Everything feels like a massive trade-off right now. powerOne really needs some tender loving care but we are deep into Equals now, moving toward a launch with a partner and don’t have time. This doesn’t even include the awesome keyboard and extension ideas I have, none of which I have time to write. So we did what we could and fixed the bugs and kept powerOne running, biding my time until I have more time. The hours in the day no longer feel like 24. Somewhere along the lines I’ve had an hour or two removed from my day. I get up and then go to bed. Or at least it feels that way.
The iPhones 6 ship today and I’m stuck there, too. I love the 4″ sized device and am very uncertain about bigger ones. 4.7″ seems huge, 5.5″ seems ridiculous. For the first time in years I have to wait to see them before buying. The 5.5″ might allow me to not carry an iPad around, one less device to buy, but then I’m a minimalist by nature and would prefer smaller not bigger. Of course less devices is minimalist, too.
Could I go with a 5.5″ phone and a watch? Maybe, but I have no idea what the watches will be like. So maybe I stick with my beloved 4″ phone and bide my time.
My desktop system is long in the tooth, too, barely able to run developer tools that I make my living with. Is it time to upgrade? Yes, but we seem to be between cycles. I love the Macbook Airs but really need a desktop system for my desktop. (Long story having to do with 1.5TB of iTunes media.) The Airs don’t have retina screens, though, and I don’t want to buy non-retina if retina is right around the corner. I could buy a Macbook Pro but I prefer the weight of the Airs. And again, it isn’t a desktop system. I prefer desktop because I have 1.5TB of iTunes media that needs a constant connection, and that says desktop not laptop. But the Mac minis are two years old and the Mac Pros, well, I don’t have $5k lying around to buy an over-powered computer. I already have an awesome 30″ monitor. I don’t need a second one on an iMac (nor the desk room for it). Again, I bide my time.
I’m stuck and rambling about it here. This age of technology abundance means too many choices, and that makes it harder to choose. Once upon a time I had one choice: one choice of laptop (Macbook Pro), one choice of desktop (Mac mini since I had a monitor), one choice of smartphone (iPhone), at least that was the case if I bought Apple.
Now? Too many choices. And every choice feels like a massive and expensive trade-off.
Elia Insider 
Macs are transitioning to retina.
iPhones have transitioned to big and as a result . . .
iPads are transitioning to irrelevant (it seems).
Waiting a year or two seems like a good idea. But the first retina iPad wasn’t too great and neither was the first retina Macbook Pro, why would the first retina iMac or display be different?
Waiting two or three years seems like a better idea.
The psycology of choice leaves us unhappy with either decision so just buy it knowing you can change your mind (resell) later.
That might be the best (only?) option I have at the end: buy and resell.
On Fri, Sep 19, 2014 at 9:49 AM, Elia Insider wrote:
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Hi Elia!
I sympathize – just had to upgrade my macbook – last one was 3 years old and simply unable to cope with the modern versions of xCode, eclipse, etc. $3k to go to the top of the line macbook pro, expensive but not awful, and the difference in build/compile cycles is significant. Having been through many of these upgrade cycles, 2-3 years seems about end of life for a laptop that has to be high-end enough to support serious software development.
Phones, watches, other stuff…..I dont “love” them as a consumer, they are necessary to own to “be in the game” and develop for as targets. I sprung for the big iphone 6 plus because I knew it represented a different form factor to account for in my development. Not a big watch person myself but recognize that many (especially in health and fitness) will buy, and I’m sure I will be an early purchaser to get immersed in the experience and figure out watch-app development. On the brightside, over time you do wind up with a “QA lab” of sorts with all of these older devices. (Someday I hope to open a museum with all my ancient palm-pilots and other strange prehistoric beasts, ha ha)
Hope all is well with you!
Glenn Bachmann
I went the Apple Store this weekend. The 6 wasn’t bad and didn’t feel that much bigger than my 5s. The 6+ was definitely bigger but not as big as I feared. I still don’t want to carry one around but am also concerned I need one for testing purposes. The watch I’m very interested in as I can see myself using the exercise features in particular. Still not making a purchase decision here, though, at least not until we get through the “iPad” event next month.
As for desktop systems, I installed XCode on the 2013 Macbook Air and couldn’t believe how fast it loaded. The specs aren’t that drastically different from my 2011 Mac mini so ordered an SSD and will have it installed in the mini. I think that will extend its life quite a bit. I suspect I will still be buying a new system soon but if I can hold out a little longer… 🙂
Elia
On Mon, Sep 22, 2014 at 5:06 PM, Elia Insider wrote:
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