[Air-L] why iPad
live
human.factor.one at gmail.com
Sat Jul 17 22:28:44 PDT 2010
I just want to point out that the *pad* factor is not specific to only
iPads - all tablets, regardless of brand are like this.
*Unobtrusive
*Flat against table
*cradled in arm
All tablets are like this, not just the iPad.
On Jul 17, 2010, at 3:21 PM, Sarah Roberts wrote:
> A few observations:
>
> I think the form factor, and wow factor, of the iPad is central to
> the choice made to put them in the field. I have a netbook, a
> laptop, and a million other devices, and the _pad_ nature of the
> iPad would be an intriguing tool for use for the reasons elucidated
> by boyd: for its unobtrusiveness, in some cases (e.g., flat against
> a table surface; cradled in arm like a legal pad; when screen
> viewing is paramount, as opposed to keyboarding or data entry).
>
> Further, Duke has a long history of both a relationship with Apple
> as well as a desire to be on the fore of implementing new technology
> in academia; about this I can speak firsthand, due to my association
> with Duke and with such projects in a previous life. Perhaps most
> importantly, they frequently have the means to do it when not all
> others can.
>
> Is there a cool factor in jumping onto iPod, iMovie, iPad, and
> iWhatever's next at Duke and elsewhere for use in research?
> Undeniably, yes. But who ever said that the tools researchers use,
> aside from being utilitarian, can't also have a bonus of being fun
> for them to handle and use, too? Why iPad? Why not?
>
> --Sarah
>
> ---
>
> S a r a h T. R o b e r t s
> Doctoral Student and Fellow, Information in Society
> Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS)
> http://www.lis.illinois.edu/people/students/sarah-roberts-phd-student
>
> University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
> http://www.lis.illinois.edu/programs/phd/infosociety/
>
>>
>> Message: 7
>> Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:11:39 -0400
>> From: danah boyd <aoir.z3z at danah.org>
>> To: Barry Wellman <wellman at CHASS.UTORONTO.CA>
>> Cc: aoir list <air-l at aoir.org>
>> Subject: Re: [Air-L] why iPad
>> Message-ID: <0BD11815-B485-4C43-A43B-3097B7583BEC at danah.org>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>>
>> Personally, I bought an iPad for field research and it's been great
>> so far. What I needed was a reliable web browser that I could show
>> to people I interview. And the AT&T plan - as evil as it is - was
>> a lot cheaper than any of the laptop aircards and required much
>> less commitment.
>>
>> In the process, I learned something important. When I put a
>> computer in front of someone, people face the screen. I can watch
>> them OR I can watch the screen. Watching both is awkward and
>> creates odd social dynamics because I have to sit next to the
>> person. With the iPad, I could put it down on a table between us
>> and watch the person's face while watching where they browse,
>> albeit upside-down, but that's easy when I'm not trying to read the
>> exact content. Shared browsing is very easy to accommodate and
>> it's quite easy to go through sites with someone.
>>
>> I'm not using it for taking notes or other text-heavy processes.
>> I'm looking to browse. And not to mimic browsing that one does on a
>> computer. Just outright stare-at-screen browsing while in the
>> midst of an interview. And I'm very happy with it.
>>
>> danah
>>
>>
>> On Jul 15, 2010, at 6:07 PM, Barry Wellman wrote:
>>
>>> After all the hype, I can't figger out why someone (even at Duke)
>>> would use an iPad rather than a netbook for their research. Sounds
>>> like kewl won over functionality. If I'm taking notes, I'd rather
>>> have a real keyboard. If I'm doing other stuff, I'd rather have
>>> the plethora of applications running on Win7/XP or MacOX than on
>>> the little apps running on iPods and iPhones with their baby OS.
>>> -- I've been using the iPhone 3GS for months now as a pocket phone
>>> etc and am continually frustrated on what it can't do.
>>> End iRant. End PodHype
>>>
>>> Barry Wellman
>>> _______________________________________________________________________
>>>
>>> S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology, FRSC NetLab
>>> Director
>>> Department of Sociology 725 Spadina Avenue, Room
>>> 388
>>> University of Toronto Toronto Canada M5S 2J4
>>> twitter:barrywellman
>>> http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman fax:
>>> +1-416-978-3963
>>> Updating history: http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/
>>> cybertimes.php
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