iCloud was undoubtedly what tipped me over the edge to buy an iPad. It hadn’t launched and few technical details were available, but the idea of iCloud and Apple’s reputation for eminently usable technologies had me convinced that it was going to transform mobile computing. After a couple of months this reality has not manifested itself for me, but the potential is certainly there. There are many good points, there are gaps that have no solution yet (the bad) and there are those gaps for which inelegant solutions exist (the ugly). I’m going to reflect on these from my own point of view as a researcher whose needs are for a) manipulating text documents and b) a mobile library of PDF documents. More…
This song, in so many ways, encapsulates the vibe right now. Many people call it “mango madness” but it’s nowhere near hysterical enough to be a madness. It’s more subtle than that. You don’t quite realise it but the whole rhythm of the place slows down and becomes lethargic. Which is fine if you have nothing to do. In fact, the whole place can be quite calm with a feint din of activity as a reminder that life still exists. But, if the mind and body are required to be active then it will be like trying to run through knee-deep mud. At this time of year, it’s best to do the Mango Walk…
iCloud was undoubtedly what tipped me over the edge to buy an iPad. It hadn’t launched and few technical details were available, but the idea of iCloud and Apple’s reputation for eminently usable technologies had me convinced that it was going to transform mobile computing. After a couple of months this reality has not manifested itself for me, but the potential is certainly there. There are many good points, there are gaps that have no solution yet (the bad) and there are those gaps for which inelegant solutions exist (the ugly). I’m going to reflect on these from my own point of view as a researcher whose needs are for a) manipulating text documents and b) a mobile library of PDF documents. More…