As an Amazon.com charter member since it was created in 1994, it pains me to have been so frustrated and ultimately close the account. Too many missed deliveries and botched orders lately.
After downloading and converting my e-books so I can use them on any device I want instead of Amazon-specific formats, I have closed my 26 year old account.
I have never owned a dedicated reading tablet such as a Kindle. Thankfully, Amazon has created the Kindle app that can be used on every device. Using this app for years on both the Android and iOS platforms has been great because my purchases have followed me around regardless.
While practicing my social distancing, I’ve been reading more than usual and have been looking at some book purchases. Well, the process of buying a book from Amazon while using an iPad is a no-go. Some BS competition and licensing thing apparently. I have to log on to the Amazon website and order there as opposed to doing this in-app.Then it hit me like a stack of digital books over the head: why not purchase through Apple’s Books app instead? I have gone all in on everything else Apple, why not books?
Amazon started out as an online book distributor. As a charter member myself, I remember receiving books in the mail that even included free bookmarks and magnets. Amazon has innovated the books industry ever since. They are the best and the Kindle software follows.
Having said that, I reinstalled Apple Books to the iPad and looked around at all the redesigned changes. It is pretty and sports the usual customization standards for individual needs.
Both Amazon and Apple have this feature, both have a big store to shop your books. Both can be synchronized and read on multiple devices. I don’t listen to audiobooks but they are available. Apple’s is built in. I am even allowed to listen via my watch if I desire. May have to give audio books another glance soon. Even though Amazon bought Audible, I am surprised they don’t build that into their app. Both can read the PDF format. But from here they go their separate ways.
I have said it before and I will say it again. When paying for digital content, we do not own it. We are only buying the license to use it in the walled-off gardens we bought them from. My Kindle purchases stay with Amazon and that’s it. I learned this the hard way when I killed off my Google account. Goodbye purchased music, books, videos. It has’t changed and it will not change. When and if I decide to use Books over Kindle exclusively, I will not have access to my titles unless I re-install Kindle.
And I just remembered that Kindle has a $10 monthly reading program called Kindle Unlimited. These titles are not on anyone’s bestseller list but they are a great way to read a lot of books. Apple does not have this yet. Apple does make use of the ePub format however. With the wonderful people at the Project Gutenberg website digitizing and archiving the world’s literary classics, I download a lot of titles at no cost. Why pay a publisher money when these titles are now in the public domain? Kindle must have some partnership with local libraries too because I can borrow bestselling titles through the library/Kindle. Apple doesn’t have this yet. Grr.
Both platforms are amazing and I am glad to see that book lovers are getting the best of both worlds. It is a shame that everything has to be proprietary and profit-driven so I suppose I will find a healthy balance between. But for now, I will take some time and see how well Apple Books can be for my reading needs.
Almost a year ago I purchased a refurbished Macbook Air for 1/2 the cost of the original price and ditched the Windows platform altogether. This was the last piece of the Apple eco system of connected machines I needed to perform my best work.
Lately I’ve come to rely on this laptop than my iPhone and iPad. Each device has their functions but the laptop is where most of my work is done. Surprisingly, the phone is my least productive device. Yes, it makes phone calls and I even take photos with it but even that is being reduced. On all my devices I have the capability to send/receive text messages. More and more I will reply on the laptop rather than pick up the phone and do it. This year’s new iPhone release will probably be the last one for a long time. Buying a smartphone for the camera doesn’t seem to make sense to me now because I will be using my film cameras more.
The laptop is most beneficial for me because this is where I do most of my research, write and process images. Here, I am literally the master of my own domain. I built my website through a laptop and host files with it, manage it with my own FTP server. The laptop can help me quickly organize, edit, export photos, video and text. Typing is ten times faster for me on the laptop over a phone or tablet. I can philosophize, journal, share my images with the world if they so chose to partake.
I’ll journal the benefits and usage of my iPad soon.
Yesterday I wrote about the Joy Of Missing Out and technology so I wanted to follow up with how technology can enhance this joy of missing out. These are super beneficial to me:
I am always on the look out for technology that helps eliminate BS and helps enhance my experience at the same time.
If you were anyway plugged into social media and internet culture the past few years you are familiar with the acronym phrase “Fear Of Missing Out” or FOMO. Wherein people are constantly plugged in and engaged with what every one else is doing or posting so they won’t miss out on what they think is important right NOW.
I recently came across a book titled JOMO or, “The Joy Of Missing Out”, which implies what the rest of us are already thinking- We don’t care what is going on, we’re too busy enjoying ourselves to be bothered with such nonsense!
My love/hate relationship with technology is an example. Social media is an example bad technology. The networking with others is good but it could also screw with your self-esteem and distract you from what is important.
What is better are real connections with people through technology. E-mail has been around a long time as has text messaging. These are still the best, most secure forms of communication. Owning and growing your own domain and website is better technology and more beneficial than working on a billion dollar social media ad farm.
Before I settled on a specific operating system and ecosystem (Apple for the win), I bounced back and forth between Android and Apple devices every six months thanks to my carrier’s mobile plan. Because with each hardware and software iteration there were small improvements that I didn’t want to miss out on. I agreed with the slogan “It just works.” Which was perfect for me because I was finally getting tired of the phone FOMO. I don’t want to think about it anymore, damn it, I just want it to work.
The Apple ecosystem to me are a combination of function and beauty. Powerful and minimal. I don’t want the FOMO distraction and want maximum focus on productivity. With this technology, the simpler the better.
My beloved Nikon D200 was eleven years old before she was replaced. I’ll hold on to my current Canon Rebel which will hopefully stick around just as long. I don’t need the latest or the greatest and I don’t ever think I am missing out by not upgrading these every few years. In fact, I’ve also gone back in time. Back to simpler designs and functions with film cameras. They’ve lasted for decades and will continue to do so. And I am missing out on nothing.
How much more can I keep subtracting bad technology and adding value and joy to beneficial technology? For now, I have worked hard to trim down and can honestly I am missing out and it doesn’t bother me one bit.
No, I didn’t delete the Instagram account but I did remove it from my phone as a discipline test. A little over a year ago I was in the same mood. Funny how IG keeps bringing people back.
I’ve been thinking about this subject recently. Our digital purchases are not really ours.
I experimented today by going radio silent. No calls, texts or distractions. I even put my phone in my coat pocket and forgot about it.
No regrets.
Finally.
The functions are limited but Adobe has finally brought a proper version to mobile photography.
I am on a roll when it comes to de-bullshitting my life lately. I have been a Flickr photo account user since 2005 and have been through the ups, downs, acquisitions and no more. I simply do not see the value in another photo host with little to no social engagement with other photographers.
Besides, I’d rather grow my platforms than sharecrop someone else’s land and make them money.
This past week I had an email from LinkedIn, the online professional networking website about a position I held. Someone was disputing my tenure there. Well, that prompted me to correct the mistake. Oops, I failed to update my last day there.
Well, that prompted me to say that after thirteen years of LinkedIn it was time to delete that account. Poof. Gone, just like that.
Ahh.
