I am often asked what forms of technology (hardware, software, mobile apps, and web apps) I/we use. I thought I would do a number of posts on this topic each addressing a different form of tech for different functionalies.
To start it off, I thought I would begin talking about hardware. First, it will not be a surprise that I am an Apple fan and, thus, I have a full array of Apple products. I love Apple because they are sleek, last a long time, the software and hardware are always compatible, and software upgrades are cheap (the latest operating system upgrade was $29.00).
The following is a list of Hardware I use and the benefits of each:
iPod – I have an old school 30gig iPod that I still use for music. It holds my entire music Library and allowed me to buy the smaller iPhone as a result. I leave it attached to my home office speakers most of the time. I have had it for years and it still works brilliantly!
iPhone 4 – I use to have a Blackberry but found it was limited in what it could do. In comparison, it couldn’t match up to the power and versitility of an iPhone. The iphone allows me, with the right apps, to take my office with me and have access to my important files, music, video, books, etc. It also is my GPS which allows me to carry it with me everywhere I go regardless of what vehicle I am in.
iPad 2 – I, honestly and in full disclosure, bought an Ipad because Steve Jobs told me I needed one:) But after having it, I love it. I can write blog posts, read and respond to my school Forums, catch up on news, connet via scoial media, use Evernote, play games, watch Netflix, read Kindle books, etc. all at the touch of a screen icon in one easy to hold and carry device.
Kindle 3G – With the amount of reading I do for school I find that prolonged reading on the iPad screen is a little hard on the eyes and the Kindle is a great alternative. The benefits of the Kindle are varied For one, I use the Kindle App on all my devices and it syncs my notes, underlines, and last page read between them. In other words, I can literally read 10 pages on my iPhone, switch to my iPad and then later my Kindle and finish on my computer all synced and working seamless together. The other advantage of the Kindle, over the other Hardare options, is the Kindle Web feature that stores my notes and underlines which I, after the book is complete, send to Evernote so I can search and reference them later.
17″ MacBook Pro – I bought a MacBook pro three plus years ago and love it. It is a work horse. I still use it for video editing and it sits in my home office.
10″ MacBook Air – I bought my MacBook Air a couple months ago and it is faster than my old MacBook pro, lighter and more compact. With the increasing amount of writing and traveling I am doing, it is nice to have something more portable without losing power or speed. It also has a flash Harddrive; because the flash harddrive has no moving parts, it doesn’t become a mini-heater like my old MacBook Pro.
My only complant about my Apple products is not that they are more expensive than some of their competitors, you get what you pay for, but that they are not universal in what some of their products can play. For example, it is frustrating that the iPhone and iPad are not Flash Video compatible. I understand Apple’s reservation with what they consider their competitor and inferior technology, but as a avid web-user it is frustrating not to have full access to web content because of it.
Coming Soon: Why I use Evernote and the related software that makes it so powerful.
Decided to be transgenerational in technology. Use an iPad, MacBook, but for serious writing I use an old 1940 LC Smith manual typewriter. Slows me down and makes me think more deliberately.
That is impressive! I would imagine that I, too, would write more deliberately and thoughtfully with an old typewriter as mistakes are difficult to fix and where I can’t rely on spell check:) Thanks for the comment.