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Hardware CRIMP?
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Posted by Ken
May 31, 2011 at 05:57 PM
My Samsung NC-10 netbook that I have used for the past two and a half years is starting to act up (screen problems), and I do not know if it can be easily and affordably repaired. I have certainly used it extensively, but mostly for looking things up on the web. Other than Ecco, FastStone Image Viewer and iTunes for my old iPod Touch, I never installed much software on it. And, while I am very tempted to purchase Lenovo’s new X220 laptop because of its IPS screen, size and performance, it is not inexpensive. I had considered many different Android tablets as I have an Android phone that I am reasonably happy with, but there is too much change in hardware/software right now to not feel like I might be buying an orphaned product. I am not happy that Apple’s iPads do not support Flash, but am considering them even though I would prefer a slightly smaller device. It is certainly a device of convenience, but I am wondering if that convenience of size, weight and instant-on have changed anybody’s productivity habits. I thought the netbook would make me a bit more productive and organized, but I never seemed to use it quite that way. Boot up times were a barrier, and small and light as it is, it is not quite small or light enough. My Andorid phone is small and light, but the keyboards, both virtual and physical, leave a lot to be desired. I am a bit skeptical because I always wonder if new software will help me out (i.e. CRIMPing), but rarely do I find programs that have made a radical difference in how I handle information. Any thoughts?
—Ken
Posted by JasonE
May 31, 2011 at 07:52 PM
It certainly is an awkward time to buy hardware, with mobile devices coming out and the cloud rising.
I just dropped $500 on hardware myself today.
My strategy is to not worry about if I am making a mistake and missing the best option out there.
I just buy what makes sense for what I need to do, in the way that I understand how to do it. I take solace in that even if my choices lack street cred, I am doing real work with what I buy.
JasonE
Posted by Dr Andus
May 31, 2011 at 10:07 PM
Ken wrote:
> It is certainly a device of convenience, but I am wondering if that
>convenience of size, weight and instant-on have changed anybody’s productivity
>habits. I thought the netbook would make me a bit more productive and organized, but I
>never seemed to use it quite that way. Boot up times were a barrier, and small and light
>as it is, it is not quite small or light enough.
Ken,
I bought an Asus netbook when it first came out for the exact same reason. I thought it would become easier to capture ideas on the go. Also, I wanted to be able to surf the internet on the sofa and in bed. Eventually this remained a dream. While it was easier to carry around than the laptop, the boot times prevented it from turning into a notetaking device and it was still too heavy and the wrong shape to watch anything on it on the sofa or in bed.
Then I caved in and bought and iPad and I never looked back. It delivers on all of the above and more. As I also bought the bluetooth Apple keyboard, there are days when I don’t even turn on the PC any more. Since the iPad I stopped using paper notebooks. The killer apps for me are the following:
- the instant-on;
- the built-in Notes app that automatically syncs with Gmail (this is where I capture random ideas);
- CarbonFin Outliner where I add notes into hierchical outlines;
- Mail, the Google app and Safari for email, blogs, and browsing;
- PDF Expert and GoodReader for reading and annotating PDFs;
- BBC iPlayer for watching BBC programmes in bed.
So I don’t think you can go wrong with iPad 2. I have iPad 1 and I’m still extremely happy. I did try a Windows tablet and returned it the same day. While my initial preference was for an Android tablet, I just couldn’t find the kind of apps I needed. And in the area of apps iPad is far ahead.
Posted by Ken
Jun 1, 2011 at 12:04 AM
Dr Andus wrote:
>I bought an Asus netbook
>when it first came out for the exact same reason. I thought it would become easier to
>capture ideas on the go. Also, I wanted to be able to surf the internet on the sofa and in
>bed. Eventually this remained a dream. While it was easier to carry around than the
>laptop, the boot times prevented it from turning into a notetaking device and it was
>still too heavy and the wrong shape to watch anything on it on the sofa or in bed.
>
>Then I
>caved in and bought and iPad and I never looked back. It delivers on all of the above and
>more. As I also bought the bluetooth Apple keyboard, there are days when I don’t even
>turn on the PC any more. Since the iPad I stopped using paper notebooks. The killer apps
>for me are the following:
>- the instant-on;
>- the built-in Notes app that
>automatically syncs with Gmail (this is where I capture random ideas);
>- CarbonFin
>Outliner where I add notes into hierchical outlines;
>- Mail, the Google app and
>Safari for email, blogs, and browsing;
>- PDF Expert and GoodReader for reading and
>annotating PDFs;
>- BBC iPlayer for watching BBC programmes in bed.
>
>So I don’t think
>you can go wrong with iPad 2. I have iPad 1 and I’m still extremely happy. I did try a
>Windows tablet and returned it the same day. While my initial preference was for an
>Android tablet, I just couldn’t find the kind of apps I needed. And in the area of apps
>iPad is far ahead.
They say misery loves company, but I would not exactly call using my netbook misery. Nonetheless, it sounds like we had similar experiences. I would buy an iPad2, but they are harder to find than hen’s teeth! I had considered Samsung’s 7 in. Galaxy Tab because its about half the size of the iPad, but I am not certain if it will be immediately “orphaned” with all of Android’s OS updates. I hoping that my netbook will hold out a bit longer, but I hate to have it go before I have a replacement in place.
—Ken
Posted by Ken
Jun 1, 2011 at 12:05 AM
I forgot to mention that its good to hear that a change in hardware helped your situation.
—Ken