What Device Would You Miss Most?

I can do without a TV, but damn you if you can have my desktop or my phone.
 
my PC. I don't watch TV on a "TV" much, use the PC 99% of the time to watch TV and movies .
I can do without a cell phone as well.
 
I only pay for TV because of my fiance. If I were alone, I wouldn't pay for cable at all.

I would miss my phone if I had to give it up, but unlike all you young'uns I didn't get my first cell phone until I was 17, and didn't get my first smart phone until I was 27, so I know I can live without them (although some things would be frustrating, like directions, finding the closest CVS, etc.)

I currently have a tablet, but could take it or leave it. Wouldn't care THAT much, and I haven't had a game console since ~1991, so that's definite;y not a big deal.

My desktop would be the one thing that I would be entirely unwilling to give up.
 
The answer is obvious. The computer is the only device that can replace most, if not all, of the functions of all of the rest of the devices on the list.
 
I think I could live with only one of smartphone, tablet or PC if I had to. My TV is essentially just another monitor to me.
 
I'm surprised the PC is so low for all age groups. You can have my phone (they're pretty useless) but the only way you'll take my computer is out of my cold dead fingers!
 
Poll does specify "media" device. I'd still want my PC since that is my primary media device...but it's understandable why many would miss their TV more with that qualifier.
 
It's entirely between a mobile phone and PC for me. And since my mobile phone is also one of my greatest sources of stress, I've got to give it to the PC. Thinking about it more, I might actually appreciate not having a mobile phone...
 
Zarathustra[H];1041799044 said:
I only pay for TV because of my fiance. If I were alone, I wouldn't pay for cable at all.
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I've gotten to that point too with DirecTV, I was talking about getting rid of it a year ago before the AT&T merger, and told my wife, even bought an OTA antenna and found out I get plenty of local channels, and she was all on board for it just asked me if I could download her TV shows... so of course I wouldn't do anything like that *wink wink*, but a year later, the DVR is absolutely filled to capacity from all the shows she records but doesn't watch in a timely fashion... maybe some math will help her, $80/month x 12 month = a couple plane tickets to Maui (if I can find a good price on them).

That said, out of those things, my computer (with internet) is the only absolute must have thing. Cell phone, nah I can do with that, table, don't have one, game system, don't need one (PC master race!!), radio, print media, yeah I'm ok without all of that. A computer can do pretty much all of that, can watch shows/movies, play games, listen to music, read stuff, hell I could even make calls if I really wanted to.
 
sfsuphysics said:
I've gotten to that point too with DirecTV, I was talking about getting rid of it a year ago before the AT&T merger, and told my wife, even bought an OTA antenna and found out I get plenty of local channels, and she was all on board for it just asked me if I could download her TV shows... so of course I wouldn't do anything like that *wink wink*, but a year later, the DVR is absolutely filled to capacity from all the shows she records but doesn't watch in a timely fashion... maybe some math will help her, $80/month x 12 month = a couple plane tickets to Maui (if I can find a good price on them).

That said, out of those things, my computer (with internet) is the only absolute must have thing. Cell phone, nah I can do with that, table, don't have one, game system, don't need one (PC master race!!), radio, print media, yeah I'm ok without all of that. A computer can do pretty much all of that, can watch shows/movies, play games, listen to music, read stuff, hell I could even make calls if I really wanted to.
Click to expand...

I saved $100/month by dumping my TV provider and switching internet providers to a less expensive one. It's amazing how much money we're dumping into these things. I barely even watched cable when I had it.
 
99% of the time, I can live without a phone, but if I'm on the road/traveling, it's indispensable.
If I'm not traveling, then the PC is probably what I need the most.

Although I intend to pick a TV up this year or next -- I need to do more research on these 4k HDR sets -- I haven't had one in a decade, so I don't think they're vital. However, the advent of Android on a TV is interesting, since that probably means you can run XBMC on the TV, which I think eliminates the need for an HTPC....so that could be more necessary at some point...but I'm still not sure I'd get cable again. It sounds like the prices have gone up dramatically (10 years ago I paid 35 and get all the non premium stations i wanted..and that included a monthly DirectTivo fee)...they really ought to make Locals optional. Let me put up an antenna....I don't like paying for OTA.
 
While I could technically live without all of this stuff, and still find a way to be pretty happy... No. They're all mine, and you can't have them. :p
 
if I had to choose I'd go with mobile phone, but I'd miss PC the most for sure...
 
Also, the study is about what you'd MISS the most, not what you think is most useful/indispensable.
 
I'd probably miss a handheld phone or phablet most, even more than a TV.
 
