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What’s on your mind?
- Thread starter Gutwrench
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Yes, yes, and YES!!!! Boy, can I relate to this when looking back at trips in the past! Whew.....!! This past summer I simplified things quite a bit by discovering and buying the Sony RX10 M4, which is really rather an amazing camera even though it has just a 1-inch sensor. I had bought it with specific needs for a specific trip in mind but it didn't take long to realize just how versatile this thing is and to be honest, in the six months I've had it now, time and time again I reach for it rather than my Nikon or my Sony NEX-7. No matter what is required (except ultra-wide) I've got it covered with this camera, from 24mm to 600mm (equivalent). It is fun to use and has the ability to control a lot when it comes to determining what one wants from images, unlike a basic P&S. I would say it's sort of a P&S on steroids. It and the significantly smaller RX100 M6 are both excellent travel cameras. They've been with me now on two different trips and have done well in any situation thrown at them. That said, I'm still itching for a Sony A7R III and a couple of lenses but have put that purchase off until spring.
Of course what I want is a f1.8 10.5-500mm pancake lens! But even if they could make that lens, I'd need to sell my body to buy it!
It's interesting that the bolded can be interpreted in a couple of ways:
1. You sell the camera body you currently own;
2. You engage in prostitution..
2. You engage in prostitution..
It's also interesting that while 1 is a non-hyperbolic statement of fact, and 2 is a (hopefully) hyperbolic fictional statement, I'm equivocal as to which might be the more likely intended interpretation.
Now, Boys, Boys...... Tsk, tsk..... Behave yourselves!!! 
Well used! Past it’s best. It was never great to start with!
Well, I rethought the credit card thing. In process of changing banks and applied for a cash back card with a much lower creditline than the CC I just closed.
That makes me feel better about the whole credit card thing, plus cash back which -yes- is very nice.
I pay down my debts quickly, so no worries. Thanks everyone!
Just rethinking the way I deal with or process a lot of stuff. My goals this year are less stress and being happier. Both are on point. I stopped myself from the falling into the “too much work, too little time” mindset this week after my initially minor freak out. Grateful to do this, for work and that it will keep me busy.
This also applies to my unease with Apple. Why make myself more stressed and jump to another OS because I dislike so much of Apple’s policies lately? Yes, losing that $1k from the 2017 iPad Pro stung, but I have to think of how much pleasure and peace I get from doing digital art on iPads. Besides, the cross platform drawing apps I’ve tried are nowhere near as fun or robust as Procreate and Sketches Pro. I’ll just buy Apple stuff on sale, and ignore the brass doublespeak and hubris.
Most on my mind: Now what do I want to eat?
That makes me feel better about the whole credit card thing, plus cash back which -yes- is very nice.
I pay down my debts quickly, so no worries. Thanks everyone!
Just rethinking the way I deal with or process a lot of stuff. My goals this year are less stress and being happier. Both are on point. I stopped myself from the falling into the “too much work, too little time” mindset this week after my initially minor freak out. Grateful to do this, for work and that it will keep me busy.
This also applies to my unease with Apple. Why make myself more stressed and jump to another OS because I dislike so much of Apple’s policies lately? Yes, losing that $1k from the 2017 iPad Pro stung, but I have to think of how much pleasure and peace I get from doing digital art on iPads. Besides, the cross platform drawing apps I’ve tried are nowhere near as fun or robust as Procreate and Sketches Pro. I’ll just buy Apple stuff on sale, and ignore the brass doublespeak and hubris.
Most on my mind: Now what do I want to eat?
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I'm a fan of buying refurb, or not necessarily being something of a slave to having to possess the latest and the best.
My current 11" MBA is now nearly five years old; so yes, I shall most likely acquire a more recent model this year.
But, while I like Apple, I have never been one to buy the "latest" merely because it is the latest model or version of something.
Haha, I'm upgrading my present one. Not sure the transferring of the consciousness is that good yet. It could get mixed up I've heard. Not willing to lose any data at this time.
The price of upgrading however is severe training ache and exhaustion some days.
But the new software is running the body much better
Glad the refurbs work for you and Others.
Bad luck with refurbs here, so that is not an option. Since I can get new on discount, why not? A new iPhone 8+, ultimately for under $400 with cash back from the credit card and Apple’s trade in price - yes, that’s doable. I generally have better luck with older stock models of Macs and iPhones (I’ll have to customize my next Mac though). I certainly do not need or want the latest or great Mac or iPhone.
