The things you list as average things done with a smartphone are the average things people do with regular computers, the so-called content creation devices in this discussion.
The vast majority of people are not content creators, and just because a device is good at creating content doesn't automatically imply that it's good at consuming content.
I also am curious as to what your threshold for useful is. I'm being able to perform tech support on the go via the phone functions and various remote desktop apps, does that count as useful? I can solve problems with my home network on the bus on the way home instead of wasting that time staring out the window and then wasting more time solving the problems once I return. That's useful to me.
I feel like many of the people here complaining about the novelty of smartphones use them in a very superficial way and rarely harness any real potential. Surprising considering that it's HN, but it really does seem that way.
The vast majority of people are not content creators, and just because a device is good at creating content doesn't automatically imply that it's good at consuming content.
I also am curious as to what your threshold for useful is. I'm being able to perform tech support on the go via the phone functions and various remote desktop apps, does that count as useful? I can solve problems with my home network on the bus on the way home instead of wasting that time staring out the window and then wasting more time solving the problems once I return. That's useful to me.
I feel like many of the people here complaining about the novelty of smartphones use them in a very superficial way and rarely harness any real potential. Surprising considering that it's HN, but it really does seem that way.