Tablets May Increase Productivity And Concentration

This is just my opinion but I like to share it with you. I've been using the iPad for awhile now, since it went on sale. Waited early in line for it too. And when I am on it, I couldn't have been more productive. Yeah, even more productive with some tasks than on my MacBook.

I write, study, read, and, on a few occasions, draw. When the need arises, I surf the web, Bing out searches, and check on tweets. On a regular computer, there is quite a bit that can distract you. IM, video, emails, and whatever bells and whistles that one might install on there.

With a tablet, there is multitasking but the screen is only filled with the app and nothing else. Push notification might come through to let me know I've got to harvest my broccoli on We Rule but I van easily dismiss that. The same goes for incoming mails and instant messages. Get rid of the pop-up message and I get right back to what I was working on.

On the G1 and iPhone, I hack out a blog entry or two when I wait in line at post offices or supermarket checkouts. A few times, I also dictated notes and emails, allow me to maximize my time where as before, I would just waste away pockets of 10 or 15 minutes of time away staring at the back of the head of the person in front of me or lamented why I am always stuck in the slowest line ever.

Still, working on smartphones is nothing like working on the iPad or on the future on tablets with the hardware-software combo.

A couple if reasons why this is so. First, Apps are usually designed for single-purpose functions. Writing. Reading. Surfing. Searching. Gaming.

The other reason is real estate. Tablets have bigger screens. For me, It mean more production. Smaller screens such as those on the iPhone, while it doesn't mean apps are limited in what they can do, does hinder the workflow.

Even when I am gaming, it is nothing else but that. On a mobile device, you can be distracted by a call and depending on how popular you are, it can be quite frequent.

Of course, this is on the iPad and future tablets based on Android, RIM, or WebOS might be very much different. LG promises tablet that'll allow users to be more productive than the iPad. I think it is a rather bold statement and I love to see LG carry that though. Competition is great, especially for us mobile warriors.

However, I am not optimistic. Carriers and some Apple competitors have the idea that more is better. And I am not sure that is what we want on tablets. Take Sense from HTC. It is a nice skin but it can be distracting. It works well on smart devices but it may not fit well with an agenda-driven tablet market. And LG's idea of productivity may not yield the desired effects.

In general, tablets should be the tools that most students and mobile warriors roll as they become more power and versatile.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch

Internet Withdrawal

Yesterday, I altered my T-Mobile wireless data plan: now, I am without data on my G1, iPhone, or my upcoming Sony Equinox. I have done away with wireless data completely. Why?

I find that I am too connected. At work, home, Stabucks, and bookstores. Not to mentioned between stops at intersections and anywhere that doesn't readily offer free wireless broadband. However, today, it was different. This afternoon, I went to a supermarket deli area for continuing work on my iPhone development. There was no Internet access there. But that was fine as I was able to get considerable amount if work done.

But then I went to my cousin's house for dinner. While he has wifi access, I didn't want to ask (he would have seen it as begging since he detests anything Apple), I held off on it.

It was problematic, not because I could not check my emails or tweet my about my withdrawal but I had a few missed calls that went directly to my Google Voice voicemail. The only solution was to call the missing numbers back but a couple of them I wanted to screen possible voice messages first.

And truly, there was discomfort. It was not so bad that I was going mad but it was like a really bad itch that I couldn't get rid of.

When I finally arrived home, within the range of my wifi network, the chime of mail beeped from my iDevices and I instantly fired up the mail app as soon as I put my car into park on the driveway.

You know what it felt like? Like I was coming up for air after holding my breath for along time underwater.

Okay, you might think me pathetic or exaggerating this ordeal. Okay, perhaps a bit. But the feeling of disconnect certainly was there.

Hoe long can I last with this experiment? I don't know. I am very good at adapting. And the reason I wanted to do this was I was afraid the constant connectivity was preventing from stopping now and then to "smell the flowers". I saw my nephew appreciate his new Wii. Had I had Internet access, I might have missed much of it.

