k333 wrote:So what I'm saying is that the smartphone enables me to do things and in places that I could never do before, but it doesn't actually replace anything that I can think of.
- K
Replacing radio/walkman: the sound quality is determined by what headphones you have. Modern ones are a huge improvement on the past, partly in sound quality but even more in not leaking loud noises to disturb a whole carriage or cafe full of people.
Timepiece and alarm clock: by far the most convenient I've ever had at my disposal. At least since I started to find wristwatches physically troublesome.
Map: the addition of GPS makes it much easier to use than a paper map in many circumstances, above all when arriving in an unfamiliar city. Also a huge convenience not to have to go chasing maps, and finding yourself off the edge of that useless tourist map that was all you could get at the time ...
Diary and notebook: not something to use regularly, but a whole lot less inconvenient than paper versions to carry around.
Torch: great for emergencies (and why else would you want a torch)? Also serves as a safety device when occasionally out on a dark road.
Travel timetables and route maps: make train travel much less stressful than of old, and make buses a viable option even outside the range of ones local knowledge.
And not least, phone: nice to be liberated from reliance on phone boxes (can I find one, will it work, how filthy will it be, dammit, need the right coins), and have it integrated with a contact list.
But I really miss the lovely keyboard I had on the Nokia E71 - which had everything I use except torch. On-screen nonsense is no substitute.