You Can Take It With You
Portable computing is finally, truly portable, says Tech Crunch reporter John Biggs. Read:
Ignoring the odd gaming laptop fanatics, portable devices in general came in two sizes: big enough to hurt you while racing for your flight and big enough to replace your boat anchor in a pinch and they were very expensive. This also reduced the desire in the average user to buy a powerful laptop and led us to the dark period known as the netbook revolution when laptop owners, seeing these amazingly thin yet underpowered devices, thought they could get something done with them. Sadly, the confluence of power, usability, and cloud interconnection only just really meshed recently. Except for the underpowered netbook, there was nothing that you could carry that could get most of your work done with minimal fuss.
Now, however, we’ve entered an interesting period in portability. Devices that were once too underpowered to be useful – namely tablets and cellphones – are becoming true assets and because most work is now on the cloud, we can get away with only carrying a tablet to a sales meeting. This doesn’t mean that devices like the iPad and the Galaxy Tab can replace a full laptop. However, they can act as word processors, presentation editors, and spreadsheet noodling devices in a pinch.
This is exactly right. My iPad has, for almost every use, replaced my aging white plastic MacBook. Serious work I do on my desktop machine, unless I’m on the road. In that case, I bring the iPad, it’s tiny power adapter, and a near-weightless Bluetooth keyboard. The keyboard and adapter go in my luggage, since a fully-charged iPad will keep me working (and entertained) all the way to London or Tokyo.
It gets better. My iPad usually lives in a little leather case with enough slots for credits cards and travel documents. So unless I’m going on a quickie overnight trip, that little leather case and its contents are now my only carry-on items.
Ever made your way through a busy airport, carrying nothing more than that? Open the case to show the terminal security officer your ID and boarding pass. Toss it into a gray plastic x-ray bin along with your shoes and jacket. Whip the Amex out of it to pay for in-flight cocktails. The only cables you carry are the ones attached to your earbuds.
It’s liberating. And, as Biggs says, truly portable.
The new Rage game shows that it’s pretty amazing what can be done for gaming on an iPhone / iPad with high-quality code.
Not only that, but at two bucks, how do you say no?
Frankly, if you’re willing to buy just one more drink, you can probably dispense with the iPad altogether. Three single-serve bottles of Dewars or Tanqueray (depending on season and mood)is only $21. And you won’t even mind getting felt up by airport security!
I recently broke the cardinal rule against buying oneself a serious toy in November: I now own an iPod Touch, which can do everything an iPhone 4 can do “except make phone calls” — although with a VoIP app and a wi-fi connection it can also do that. What it really can’t do that an iPhone can, is connect via 3G, and take flash photos.
My current AT&T contract ends in May. My last new phone has been prone to opening its browser and trying to download and install stuff without my knowledge, because the big button on the front of the phone can’t be re-purposed to something else. Despite my consideration of BackBerry, Android and even Windows Phone 7, I will be getting an iPhone.
Until then, this iPod does all the stuff I tried to do with that stupid Eee netbook I had last year, plus makes phone calls and takes pictures (albeit without a flash).
If I could get a couple of applications that I need for my law practice ported to the iPad or a similar Android tablet, I’d be set. I’m currently waiting to see what the tablet market gives us in early 2011 before I buy.
Oh, that and to see what devastation is wrought when Steve Jobs’ ego escapes its extra-dimensional prison and returns to Earth.