Google is my apple

I was in my last years of secondary school when apple did something absoloutely massive and brought out the iPod. I never saw one in the flesh till the end of my first year in sixth form, when some friends were earning enough from their weekend jobs to invest in such trinkets. Then cheaper mp3 players hit the shelves and I personally thought iPods would never really take off because why would people shell out that much for an iPod when something that could do the exact same thing could be bought in any range of shapes, sizes and colours but for much cheaper.

Well what can I say, I was young, naive, and didn't understand the power of branding. I was brought up in a world where you could have your gadgets by all means, but if you could get something that did the same for cheaper, you automatically just did.

I've always looked at the people who shout about the iThis and iThats with a mixture of jealousy but also bafflement. Jealousy because, whatever you think of apples products I've as superficial a streak in me as anyone and the many iThings out there are pretty and shiny and come with apps on them that do all manner of magical things, and I've never been able to afford to invest in any iProduct in my life (and won't for a while, at least not until I get me a job haha). But the bafflement came from the way some people automatically go for the iStuff without even thinking about it.


Example, a few people in different circles of mine have been toying with the idea of getting an iPad recently, and asked for advice and opinions. Now personally, as much as I wanted a tablet when they first hit the market, I've since gone off the idea since I don't think I could do anything with one that I can't already do on my phone, and for heavier duty work I prefer an actual computer anyway. But functionality aside, a few people said well, why don't you look elsewhere on the market for a better deal on tablets...some people said because they just WANTED an iPad because, hey, more iGadgets! Some people said because they didn't even think about it, they just automatically clicked that if they got a tablet it would just be an iPad. Others, bless their souls, didn't realise there were other tablets out there and thought an iPad was a unique entity, much like my Gran thinks all mp3 players are called iPods.


Actually I don't know if she does think that at all, but I know I've heard some older folk refer to my mp3 player as an iPod before.


Anyway.


My point is, there's a cult status surrounding apple iProduce. It's no secret, it's widely known, ridiculed by some and simply sighed at by others. I've sneered at this and rolled my eyes. I used to be pretty indifferent, or an envious onlooker, too cash strapped to join the iClub, but then all that hoo ha about apple writing into their TOS that they could collect data about your whereabouts and sell it on to anyone they choose...it just seemed a little...too evil, to me. And then of course I found out that adobe software like flash wasn't supported because basically, so it sounded to me, Steve Jobs is a greedy old beggar. Nope, I've never been one of those people, and when my opinion was eventually turned, it was turned hard. Understood the iBrand had influence and pulling power, but never understood the mindset by which someone could become iEnslaved (am I taking it to iFar yet? :p) by that influence the way some people are.


But then google plus was brought out to a select few and I was pissed off that I wasn't given an invite (why I felt entitled I don't know) and was even more pissed when I had to wait for my friend to be able to give me an invite!


Friends, it's time to come clean and admit it. I do know all of the above that I claimed not to. I know it all too well, for I am a slave to Google.

By the way, if anyone else is on google plus or wants an invite, ya know, let's do this!

In other, actual news as opposed to ranting about technology brands, I had a phonecall from ChildLine earlier, and I have an interview with them in a couple of weeks time! Let's hope they don't take one look at me and think "psycho, reject!"

Not that there's any reason for them to. Just, you know, it would be quite nice for something like this to work out for me!