Is the laptop and personal freedom dead? - Page 4

Maggie Leung · 02-03-2011, 03:43 PM

The difference among my string of Lenovo netbooks and laptops:

The netbooks are smaller, lighter, cheaper, slower and much less powerful. I used them for fun, rather than work. A tablet is better for my fun, because I use it primarily to read books, surf the Internet and check e-mail.

Some people must be able to do work on tablets, though, because companies are buying them by the thousands and having specialized apps written for them. It depends on the kinda work you do, I figure.

kissyfish · 02-03-2011, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

The first generation of "portables" normally had gas plasma screens - mono screens where the text glowed orange on a black background. I had one, made by Olivetti. It was about the size of a large briefcase.

Hell, I remember droolin over the osbourne. It had about a 3" mono screen (amber I believe), two floppies. It was about the size of a sewing machine.

I find that I can do almost all of my work on my ipad, I have an external keyboard dock (the lack of this would have been a dealbreaker for me). Most of my work is email and docs and such now, reading oreilly books, but that said, I do edit some source code and transfer it to my linux boxes (I do asterisk VOIP stuff for fun).

I rarely use my PC anymore, except to automatically download my podcasts, for later synching, and the ipad is on in a second, then off in a second, so I can get in, do a quick task, and be done, fast.

So I am feeling that the tablet is nearing the point of being all I would need.

PKFFW · 02-03-2011, 07:12 PM

I must be a dinosaur because my only computer is my desktop PC at home. It basically comes down to getting more computing bang for my buck via a PC than a laptop/notebook. There's also the fact that I've never needed a computer when away from home, other than at work where I have a computer anyway, because I'm doing other things.

I'll probably get a tablet type device when a decent windows based one comes out just for muck around fun stuff but it wont replace my desktop. I don't like Apples walled garden business model so wont be getting an ipad.

Cheers,
PKFFW

RockdaMan · 02-03-2011, 09:47 PM

I don't understand why people come onto the Internet to complain about what a lot of other people like to do as far as technology is concerned. Something-teen millions sold in one calendar year -- Apple has found something that works for people. Even if it doesn't work for you, that doesn't invalidate what all those other people have to say.

I read that Murdoch said: "Here we have the man who invented the personal computer, then the laptop. He’s now destroying them. That is an amazing life."

RockdaMan · 02-03-2011, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arkietech

I
I don't want to lose this freedom. If there are others that feel this way, it is time to speak up!

Why? Whats going to happen when we do?

arkietech · 02-03-2011, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

Why? Whats going to happen when we do?

We become lemmings marching over the cliff. Someone else will choose how we do things and what way we go. I like the old days when you were in control. We are quickly losing that option.

RockdaMan · 02-04-2011, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arkietech

I like the old days when you were in control. We are quickly losing that option.

No we're not.

orwell2k · 02-04-2011, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

The iPad is a very attractive device - I find mine to be extremely useful (I'm writing this on my iPad now). But, I regard it primarily as an information display device; it's great for surfing the net, reading books, or watching video. I wouldn't use it for writing a novel or for C++ software development. For that, the laptop is still a superior tool.

I tend to agree, although there are now a few apps that could be considered as true writing tools. I am currently trying myTexts lite (i.e. the free version) and find it to be very good - the keyboard has an extra row, a bit like the function key row on full keyboards, that has easy access to almost all punctuation, making writing truly easy as you almost never need to go the the 2nd or 3rd layers on the virtual keyoard to get puntuation like quotes, dashes, etc. Very nice!

hal2814 · 02-04-2011, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arkietech

We become lemmings marching over the cliff. Someone else will choose how we do things and what way we go. I like the old days when you were in control. We are quickly losing that option.

People don't buy iPads just to be told what to do with them. Sure, part of their allure is the fashionable nature of Apple products these days, but for the most part people buy devices to use them for some task or set of tasks. If a device can do that task or set of tasks, they buy it. If not, they don't. Computing devices aren't very expensive anymore. The days of planning ahead on what a device can do are over. It only matters what the device can do right now. If something comes a long that betters suits a user's needs, they'll just buy the new device and discard the old one. Apple has the final say in what applications the iPad can and cannot run but the end user has the final say in whether or not they're going to buy an iPad so Apple had better give enough people what they want to remain profitable.

petermillard · 02-04-2011, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orwell2k

I am currently trying myTexts lite (i.e. the free version) and find it to be very good - the keyboard has an extra row, a bit like the function key row on full keyboards, that has easy access to almost all punctuation, making writing truly easy as you almost never need to go the the 2nd or 3rd layers on the virtual keyoard to get puntuation like quotes, dashes, etc. Very nice!

Thanks for the heads-up on this - cursor keys, yay! Wish the extra row of keys was user-definable though; maybe in a future version, but very nice all the same!

