[Air-L] ipad, laptop, desktop

Sun Jan 15 08:09:48 PST 2012

I wonder if this is a generational thing, or if it is somehow tied to
typing skills. I learned touch typing in the late 1960s -- first on
manual, then IBM Selectric typewriters. When I switched to computers
in the early '80s the keyboard seemed very natural and I've never seen
it as a problem to be surmounted.

I use a Nook Color as a reader and occasionally to skim through email
or web surf, but I hate typing on it. An iPad would be just as bad,
I'm sure. I sat next to a guy on an airplane a few days ago who was
typing on his iPad using only his thumbs, very much like people text
on a cell phone. He was moving at a pretty good clip, but not nearly
as fast as one could type on a keyboard. I've never seen anyone do
more than hunt and peck successfully on a tablet. Perhaps touch typing
is possible, but the adaptation would have to be difficult.

Adding an accessory keyboard to an iPad seems to run against the
concept. At that point one has the same weight and bulk of Charles'
Macbook Air (or the ultra-thin knock-offs of it just coming on the
market). That would seem a more versatile choice to me, should my
institution stop insisting on supplying me with bulky, 7 pound Dell
laptops.
--
Mark D. Johns, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Communication Studies
Luther College, Decorah, Iowa USA
-----------------------------------------------
2011-12 Director, Luther Study Centre
23 Haslemere Road
Nottingham NG8 5GJ
United Kingdom
-----------------------------------------------
"Get the facts first. You can distort them later."
    ---Mark Twain

On Sun, Jan 15, 2012 at 5:18 AM, Peter Timusk <ptimusk at sympatico.ca> wrote:
> 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
>>    Updating history:      http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php
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