…which most other people seem to have done:
- Used a car’s embedded navigation system. (Okay, I did try — once — to use the Tiguan’s navsys, but gave up after three tries and resorted to the phone instead. To be fair, the VW system was very clunky — 2013 era — so maybe it has improved since then, but now I just use the awful Waze app to venture to Parts Unknown because I became familiar with it during the Uber Years. And New Wife’s 2015 Fiat 500 has no such thing on its spartan dashboard.)
- Bought anything from TEMU. (A lot of Millennials and Gen Z kids seem to love this Amazon-like thing, but that Chinese factory-direct-to-user model… I trust it not. Plus long delivery times, especially when compared to Amazon, and from what I gather, returns are almost impossible — “not worth the hassle” seems to be a common statement, and with that renowned Chinese build quality? Pass.)
- Bought or used any Apple product. (My purchase of an Apple IIe computer back in 1982 doesn’t count, because it was the only PC available at the time, and I only used it for 6 months before dumping it for an IBM PC. But the modern Apple products like MacBook and iPhone? Not one.)
Feel free to add your list of “never used or bought”, in Comments.
Paid in a store, restaurant, or anywhere else, with my phone. Because, why would you?
Used a bluetooth device … earphones, speakers, handsfree phone in the car … nothing.
Asked an AI for information or to write something for me.
Forced to use a PC once by my employer … clunky piece of user-hating crap! Never bought one. Apple always and forever for me, mainly because we originally needed them for page make-up and typesetting and PageMaker was WYSIWYG; PC absolutely not!
I’m old and stuck in my ways, ways that seem to work most of the time, so I don’t do much in the way of “modern stuff”.
The exception is that for a long time I have made all of my meager purchases with a credit card that I pay off every month on time. Why not let my money set in the bank collecting 3 cents interest and use OPM (other people’s money) to pull the weight?
I have been using desktop PC computers since the 80’s and have no use for overly expensive and underly useful apple products. I have a notebook computer and my wife gave me a Samsung tablet but I have never seriously used either as they seem temperamental and I don’t have much in the way of patience.
Maybe I’m a closet Luddite?
OPM – other people’s money
EBT – Every Body’s Taxes
Ditto me on all three – I had never heard of TEMU til just now.
I occasionally find WAZE (on my android phone) to be useful. I fired up recently for the first time in a while to learn the antiseptic female voice I was perfectly happy with had been replaced by different voice with more personality. Too much personality. Think: Barry White coming on to Pam Grier.
When I arrived, Barry said, in his most You-know-you-I-want-you-naked Barry voice: “You’ve reached your destination. I can’t join you from here. But remember – it’s all about the journey. Not the destination.”
If you think you need the “You know I want you naked” Barry voice, A) keep it to yourself. B) it’s the “70s DJ” option on the Waze voice roster.
Carry on.
Never used an Android. I’ve had a blackberry and Apple phones
Never paid with a phone app. Cash or credit
Never used Temu. I have regularly heard that its a scam
Yup. Apple phones only for me too. I’ve used android in my job to help others but outside of work I pay the Apple tax. The phones just work. Been using them since 2012. BlackBerry before that
I kind of miss the BlackBerry with the physical keyboard. Great phones in their day.
I spent a long time in IT and used Apples, Androids, and PCs. They’re all part shit and part genius. It’s nice we have a choice.
I am using my phone more and more for payments because it lets me leave my wallet at home. It’s linked to my main credit card so it is in effect paying by credit card, which I pay obsessively on time because I missed one 10 years ago and it cost me $20. Plus, Google, rotten bastards that they are, send me an email 1 second after the transaction to document it. Don’t much need paper receipts anymore.
The problem with the embedded Nav systems in an 2014 car is that they can’t be easily upgraded so the maps are more current. So in my Lexus Daily I have an aftermarket carplay system literally pasted over the Lexus display. I use Waze almost continually mostly for traffic notifications.
As a Microsoft Certified Engineer for the past 25 years ( and stockholder ) I’ve been pretty much locked into the product line professionally and for my own use. However, since my wife is an artist she prefers Apple products so I wind up supporting her systems as well and I will confess that I Just upgraded to a Iphone 16 and a new Ipad. It just takes some time and effort to deal in both Universes. I spend a lot of time with Apple support which is OK providing you call during the day time. It sort of like being Bi lingual. My wife is fluent in 4 Languages, so I’m still behind.