Cheers, Pete

simonroyle · 02-04-2011, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arkietech

I heard Rupert Murdoch say this morning during the Daily News announcement, a new iPad app, that the laptop is dead..replaced by the iPad.

I like to do what pleases me .. not Apple.. I have written off the ipad. The iPad is totally controlled by Apple. You get what Apple or Rupert wants you to get or what will let them dig deeper into your pocket.

I like products like calibre and Sigil that "Let you manage". I use a HP mini and Nook for PC for an ereader and really like it. Having a PC for a reader allows me to use my custom Bible reader and other software that is not and never will be available on iPad.

I don't want to lose this freedom. If there are others that feel this way, it is time to speak up!

No and yes.

It really is irrelevant what device you choose to use. I suspect you'll always have a choice. The amount of personal freedom you have is limited to the amount of bandwidth and energy any one of several parties is willing to invest in you.

Even if you decide that you want to live "off-grid" then there's a different set of rules, but by the fact that you are 'off-grid' you are an anomaly anyway. Such is life.

I wouldn't rely on Rupert for my tech predictions, I mean, he bought MySpace right?

Belle2Be · 02-04-2011, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simonroyle

No and yes.

It really is irrelevant what device you choose to use. I suspect you'll always have a choice. The amount of personal freedom you have is limited to the amount of bandwidth and energy any one of several parties is willing to invest in you.

Even if you decide that you want to live "off-grid" then there's a different set of rules, but by the fact that you are 'off-grid' you are an anomaly anyway. Such is life.

I wouldn't rely on Rupert for my tech predictions, I mean, he bought MySpace right?

*Snort*. Karma for you!

Namekuseijin · 02-06-2011, 01:17 PM

It's not dead, but I couldn't care less for laptops, iPads and even my trusty and powerful Linux desktop after I bought my very handy Android smartphone. posting from it, btw...

speedlever · 02-06-2011, 01:21 PM

How about a pic of the optical drive you have for that smartphone?

Namekuseijin · 02-06-2011, 07:11 PM

what for? optical media is as dead as the desktop.

02-03-2011, 03:43 PM	#46
Maggie Leung Wizard Posts: 1,449 Karma: 58383 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Kindle, iPad	The difference among my string of Lenovo netbooks and laptops: The netbooks are smaller, lighter, cheaper, slower and much less powerful. I used them for fun, rather than work. A tablet is better for my fun, because I use it primarily to read books, surf the Internet and check e-mail. Some people must be able to do work on tablets, though, because companies are buying them by the thousands and having specialized apps written for them. It depends on the kinda work you do, I figure. Last edited by Maggie Leung; 02-03-2011 at 03:49 PM.

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02-03-2011, 07:12 PM	#48
PKFFW Wizard Posts: 3,791 Karma: 33500000 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: BeBook, Sony PRS-T1, Kobo H2O	I must be a dinosaur because my only computer is my desktop PC at home. It basically comes down to getting more computing bang for my buck via a PC than a laptop/notebook. There's also the fact that I've never needed a computer when away from home, other than at work where I have a computer anyway, because I'm doing other things. I'll probably get a tablet type device when a decent windows based one comes out just for muck around fun stuff but it wont replace my desktop. I don't like Apples walled garden business model so wont be getting an ipad. Cheers, PKFFW

02-03-2011, 09:47 PM	#49
RockdaMan Banned Posts: 1,644 Karma: 213512 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: On the other side of over there Device: Pandigital Novel, Kindle G1 (broken), iPod Touch	I don't understand why people come onto the Internet to complain about what a lot of other people like to do as far as technology is concerned. Something-teen millions sold in one calendar year -- Apple has found something that works for people. Even if it doesn't work for you, that doesn't invalidate what all those other people have to say. I read that Murdoch said: "Here we have the man who invented the personal computer, then the laptop. He’s now destroying them. That is an amazing life."

02-06-2011, 01:17 PM	#58
Namekuseijin affordable chipmunk Posts: 1,290 Karma: 9863855 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Brazil Device: Sony XPeria ZL, Kindle Paperwhite	It's not dead, but I couldn't care less for laptops, iPads and even my trusty and powerful Linux desktop after I bought my very handy Android smartphone. posting from it, btw...

02-06-2011, 01:21 PM	#59
speedlever Fanatic Posts: 592 Karma: 138200 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: NC, USA Device: PW2014, PW2012, iPad Pro	How about a pic of the optical drive you have for that smartphone?

02-06-2011, 07:11 PM	#60
Namekuseijin affordable chipmunk Posts: 1,290 Karma: 9863855 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Brazil Device: Sony XPeria ZL, Kindle Paperwhite	what for? optical media is as dead as the desktop.