Monday, December 26, 2011

My foot does not taste very good

 Have you ever had exactly the wrong response to a present? I have. It is unfun, and I feel like a bounder.


In the world of technology there is a spectrum which runs from early adapters, those who must have tomorrow's latest gadgets yesterday, to late adapters who will accept a technology when they absolutely must and then there is everywhere in between. I'm a non adapter. My car is 35 years old. I am one of the few adults on the planet that still has a home phone, albeit without voicemail or an answering machine, I do not have a cell phone, although my wife does. She had to update her bag phone when the networks went digital, and hasn't changed phones in 10+ years.  I have a laptop, but the computer at home that gets the most use runs Windows 98, and fills all our requirements. I hope it runs forever.

For Christmas I received an Ipad.  Tens of children wanted one for Christmas and were disappointed they didn't receive one.  I, on the other hand, received one, and am disappointed. I'm not mobile, I read books on paper, I rarely watch television on screens under 40". I prefer mechanical toys. Am I missing some compelling, life changing reason to have this thing?

Unfortunately, my usual aplomb abandoned me. Unwrapping the paper I must have looked like I opened a sack of eels. I know and appreciate how hard my bride works to find just the right present for everyone.  She researches, shops, knows everything about her target, and can explain its why in great detail.  This time, I was underwhelmed and showed it.  Mrs T was powerfully disappointed.  My reaction had let her down and I feel terrible. Disappointing my bride  is not a position I enjoy.

Toad

49 comments:

Anonymous said...

Give it a chance, you might find you enjoy it. If you do end up enjoying it and finding it useful, it will prove she knew the right gift.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

helen tilston said...

Oh I fully understand.I do believe we must be ready to receive technology, in our own time. I liken it to a child walking, all in good time.

Happy Christmas

Helen xx

Anonymous said...

Ahh. Well, in Mrs. T's infinite intuitive wisdom, she may have masterminded this gift while you were at the top of your shoulder and cough misery. Genius that she is, she might even have anticipated a future shoulder surgery/rehabilitation/recovery period in which this little tablet would have kept you amused as you slowly grumpily recuperated, unplugged from from your upstairs tether. She was stocking the manse with materials for the second part of "for better, or worse." Set it aside. As Helen in line ahead of me said, "all in good time."

-Flo

Anonymous said...

You might ask her, in the nicest possible way, why she thought it would be a good gift for you? Perhaps she senses the beast might yield benefits to you of which you are currently unaware.

Suburban Princess said...

Or maybe ask in the nicest possible way if you can return it for something you will use?

Gail, in northern California said...

Oh, Toad. I feel sorry for BOTH of you. I'm sure Mrs. T thought she had found THE perfect gift, one that would open up a whole new world to you. You, on the other hand, can't imagine why she would think this. You're left to scratch your head wondering what possessed her to think you would want one of those things.

My husband is one of those early adapters, excited by the new and ever-changing technology. I feel as though I've been left in the dust, barely able to turn on the television anymore. Don't ask me to play a cd, dvd or blu-ray.

tammy j said...

oh toad!
i'm a long time reader, first time commenter...
i am your post to a t (no pun intended) but am the female equivalent. my books are paper and hard bound. though i finally got a computer this year and am loving the blogs i follow. i read a book over christmas about green smoothies on my niece's i pad. i kept absent-mindedly fumbling at the top of the thing at each "page turning" moment. i understand dear toad.
you are much loved anyway!
(i am trying to get up the nerve to blog)
tammy j

Toad said...

Thank you and welcome Tammy.

I've decided to I'll wait until tomorrow when the crowds are smaller, visit the Apple guy and have him give me his best sales pitch.

In the mean time I have offered to gift said pad to my bride, but she doesn't yet want it. Perhaps she'll come around.

Anonymous said...

Just to stick your toe in the water before you stick your toe into the store, maybe a quick run through this selection of indoctrination videos?

