around-the-neck will be an important part of the future in wearable computing. I think the innovation was a combination of being small, light, well designed, effective wireless, long enough battery life, and an unobtrusive place to rest on the body. Advantages: - The absence of wires between my pocket and my head is a HUGE benefit. I now wear the wireless headphones by default, which are super convenient while doing routine activities like chores around the house, or changing clothes, or while traveling between house and car, etc. Wires get in the way and are inconvenient enough to stop me from using headphones (e.g., while buckling a seat-belt, or moving laundry around). Neck headphones are convenient enough to wear by default, and don't get in the way. - The device overall is so convenient that I barely notice I'm wearing them. I frequently fall asleep while wearing them after listening to a book or podcast. They are small and light enough to evaporate from your senses. - They're small enough to fit inside most shirts if needed - Being continuously present around my neck removes the pain of unbundling wires from one's pocket. Those wires are always tangled. The neck device's wires are short and can't get tangled. The device magnetically contains its earbugs when not in use, so no dangling wires. - Battery life is good enough that I can use them the whole next day even after leaving them on overnight (assuming audio isn't playing all night) - While tethered to a primary device (smartphone or tablet), I can roam almost anywhere within my house within audio reception I'm listening to audio substantially more now as a result of the device. While I think glasses would be far too intrusive, I've started wearing wireless headphones all day long by default now. I see many people doing it too. I could see these devices either replacing glasses or complementing them (move the processing units out of the glasses frame, and down around the neck, perhaps with an easily detached wire - a wire to the neck is probably doable). What's not easy is finding new audio content dynamically while wearing them. I'm a big audiobook and podcast fan, so I listen to Audible and NPR and the like. But I have to prepare all my content ahead of time on another computing device to which the headphones are tethered. If the headphones were interactive, and commands were available by voice, to find and listen to books, podcasts, or the news, then I think they could form quite the electronic companion. A full phone could probably be designed with that form factor (but no screen). Or imagine if I could control appliances within my house. TV, turn on. Search for "<the latest movie>". The headphones relay the command to my device, which instructs the house. There's a lot of potential there.

sfjailbird 12y ago
Around-the-neck could be great as part of Google Glass-like headwear devices, hosting a heavy-duty battery, processing unit, everything but the display really. As you said, a necklace is unobtrusive, as long as it is kept sufficiently flat. I see it going under the clothes as a strictly auxilliary part of the headwear.
sanotehu 12y ago
Out of interest, which headphones did you go with? I've been looking at wireless headphones but I've always been put off by not knowing their battery life. Aside from the manufacturer's ratings, which have a variable degree of accuracy :p

72deluxe 12y ago

Has the switch to Apple devices happened because you have had increased purchasing power as a developer? Before these 5 years, you likely had disdain for Apple devices as being "overpriced" compared to PC equivalents, and thought "I could use Linux for that!" and would spend plenty of time hacking around to get things working. Are you now an "Apple guy" because you have money to spend and no longer consider Apple devices overpriced for their value, and you now value your time more? Just curious (this is what happened to me you see; I want to spend time getting things done, not faffing around).

Kurtz79 12y ago
That has been definitely my case as well. I never "disdained" Apple devices, but they were not in my acceptable price range until I started having a regular salary. But I don´t really think they are so much better than Windows or Linux systems in terms of "getting things done". I just value their design and the tight hardware-software integration, and I find the premium price to be acceptable, now.
ameen 12y ago
Not the parent, but as someone with a similar history (Symbian / WinMo Hacker), I used to ridicule Apple at every chance I got. I used to be a hardcore PC Gamer (builder as well, and have built atleast 20 rigs for others). When I was presented with the original iPhone, I was pissed but overtime as I came to see the merits of it, and by extension Apple hardware. At work I use an iMac, but my personal laptop still is a Lenovo (with Ubuntu 14.04). But I'll be pre-ordering the next MBP as soon as it is announced. I don't have the patience that I earlier had to debug seemingly simple but drawn out errors/bugs. Apple nails the entire experience (s/w & h/w), and for a developer for whom Time = Money, this is the best possible investment one can make. I also wouldn't have considered Apple hardware had I not been working (and earning) substantially. But I'm still not an Apple guy and for one-off setup stuff I stick with non Apple hardware (routers, etc). But I wouldn't call them overpriced, they work out of the box with as minimal config required as possible.
mbillie1 12y ago
> Are you now an "Apple guy" because you have money to spend and no longer consider Apple devices overpriced for their value, and you now value your time more? This is definitely a big part of it, yes. I could make it work with Android/Linux, but I can afford Apple products now. Also, as a 100% remote developer, I need my laptop/phone/ to be totally reliable, or it reflects on me professionally. For this reason also I am far less tolerant of say, random battery life issues with my phone. Additionally, some proprietary software (quite annoyingly) only runs in Windows/OSX. Again, I could boot a VM, but I'd rather not, and I suppose these days I can (literally) afford not to.

xorcist 12y ago

>> Fighting with Android became less and less appealing over time > This rings true to me. I was long a diehard Android/Linux guy - even an explicitly anti-Apple person. I keep hearing this but there's always some other reason lurking behind it. I have never been an anti-Apple person. I use Linux on my desktop because I need something that just works. It must never fail on me and all tools I need must be readily available. Mac probably comes the closest, but speak with any Windows person and it's "yeah just install this usb driver to get the adb going and then install this binary stuff from a website and then..". No thanks, I have work to do. I suppose the same can be true for the iPhone as well. Instead of rooting and installing homebrew and stuff to tether, just get something that works and click the button. I don't "fight" my tools, Linux, Mac or otherwise. I get something that works instead. For the past decade, that has equated to Linux on a Thinkpad for me.

theintern 12y ago
I absolutely agree. With Linux on a Thinkpad I never have to worry about my tools. They just work, upgrade without issue and don't get in my way. Suspend works, and the hardware is solid and upgradeable. I really can't fault the setup. They're not as shiny as Macs, but give me a Thinkpad any day.
- xorcist 12y ago
  I just realized I've used the same Linux installation for the better part of ten years. It has survived many in-place upgrades and two hardware changes (where I just move everything over, no need for a reinstall). Since Linux users for the most part doesn't need to mess with drivers, it just keeps working. (And thank you everyone out there who keeps making this possible.)
mbillie1 12y ago
> I use Linux on my desktop because I need something that just works. Agreed - I still use Linux on my desktop for this reason as well. I can have years' worth of uptime, if need be. I haven't used a Thinkpad, which the comment below suggests is a better laptop/Linux experience, and I have had some annoying issues with Wifi drivers, etc while using non-Ubuntu versions of Linux. There's also inevitably some corporate software of some variety that you run into that needs IE/Safari, so it's nice to have them around. The software for my GPS has no Linux installer, and while that isn't a deal-breaking fact, I use that software to plan climbing and skiing trips, so it's nice to have. It's one more voice saying "pay for the convenience" I suppose.