iPad usefulness?
in [UK Mac]
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From: Jaimie Vandenbergh on 6 Apr 2010 10:32 On Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:20:04 +0100, Graeme <Graeme(a)greywall.demon.co.uk> wrote: >In message <zv2dnX69Y4UFoibWnZ2dnUVZ8oSdnZ2d(a)brightview.co.uk> > David Kennedy <davidkennedy(a)nospamherethankyou.invalid> wrote: > >> Jaimie Vandenbergh wrote: >> > >> > But if an iPad can email to a fax gateway (which it can) then they >> > don't need a computer - or possibly a printer, for that matter. >> >> /If/ the iPad _can_ do that then, yes, it is almost there. However, a >> lot of the requirements are preconceptions rather than needs. I print >> maybe half a dozen pages a month - but I wouldn't want to be without a >> printer or the ability to print even though I could get round it by >> email to fax to my fax machine... I print about the same, and almost of the things I print could actually be handled by taking the iPad with me... though that would be somewhat annoying, of course. >My main requirement for printing these days is boarding cards for flights. >Now if the scanners can read the barcode straight off the iPad I wouldn't >even have to do that. Last time I flew KLM I used a 2D barcode boarding pass straight off my iPhone email screen. It works! I had paper copies with me as well, since I don't trust such stuff. Cheers - Jaimie -- "I'll never forget my first wife - drove me to drink. I'm eternally grateful." - W. C. Fields
From: zoara on 6 Apr 2010 10:37 Woody <usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk> wrote: > Jaimie Vandenbergh <jaimie(a)sometimes.sessile.org> wrote: > > > On Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:45:00 +0100, usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk (Woody) > > wrote: > > > > >Jaimie Vandenbergh <jaimie(a)sometimes.sessile.org> wrote: > > > > > >> On Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:18:04 +0100, Graeme > > >> <Graeme(a)greywall.demon.co.uk> wrote: > > >> > > >> >What about power supplies? > > >> > > >> All Apple power supplies are 100-250V, and the plug fittings are > > >> swappable. I have an *awful* lot of US fittings... > > > > > >The newer plug fixings for the iPhone are not swappable. they are > > > very > > >mini power supplies. > > > > Do we know what the iPad uses yet? > > one of these I suspect: > > http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC359LL/A > > so you will be ok with a different table. If that picture is accurate then there's something funny going on at the iPad end of the cable - that's not a standard dock connector. > > I'd forgotten about those - my 3GS came with one, but I've got a > > small > > pile of varied USB chargers and tend to use those instead. > > I think the iPhone one is my favourite I like it too, just not enough to justify buying one for my 3G (which has an old-style one). -z- -- email: nettid1 at fastmail dot fm
From: Chris Ridd on 6 Apr 2010 10:38 On 2010-04-06 15:32:24 +0100, Jaimie Vandenbergh said: > Last time I flew KLM I used a 2D barcode boarding pass straight off my > iPhone email screen. It works! A slightly lower-rent example - the Tesco clubcard app just displays a barcode, and that scans in just fine at the checkouts. > I had paper copies with me as well, since I don't trust such stuff. I suppose being an LED (etc) screen helps. There's no refresh scan to take account of. -- Chris
From: Chris Ridd on 6 Apr 2010 10:50 On 2010-04-06 15:43:57 +0100, Jaimie Vandenbergh said: > On 6 Apr 2010 14:37:10 GMT, zoara <me18(a)privacy.net> wrote: > >> Woody <usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk> wrote: >>> Jaimie Vandenbergh <jaimie(a)sometimes.sessile.org> wrote: >>> >>>> Do we know what the iPad uses yet? >>> >>> one of these I suspect: >>> >>> http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC359LL/A >>> >>> so you will be ok with a different table. >> >> If that picture is accurate then there's something funny going on at the >> iPad end of the cable - that's not a standard dock connector. > > That's the mains power lead - figure 8 connector at the top, US > earthed plug at the bottom. > > They're not showing the "Apple Dock Connector to USB Cable" in the > photos, but elsewhere I've seen it referred to as the standard iPod > cable. The power adaptor that comes with the iPad is a higher wattage supply than iPhones/iPod Touches have previously used. I suppose these *might* require some different pins on the dock connector. -- Chris
From: Nancy on 6 Apr 2010 12:29
On 4/6/2010 6:45 AM, Howard wrote: > "Graham J"<graham(a)invalid> wrote: > >> "Peter Ceresole"<peter(a)cara.demon.co.uk> wrote in message >> news:1jg7mqv.pwouoiody9ygN%peter(a)cara.demon.co.uk... >>> My sister in law (in Geneva) is talking of buying an iPad. She's never >>> owned a computer before, except for an old terminally slow PC laptop >>> that had belonged to her son in law, which I set up for her to work on >>> dialup; it worked, after a manner of speaking, but was dreadful and she >>> never used it. >>> >>> She's not interested in computers at all, just wants to have email and >>> be able to shop and buy railway and airline tickets on line. >>> >>> I was thinking that she should have a basic ADSL or cable connection, >>> with a Wifi router. Presumably she won't need a real computer as well, >>> like for intance people who have AGAs but also need a real cooker to do >>> anything useful. >>> >>> However, thanks to Steve, the iPad is crippled by not being able to run >>> Flash. In spite of this, is she going to be able to do her shopping etc >>> when using it? >>> >>> Reading Bella's experiences with Safari on the iPhone, it makes for >>> slightly gloomy reading. >>> >>> This is for Quite Soon Now, not in some misty future when everybody has >>> converted their sites to HTML 5. Should I be advising her to forget it >>> for a few years? >> >> For a beginner, the idea of using a tiny screen and virtual keyboard is a >> non-starter. > > Are you nuts ? My mother has been using an iPhone for a year. She has no > problems sending me texts, replying to her daughter in Scotland by email > and reading other stuff on it. She is 79 and uses reading glasses. >> >> Further, if she's old enough to have son-in-law, she probably needs reading >> glasses, and without them any sort of PDA is virtually unuseable. > > Huh I am 50 and a corporate director and use reading glasses. I use the > iPhone for the last 18 months for complex email, texting, nbot taking > and a dozen other daily business tasks .... what is the problem exactly > ? >> >> First, she should be convinced by her own personal experience of the benefit >> of having email and buying tickets on-line. Every on-line shop I've ever >> used requires a large screen (to see what is going on) and handy scraps of >> paper to keep notes - it's really only possible to do it sitting at a desk >> with plenty of peace and quiet. > > Wrong again. I buy theatre/concert tickets every month on my iPhone. I > book flights regularly on it and have no trouble. At Xmas I bought books > from amazon. I really don't understand your problems. > > Howard "I really don't understand your problems." You don't seem to see the big picture. Others like Graham will have these or similar issues, whether you 'see' them or not. Great if it works for you, but does not mean it will for everyone. The closing one app just to go into another will irritate me to no end! |