Showing posts with label devices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label devices. Show all posts

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Loving My MacBook Air

In December of 2014 I accidentally spilled some beverage (was it lemonade coconut water?) onto my MacBook Pro (that I'd owned since 2008-2009) and it no longer would work. After a visit at the Genius bar they said it was unfixable. I was on vacation in Florida so I had to have a new laptop to entertain myself for those two weeks alone. Enter the MacBook Air.

I got the 11" model because it's so small and adorable, and a lot cheaper too natch. I bought a little orange skin/case for it to help deter any harsh impacts. It's worked wonderfully ever since I bought it. Convenient, accessible and on-task. I couldn't be happier.

And so light you can put it in your large purse or workbag without a second thought. I can still view Netflix, Amazon Instant or YouTube videos without trouble because the landscape monitor is very high quality.

Although I still miss my very first MacBook Pro, I do have another replacement and this lovely Air to play with.

I've actually left my Lenovo Gaming laptop by the wayside because it's so huge, bulky and the track pad so glitchy and inconvenient to use.


Sunday, July 7, 2013

Researching: Tablets

After owning an iPad 2.0 and a Kindle Fire 1.0 I'm now researching the latest tablets to determine whether I want to get a new one or stay with my Kindle Fire. Then there's always the burn: my mom got a Kindle Fire HD and it has a camera. A. CAMERA. Yes. It's on! ;oP

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET) from Cnet Buying Guide
I just liked the club sandwich, it's one of my faves ^_^
I owned an iPad 2.0 from 2011 to 2012. I gave up on it because it didn't have the functional heft I expected, and I hated burning my hands/lap when it overheated (which was all the time). Sure, it's got the amazing, Apple user intuitive (pictograph) UI that we all have grown to love and admire, but no multiple tabs, no gesture typing/Swype keyboard, and lots of Apple bloatware.

Rather than keep getting irritated, and going back to my MacBook Pro to get anything done, I gave my iPad to the significant other unit. I began holding a raging slight grudge w folks who show off Apple products for looks or to look hip. I like function and form, and mostly, making my life easy, not using devices to make a social statement or for fitting in. /rantover

I discovered Gazelle and sold one of my two 3Gs iPhones (the one that still worked, sort of) and relished the little bit of cash I got--and told the significant other unit his iPad could be sold there if he wanted some moolah. Instead, he traded in his iPad 2.0 to Apple for an iPad 3.0. He's been very happy with it since...

In late summer 2012 one of the two SCRUM certification classes I attended offered a Kindle Fire (KF) 1.0 as an incentive. I had been using the Kindle app on my iPhone 3GS and then my Droid Charge phone when I switched, and also on my iPad and MacBook Pro.

I immediately loved the KF. You turn it on, personalize it with your Kindle login, and you're done! No instruction booklet, nothing to confuse the user. Its small size and portability,  as well as the black, slightly rubberized surface were huge bonuses. You can surf the net using the Wi-Fi connection, and download apps to keep in the carousel for easy access. Best of all, long battery life and no overheated surface.

So now, almost a year into owning my KF, I'm very happy. Why read up on new tablets then? To see what else has come along.

It's important to read up and narrow down your search for information based on particular features that you're looking for. There is A LOT to read on tablets out there.

My reading is already focused on a few specs:
  • devices with the Samsung Swype keyboard or the Android Gesture Typing
  • not sure what size I want, but I know I like lighter weight tablets
  • easy UI
  • good video (I watch a lot of YouTube lately)
  • battery life is also important
  • do I want a camera? Not really, I have two cameras (Sony and Nikon) and my smartphone.
  • I'm an Amazon Prime member so Amazon will have a slight advantage in my reviews.
I have several resources I am tracking to learn more about tablets in general, and for those narrowed down specs I mentioned above. I hope these help.

Additional reading and resources to research tablets: