I bought one of Apples new Ipads and was amazed at what it could do.My wife
and I use it mainly to talk to our daughter in Amsterdam on facetime . It is
so reassuring to see her and talk in real time. The world is changing fast
and its hard to keep current on anything.

Sal

On 8/22/2012 8:25 AM, sal wrote:
I bought one of Apples new Ipads and was amazed at what it could do.My wife
and I use it mainly to talk to our daughter in Amsterdam on facetime . It is
so reassuring to see her and talk in real time. The world is changing fast
and its hard to keep current on anything.

I'm on my third iPad, and in my third year running day to day operations
in construction/remodeling using an iPad (DropBox and Priority Matrix
are my main goto apps, among others).

There are three iPads in this immediate household; recently helped my 89
year old father to purchase one; and my daughter and SIL in the UK each
have one, which we all use, with FaceTime, to stay in touch with each
other over long distances.

Basically, the iPad has revolutionized the way I do business on a day to
day basis.

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

On Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:23:01 -0500, Swingman wrote:
I'm on my third iPad, and in my third year running day to day operations
in construction/remodeling using an iPad (DropBox and Priority Matrix
are my main goto apps, among others).

Is or was your Dropbox free for a limited period and/or are you paying
for it now? My recently purchased Samsung Galaxy S3 comes with a 50
gig (I think) free Dropbox account for two years and then they'd start
charging for it.

So far, I've resisted the urge to use the Dropbox because I know I
wouldn't be interested in paying for it after those two years lapsed.
I just don't what to get into the habit of using and relying on it,
despite all the advantages that it offers. But then, I don't have
anywhere near the organizational needs that you have with your
business.

In article , Swingman
wrote:

I'm on my third iPad, and in my third year running day to day operations
in construction/remodeling using an iPad (DropBox and Priority Matrix
are my main goto apps, among others).

What are you using for number-crunching, Karl? Apple's Numbers?

On 8/22/2012 9:50 AM, Dave wrote:
On Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:23:01 -0500, Swingman wrote:
I'm on my third iPad, and in my third year running day to day operations
in construction/remodeling using an iPad (DropBox and Priority Matrix
are my main goto apps, among others).

Is or was your Dropbox free for a limited period and/or are you paying
for it now? My recently purchased Samsung Galaxy S3 comes with a 50
gig (I think) free Dropbox account for two years and then they'd start
charging for it.

So far, I've resisted the urge to use the Dropbox because I know I
wouldn't be interested in paying for it after those two years lapsed.
I just don't what to get into the habit of using and relying on it,
despite all the advantages that it offers. But then, I don't have
anywhere near the organizational needs that you have with your
business.


Actually, I'm still using the free version of DropBox.

As a project ends, and I no longer need to access that specific
information out in the field, I simply copy the associated folder/files
back to my office hard drive(s) (where a copy is also automagically also
uploaded to Carbonite), and delete them from DropBox.

A plus is that I can also access the files that were removed from
DropBos with Carbonite's iPad app if need be, although that need rarely
has arisen, and then it is just for a quick reference, with no need to
perform any operations.

That way I have been able to keep my Dropbox account within the limits
of their free service, and have not even come close to bumping the limit.

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

On 8/22/2012 9:51 AM, Dave Balderstone wrote:
In article , Swingman
wrote:

I'm on my third iPad, and in my third year running day to day operations
in construction/remodeling using an iPad (DropBox and Priority Matrix
are my main goto apps, among others).

What are you using for number-crunching, Karl? Apple's Numbers?

I use Excel for all spreadsheet work. I maintain the specific project
Excel file(s) in the live, mirrored, DropBox folder on my office laptop
(which is also backed up to Carbonite, and a local network hard drive,
automajically).

Any changes made to the Excel spreadsheets in the field, using either
"OnCloud" or "HD Office" apps on the iPad, are automatically synched to
DropBox on closing the iPad app.

This insures that all the files in DropBox are current and automatically
synched regardless of the device with which they are accessed in the field.

I also use my DroidX, using the same apps that are available in both
Android and IOS, on occasion, but will be phasing that device out as
soon as the new iPhone comes out.

..... the iPhone being IOS, plays nicer with the iPad, although that has
not been an issue keeping files synched between all devices (laptop,
iPad, DroidX) and DropBox.

The other IOS iPad apps that I use daily for other tasks are "EverNote"
(a good place to keep information from websites when ordering materials
online), "NoteShelf" (for handwritten stylus input during meetings with
clients), and "Project Matrix" (for management and prioritizing project
critical tasks).

I also automatically upload all photos taken with either the iPad, or
the DroidX to Google Picasa.

I have not taken a laptop to a construction site in two years ... it is
all done from my iPad while offsite (or laying in bed at night when I
remember something that needs to be addressed ... )

FWIW, I'm currently using a 64GB Verizon WIFI/4G iPad3 ... 4G/LTE here
is almost as fast as a WIFI network, but I can usually piggyback on a
clients WIFI, so mostly keep the cellular network turned off until needed.

Current technology provides a huge boost in productivity over previous
methods, just in the last three years, and the iPad has been
instrumental in me taking advantage of that boost.

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

I bought one of Apples new Ipads and was amazed at what it could do.My wife
and I use it mainly to talk to our daughter in Amsterdam on facetime . It is
so reassuring to see her and talk in real time. The world is changing fast
and its hard to keep current on anything.
Sal

Congratulations on finding a wonderful new tool. :-)

I am on my second iPad and my only regret is I had to wait decades for
Apple to finally create one. I use mine to stay in touch with family
and friends, read books, watch tv/movies when exercising, listen to
music, play an occasional game of solitaire, write, keep track of my
schedule and addresses and search the internet for information. I
can't tell you how many times I have searched for something on the net
and found great information that saved me tons of money. I hope you
get tons of enjoyment out of yours. Keep waving to your family!
`Casper

Casper wrote:
I bought one of Apples new Ipads and was amazed at what it could
do.My wife and I use it mainly to talk to our daughter in Amsterdam
on facetime . It is so reassuring to see her and talk in real time.
The world is changing fast and its hard to keep current on anything.
Sal

Congratulations on finding a wonderful new tool. :-)

I am on my second iPad and my only regret is I had to wait decades for
Apple to finally create one. I use mine to stay in touch with family
and friends, read books, watch tv/movies when exercising, listen to
music, play an occasional game of solitaire, write, keep track of my
schedule and addresses and search the internet for information. I
can't tell you how many times I have searched for something on the net
and found great information that saved me tons of money. I hope you
get tons of enjoyment out of yours. Keep waving to your family!
`Casper

Never having used an ipad myself, I am compelled to ask what is different
from this and what one does with a common PC today, and has done for years?

--

-Mike-

Mike Marlow wrote:
Casper wrote:
I bought one of Apples new Ipads and was amazed at what it could
do.My wife and I use it mainly to talk to our daughter in Amsterdam
on facetime . It is so reassuring to see her and talk in real time.
The world is changing fast and its hard to keep current on anything.
Sal

Congratulations on finding a wonderful new tool. :-)

I am on my second iPad and my only regret is I had to wait decades for
Apple to finally create one. I use mine to stay in touch with family
and friends, read books, watch tv/movies when exercising, listen to
music, play an occasional game of solitaire, write, keep track of my
schedule and addresses and search the internet for information. I
can't tell you how many times I have searched for something on the net
and found great information that saved me tons of money. I hope you
get tons of enjoyment out of yours. Keep waving to your family!
`Casper

Never having used an ipad myself, I am compelled to ask what is different
from this and what one does with a common PC today, and has done for years?

The "interface" (how you interact with it)--it has a touch sensitive
screen and understands "gestures". It's closer to being an appliance,
and is lighter, portable, and you can upgrade it by replacing it every
year or two. My wife has one. IIRC, It doesn't even have a USB port.

Bill wrote:

IIRC, It doesn't even have a USB port.

Yes, the iPad is refreshingly free from a USB port, and although it does
connect to a USB port on your computer, I do not miss the lack of a
dedicated USB port in the slightest.

There is an adapter called the Camera Connection Kit which gives some extra
USB connectivity for cameras, SD cards, keyboards, and a few other devices:

http://www.maclife.com/article/featu...connection_kit

The shallow minded bitch about the lack of bells and whistles, and **** and
moan about the closed architecture, without understanding that the trade
off is a robust device that will give you ten hours of use without a
battery charge, unmatched portability, applications for every conceivable
pursuit/task, an intuitive interface, and a virtually trouble free OS
architecture, requiring no technical expertise whatsoever to be productive,
that you can carry in one hand, all day, every day.

While the current iPad/tablet technology does not yet take the place of the
traditional computing environment, it is unmatched in freeing the user to
focus on tasks in places the _traditional_ computing environment does not
gracefully go.

--
www.ewoodshop.com

Swingman wrote:
The shallow minded bitch about the lack of bells and whistles, and
**** and moan about the closed architecture, without understanding
that the trade off is a robust device that will give you ten hours of
use without a battery charge, unmatched portability, applications for
every conceivable pursuit/task, an intuitive interface, and a
virtually trouble free OS architecture, requiring no technical
expertise whatsoever to be productive, that you can carry in one
hand, all day, every day.


Yeah, but other than that, what's so great about it?

"HeyBub" wrote in
m:

Swingman wrote:
The shallow minded bitch about the lack of bells and whistles, and
**** and moan about the closed architecture, without understanding
that the trade off is a robust device that will give you ten hours of
use without a battery charge, unmatched portability, applications for
every conceivable pursuit/task, an intuitive interface, and a
virtually trouble free OS architecture, requiring no technical
expertise whatsoever to be productive, that you can carry in one
hand, all day, every day.


Yeah, but other than that, what's so great about it?

Ask any baby or toddler. I still guffaw about the video of a baby trying
to make a magazine does what an iPad does. Now where is that video?

--
Best regards
Han
email address is invalid

Swingman wrote:
Bill wrote:

IIRC, It doesn't even have a USB port.

Yes, the iPad is refreshingly free from a USB port, and although it does
connect to a USB port on your computer, I do not miss the lack of a
dedicated USB port in the slightest.

There is an adapter called the Camera Connection Kit which gives some extra
USB connectivity for cameras, SD cards, keyboards, and a few other devices:

http://www.maclife.com/article/featu...connection_kit

The shallow minded bitch


I'm not bitching the least bit. I'm not interested at all. Not even a
little bit; at least, not yet. If the screen gets several inches bigger,
then maybe. My astigmatism makes the screen irritating to view so I
never developed any enthusiasm for the devices. Someone gave me an
ITouch 2 years ago and it's still sitting here unused. I half-started
trying to develop an application for it but I think Apple's SDK required
an Apple OS (please correct me if I'm mistaken).




about the lack of bells and whistles, and **** and
moan about the closed architecture, without understanding that the trade
off is a robust device that will give you ten hours of use without a
battery charge, unmatched portability, applications for every conceivable
pursuit/task, an intuitive interface, and a virtually trouble free OS
architecture, requiring no technical expertise whatsoever to be productive,
that you can carry in one hand, all day, every day.

While the current iPad/tablet technology does not yet take the place of the
traditional computing environment, it is unmatched in freeing the user to
focus on tasks in places the _traditional_ computing environment does not
gracefully go.

Swingman wrote:

The shallow minded bitch about the lack of bells and whistles, and **** and
moan about the closed architecture, without understanding that the trade
off is a robust device that will give you ten hours of use without a
battery charge, unmatched portability, applications for every conceivable
pursuit/task, an intuitive interface, and a virtually trouble free OS
architecture, requiring no technical expertise whatsoever to be productive,
that you can carry in one hand, all day, every day.


The may asked:
Never having used an ipad myself, I am compelled to ask what is
different from this and what one does with a common PC today, and has
done for years?

And I answered:

The "interface" (how you interact with it)--it has a touch sensitive
screen and understands "gestures". It's closer to being an appliance,
and is lighter, portable, and you can upgrade it by replacing it every
year or two. My wife has one. IIRC, It doesn't even have a USB port.


Reviewing what I wrote again, I think it's a fair answer. No? If he
doesn't require portability, then he's not missing a thing. In fact,
he's probably better off with out it, like me. I enjoy my Logitech
Z-5500 5.1 speaker system too (which I got for $200) and, especially, my
monitor, mouse and *keyboard*!


While the current iPad/tablet technology does not yet take the place of the
traditional computing environment, it is unmatched in freeing the user to
focus on tasks in places the _traditional_ computing environment does not
gracefully go.

Bill wrote:


And I answered:

The "interface" (how you interact with it)--it has a touch sensitive
screen and understands "gestures". It's closer to being an appliance,
and is lighter, portable, and you can upgrade it by replacing it every
year or two. My wife has one. IIRC, It doesn't even have a USB port.


Reviewing what I wrote again, I think it's a fair answer. No? If he
doesn't require portability, then he's not missing a thing. In fact,
he's probably better off with out it, like me. I enjoy my Logitech
Z-5500 5.1 speaker system too (which I got for $200) and, especially,
my monitor, mouse and *keyboard*!


The portability and long battery life seem like they might be attractive to
a degree. For me - I've never really felt that my laptop encumbered me
enough to look for a different technology. I certainly do not understand
why the absence of a USB port would be considered attractive. As for the
interface - my Galaxy S-3 has one of the best touch screen interfaces out
there (currently...), and it is interesting, it is sometimes very
convenient, and it is sometimes just technology. In otherwords, I like a
lot of the aspects of it, but a lot of touchscreen is just whizbang.

So far, I would not want to be without the familiar things like a mouse,
etc. But... I've never used any of the pad devices, so who's to say?

--

-Mike-

On 8/27/2012 7:10 AM, Mike Marlow wrote:
Bill wrote:


And I answered:

The "interface" (how you interact with it)--it has a touch sensitive
screen and understands "gestures". It's closer to being an appliance,
and is lighter, portable, and you can upgrade it by replacing it every
year or two. My wife has one. IIRC, It doesn't even have a USB port.


Reviewing what I wrote again, I think it's a fair answer. No? If he
doesn't require portability, then he's not missing a thing. In fact,
he's probably better off with out it, like me. I enjoy my Logitech
Z-5500 5.1 speaker system too (which I got for $200) and, especially,
my monitor, mouse and *keyboard*!


The portability and long battery life seem like they might be attractive to
a degree. For me - I've never really felt that my laptop encumbered me
enough to look for a different technology. I certainly do not understand
why the absence of a USB port would be considered attractive. As for the
interface - my Galaxy S-3 has one of the best touch screen interfaces out
there (currently...), and it is interesting, it is sometimes very
convenient, and it is sometimes just technology. In otherwords, I like a
lot of the aspects of it, but a lot of touchscreen is just whizbang.

So far, I would not want to be without the familiar things like a mouse,
etc. But... I've never used any of the pad devices, so who's to say?



Admittedly, I was one of those who thought that command-line based
computing "offered it all" (and I was almost right). I passed up my
chance to invest in Microsoft. I underestimated the value people place
on cell phones (I don't have one) and computer games I'm not on
Facebook or any "social network". I recognize that I cannot predict the
future!!! : )

The "interface" (how you interact with it)--it has a touch sensitive
screen and understands "gestures". It's closer to being an appliance,
and is lighter, portable, and you can upgrade it by replacing it every
year or two. My wife has one. IIRC, It doesn't even have a USB port.

Exactly. I will replace mine every 2-3 years depending on iOS version.
Unless there is something I cannot do with my current iPad, I see no
reason to upgrade. However, upgrading every two years does give you
the opportunity to get at least 50% back on your original cost which
makes upgrading more frequently more attractive.

The portability and long battery life seem like they might be attractive to
a degree. For me - I've never really felt that my laptop encumbered me
enough to look for a different technology. I certainly do not understand
why the absence of a USB port would be considered attractive. As for the
interface - my Galaxy S-3 has one of the best touch screen interfaces out
there (currently...), and it is interesting, it is sometimes very
convenient, and it is sometimes just technology. In otherwords, I like a
lot of the aspects of it, but a lot of touchscreen is just whizbang.

Laptops are large and heavy, especially if you want a decent screen
size and/or it serves as your main computer. I have a 17" HP laptop
that weighs about 21lbs. No way am I carrying that around.

With the advent of cloud connectivity and storage, there really isn't
the same need for a USB port. As long as I can stream my videos, etc,
then why bother with more acessories?

I have a friend who uses his iPad while on vacation to view, sort and
upload his photos to his home machine. He also loves the GPS ability.

A friend has a Samsung and only uses it to read. She hates that she
cannot delete apps or even re-arrange them to suit her needs. Now she
has an iPad for everything else.

So far, I would not want to be without the familiar things like a mouse,
etc. But... I've never used any of the pad devices, so who's to say?

It's hard for many people to adjust to new ways of doing things.
Except for kids. I will say I found somethings a challenge, but I like
a good challenge. I still have a desktop and will for some time due to
the work I do, but I will certainly make use of any new and better
tools if they make my job and life easier.

On 8/26/2012 11:55 PM, Bill wrote:
Swingman wrote:
Bill wrote:

IIRC, It doesn't even have a USB port.

Yes, the iPad is refreshingly free from a USB port, and although it does
connect to a USB port on your computer, I do not miss the lack of a
dedicated USB port in the slightest.

There is an adapter called the Camera Connection Kit which gives some
extra
USB connectivity for cameras, SD cards, keyboards, and a few other
devices:

http://www.maclife.com/article/featu...connection_kit


The shallow minded bitch


I'm not bitching the least bit. I'm not interested at all.

No one said you were bitching, and no one insisted that you be
interested.

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

On 8/27/2012 12:05 AM, Bill wrote:
Swingman wrote:

The shallow minded bitch about the lack of bells and whistles, and
**** and
moan about the closed architecture, without understanding that the trade
off is a robust device that will give you ten hours of use without a
battery charge, unmatched portability, applications for every conceivable
pursuit/task, an intuitive interface, and a virtually trouble free OS
architecture, requiring no technical expertise whatsoever to be
productive,
that you can carry in one hand, all day, every day.


The may asked:
Never having used an ipad myself, I am compelled to ask what is
different from this and what one does with a common PC today, and has
done for years?

And I answered:

The "interface" (how you interact with it)--it has a touch sensitive
screen and understands "gestures". It's closer to being an appliance,
and is lighter, portable, and you can upgrade it by replacing it every
year or two. My wife has one. IIRC, It doesn't even have a USB port.

Reviewing what I wrote again, I think it's a fair answer. No?

Fair, as far as it goes, yes. Complete, not necessarily.

If he
doesn't require portability, then he's not missing a thing. In fact,
he's probably better off with out it, like me.

That not a fact, that's an assumption ... you are taking this too
personally. Relax


--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

On 8/27/2012 8:59 AM, Bill wrote:
On 8/27/2012 7:10 AM, Mike Marlow wrote:
Bill wrote:


And I answered:

The "interface" (how you interact with it)--it has a touch sensitive
screen and understands "gestures". It's closer to being an appliance,
and is lighter, portable, and you can upgrade it by replacing it every
year or two. My wife has one. IIRC, It doesn't even have a USB port.


Reviewing what I wrote again, I think it's a fair answer. No? If he
doesn't require portability, then he's not missing a thing. In fact,
he's probably better off with out it, like me. I enjoy my Logitech
Z-5500 5.1 speaker system too (which I got for $200) and, especially,
my monitor, mouse and *keyboard*!


The portability and long battery life seem like they might be
attractive to
a degree. For me - I've never really felt that my laptop encumbered me
enough to look for a different technology. I certainly do not understand
why the absence of a USB port would be considered attractive. As for the
interface - my Galaxy S-3 has one of the best touch screen interfaces out
there (currently...), and it is interesting, it is sometimes very
convenient, and it is sometimes just technology. In otherwords, I like a
lot of the aspects of it, but a lot of touchscreen is just whizbang.

So far, I would not want to be without the familiar things like a mouse,
etc. But... I've never used any of the pad devices, so who's to say?



Admittedly, I was one of those who thought that command-line based
computing "offered it all" (and I was almost right). I passed up my
chance to invest in Microsoft. I underestimated the value people place
on cell phones (I don't have one) and computer games I'm not on
Facebook or any "social network". I recognize that I cannot predict the
future!!! : )

Ask the Iranian's how much further ahead of the nuclear game they would
be if they had not had to deal with the fallout/dangers of readily
available USB ports on devices.

IOW, can you spell Stuxnet?

On 8/27/2012 10:05 AM, Casper wrote:

With the advent of cloud connectivity and storage, there really isn't
the same need for a USB port. As long as I can stream my videos, etc,
then why bother with more acessories?

Casper's correct about lack of USB on the iPad not being a problem ... a
lot of folks swore up and down they would not be able to live without a
floppy drive, or an optical device ... most systems these days no longer
have the first; and increasingly more systems, desktop or laptop, these
days don't come with the latter, except as an add-on.

One thing is a fact: it generally takes a while for Luddites to catch up
with technology.

