Do I want the iPad 2?

Don’t misunderstand — I love my iPad 3G. I take it nearly everywhere with me. I’ve gotten used to the weight and I have a new shoulder bag to tote it around. I took it to Spain last December and it worked beautifully with a MiFi rental from XCom Global.

I sometimes wish the iPad were lighter but I wonder if the iPad 2 is appreciably different. I’m not lusting for the dual cameras on the iPad 2, either. Also, I’m lucky to have the discontinued unlimited data plan on AT&T and I can use it nearly everywhere I go.

What I really covet is the Smart Cover! I need a light but effective cover that can double as a stand when I type on the iPad. That fact that it also turns the iPad on or off is just the icing on the cake.

Apple, please make a Smart Cover for the original iPad!

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Yes, I got my own iPad 3G!

I waited until the 3G version came out and bought the top of the line. It arrived on May 7 and has been my trusty companion ever since. Our relationship was easily set in cement that first weekend because I was sick and couldn’t sit at the computer for very long and I needed entertainment in the worst way. The iPad is a godsend!

I have the unlimited plan from AT&T so while waiting at the doctor’s office I could surf to my heart’s content. I get good reception in Metro stations and in some of the tunnels, too. I haven’t tried to upload every app in creation and most of the ones from my iTouch work just fine on the iPad.

Is it perfect? Of course not. In some environments the screen is horribly reflective and it’s very headache making, Sometimes the keyboard is a little too sensitive but that will take practice. And, yes, it’s very smudgy.

However, if you are Ike me and don’t really need a laptop but would like to keep in touch, surf, Facebook, watch movies & TV, listen to music and read books, this could be the device for you.

Now I’m on the lookout for a decent bag and perhaps some Bluetooth headphones. Any suggestions out there?

Yes, I did write this entry from my iPad but the Woodpress interface is a little chunky and hard to figure out how to publish.

 

Sept. 16: Jobs Quits Apple in 1985, Returns in 1997

Sept. 16: Jobs Quits Apple in 1985, Returns in 1997

Courtesy of Wired.com, this is an interesting note in tech industry history. I hadn’t realized that his ouster and return were on the same date. You’d think as a major Mac addict I would be more knowledgeable. I’m somewhat geeky but not that geeky.

IMHO, the best thing that ever happened to Apple (and to the computers and tech industry in general) was the return of Steve Jobs to Apple. The iMac and the iPod have completely changed the way we use technology today.

Thanks, Steve!

Tags: Apple, Mac, SteveJobs, technology, computing, iPod, iMac

 

Happy Birthday, Macintosh!

Jan. 24, 1984: Birth of the Cool (Computer, That Is)

I can hardly believe that the Mac is 24 years old! I missed seeing the groundbreaking ad during the Super Bowl but I already knew it was coming. I was one of the few who were already working with the pre-Mac Lisa computer that Apple tentatively introduced the year before. Little did I know then that the Mac would change my career and my life.

I am a graphic designer today because of the Mac. The computer was not the green screened machine that used DOS. It did not intimidate me – it welcomed play and work. I remember using the first release of Pagemaker on my Mac SE with it’s dual disc drives and 20MB hard drive. I was constantly popping out the discs to save or use other features. I also remember playing the first version of SimCity on the 9-inch grey screen – often going on until 3am!

I know the iPod has done wonders for Apple – it really brought Apple products to a different audience – but it’s the computer that is the staple of my world. From my G5 at home to my G5 at work (dual displays on both), the Mac will always be a part of my life.

Thanks, Apple!

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Tags: Apple, Mac, computers, design, revolution, life, culture, 1984

 

The New Apple Mac Pro – I WANT ONE!

Apple – Mac Pro

I know I don’t really need it. I just want it. It would be a very expensive way to upgrade to Leopard.

But I still want it.

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Tags: Apple, Mac Pro, upgrade, Leopard, desire

 

EA donates SimCity to OLPC | Tech news blog – CNET News.com

EA donates SimCity to OLPC | Tech news blog – CNET News.com

According to a weekend report on Ars Technica, leading game maker Electronic Arts has decided to give their pioneering game SimCity to the One Laptop per Child project for installation on every machine distributed to children in developing nations).

You probably played SimCity as a kid. Remember laying out your own city, making decisions about geography, building roads, residences, and commercial areas? You got to watch how your choices play out over months, years, and decades.

The game also reveals the importance of city planning and civic policy-making to ordinary citizens, making it likely that at least some children in developing countries could be inspired to begin a career in that field. Placement of homes, schools, hospitals, water supply, and shipping docks, for example, is a central part of the game and may shed light on children’s own civic situation, as it has for students and users in “developed” countries.

SimCity is the only computer I’ve played with regularity over the years. I played the first version on the 9″ B&W screen of a Mac SE and I have the last version on my current desktop. It’s a great game – you learn alot and for those of us who don’t need to shoot people or blow up stuff, it’s fun.

Kudos to EA for making it available for free for kids in developing countries. Now, why don’t they make the lastest game, SimCity Societies, available for Macs? SimCity started as a Mac only games and it’s slowly left the Mac platform behind supporting PCs and Nintendo more. That sucks.

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Tags: SimCity, OLPC, computers, CNet

 

The new Mac keyboard – I got one!

I mentioned this little beauty earlier this month and it arrived to today. I plugged it in immediately and it’s exactly what I hoped for. It’s quiet, has a great touch; it’s very slim and sleek. I’m very hopeful that it will remain crumb free and will be much easier to clean than the old one.