Desktop. It does everything better, quicker and more easily. Laptop is for when I can't use it, phone is for when I can't use either.
 
^ sorry, I meant, if I had to choose only one thing to use from the list, it would be mobile phone... I actually don't own a smart phone, but they'd do an adequate enough job replacing all other things, while none of the other things could easy replace a basic phone.
 
I literally have nightmares about losing my PC to some nefarious force on occasion. You can take every other device away from me. So long as I have a PC with access to the internet I'm happy.
 
Zepher said:
my PC. I don't watch TV on a "TV" much, use the PC 99% of the time to watch TV and movies .
I can do without a cell phone as well.
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Same here.

I despise TV all together because programming for for people with the mentality of chimpanzees.
I NEED my smart phone, but I would like to do without it.
I don't need a TV, but I'm married and my wife said we would be weird if we didn't have one. :rolleyes:
Tablet, I really bought it for business trips so I wouldn't have to lug the antique company supplied laptop with me.
PC, is the most functional and productive thing I have.
But if the opportunity came to leave the rat race I would chunk in the trash and be a successful hay farmer; I would do it.
Oh Yeah. Prop my feet up on the rail and say "Howdy Yall" to visitors. Yeah, get me a straw hat and overalls too. I'm there. :D
 
Dr. Righteous said:
But if the opportunity came to leave the rat race I would chunk in the trash and be a successful hay farmer; I would do it.
Oh Yeah. Prop my feet up on the rail and say "Howdy Yall" to visitors. Yeah, get me a straw hat and overalls too. I'm there. :D
Click to expand...

:D Same here, only I'd probably opt to sell fruit on the side of the road in Maui.
 
Dr. Righteous said:
But if the opportunity came to leave the rat race I would chunk in the trash and be a successful hay farmer; I would do it.
Oh Yeah. Prop my feet up on the rail and say "Howdy Yall" to visitors. Yeah, get me a straw hat and overalls too. I'm there. :D
Click to expand...

Have you ever worked on a Farm? You might feel differently if you have. It is brutally hard work, getting up at the crack-ass of dawn every morning and in some cases working until it starts to get dark, and you can barely stand on your feet anymore, and then getting up and doing it again the next morning, all for relatively meager income.


I'm with you on your distaste for the rat race, but it takes a special type of person who really loves what they do to stay a farmer. It's a very demanding job that only pays a pittance. There is a reason independent farms are disappearing left and right across the country.


I personally don't like the "rat race" per se, but I find myself dependent on the income it provides. Any alternative to it, would have to be one that pays well :p
 
30% of people only think they will miss TV, but in the long term without it they'll probably not miss it. My guess, as I've seen it happen to lots of classmates who decided it wasn't worth the money after leaving home, and what they thought they would miss they are now GLAD is out of their lives.
 
Zarathustra[H];1041799044 said:
I would miss my phone if I had to give it up, but unlike all you young'uns I didn't get my first cell phone until I was 17, and didn't get my first smart phone until I was 27, so I know I can live without them (although some things would be frustrating, like directions, finding the closest CVS, etc.)
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Um...

I got my first cell phone (the brand new DIGITAL motorola StarTac) when I was 30. I was the first of my friends and family to even have a cell phone.

During the day it was $1/ min or more. It was the first plan to have unlimited (local calls only) nights and weekends. (Because it was the new digital technology)

I used to use it to be able to do direct connect games, Doom, Heretic, Heretic 2, Hexen etc via modem with my friend. He was in the next city over and it was a local toll call. By forwarding the number I could use my modem to connect to his (or vice versa) for free. We could play at the blazing fast 56k speeds. Might have been the 14.4 days.

Now that is settled: GET OFF MY LAWN!!
 
I dont have cable and dont watch TV.

I dont listen to the radio.

I dont have a games console.

I do have a tablet. (I largely use to read books)

I do have 3 bookcases full of books.

I do have a cell phone (no POTS)

I could drop the cell and go back to a landline. I'd occasionally miss being able to get a call anywhere and looking thing up on the spot.

My computer I would miss. I use it a significant amount of time for productivity and entertainment. Yes I could live without, I would prefer not.

I have had a computer since I got my Apple //c in 1984 @ 1 mhz with a whole 128k ram
 
Zarathustra[H];1041799410 said:
Have you ever worked on a Farm? You might feel differently if you have. It is brutally hard work, getting up at the crack-ass of dawn every morning and in some cases working until it starts to get dark, and you can barely stand on your feet anymore, and then getting up and doing it again the next morning, all for relatively meager income.