As for what I’ve never done — I’ve never owned a Chevy product.
Never drove an all electric vehicle. Never will drive an all electric vehicle
Gas powered yes
Hyrbid (non plug in hybrid) gas and electric ok
All electric fuck no
I’m 40 and will drive gas or hybrid only for the rest of my life.
Also. Credit card or cash at gas stations – no Apple Pay bullshit.
I do use PayPal when buying off of websites. Masks your credit card info.
Never have and never will use temu. I can get plenty of cheap Chinese garbage at literally any other website or store.
Oh and never voted for Joe Biden. Never Voted for Kamala. Never will.
Never chopped my cock off and dressed like a woman. Never will. People that do that are mentally ill liberals.
PS If I pass away before the next election, please don’t let me vote democrat.
Never watched a full episode of the View. Never will. Seen clips. That’s enough for me.
Imagine being forced to watch the view? Torture. I’d rather do time in a North Korean Prison camp.
Never had a car payment.
Never paid for first class airfare (I have been upgraded to first class; I didn’t find that the experience compelled me to ever actually pay for it).
Never been unemployed until I retired last year. The longest I ever went without a job (since the age of 13) was 2 days.
If I make it the next 2+ months, this will be the first year since I was 17 that I didn’t buy, sell or trade for a gun. I probably won’t make it though, since I’m trying to find a S&W MP 2.0 Metal for less than bust-out retail and have a solid lead on one.
Never had a cable TV subscription. Our family did not have a TV until the year I joined the Navy (1975), so I never got in the habit. Still don’t watch TV.
Been using the built-in satnav in my cars for the last decade (which is how long I’ve had one). Works fine.
I prefer Apple over most anything else. Reliable, performant, future proof (my iPhone is over 6 years old and almost as good as new, similarly priced Android phones consistently suffered hardware failures in 1-1.5 years for me for example).
I don’t use Temu or any other Chinese junk seller (AliExpress, etc. etc.).
I’ve never used facebook or anything else owned by the Zuck.
I’ve never gone on a cruise.
TEMU is a data-farming app for the CCP. I’ve never used it.
I’ve never watched a single episode of the Kardashians.
One of my Very Significant Others uses a Braun electric shaver.
Bought new about six years ago.
.
After six years, the screen finally wore through.
Ordered three replacement screens with cutter-heads, figuring that should last most of a couple decades.
Nobody said anything about coming from the chinese.
.
One of the three replacements wore through in eight days.
The second wore through in eight days.
The third — new, unopened — plus the two DNFs are returned to the California address on the label.
.
The factory Braun screen says ‘Made In Germany’.
The replacements say ‘made in china’.
.
Dispute filed with Visa card algorithms.
Dealing with them is almost as worse as dealing with chinese.
it gets worse. Bought things where the box said “made in EU” but the content of the box said “made in China”.
Guess the box was made in the EU…
My family were early Apple adopters. Dad bought an Apple ][e and had it shipped to the Panama Canal Zone (no easy feat) and we had great fun with it. Then, many years and personal struggles culminating in a Junior College technician’s degree later, he bought me a //c as a graduation present. Then Apple went to shit. The last time I owned an Apple product was when I won an iPad as a door prize at a conference hosted by Mentor Graphics well after I’d earned my BSEE and was working for $BigTexasSemiconductorFirm. It was crap, and I gave it away after a couple of years.
I bought one thing from TEMU. I forget what it was or why it was crap, but it was spectacularly crap. I deleted the app immediately and have not looked back.
I use the Waze app on my Samsung phone for car nav. Why the hell anyone would use anything else is beyond me.
I broke down last year and bought an iPad mini to take on a trip to Japan, because e-mail on the phone is painful to impossible and no way in hell was I lugging a PC. It was also nice for web browsing and checking out the places I wanted to see on google maps. The phone (Android) was good enough for walking directions.
I have to agree on car satnav and Temu. I bought a cheap SIM with old maps on Amazon for something like $30, which is about what it’s worth on my Mazda. Never tried Temu, never will.