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

On 8/27/2012 1:34 PM, Swingman wrote:
On 8/27/2012 12:05 AM, Bill wrote:
Swingman wrote:

The shallow minded bitch about the lack of bells and whistles, and
**** and
moan about the closed architecture, without understanding that the trade
off is a robust device that will give you ten hours of use without a
battery charge, unmatched portability, applications for every
conceivable
pursuit/task, an intuitive interface, and a virtually trouble free OS
architecture, requiring no technical expertise whatsoever to be
productive,
that you can carry in one hand, all day, every day.


The may asked:
Never having used an ipad myself, I am compelled to ask what is
different from this and what one does with a common PC today, and has
done for years?

And I answered:

The "interface" (how you interact with it)--it has a touch sensitive
screen and understands "gestures". It's closer to being an appliance,
and is lighter, portable, and you can upgrade it by replacing it every
year or two. My wife has one. IIRC, It doesn't even have a USB port.

Reviewing what I wrote again, I think it's a fair answer. No?

Fair, as far as it goes, yes. Complete, not necessarily.

Okay, as long as you thought I was being fair. "Complete" is relative
to the individual (obviously). The way things go around here, I may end
up with another "(i) hand me down". : )






If he
doesn't require portability, then he's not missing a thing. In fact,
he's probably better off with out it, like me.

That not a fact, that's an assumption ... you are taking this too
personally. Relax

Casper wrote:


Laptops are large and heavy, especially if you want a decent screen
size and/or it serves as your main computer. I have a 17" HP laptop
that weighs about 21lbs. No way am I carrying that around.

I admit that laptops are heavy - especially when you have to lug a briefcase
through the airport with one in it. It seems so light, until you have to
shoulder it...


With the advent of cloud connectivity and storage, there really isn't
the same need for a USB port. As long as I can stream my videos, etc,
then why bother with more acessories?


I find myself using my USB port for a lot ot things - chargin my cell phone
and other USB type devices (Golf GPS, etc.), transfering data between my
laptop and my cell phone (could use wireless, or bluetooth but I generally
just use USB), and the likes. I'm sure I could adapt if I didn't have a USB
port, but I am used to using my laptop port. Reduces the number of power
supplies I have to keep packed.

I have a friend who uses his iPad while on vacation to view, sort and
upload his photos to his home machine. He also loves the GPS ability.


That's what smartphones are for! Actually, I do not use my cell phone GPS a
lot because of the battery drain from using it. When I travel, I just take
my vehicle GPS with me. I would not want to open up any kind of a device
like a laptop or an iPad for that functionality. Too many drawbacks.

A friend has a Samsung and only uses it to read. She hates that she
cannot delete apps or even re-arrange them to suit her needs. Now she
has an iPad for everything else.

That surprises me. It's normally Apple that locks users into what they sell
and how they sell it, and it's usually the more open stuff that gives the
user more freedoms.


It's hard for many people to adjust to new ways of doing things.
Except for kids. I will say I found somethings a challenge, but I like
a good challenge. I still have a desktop and will for some time due to
the work I do, but I will certainly make use of any new and better
tools if they make my job and life easier.

Not so much a matter of adjusting to new ways - I'm pretty good about that.
It's more that I like the interface better. I would not like to have to
touch the screen to do everything. That to me, is an interruption in work
flow. I used to love the eraser head mouse buttons on laptops. You never
had to take your hands off of home row to navigate. It still sometimes
annoys me to have to move my hand 2" to hit the navigation keys or the touch
pad on my current laptop. Sigh....

--

-Mike-

On 8/27/2012 1:11 PM, Bill wrote:
On 8/27/2012 1:34 PM, Swingman wrote:
On 8/27/2012 12:05 AM, Bill wrote:
Swingman wrote:

The shallow minded bitch about the lack of bells and whistles, and
**** and
moan about the closed architecture, without understanding that the
trade
off is a robust device that will give you ten hours of use without a
battery charge, unmatched portability, applications for every
conceivable
pursuit/task, an intuitive interface, and a virtually trouble free OS
architecture, requiring no technical expertise whatsoever to be
productive,
that you can carry in one hand, all day, every day.


The may asked:
Never having used an ipad myself, I am compelled to ask what is
different from this and what one does with a common PC today, and has
done for years?

And I answered:

The "interface" (how you interact with it)--it has a touch sensitive
screen and understands "gestures". It's closer to being an appliance,
and is lighter, portable, and you can upgrade it by replacing it every
year or two. My wife has one. IIRC, It doesn't even have a USB port.

Reviewing what I wrote again, I think it's a fair answer. No?

Fair, as far as it goes, yes. Complete, not necessarily.

Okay, as long as you thought I was being fair. "Complete" is relative
to the individual (obviously). The way things go around here, I may end
up with another "(i) hand me down". : )

Hand-me-downs are good things in the iPad scheme of things.

Gave my first gen to oldest daughter, who gave it to her husband when
she upgraded to her new iPad.

My wife now has my old iPad2, who gave her first gen to my SIL's mother,
who has Parkinson's and really finds it much easier to use than her
computer.

There is not enough difference in the models, thus far, to really make
much difference in everyday use for those getting their first iPad.

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

Casper wrote:


It's hard for many people to adjust to new ways of doing things.

And a professed, total lack of experience with new technology has never
been a bar to being critical of it.