I'm with you on your distaste for the rat race, but it takes a special type of person who really loves what they do to stay a farmer. It's a very demanding job that only pays a pittance. There is a reason independent farms are disappearing left and right across the country.
Click to expand...
Yeah well the old joke is farmers don't do the 9-5 workday, they do the 5-9. As for them disappearing across the country, that has a lot less to do with people not being cut out to be farmers and more with having to compete against goliaths like Monsanto.
 
PC.

Whenever my phone goes off I think "shit, another message".

I can get all my entertainment needs and do work on a PC making a TV moot. Skype or similar can provide voice comm. Plus I actually liked not having a cell phone. I don't want to always be reachable. Half the time I set it down and wall away because iI don't want to be bothered. Losing my phone would be half blessing.
 
Elf_Boy said:
Um...

I got my first cell phone (the brand new DIGITAL motorola StarTac) when I was 30. I was the first of my friends and family to even have a cell phone.

During the day it was $1/ min or more. It was the first plan to have unlimited (local calls only) nights and weekends. (Because it was the new digital technology)

I used to use it to be able to do direct connect games, Doom, Heretic, Heretic 2, Hexen etc via modem with my friend. He was in the next city over and it was a local toll call. By forwarding the number I could use my modem to connect to his (or vice versa) for free. We could play at the blazing fast 56k speeds. Might have been the 14.4 days.

Now that is settled: GET OFF MY LAWN!!
Click to expand...

lol.

My first cell was an Ericsson GA628 GSM phone which I got on launch in Sweden in 1996.

002899_1.jpg
 
tetris42 said:
Yeah well the old joke is farmers don't do the 9-5 workday, they do the 5-9. As for them disappearing across the country, that has a lot less to do with people not being cut out to be farmers and more with having to compete against goliaths like Monsanto.
Click to expand...

I think it has more to do with supplying the narrow demand of even more narrow minded consumers, thus forcing them to grow the same crappy crops (this sounds good!) year round. Corn, cotton, rice, soy. Same shit!
We are all responsible.
 
My computer gives me the ability to be anyone, go anywhere, do anything. To someone in a wheelchair, that is beyond priceless.
 
<--- Haven't owned a TV since 2004... I use an older LG Optimus because this damned thing is indestructible (I literally drove over it and its 100% fine).... So I can't play games on that, calls and text only. Don't care for a tablet, only thing I could ever "use" one of those for is if I was dropping a deuce and I don't take long enough to utilize a tablet. I could use laptop/netbook though.

Take my PC away and literally I end up homeless since I work from home on it :D
 
Zarathustra[H];1041799410 said:
Have you ever worked on a Farm? You might feel differently if you have. It is brutally hard work, getting up at the crack-ass of dawn every morning and in some cases working until it starts to get dark, and you can barely stand on your feet anymore, and then getting up and doing it again the next morning, all for relatively meager income.
I'm with you on your distaste for the rat race, but it takes a special type of person who really loves what they do to stay a farmer. It's a very demanding job that only pays a pittance. There is a reason independent farms are disappearing left and right across the country.
I personally don't like the "rat race" per se, but I find myself dependent on the income it provides. Any alternative to it, would have to be one that pays well :p
Click to expand...

Yeah, well familiar with with goes on at a farm. It all depends on what kind of operation you are running. I wouldn't touch any kind of grain farming.
Cattle is good. With enough pasture land for cattle, you can do quite well in the cattle business with a minimum of expensive farm equipment. Beef prices will always be going up.

My dad and myself looked into buying out a guys hay farming operation. But what he grew was a mix of grasses for horses alone. No weedy crap like they feed to cows. This area (where the farm was) is popular for horse riding, lot of riding trails. Since it was a special hay for just for horses and guaranteed high quality he got a premium for it. He supplied the tack shops in the area and the co-op, etc. For a long while I contemplated leaving the tech field all together and being a hay farmer. It is not that demanding of your time; it is season so you have plenty of time to plan things out. But there would be time to have things going on the side also. But as it turned out the deal fell through; guy wanted too much money because he claimed he had "invested value" in it which there really wasn't any. He didn't have a brand name he built up or anything. No more than "that guy who grows horse hay."
 
Lol farming, no fucking thanks. I'll take my cushy work from home job(s) and running my own startups for easy money any day. Am I lazy? Hell no. I just don't want to work with cattle and vegetables in the blistering sun - props to the people who want/have to do this for a living though.

I'd miss the PC the most I'd say, it's my livelihood. Wouldn't really miss the phone, though I might change my tune if I were in the middle of nowhere.
 
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