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  • Elissavampiress@eigenmagic.net
    Sep 14, 2026, 12:04 AM

    I remember, years ago, watching Apple keynotes and, corpo-fap aside, often being excited for some new device or other. Have felt the complete opposite for basically a decade at this point.

    Yesterday I got my XTEiNK 4 Pro. A simple enough ePaper device. Had a play with it, nuked the OS and seamlessly installed CrossInk instead, turning it into a MUCH better device.

    That? That's the good feeling. The only good feeling a device can give me these days. When it lets me do what I want with it.

    It's not -gadgets- that I've lost excitement for, it's hating that what I"m usually being sold is just another hook, going into my skin, keeping me tethered to some corporate service or other.

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Replies

  • Colinabstractcode@eigenmagic.net
    Sep 14, 2026, 12:29 AM

    @vampiress I have long referred to Apple keynotes as “hubris fest”, a low effort name that really sums up my view of the value of their corporate culture. But at least they used to actually add useful things. They’re really not set up for the diminishing returns portion of the product cycle.

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  • Elissavampiress@eigenmagic.net
    Sep 14, 2026, 12:31 AM

    @abstractcode They were always corpo-fap, but for a while they really were doing interesting enough things that I forgave them for it.

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  • Charlie Strosscstross@wandering.shop
    Sep 14, 2026, 11:45 AM

    @vampiress On a similar note: I used to have clickwheel iPods in the noughties. A month ago I cracked and bought an Innioasis Y1. You can blast rockbox onto it if the generlc mp3 player firmware doesn't suit you, and it's like the second coming of the 5th Gen clickwheel iPod, only half the thickness, double the battery life, and a 160Gb SSD, for about a fifth the price. This stuff is out there if you go looking behind the leading edge …

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  • Elissavampiress@eigenmagic.net
    Sep 14, 2026, 11:53 AM

    @cstross Huh. I hadn't heard of the Y1, but given I was also eyeing an old iPod Classic refurbished that looks like a MUCH better option. Thanks!

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  • Charlie Strosscstross@wandering.shop
    Sep 14, 2026, 11:56 AM

    @vampiress Advice: shop around. The Y1 is nice but the audio quality over wire isn't currently top rated among dedicated mp3 players. And the Y2 is coming, with a micro-SD slot, so effectively unlimited extra storage (at a price).

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