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Comment by Affric | Hacker News Reader

I have always hated how almost everywhere I go I get told “no one can know everything/no one cares how a plain works so long as it works” for me that’s fundamentally untrue.

But I have heard it said so many times and seen so many people simply agree with it that I believe that for many many people out there, it is true.

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There’s a difference in ability and desire.

Why do a lot of technical people own iPhones and use Mac’s? It’s not because they can’t understand the technology and it’s not because they don’t like to tinker.

It’s because they don’t want to carry that constant burden of thought with them. Maybe some do, but a lot of folks like the base state to be one where they can just chill.

> It’s because they don’t want to carry that constant burden of thought with them

With me it's the thought of how it's going to prevent me from doing what I want because "it's not the Apple way" (but that applies to more than just apple). It's the main reason not to use those.

And that’s fair, and it’s important to always underscore that people have subjective preferences.

But the two people I responded to prior seemed to find it odd that others have a different set of goals.

You are very right.

I want my iPhone to connect via cloud with my Mac, because I can scan documents with the iPhone and open them there. Without me doing anything to connect the devices apart from first install.

I want to experience new things like new music hence why I use Spotify to get something new washed in (but in the past it worked better).

All the gain but without the pain of fixing it. I already have to fix packages during work time and debug through software. Not in my spare time please.

With the need to curb CO2 emissions, I sincerely hope that "subjective preferences" will leave some space to "reasonable preferences".

I bought into the "it just works" ideology after using Android since my first smartphone. Not only is the UX really confusing and lacking any sort of help to understand what you can and cannot do, but the "It's not the Apple way" is really getting in the way of the most basic stuff.

Apple gave iPhone users "Automation" yet it's so lacking you cannot do things automatically when you receive a text message for example, without requiring manual action. Apple CarPlay doesn't seem to have been tested with people actually driving and using it, exemplified by receiving a call while trying to use map navigation and the receiving call covers the navigation. There are so many examples like this, while what I thought I would get would be something that excelled in every way.

There are so many examples of UX that is lacking of thought, that this is my first and last iPhone.

I had exactly this experience! I’m so frustrated people convinced me to buy an iPhone, because it was so expensive I can’t justify switching back. I have been using a Pixel 6 for some drone photography and everything about is nicer than my iPhone 14 Pro.

I found out long ago that it's easier and more cost-effective[] for me to change my habits than it is to try to shove the square peg of my habits to the round hole of the tool I'm using.

[] actual per-hour cost and mental load

100%

The final part of my comment got cut off by my tab switching behaviour but it was along the lines of “I find it hard to believe that even the most passionate hacker or tinkerer could become an adult and not have realised most people aren’t like that.

Ah fair. Yes I definitely agree with that.

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