Go figure ...

--
www.ewoodshop.com

Swingman wrote:
Casper wrote:


It's hard for many people to adjust to new ways of doing things.

And a professed, total lack of experience with new technology has
never been a bar to being critical of it.

Go figure ...

Huh. Hadn't seen anyone being critical of technology in this thread at all.

--

-Mike-

Casper formulated the question :
The "interface" (how you interact with it)--it has a touch sensitive
screen and understands "gestures". It's closer to being an appliance,
and is lighter, portable, and you can upgrade it by replacing it every
year or two. My wife has one. IIRC, It doesn't even have a USB port.

Exactly. I will replace mine every 2-3 years depending on iOS version.
Unless there is something I cannot do with my current iPad, I see no
reason to upgrade. However, upgrading every two years does give you
the opportunity to get at least 50% back on your original cost which
makes upgrading more frequently more attractive.

The portability and long battery life seem like they might be attractive to
a degree. For me - I've never really felt that my laptop encumbered me
enough to look for a different technology. I certainly do not understand
why the absence of a USB port would be considered attractive. As for the
interface - my Galaxy S-3 has one of the best touch screen interfaces out
there (currently...), and it is interesting, it is sometimes very
convenient, and it is sometimes just technology. In otherwords, I like a
lot of the aspects of it, but a lot of touchscreen is just whizbang.

Laptops are large and heavy, especially if you want a decent screen
size and/or it serves as your main computer. I have a 17" HP laptop
that weighs about 21lbs. No way am I carrying that around.

With the advent of cloud connectivity and storage, there really isn't
the same need for a USB port. As long as I can stream my videos, etc,
then why bother with more acessories?

I have a friend who uses his iPad while on vacation to view, sort and
upload his photos to his home machine. He also loves the GPS ability.




A friend has a Samsung and only uses it to read. She hates that she
cannot delete apps or even re-arrange them to suit her needs. Now she
has an iPad for everything else.

Which Samsung?? I have a Samsung 7.7 Tablet and can Add Delete Move
any app I like or dislike.

So far, I would not want to be without the familiar things like a mouse,
etc. But... I've never used any of the pad devices, so who's to say?

It's hard for many people to adjust to new ways of doing things.
Except for kids. I will say I found somethings a challenge, but I like
a good challenge. I still have a desktop and will for some time due to
the work I do, but I will certainly make use of any new and better
tools if they make my job and life easier.

--
John G

On Mon, 27 Aug 2012 11:05:21 -0400, Casper wrote:

The "interface" (how you interact with it)--it has a touch sensitive
screen and understands "gestures". It's closer to being an appliance,
and is lighter, portable, and you can upgrade it by replacing it every
year or two. My wife has one. IIRC, It doesn't even have a USB port.

Exactly. I will replace mine every 2-3 years depending on iOS version.
Unless there is something I cannot do with my current iPad, I see no
reason to upgrade. However, upgrading every two years does give you
the opportunity to get at least 50% back on your original cost which
makes upgrading more frequently more attractive.

The portability and long battery life seem like they might be attractive to
a degree. For me - I've never really felt that my laptop encumbered me
enough to look for a different technology. I certainly do not understand
why the absence of a USB port would be considered attractive. As for the
interface - my Galaxy S-3 has one of the best touch screen interfaces out
there (currently...), and it is interesting, it is sometimes very
convenient, and it is sometimes just technology. In otherwords, I like a
lot of the aspects of it, but a lot of touchscreen is just whizbang.

Laptops are large and heavy, especially if you want a decent screen
size and/or it serves as your main computer. I have a 17" HP laptop
that weighs about 21lbs. No way am I carrying that around.

21 pounds! Crypes, that's a desktop! My 15" is only 7 pounds, and it's a
"full featured" laptop. They make them significantly lighter than that, too.
I carry mine to work every day.

With the advent of cloud connectivity and storage, there really isn't
the same need for a USB port. As long as I can stream my videos, etc,
then why bother with more acessories?

Not buying that at all.

I have a friend who uses his iPad while on vacation to view, sort and
upload his photos to his home machine. He also loves the GPS ability.

The lack of a keyboard must really suck. When we go on vacation, we bring
*both* laptops, a netbook, and a tablet (Nook color) with us.

A friend has a Samsung and only uses it to read. She hates that she
cannot delete apps or even re-arrange them to suit her needs. Now she
has an iPad for everything else.

So far, I would not want to be without the familiar things like a mouse,
etc. But... I've never used any of the pad devices, so who's to say?

It's hard for many people to adjust to new ways of doing things.
Except for kids. I will say I found somethings a challenge, but I like
a good challenge. I still have a desktop and will for some time due to
the work I do, but I will certainly make use of any new and better
tools if they make my job and life easier.

I can certainly see the purpose of tablets but haven't convinced myself that
carrying a tablet around gets me anything over a laptop and Droid phone. The
phone I can keep in my pocket.

zzzzzzzzzz wrote:


I can certainly see the purpose of tablets but haven't convinced
myself that carrying a tablet around gets me anything over a laptop
and Droid phone. The phone I can keep in my pocket.

That's my point. I'm not against tablets, but so far noone has told me
anything about them that is compelling. All I hear is crap about people
being ignorant of technology (that from people who have no apparrent
argument, but want to defend their purchase in some way), and things about
using them that closely resembles what I do with either my laptop or my cell
phone. I'm just not getting what I'm missing here.

--

-Mike-

Mike Marlow explained on 28/08/2012 :
zzzzzzzzzz wrote:


I can certainly see the purpose of tablets but haven't convinced
myself that carrying a tablet around gets me anything over a laptop
and Droid phone. The phone I can keep in my pocket.

That's my point. I'm not against tablets, but so far noone has told me
anything about them that is compelling. All I hear is crap about people
being ignorant of technology (that from people who have no apparrent
argument, but want to defend their purchase in some way), and things about
using them that closely resembles what I do with either my laptop or my cell
phone. I'm just not getting what I'm missing here.

Well, I have 2 interconnected Tower PCs on my desk. Maxivista allows
one keyboard and mouse and 2 displays.

But the Tablet allows me to watch TV and occasionally look up things
and help with Crosswords and look at mail when it arrives without
being in the study.
It is certainly not a replacement for a PC or Laptop but it starts
almost instantly and is just easier for the casual times.

--
John G

John G wrote:
Mike Marlow explained on 28/08/2012 :
zzzzzzzzzz wrote:


I can certainly see the purpose of tablets but haven't convinced
myself that carrying a tablet around gets me anything over a laptop
and Droid phone. The phone I can keep in my pocket.

That's my point. I'm not against tablets, but so far noone has told
me anything about them that is compelling. All I hear is crap about
people being ignorant of technology (that from people who have no
apparrent argument, but want to defend their purchase in some way),
and things about using them that closely resembles what I do with
either my laptop or my cell phone. I'm just not getting what I'm
missing here.

Well, I have 2 interconnected Tower PCs on my desk. Maxivista allows
one keyboard and mouse and 2 displays.

But the Tablet allows me to watch TV and occasionally look up things
and help with Crosswords and look at mail when it arrives without
being in the study.

So... since I don't use my computers to watch TV (I use my TV's for that...)
I have to ask - is that something that is an improvement over watching your
TV?

It is certainly not a replacement for a PC or Laptop but it starts
almost instantly and is just easier for the casual times.

The "starts almost instantly" thing is one thing that I see as valuable. I
do get impatient sometimes, waiting for my laptop to boot up. I guess I
just don't get impatient often enough for that to be a big deal for me. My
laptop is on almost all of the time. I seldom have to boot it (except for
the Windows things that can only be resolved by a re-boot...), so I guess I
don't often realize a value in a quick boot time. I just close it, pack it
and open it when I get where I'm going. Time to work is very short and I
suppose I never consdered it to be onerous.

--

-Mike-

On Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:17:41 -0400, "Mike Marlow"
A friend has a Samsung and only uses it to read. She hates that she
cannot delete apps or even re-arrange them to suit her needs. Now she
has an iPad for everything else.

That surprises me. It's normally Apple that locks users into what they sell
and how they sell it, and it's usually the more open stuff that gives the
user more freedoms.

And, it's not true anyway. I've got a new Samsung SIII and I can
delete, rearrange or modify most apps as I see fit. If I need to do
more than that, then rooting is pretty easy these days.

Mike Marlow formulated the question :
John G wrote:
Mike Marlow explained on 28/08/2012 :
zzzzzzzzzz wrote:


I can certainly see the purpose of tablets but haven't convinced
myself that carrying a tablet around gets me anything over a laptop
and Droid phone. The phone I can keep in my pocket.

That's my point. I'm not against tablets, but so far noone has told
me anything about them that is compelling. All I hear is crap about
people being ignorant of technology (that from people who have no
apparrent argument, but want to defend their purchase in some way),
and things about using them that closely resembles what I do with
either my laptop or my cell phone. I'm just not getting what I'm
missing here.

Well, I have 2 interconnected Tower PCs on my desk. Maxivista allows
one keyboard and mouse and 2 displays.

But the Tablet allows me to watch TV and occasionally look up things
and help with Crosswords and look at mail when it arrives without
being in the study.

So... since I don't use my computers to watch TV (I use my TV's for that...)
I have to ask - is that something that is an improvement over watching your
TV?
Sorry you misunderstood, I do not watch TV on a computer, but I do
sometimes sit in the Family room where my (Computer Widow) wife is
watching and or doing a crossword or something. l-)

It is certainly not a replacement for a PC or Laptop but it starts
almost instantly and is just easier for the casual times.

The "starts almost instantly" thing is one thing that I see as valuable. I
do get impatient sometimes, waiting for my laptop to boot up. I guess I just
don't get impatient often enough for that to be a big deal for me. My laptop
is on almost all of the time. I seldom have to boot it (except for the
Windows things that can only be resolved by a re-boot...), so I guess I don't
often realize a value in a quick boot time. I just close it, pack it and
open it when I get where I'm going. Time to work is very short and I suppose
I never consdered it to be onerous.

--
John G

On Mon, 27 Aug 2012 18:09:45 -0500, Swingman wrote:
And a professed, total lack of experience with new technology has never
been a bar to being critical of it.

Go figure ...

It's a matter of brain chemistry. Back a few years now, bought my
mother a VCR. Spent a number of days over a month's time trying to
teach her how to use the onscreen programming. Nada! It ended up
sitting there completely unused.

Then I bought her a microwave with three levels of programming. Came
back two days later to show her how to use it and found she'd already
memorized its entire operation.

Brain chemistry I tell you!

John G wrote:

Sorry you misunderstood, I do not watch TV on a computer, but I do
sometimes sit in the Family room where my (Computer Widow) wife is
watching and or doing a crossword or something. l-)


Ok - sorry if I did not understand your original comment. I do the same
things with my laptop. Damn! So far, I'm just not seeing where these
tablets are offering something unique. But some say they are so valuable...

Like Festools...

--

-Mike-

On Mon, 27 Aug 2012 20:51:49 -0400, "Mike Marlow"
That's my point. I'm not against tablets, but so far noone has told me
anything about them that is compelling. All I hear is crap about people
being ignorant of technology (that from people who have no apparrent
argument, but want to defend their purchase in some way), and things about
using them that closely resembles what I do with either my laptop or my cell
phone. I'm just not getting what I'm missing here.

You're not missing anything. It's a matter of finding out what you
really need compared to what you *think* you need.

Case in point. After urging from a friend with a new tablet, I bought
a 10" Asus Transformer Prime tablet in February of this year. Realized
after eight weeks that it was a pain for me to carry around and I
wasn't inclined to use it when I had my desktop to use at home. Ended
up selling it for near a 50% loss.

Now I've got a Samsung SIII superphone and I'm really happy with it.
It does everything I need and more and I don't have any problem
carrying it around.

I believe, in a lot of cases, people buy because it's the popular
thing to do. And by my saying so, I understand how and where Jack's
opinion of Festool originates. The only difference is that in this
case, I bought and used something before I dismissed it. Won't be the
first or last time that happens.

The important thing is that I've found what I really needed and do
want.

Dave wrote:


You're not missing anything. It's a matter of finding out what you
really need compared to what you *think* you need.

Case in point. After urging from a friend with a new tablet, I bought
a 10" Asus Transformer Prime tablet in February of this year. Realized
after eight weeks that it was a pain for me to carry around and I
wasn't inclined to use it when I had my desktop to use at home. Ended
up selling it for near a 50% loss.

Now I've got a Samsung SIII superphone and I'm really happy with it.
It does everything I need and more and I don't have any problem
carrying it around.

Same phone I have - and perhaps that contributes to my wondering the things
I've offered here. Between my laptop and my Galaxy, I am good to go.


The important thing is that I've found what I really needed and do
want.

Hell - I found that out 30 years ago! And... she's a 34B!

--

-Mike-

On Mon, 27 Aug 2012 22:48:47 -0400, "Mike Marlow"
Hell - I found that out 30 years ago! And... she's a 34B!

I'd respond to that, but I'd rather not offend the few female
woodworkers we have on hand here.

On 8/27/12 9:15 PM, Mike Marlow wrote:
But the Tablet allows me to watch TV and occasionally look up things
and help with Crosswords and look at mail when it arrives without
being in the study.

So... since I don't use my computers to watch TV (I use my TV's for that...)
I have to ask - is that something that is an improvement over watching your
TV?


I have a friend who got rid of cable and just kept high speed internet.
He discovered that he was recording everything he watched, anyway, and
watching it later and many times on his iPad. He dumped cable and buys
all his shows either a la carte on iTunes, or through cheap (or free)
subscription based sites like Hulu.com.

His television bill was cut down to 1/3 of his cable bill and that's on
a month when he watches a lot. The iPad is great for casual watching and
on the bus (traveling musician). When he wants to watch something "huge"
he hooks up the laptop or harddrive to his 60" with surround and gets
out the popcorn.

I wish the cable companies would charge via a la carte, pick-n-choose
channels. They already have the technology, so it's just something they
need to get around to doing. As more and more people do what my friends
is doing, they will see the market for it and offer it.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

On Mon, 27 Aug 2012 22:31:25 -0500, -MIKE-
I wish the cable companies would charge via a la carte, pick-n-choose
channels. They already have the technology, so it's just something they
need to get around to doing. As more and more people do what my friends
is doing, they will see the market for it and offer it.

I think I read not too long ago where the cable companies *are* losing
market share. So, what you want will probably eventually come to be.
We just have to wait until their anti-competitive monopolies are
whittled down.

-MIKE- wrote:
On 8/27/12 9:15 PM, Mike Marlow wrote:
But the Tablet allows me to watch TV and occasionally look up things
and help with Crosswords and look at mail when it arrives without
being in the study.

So... since I don't use my computers to watch TV (I use my TV's for
that...)
I have to ask - is that something that is an improvement over watching
your
TV?


I have a friend who got rid of cable and just kept high speed internet.
He discovered that he was recording everything he watched, anyway, and
watching it later and many times on his iPad. He dumped cable and buys
all his shows either a la carte on iTunes, or through cheap (or free)
subscription based sites like Hulu.com.

His television bill was cut down to 1/3 of his cable bill and that's on
a month when he watches a lot. The iPad is great for casual watching and
on the bus (traveling musician). When he wants to watch something "huge"
he hooks up the laptop or harddrive to his 60" with surround and gets
out the popcorn.

I wish the cable companies would charge via a la carte, pick-n-choose
channels. They already have the technology, so it's just something they
need to get around to doing.

Ha. The service providers have the goal of increasing their revenue,
not the reverse. I'm sure that they already did the math, and I suspect
it will be a while until they "get around" to it. They won't give until
someone else starts diverting their customers.



As more and more people do what my friends
is doing, they will see the market for it and offer it.