After the drop in the stock market yesterday you probably think I am going to recommend staying away from stocks. And although we may all stop looking at the value of our stock investments after this last week I have seen something that made me feel there is a company that is doing just fine.
I have always tried to be an “early adopter” of new technology when it came to computers and applications. I have been Skyping for a couple of years, got a Gmail account when they first came out and went to digital cameras when they only had 3.2 mega pixels. Got a computer from Radio Shack when you had to program you own programs and save data to a tape cassette. But for some reason I still have never purchased a smart phone. Somehow I have always resented the amount I send to Verizon every month and the thought of sending them more money has made me hold back. But I have had “smart phone envy” for a long time. When I sit in an airport and see everyone checking their emails on their phones I feel behind the times. Especially when I see teenagers with their own smart phones. Now I am noticing that many of the people at meetings have IPads. Am I the only one still stuck with an out of date laptop?
So recently I decided to get with the program and look at joining the smart phone crowd. But the dilemma now is to I start with a smart phone first or go with an Ipad? I know most people will say I need both because they have different uses but I don’t want to shell out the money for both.
So off I go to the Apple store in the Columbia Mall to see which I want to purchase and to play around with both. This is what led me to the conclusion about buying a certain stock. As I approached the store I was amazed at the number of people in the store. There must have been a dozen store assistants each helping groups of shoppers. It looked like the last shopping day before Christmas except it was July. No “one on one” help here. Except for myself and one or two others everyone looked high school or college age. I hung around for about 15 minutes thinking maybe things would thin out and I could get to talk with one of the store personnel but it only got worse.
So all of you ought there---should I start with a smart phone or an IPad?
P.S.
Have an hour or two to give a ride to a senior citizen? Think about being a Neighbor Ride volunteer. Their orientation for new volunteers is Thursday, August 11 · 7:30am - 9:30am
Location
Neighbor Ride
8950 Route 108, #115
Columbia, MD 21045
P.S. 2
Best reason to eat up
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/02/news/la-heb--dieting-brain-cells-20110802
5 comments:
I've had an iPhone for almost 2 years and haven't gotten an iPad yet. My work doesn't call for me to sit in many meetings, though, so for me an iPad would be a strictly personal-use thing.
To me, the smart phone - especially its mapping ability - has become an essential tool. On road trips, or even just finding alternate ways around traffic, it's invaluable. I'm not a big phone-talker or texter, but the phone makes it very simple to keep track of all my contacts and get in touch with them quickly. Even without all the bells and whistles, to me a smartphone would come first!
You might want to check out the nook color, too! I love mine. You can surf the web and check your email where there is free wi-fi. (Which is getting more and more freqent!) You don't have to pay those pricey monthly fees to Verizon and (best of all) you can access the ebooks from the library. You may find you'll enjoy your book and your extra $600 bucks a year far more than the opportunity to read email at BWI. :)
P.S. Typing this on my nook!
I am really glad you posted the information. I had been trying to find out if the Nook and the Kindle had this capability. I had heard that they did have this capability to check email. Do they also allow you to download apps?
There are actually two separate decisions you have to make: form factor, and connectivity.
Form factor: If you primarily see yourself using a device when you're sitting or lying down (e.g., reading in bed, sitting in a doctor's office, etc.) then consider the iPad. If you would primarily use it when standing up (e.g., standing in line at the grocery store) you'd probably be much more comfortable with the iPhone/iPod Touch form factor. However... reading stuff on the iPhone can be problematic if your eyesight isn't that good, so definitely check that out.
Connectivity: If you'll primarily be using the device at home or someplace that has usable wifi (e.g., Starbucks, the library) then you should consider an iPod Touch (same form factor as an iPhone, but no phone capability) or a regular iPad. If you'll frequently be using the device on the road where there's no wifi (e.g., when you're the passenger in a car, or you're at places without wifi) then consider the iPhone or the iPad with 3G connectivity.
I myself value the small form factor, and I like having information access anywhere, so I went with an iPhone. However an iPhone voice+data plan (really, any smartphone cellular plan) is pretty pricy (you can easily go over $100/month), and if I couldn't count it as a business expense (it's my only phone) then I don't know if I could justify the cost.
There are apps for the nook, but much more limited than the apple products. Also, not all nooks surf the web, some just connect to wifi to download books. The nook color does surf the web and allow you to access your email.
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