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Can you live without tech?


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View Poll Results: Which top-five tech company would be hardest for you to live without?
Apple 4 36.36%
Microsoft 1 9.09%
Alphabet (Google) 4 36.36%
Facebook 1 9.09%
Amazon 1 9.09%
Voters: 11. You may not vote on this poll

Can you live without tech?
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kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2017-05-12, 12:20

Scientists recently proposed a new phobia: Nomophobia, which identifies the fear of living without your cell phone.

Today, John Gruber linked to an article identifying the most powerful tech companies and which would be most difficult to live without.

I thought this might make for a nifty thought experiment. So, two questions:

1) Can you live without your mobile phone?

2) In what order can you drop the following top-five tech companies: Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, Alphabet (Google)? Rank on a scale of 1-5 stars, where 1 is easiest to get rid of, 5 is hardest.

I'll go first:

1 — I don't own a "cell phone", so clearly I can live without one. To be fair, we use an iPhone 5C as our home phone, my wife uses an SE, and my daughter has a 7. I take the 5C when I go to our remodel project about an hour away, but that is the only time I ever carry it. It rides in a bag with my change of clothes and exists only to talk to my wife if need be. I hate answering it while I'm driving and will resist. It functions only as a mobile house phone that is cheaper to own than a land-line. If it quits working, I will survive and not miss it.

2) —

a) Facebook. I have an account, have checked it perhaps twice in the last year, and could really care less. I don't care what you had on your oatmeal. *

b) Amazon. I have ordered exactly one thing from Amazon in the last year. I use my wife's Prime account to watch The Grand Tour. I have a couple books published there. That is it. I can live without any of those services. *

c) Alphabet (Google). Google search is still the best, but I could easily use another. I keep toying with DuckDuckGo and have set it to default, but always revert back to Google, and I hate that. I use YouTube every day, and wish Alphabet didn't own it. I use absolutely nothing else Google has to offer. YouTube is the only thing that keeps them from being a 1-star. **

d) Microsoft. I use Skype on average twice per month, and consider it a vital communication tool. ***

e) Apple. I have two Macs. I could live without the phones and the iPads, but the Macs are pretty crucial. Primarily for Skype, email and general web-surfing. I also write (a ton) and love Pages. I play Minecraft and though I could do that on a PC, the security/maintenance tradeoffs are not worth it. I don't use iCloud or Apple Music, so could care less about those things. However, if the power was shut off I would miss my Mac for only as long as it took me to get out to the garden. ***

I gave Microsoft three stars because I would truly miss. That would mean missing the face-to-face time I get with a very close friend who lives 2100 miles from me and uses Android/Windows, so no FaceTime. Otherwise, Microsoft would move to 1 star and the top of this list.

So, are you married to your tech? Clearly, there is a business answer, and a personal answer. I'm curious to se.

- AppleNova is the best Mac-users forum on the internet. We are smart, educated, capable, and helpful. We are also loaded with smart-alecks! :)
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Last edited by kscherer : 2017-05-12 at 12:33.
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Yontsey
*AD SPACE FOR SALE*
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cleveland-ish, OH
 
2017-05-12, 14:53

I'm all-in on Apple tech, from my iPhone to my iPad, MBPr, Mac Mini, Airports, AppleTV's, iCloud, ect. I'm in too deep into the ecosystem to try and stray away at this point.

I don't use Facebook at all. I haven't used it for like 8-9 years at this point because I didn't really care about other peoples mindless complaining and people didn't need to know my business. Granted, I do use Twitter but it's a great fast paced news outlet.

Microsoft the only thing I use from Microsoft is the Xbox One and I rarely ever play that anymore.

Google I use the search engine and gmail for my personal email but that's about it on that front. I did forget about YouTube, mainly because I forgot the acquired them.

I could get by without Amazon, but let's be realistic, Amazon Prime is a pretty amazing thing and I buy stuff for my business on there all the time.

All in all, Apple is a clear cut winner, but that is because I'm so entrenched into the ecosystem. I could find other things to supplement what they provide but I've been using it for 15 years or so at this point and I enjoy it. It doesn't have near as much as excited geared around the Keynotes as it did 10 years ago, but I'm still overall happy with the product.

Die young and save yourself....
@yontsey
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Eugene
careful with axes
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hillsborough, CA
 
2017-05-12, 15:06

Abstaining because none of those brands really offer an exclusive product.
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Dave
Ninja Editor
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Bay Area, CA
 
2017-05-12, 18:33

Initially, probably Apple since I'm a macOS and iOS guy. Once I got the hang of Linux, though, Google for sure. Need dat search...
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PB PM
Sneaky Punk
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Vancouver, BC
Send a message via Skype™ to PB PM 
2017-05-13, 10:36

1. Apple: I have many Apple devices (two desktops, iPads, iPhone) but anything I do on them could be done on another device.

2. MS: I have a Windows desktop, but could live without it. Xbox One, haven't used it since January.

3. Google: I use a number of Google services, YouTube etc, but oddly enough not Google search. Switched to DuckDuckGo a few years back and haven't looked back since. I suspect that right now it would be the hardest for me to drop.

4. Amazon: My websites host uses Amazon servers for data storage, so I would need to switch providers, but it would be doable. As for the online store, I use it a few times a year, and I don't use Prime. Could easily live without Amazon.

5. Facebook: Usesless, I log in a few times a year to see if I have messages from overseas connections and that's about it.
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Eugene
careful with axes
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hillsborough, CA
 
2017-05-13, 14:29

Yep, out of the five, Google is the closest to irreplaceable. Even though I don't think much about using their services, they have more products that rise to the top than Apple, MS, Amazon or FB.
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Dave
Ninja Editor
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Bay Area, CA
 
2017-05-13, 15:36

Quote:
Originally Posted by PB PM View Post
3. Google: I use a number of Google services, YouTube etc, but oddly enough not Google search. Switched to DuckDuckGo a few years back and haven't looked back since.
I tried DDG long time ago, but, at least back then, I couldn't figure out how to search for technical stuff with them. Have they gotten better in that regard? Because I'd love to drop Google.

