I’m Tired of Being on the Network

Mat Duggan: So every few years I buy the identical slab of metal and glass. I admire the color for a moment, because color is the only decision left to make. The last honest pleasure in a new phone is peeling the plastic film off the screen after which the box contains nothing of interest. I put the slab in a case so durable I never see the color again, restore from backup, and everything the old slab knew migrates, whole and continuous, into the new one. A soul transfer, over Wi-Fi, in ninety seconds. I feel nothing for the old slab, despite years of daily intimacy. I hand it off or sell it and never think of it again. I’ve unintentionally been on a retro computing kick throughout this whole year. It’s interesting how tech used to age, as certain things would wear or not hold up over time. Every device had its own personality. Today? As long as you take care of them, most iPhones and iPads will hold up remarkably well and you’ll replace them with another when you get bored or want…