I think this is for the best. Should a greater need require that I have wireless Internet access at all time, I can always get it back.

I'll continue to update my wireless-less experiment as well as my iPhone development experience. Hopefully, both endeavors will turn out well and fruitful.

Note: I was offered an option to being back my data at a considerable discount. But even with this enticement, I will try to hold out longer. Not only that, I was even offered for free a brand new Android device for being such a long and loyal customer. Yeah, I passed on that too.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch

First App Went Okay

My first app went okay. This is my first attempt at creating an iPhone app.

However, as you can see i have ran into a problem.




Anyway, I am currently trying to work around it. I've dedicated the day for just this. I am very excited about the plethora of fart apps I can contribute to the App Store.


update: this is due to an instance of the app already running in the iPhone simulator. So all I had to do was to quit or delete the previous build of app in the simulator. Thanks to Dave the mobile warrior for bring this up to my attention.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch

Completely On Mobile

A couple of days ago, I said I would go completely mobile for all of my computing needs except specific needs such as working on the iOS SDK or working on my personal site, Greenjava.

There have been no emails, searches, Netflix or even downloading iTunes U class lectures. All RSS updates, blog entries have been through the G1, iPod touch, or the iPad.

Even this blog entry is done without the support of my MacBook. And if I really want to, I can edit video clips I took using the mobile iMovie app.

So far, it's been going quite well. I am concerned about battery life from time to time. I make sure all my mobile devices have their batteries charged to 100% and with three devices (sometimes four), it isn't a big concern as it might be if I had only a G1 or my iPod touch with me.

One mobile activity that I have decided to give up is checking into various locations on Foursquare or Yelp. It is a personal choice rather than an inducement created by my decision to use only my devices for my computing and Internet needs. I just don't see any benefit yet. And I quit Facebook about a month ago.

Anyway, I'll report back from time to time when I discover some neat new experience or if I decide to give up this experiment.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch

App Writing Progress

A while back, I said I was going to try to learn how write an app for the iPhone. Now, to start with, the last program I wrote was in Pascal back in high school.

I have managed to read the first chapters of a couple of books but I am not going to get into which books yet because I don't know at this time which book is better. So I took another route. I decided to base my education on the video provided by Stanford's iPhone development program.

I've watched the first couple of lessons while I was working out. I am going to have to go through some parts here and there but I think I am well on my way.

I've dedicated tomorrow to put in some time for this. Hopefully, I'll be able to get something going soon.


-- Post From My iPad

Tablets To Replace 50% of laptop market?

Best Buy reportedly said that stores with iPads for sale has managed to cannibalized up to 50% of notebook sales and even managed to impact tv sales as well.

The iPad is pretty awesome as a device regardless which mobile platform you prefer and, soon enough, WebOs, Android, and even Windows 7 tablets will flood the market in 2011.

I think with all these tablets to choose from, I think I can boldly predict tablets will take about 50% of all notebook sales in 2011 and much after that.

But there will always be a market for laptops just as there will always be users who only need a regular cell phone without all the bells and whistles of an iPhone or Blackberry.

Plus, laptops are more functional than tablets and will remain so for a long time.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch

Why No iOS 4 Goodies For iPad Until November

I had assumed when the iPhone 4 was introduced, we would see iOS 4 for the iPad as well. When that didn't happen, I chuckled to myself and said well, it's gotta be in September when Apple refreshed the iPod line.

Obviously, that didn't happen and now we are forced to wait until November for iPad to get up to speed with the rest of the iOS devices.

And now, we are hearing Apple giving developers the beta version of iOS 4.2 a long with some sought after features like wireless printing.

But I wonder if there might be other interesting features that Apple failed to mention and instead decided to wait until all is baked. And why give away too much when it is locked in an epic battle with Google's Android and soon Windows Phone 7?

This isn't just wishful thinking on my part to rationalize the two months wait. Apple is telling folks they have to use the latest unreleased Mac OS beta as well. I don't know what that means but iOS users with Macs might get a leg up on those without it.

We'll see in November.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch