[Air-L] ipad, laptop, desktop

Sat Jan 14 21:18:21 PST 2012

Just some comments from my experiences and  a question about labour, as I am
starting to kick at Apple glee clubs that seem to be popping up at
conferences. I am enjoying the iPad effects on writing thread though.

I have used keyboards since 1978 starting with Texas Instrument's keypunches
typing code and chemical formulas. My fingers are also used to playing 4
string electric bass guitar. I didn't start to type English sentences into
computers until 1994 or so. Before that I never had access to word
processors. I have some limited experiences trying to type up essays with an
IBM Selectric ( electronic typewriter) in the 1980's when I also started to
learn touch typing from library books. Apparently teaching programmers to do
touch typing is a real money saver. Word processors saved my education late
in life. I think too fast for writing.

I wonder how members of this list feel about the company Foxcomm that makes
most of our Apples, IBM's and Dells, etc.? Their workers are working in
miserable conditions. Some of the scholars I have read on this list also
have looked at labour conditions in the ICT business world.

Someone on this list recently pointed me to a book on the sustainability of
the Information age and I am reading that book.

I briefly used an iPad at a family member's ( and Apple stock holder) house
last month. Today I tried to use a display model Blackberry Playbook in an
office supply store. In both cases, I had to ask people how to get around on
the device.

When I was writing a thesis I was doing it in LaTeX code on a Macbook and an
eMac. I used a template published by my university. I have also tried a
mediawiki Intranet web site for note keeping not on the world wild web but
on a home network running apache web server on my macbook.

These days I just write papers in Word and do PowerPoint and am not fighting
any software battles at work.
We are not allowed to use iPads at work. I work in government and cannot
even take work home because of confidentiality.

Peter Timusk
at571 at ncf.ca
ptimusk at sympatico.ca
web: www.crystalcomputing.net
blogs www.cyborgcitizen.org

-----Original Message-----
From: air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org
[mailto:air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Charles Ess
Sent: January-14-12 11:17 PM
To: Barry Wellman; aoir list
Subject: Re: [Air-L] ipad, laptop, desktop

Well ... FWIW ...
After a year of trying, I've given up on using the iPad as a "serious"
computer - but my reasons are likely more idiosyncratic than not.  Can't get
used to a virtual keyboard - congrats to those who can!
Was intrigued by the Zagg keyboard, but for the first generation iPad, the
keys are too small and too closely spaced together for my somewhat largish
hands and touch-typing trained fingers.  But the OS and memory limitations
were the final straw - when I work, I often have scads of applications and
files open in ways that the iPad just can't do.
I can see using the iPad as a writing machine on a commute when you have
little else to have to access or deal with - but I commute on a bike most of
the time, so that's not a good idea for me ...
Still use the iPad as a reader - i.e., with Kindle, Nook, and other apps.
Great for that. 
Sorry you don't "do Mac" - my recently acquired MacBook Air has turned out
to be surprisingly satisfying.  Following the example of many wise
colleagues, I got it initially as a travel machine.  But contrary to my
initial expectations, it is has enough zip, memory capacity, and storage
capacity to serve as my main machine.  While not as compact as an iPad with
a keyboard - it's not much heavier, and is far more capacious, including a
full-sized keyboard.

Apple didn't pay me to say any of this.
Best,
Charles

On 1/14/12 7:15 PM, "Barry Wellman" <wellman at chass.utoronto.ca> wrote:

> Perhaps because I've been using one for 55 years, but I don't know why 
> anyone would abandon a proper keyboard for a glass iKeyboard.
> Real keys seem more natural to me than glass keys or even handwriting 
> (for churning out long prose.
> And using a clip-on keyboard with an iThing seems kludgy. Besides, the 
> OS is awful, wonders of Siri besides.
> 
> So when I am not using my desktop (just bought a 27" screen for better 
> editing), I am using a laptop (my old Lenovo Thinkpad X60) and eagerly 
> awaiting the advent of proper ultrabooks this summer. (Don't do Mac; 
> netbooks underpowered).
> 
> Just my .02. I ain't gonna argue with anybody, but curious to read others'
> thoughts on this list.
> 
> 
>   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
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>   
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