Unfortunately, given Apple’s quality control lately, iPads have become an almost annual upgrade. But if I can trade in for money or credit toward a new one? Yes. I’ve come to accept the iPPs unfortunate disposability, because of how much fun digital drawing is for me. That second gen Apple Pencil is so good that might be the tipping point along with buying the iPad Pros at a discount. Drawing on the iPad is fun, cathartic, and always interesting - so I now consider digital art as part of my psychological and emotional health. Plus, the drawing apps are much better on the iPads.
Sure, I go all magpie “Oooh Shiny” when some cool new computer is released, but ultimately I know what I need and use. To switch OS just because Apple are pretty crappy with QC is ridiculous. Not worth the stress and since I can always get Macs and iPads on discount now, their obnoxious pricing is a bit less obnoxious. It took a few months to get here, but I am glad I tried the competition and came to my decision. Now if I can continue to ignore the doublespeak and bologna jargon that Apple fling about, that’ll be even better.
Credit cards with cash back are really nice and the money adds up fairly quickly. Mine pays back the most (highest percentage) when I purchase groceries or gas, so now I regularly use the credit card for those two things and have the funds ready to pay just as I would if I had paid with my debit card or actual cash in the first place, as those are expenses that I normally generate anyway. I just let the cash-back funds accumulate and then periodically shift them into my checking or savings account.
I don't usually buy refurbs, although I have done so occasionally, in the past.
Mind you, it is most unfortunate that the QC (quality control) one used to expect as a matter of course from Apple products, is no longer the sort of feature one can assume one will find. This is depressing (and short-sighted and greedy).
I've never bought a refurb, but I have heard both positive stories of successful purchases and negative stories where things didn't go so well after all, so it's the luck of the draw..... These days I would be more hesitant to buy a refurb due to the slippage in quality control. I also don't like to buy used items. I'd rather pay a little more for a product that is brand-new in the box and then if there are issues at least I know the machine's "back story," i.e.,history, that it was never in anyone else's ownership prior to mine.
In general, I prefer to buy new, but had a lot more faith in refurbs when Apple had a reputation for excellent quality control and outstanding customer service.
It is an utter shame that
quality control barely exists now. The tech deities know I’ve gone off about it here more than I’d like; but if I can get some money toward the new model and find said new model on sale, I’ve circumvented the greed just a little bit. Yes, still spending money on , but more in my pocket.
It is an utter shame that
I’ve been growing tired of Apple for some time too. I’m content with the basic uses of the iPhone and ipad; but, Siri’s functionality and
‘s smart home device Homepod are frustratingly bad.I just bought and sprinkled six Echo Dots around the house and after using it a few days plan to buy three more. Alexa and their smart home integration works wonderfully well.
When I wake up all I say is, “Alexa, good morning.”
She greets me, turns on the lights in the living room, kitchen, and den. She then reads my iCalender schedule for the day followed by the weather, traffic and estimated travel time to the office. Then after that she starts playing Aternative music on all the Sonos speakers throughout the house.
While shaving I ask her for a news briefing and she plays the news from both the WSJ and Reuters.
I could go on and on about how shamefully better of product this is in both functionality and price than Apple.
Oh, I have to go. Alexa just told me an Amazon delivery was made. Srs! I’m off to fetch it.
Nest IQ cams? So your network can be hacked and you'll be watched?
Honestly I don't really get the home automation thing. You can buy a device that dims your lights with your voice.
Then they sell you a device to where on your wrist that warns you when you haven't got up for x minutes? Can anyone else see the irony?
Probably great if you are old or disabled. For me I can manage to turn on the lights.
I understand the yeas and nays of home automation, but I cannot stop thinking of HAL 9000 or Skynet (pardon my inner Fox Mulder).
My thing with Apple is the QC and ridiculous greed. And -yet- it still works for me, so I accept the limitations and deal with them on my terms (My usage of Apple services hasn’t changed in the last decade, and it will likely stay that way).
I’m not sure I’m old or (completely) disabled yet, but I have no problem delegating routine tasks like lights, music, and daily briefings.
I’m also not concerned at all over someone hacking their way in to intercept the Nest IQ feed. I’m only in the house a few weeks out of the year and installing them where I can monitor certain areas in my absence.
Btw, my Apple Watch not only tells me when I’ve been sitting to long (so I just raise my arm over my head), it also reminds me to breath. How sweet is this?
Probably should test out the Generac and see if it'll fire up correctly. I doubt the incoming storm systems will knock out power unless there's a terrible amount of wind, but you can never be sure when it comes to winter weather. I'm not looking forward to the onslaught of rain. At least with the generator it means we'll be with power if it goes out, and since it's line powered, no worries about fuel.
I’ve been able to breathe since I was born. By now I’m probably quite good at it!
If I want to monitor what’s going on in the house in my absence I’ll just FaceTime Mrs AFB.