When I was a kid, people who did wrong were punished, restricted, and forbidden. Now, when someone does wrong, all of the rest of us are punished, restricted, and forbidden... and the one who did the wrong is counselled and "understood" and fed ice cream.
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Bryson
Rocket Surgeon
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: The Canadark
 
2017-05-13, 16:13

Ahhh! I misread the poll and voted for the one I would get rid of first... Whoops.

I thought it was the same question as https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...ogle.html?_r=0
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chucker
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: near Bremen, Germany
Send a message via ICQ to chucker Send a message via AIM to chucker Send a message via MSN to chucker Send a message via Yahoo to chucker Send a message via Skype™ to chucker 
2017-05-13, 17:04

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave View Post
I tried DDG long time ago, but, at least back then, I couldn't figure out how to search for technical stuff with them. Have they gotten better in that regard? Because I'd love to drop Google.
No, I still feel they're far worse than Google at programming questions, so I frequently find myself suffixing !g without even thinking about it.
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El Gallo
Formerly “MumboJumbo”
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
 
2017-05-13, 17:30

Quote:
Originally Posted by kscherer View Post
1) Can you live without your mobile phone?

2) In what order can you drop the following top-five tech companies: Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, Alphabet (Google)? Rank on a scale of 1-5 stars, where 1 is easiest to get rid of, 5 is hardest.
In some ways it seems easy to answer these questions but with deeper thought it should be harder. Obviously I lived without a mobile phone until 2001-ish which means I made it 31 years on the planet without one. However I also always had a home phone line or two back then and so did everyone else. There were also payphones around as well. So like to believe I could just go back and do what I did but who knows. I certainly don't call people anymore. It's nearly all text for me so that would be a big problem.

Apple - *****

I'm a fan boy and everything is Apple for me minus services which they just don't do well enough excluding $.99 a month for iCloud storage. I own Macbook Pro, iPad Mini 4, iPhone 7, etc. I've even got the Airpods which are great though not loud enough.

Amazon - ****

The services I don't have with Apple often are with Amazon. Kindle books, Prime shopping and video etc. They or someone like them would likely get my money because I hate going to stores or malls to shop.

Microsoft - *

No video console, and the only service or product of theirs I use is Outlook for work.

Alphabet (Google) - *

They tend to be my secondary service or product for everything. Gmail is my secondary email. Chrome is my secondary browser, etc.

Facebook - **

I'm lazy and Facebook is basically my calendar. People create events and then just add me. It's helpful in that regard and it is nice to grab what people tag me in (especially photos) when I always seem to forget to take them myself.
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turtle
Lord of the Rant.
Formerly turtle2472
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Upstate South Carolina
 
2017-05-13, 18:40

Can I live without my iPhone? You bet. I wouldn't like it, but I can live without it. Or any personal phone for that matter.

***** - Work though, that limits and forces my choices a little. I hate to say it, but I have to put Microsoft at the top of my can't live without list. See, I'm a Windows Server Admin by day. I know, you can chastise me for this if you wish.

***** - Apple would be second and very close to Microsoft because I prefer Apple for my day to day and personal use.

** - Google only because I use Google App (or what ever it's called now) for my family email. I can move my domain though and self host it.

* - Amazon I could totally do without. I use them and even pay for prime, but that's only because I enjoy the deals they offer many times.

Half Star - Facebook was banned on my network at home. I happen to have to open on my network right now, but don't really log into it ever. It could totally go away and I wouldn't be bothered in the least.


In the end though, I could do without computers but I have no desire to do so. They have always been my hobby and outlet for fun. Between writing basic code and playing games with them I have been using them as my indoor fun since the mid-80s.

Louis L'Amour, “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”
Visit our archived Minecraft world! | Maybe someday I'll proof read, until then deal with it.
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Luca
ಠ_ರೃ
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
 
2017-05-15, 15:14

From most to least dependent:

Google - Utterly reliant on search, and I use an Android phone. Of course there are competing products, but search is one area where Google is well ahead of the rest. Plus not having my longtime email address would be really annoying.

MS - I use Windows mainly for games. If I did not care at all about gaming, I would probably use Linux. But no games would be really bad; they're my way of relaxing.

Amazon - I like Amazon, and prime shipping is awesome. Prime streaming is nice too. Fairly easily replaced though.

Facebook - I log in like once every 1-2 days. It's not my life but I do use it.

Apple - Despite being a participant on an Apple message board, I switched away from Macs about 10 years ago and never got an iPhone either. My wife does have an old iPad Mini but that's about it. If Apple were to disappear the only effects on me would be collateral.
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thegeriatric
geri to my friends
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Heaven
 
2017-05-15, 19:39

Well seeing as I use Google search, have a Android phone and Gmail account.
I guess google would be the one I'd miss most.

Never used Facebook or Amazon.

As for MS Yuk. Apple, not bothered anymore as I have moved on to Linux.

Still Love you guys though.

I used to be undecided.....But now I'm not so sure.
No trees were harmed in the sending of this message. However, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
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Ryan
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Promise Land of Trustafarians
 
2017-05-17, 22:19

Even if you aren't using google yourself, they're the lynchpin of the tech industry. Between them and Amazon, virtually all big data tech is created by one of those two companies.

I don't just mean their cloud products—the fundamental research comes from their engineering organizations. Amazon's Dynamo paper and Google's Dataflow paper are two good examples.

The rest of the industry stands on their shoulders.
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