"Safari" is Apple's internet browser, your iPad will be equipped with Safari. I'd suggest getting comfortable at your Windows 98 screen, then click the link below, start at the Safari video for a very quick looksee.

http://www.apple.com/ipad/videos/#play-guided-tours-videos

-F

JeanMarie said...

Dear Toad, Perhaps, Mrs T simply longs for your company. My "unwelcome " IPad arrived a couple of years ago to much skepticism, as well. It is now a best friend and I find I myself much more in touch with the greater world through countless sources. But, the greatest bonus is that my husband and I now sit in the same room (IPad in hand/lap) and share conversation instead of me being sequestered in my studio with the computer. Give it a try.

Marion said...

Dear Toad,

I have had one for a year and won't go into how many hours it has amused me waiting in hospital waiting rooms for my elderly mother - just load it up with The New Yorker, The Economist, and best of all, the Economist "More Intelligent Life" and you'll see. Also wonderful for streaming Netflix movies in bed (headphones if Toad Hall gets noisy.)

Toad said...

Marion is it worth canceling my paper subscriptions? Now I have to subscribe to netflix too. This is going to cost an arm.

Toad said...

And buy headphones

Anonymous said...

Thank you to "Marion" up ahead of me in line!

This looks just dandy:

http://moreintelligentlife.com/

-F

Marion said...

Oh, no, you do not cancel the paper subscriptions. ("More Intelligent Life" is currently free for the iPad, very expensive in print). But an iPad is a lot easier to carry if you can read six issues of a magazine in a two hour hospital wait. Would have been really nice on a 15 hour flight to China. Kindle books? I'm up to about 60. And streaming Netflix is very inexpensive. The last two or three trips I've taken, never took the laptop out of the suitcase, the iPad did it all.

Shari said...

I feel your pain. I too got an unwanted Ipad. It is cluttery (detest all those little icons on the front page that cannot be removed), inflexible (you have to use Safari as the browser which saddens me as a Google Chrome fan) and difficult to type with. I love real books and am happy to take them whenever I travel. I also resent the fact whatever I might buy from the "i store" can only be used on apple products. Hmph.

My Ipad was engraved so I didn't hold out much chance that I could return it but I called today, held my breath and they agreed to take it back! FYI- despite their 14 day return policy, they're allowing returns until Jan. 8th for items bought Oct. - Dec.

I say return the thing and get something that you'll truly enjoy!

Toad said...

As much as I'm enjoying the commentary, it's going back just as soon as the line shortens.

My reasons are simple:
1. This is the deal killer. It's too large to fit boy's jacket pockets. I'll be damned if I'll buy and carry a murse to lug a computer.

2. In my heart I know I'll never use it. Reading books or magazines on a screen fills me with dread. Readers never ever smell like paper.

Paperbacks fit boys pockets very well.I know because I do it every day.

We've yet to netflix at home, so there is not much chance of using the video capability.

3. The Apple Dude told me to bring it back. When I told him my story, he told me not to bother.

When I told Mrs. T about the not fitting a jacket deal killer she asked, hadn't I ever seen one before? No, I said, I was never interested so I never looked. More taste of toe.

Anonymous said...

Angry Birds! You'll never put it down.

Toad said...

I have never played a video game ever. My wife is easily transfixed by them. she heard about Angry birds this past weekend and can't get enough.

I read yesterday, that according it its maker, the equivalent of 200,000 years have been spent in 2011 playing AB.

I'd hope for palsy.

Melissa @ I Pick Pretty said...

That gift experience is just the worst; I've been on both ends of those present experiences, the ones where you could cut the awkward disappointment with a knife. Blech.

I'm an admitted Apple-phile, so I was delighted to inherit an iPad from an in-law who felt much like you do about them - the thing with them (both iPads and in-laws) is that they do grow on you. I keep finding uses for it - for example, the wee CEO uses it for (bad parenting admission) video watching, while I like traveling with it for blog/Twitter purposes. Looks like you've made up your mind, but if not I might wait on it and see if it doesn't sneak up on you.

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