Your Portable Device Most Accurately Reveals Who We Are

Blackberry users, the so-called CrackBerries, earn the most. iPhone owners suffer from ‘Stockholm syndrome’. And who are you? What does your portable device say about you? We reveal you

Written by Matilda Bačelić

Can the device you chose say something about you? Absolutely, and we do not need to dive into consumer psychology or consider all the possibilities of each device to reach such a conclusion. It is enough to take into account its price and the amount of money we possess. If you are as rich as Croatia is in problems and buy every technological novelty, you are certainly a curious person. If, however, you have no money like Croatia, yet still acquire novelties, then you are a technological ‘freak’. Culturally, little has changed over the millennia; human progress is expressed in the degree of technological development, and there have always been those who attributed magical significance to technology. Cultures changed as flint became more perfected, as techniques for smelting metals and creating useful objects were discovered. Everything was kept secret and protected by secret rituals, as if religion preceded true intellectual property. Where technology had its source, there was usually the center of civilization. Today’s world, in which the only world power is the USA, and the rest of the world closely listens to events in the East and the renaissance of China, could pretentiously be reduced to the inscription on the back of the iPhone and iPad: designed in California, assembled in China. No matter how you position yourself towards Apple’s technology, you must admit perfection. The brand is embedded in the heart of modern pop culture, and every new product is awaited like a prophetic revelation. However, many have shaken their heads at rumors that the company is releasing a device that resembles a tablet, takes content from the iPhone, and opposes Kindle in its functions. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed. After the promotion of the iPad, it did not take long for consumers to divide into two camps: those who recognized a new industry standard and the smaller group who saw the device as an enlarged iPhone. The competition, however, unanimously recognized the danger and announced their own versions.

Down with stereotypes!
During two days of using the iPad (which was provided to us by T-Mobile), it disarms you like a small child with its appearance and incredible potential. As an iPhone user, you often find yourself in a situation where its capabilities are sometimes very difficult to capitalize on. Namely, although it has computer functions, its size prevents you from using them effectively and frequently. The iPad fundamentally changes that. The reasons I use my netbook are its easy portability and the ability to serve as an aid in my journalistic work, which were substituted by the iPad during these two days. Content is shaped through the online store according to a well-established principle, and each consumer tailors it to their own needs. There is no shortage of business applications, and they occupy an increasingly larger share.
And what do the iPad as the latest technological ‘scream’, iPhone, Blackberry, and other versions of smartphones say about us, their users? Stereotypes exist for each of them. Blackberry users are traditionally more business-oriented; according to some research, only 26 percent use their mobile device for private purposes, they earn more, and they describe their device as a ‘business tool’. If Blackberry users are often called CrackBerries due to their addiction to the smartphone, what would they say about iPhone owners? According to Strand Consult, iPhone owners suffer from ‘Stockholm syndrome’ because they defend their devices as fervently and fanatically as kidnapping victims in Stockholm defended their captors. They adore their device and consider themselves intellectuals, ‘think different’, and more extroverted than Blackberry users who, allegedly, stand more firmly on the ground. In any case, there is nothing to be ashamed of when talking about Apple’s products, certainly the focus on the playful, whimsical side of consumers. It incredibly responds to such needs with both online content and applications from the Apple Store. Thousands of games are at your disposal, which are difficult to even categorize, from arcade games of the early 90s to smart strategies, ranging from a few to several dozen dollars.

Applications make the difference
The iPhone was primarily presented as a smart mobile device for young and trend-oriented people. Its extremely appealing design did not hinder such classification. However, my view of this device, after almost half a year of use, is that such comparisons put it in an awkward position. Namely, an iPhone advocate, after you describe its appearance and ‘high-end’ performance, becomes like a smart and educated woman whose first and most important quality is mentioned as her beauty. You simply have to explain to your force that it possesses other qualities, and the more you do so, according to the old saying, the less likely it is to be understood that it possesses them as well. However, intelligence is not characteristic only of ugly devices. The iPhone is a shell, an abandoned house, and it is only a matter of what kind of crab child will inhabit it. If it falls into the hands of a wild kid, it is quite understandable that it turns into a mini gaming platform, but even for us ‘more rational’ ones, it hides many surprises. And those, besides the already installed great notes, address book, and Google Maps, can be found in the Apple Store.
Before you is a series of exceptional applications, so your Skype, eBay, and Paypal accounts can move with you with a much prettier and more functional interface than if you accessed them through a classic web application. Dropbox, Files, and iDisk give your device the functionality of a portable disk with the ability to communicate with your desktop computer. Also, with the expenditure of a few dollars, a range of navigation applications is at your disposal. Then there are applications that offer currency conversion options, expense tracking, stock values, simple accounting operations, writing and editing, and scanning documents (doc, .xlc, .pdf, pp, and other formats). It is actually hard to imagine what you cannot, even rudimentarily, achieve, if you urgently need to do it in your business life. Business information is also easily accessible through applications from Thomson Reuters, AP, Time, NY Times, Lider… Finally, the giants of business software Oracle, Salesforce.com, and SAP have joined the vast community of applications, allowing you to take your business, daily tasks, and client relationships on a well-deserved vacation with you.

Jobs’ verdict
When it comes to the iPad, e-book readers have not only gained a competitor but a simple and practical upgrade. Completely tailored for such a purpose, I tested it by reading business materials in pdf format and browsing free books offered by the Stanza application. The device does not heat up during reading, functions perfectly quickly and reliably, and it is not hard to imagine that it can easily serve as a platform for satisfying consumers with digital content.
Given that Apple has made a revolution with the iPhone, and now with the iPad, it rightfully deserves the attention and ‘love’ of users, but the smartphone market is a battleground for all mobile phone manufacturers trying to discover the formula for successfully seducing users. New forces are primarily driven by Google’s Android operating system, and the competition is led by HTC, Sony Ericsson, Motorola… The future is believed to be in simple and practical high-resolution touch screens with operating systems that function perfectly and have similar characteristics. However, it may be more accurate to say that this is the future until Steve Jobs says otherwise.