I'm going to preface this by saying everything below is said with my acknowledgement that I am lucky to even be able to compare using a laptop and an iPad, let alone be able to choose. There, now I feel less guilty about my qualms with a world-changing piece of technology!
Two months ago, my laptop blinked out of existence. Well, its hard drive did. Physically it was now a brick that the guy at the Apple store told me was "not covered under Apple Care". I guess "liquid damage" isn't considered a hardware defect. I truly hope someday they will make a waterproof MacBook. But until that day, I will keep my coffee far, far away from my glowing keyboard.
Anyway, I was out a laptop. My fiance and I share an iPad, which normally we use for travel and workouts. But now, it became my sole source of Internet at home. I embraced its mobility, and went crazy dowloading apps for all my normally frequented websites. Immediately, I noticed a few things:
- Single tasking. I am a multi-tasker due to either my evolved working style, or simply being a bit ADD. The "one app at a time" drove me CRAZY. I tried to see this an an opportunity to be bit more single-focused. But in reality, I ended up spending too much time in one place. For example, I would forget to check my email, and dive into Reddit for way too long. It was easy when all you see is one content source.
- Music is isolated. I download music. Not is a torrent-whole-albums type of way, but I love to look at music blogs and download their MP3's and remixes, pulling embedded content with add-ons into customized playlists. For all intents and purposes, this is impossible on an iPad. In the past two months, I bought more music that I have in the past year.
- Crashing. Is this just me? When I'm in certain apps, especially video apps or RSS readers, the iPad crashes. Many of these apps lose what I was reading, so I have to find it again. NOT COOL iPad.
- Typing. Do I need to say why this was horrible? I got better at the whole touch screen thing, but in the end it was still 60% of what I can do on a keyboard.
- Work. For my job, I have to work with HTML emails, and databases. I actually had to use an internet cafe one weekend to complete a set up. Yes, they still exist. I huddled in the back of a coffee shop using Windows 5, next to an very elderly man who has having someone read his email to him - out loud and loudly. Never again .
- The feeling of being "programmed to". I'm not quite sure what it was. The app based interface, the gated music, the lack of flash content. I couldn't update my website, play with tumblr layouts, try out fledgling social networks, or even write this blog post.
So last week the new MacBook came out. And I took the opportunity to jump back into what I consider the real world of computing.
I still love my iPad. It will come on vacation (movies on the plane!), to the gym (movies on a bike!), and sometimes even to work (movies in a meeting! j/k). The iPad is like a party dress - fun, sexy, perfect for certain occasions, but honestly it's not great to wear everyday. My laptop is my everyday pair of black jeans that is able to go with everything.
I'm back, and I have already made a non-ITunes playlist to commemorate my return to a fully functional internet! It feels like slipping on a pair of old jeans.
Agree? Disagree? Comment or tweet @ me!
Two months ago, my laptop blinked out of existence. Well, its hard drive did. Physically it was now a brick that the guy at the Apple store told me was "not covered under Apple Care". I guess "liquid damage" isn't considered a hardware defect. I truly hope someday they will make a waterproof MacBook. But until that day, I will keep my coffee far, far away from my glowing keyboard.
Anyway, I was out a laptop. My fiance and I share an iPad, which normally we use for travel and workouts. But now, it became my sole source of Internet at home. I embraced its mobility, and went crazy dowloading apps for all my normally frequented websites. Immediately, I noticed a few things:
- Single tasking. I am a multi-tasker due to either my evolved working style, or simply being a bit ADD. The "one app at a time" drove me CRAZY. I tried to see this an an opportunity to be bit more single-focused. But in reality, I ended up spending too much time in one place. For example, I would forget to check my email, and dive into Reddit for way too long. It was easy when all you see is one content source.
- Music is isolated. I download music. Not is a torrent-whole-albums type of way, but I love to look at music blogs and download their MP3's and remixes, pulling embedded content with add-ons into customized playlists. For all intents and purposes, this is impossible on an iPad. In the past two months, I bought more music that I have in the past year.
- Crashing. Is this just me? When I'm in certain apps, especially video apps or RSS readers, the iPad crashes. Many of these apps lose what I was reading, so I have to find it again. NOT COOL iPad.
- Typing. Do I need to say why this was horrible? I got better at the whole touch screen thing, but in the end it was still 60% of what I can do on a keyboard.
- Work. For my job, I have to work with HTML emails, and databases. I actually had to use an internet cafe one weekend to complete a set up. Yes, they still exist. I huddled in the back of a coffee shop using Windows 5, next to an very elderly man who has having someone read his email to him - out loud and loudly. Never again .
- The feeling of being "programmed to". I'm not quite sure what it was. The app based interface, the gated music, the lack of flash content. I couldn't update my website, play with tumblr layouts, try out fledgling social networks, or even write this blog post.
So last week the new MacBook came out. And I took the opportunity to jump back into what I consider the real world of computing.
I still love my iPad. It will come on vacation (movies on the plane!), to the gym (movies on a bike!), and sometimes even to work (movies in a meeting! j/k). The iPad is like a party dress - fun, sexy, perfect for certain occasions, but honestly it's not great to wear everyday. My laptop is my everyday pair of black jeans that is able to go with everything.
I'm back, and I have already made a non-ITunes playlist to commemorate my return to a fully functional internet! It feels like slipping on a pair of old jeans.
Agree? Disagree? Comment or tweet @ me!