I resisted the urge to upgrade to an iphone and made a huge generalisation that they were completely unnecessary. Then about a year ago hubby was looking to upgrade and we were shown the versatility of an iphone and I knew I HAD to have one!
The arrival of an iphone or two in this household has made the internet come alive further with the never ending opportunity to tap into the virtual world. The internet has made lots of things accessible to us, particularly in the genealogical world, but being able to access that on the go is wonderful. With the touch of a button or two I can check emails, log in to Facebook, Twitter, read a book, take a photo, and perhaps load to Flickr, check my bank balance, listen to music, the list is endless. The never ending list of applications makes the world of an iphone a very adventurous place.
Have I gone a step further and purchased an iPad? No, but that is driven around the cost issue. I have a good laptop, so why do I want one? Well, I could tap into all the things that I use my phone for and have the bigger screen, but is that enough? Perhaps readers can give me some pointers and put me out of my misery of making a decision.
I have looked at the cheaper options of other tablets, and in some cases they are almost as expensive as the iPad. The memory that each has seems to be small than the pad, but the alternatives have the facility for USB connection which is very handy. Equally, we have online storage facilities such as Dropbox which does make accessing files in a multitude of places easier.
In some ways, the whole concept of the internet is remarkable. We live in an online world. Many of us have access to Facebook and Twitter where we can catch up with old friends via Facebook and make new ones via Twitter. We, in the genealogical world use, to all intent and purposes, a new facility in order to research an historical way of life.
What would our Grandparents, Great Grandparents think? Would they be as in awe of what we have achieved as a race as I am? Just a 157 years ago an ancestor or mine boarded a boat for Australia as a free settler. They were at sea for around 3 months, lived in harsh conditions and would have knowingly boarded that vessel understanding that they were leaving behind everything and everyone they knew for something that was completely unknown. That was just 157 years ago, almost the blink of an eye.
Further consideration. Here I am debating whether or not to purchase an iPad, my ancestors would have debated how they could pay the next lot of rent, afford the new infant that was on the way and where the next meal was coming from.
Haven't times change?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSave you money Julie! It does look cool and is very intuitive to use. It has a good range of apps by the ipad 2 has many flaws such as no flash, poor quality cameras and poorly designed smart covers. The smart cover doesn't stick to the back of the ipad 2 when it is open.
ReplyDeleteI am sure the next version will resolve many of the current flaws but until then save your money!
Nice website by the way. I stumbled onto after you posted a comment on my Mum's facebook picture!
I have an iPad - first generation. I also have an iPhone. I do really like my iPad, but I wouldn't have one except I received it from work. I have the high end version because I need it to work anywhere when I travel. My favorite feature is how quickly it turns on and is ready to go - it starts faster than my iPhone.
ReplyDeleteHowever, until they come down in price, I would recommend a net book instead. Bought one for my husband last Nov. Very affordable and fast and portable. Great for watching webinars (can't do that on the iPad because it doesn't support flash), watching Netfllix, I can read my Kindle books on it if I want to (can do that on my iPhone and iPad, too - I'm a huge Kindle fan). The iPad is great, but very expensive once you add on service, a cover, 3G access, etc. A really good net book was less than half the price.
The change IS mind boggling! I can sit in my living room in the U.S. and see an 1840s church register from Slovakia on my monitor- and read blog posts from around the world. Fun, fun stuff.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteI love both my iPad and iPhone but find that I don't really use my iPad for anything genealogy related. The only exception is browsing, but I usually save that for my laptop.
Enjoyable article. I am going to be in the market for a "smart" phone and am debating between iphone and android.
ReplyDeleteGood points on the iPad as well. I don't have one and the more I read I think a netbook might be better.
It is amazing the choices we have now compared to our grandparents. In fact it is downright mindblowing!