The new Blackberry 7100, goes all conventional in looks, loosing the traditional thumb friendly keyboard for predictive text input. Reports seem positive however. Shared Spaces has more details. Another trend towards consumerization is at work here. What used to be a coporate essential is now going mainstream. Soon employees will...
Links and references to get you started with the concept: (also see Welcome! New Tablet PC User) Tablet PC Home Page @ Microsoft Tablet PC How-To Articles Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition: An Overview1 Narrated Tablet PC Presentation Resources for the Tablet PC Developer The MSDN site for Tablet...
I have recently given up my Blackberry for economic reasons, and spent the money I saved on an IPAQ which I convinced myself would be more, “life enhancing”, after a month I think I made the right decision but I do miss my Blackberry a lot and still feel it would add a lot of value to my work/home life if I still had it. A recent report brings the issue into clear focus:
Research In Motion has today published the results of a survey it commissioned with Ipsos Reid into the benefits of using BlackBerry handhelds. Among the report’s conclusions is the compelling statistic that employers recuperate on average 188 working hours a year, or more than a working month(*1) for every member of staff they provide with a BlackBerry handheld. Employees also benefit from the improved productivity enabled by BlackBerry, salvaging on average more than 108 hours a year in personal time. This is the equivalent to more than thirteen days extra holiday a year (*2).
A 2004 DTI survey highlighted that 87% of employees would like more time to spend with friends and family and that nearly four in ten adults (38%) between the ages of 35 …
I was seduced, (for the third time), into installing the Microsoft Outlook Domino Connecter for the following reasons:
I have tried it twice before, and had to give up both times, despite considerable effort. I kept telling myself the problems were to do with the sequence I did things, by interactions with mNotes, X1 etc, because I did not leave it alone – i.e. I tried to use it! Having tried again a few times these are some of the problems I have had:
I just posted about the tough decsion I had to make choosing between an IPAQ and a Blackberry. Maybe I should have waited for one of these!
I used to love my Blackberry – but this looks like a dream. The new Seimens SK65. Full blackberry functionality with a really innovative format, tri-band. Hopefully it has a decent task manager! For more details check out this web site.
In another post I am going to talk a bit about why I think multiple monitors are really important, but first I want to introduce you to my home office, so you can see my personal working practice in its full context. First things first:
So what does it all look like. First the nerve centre:
One large desk with three monitors and one keyboard and mouse
The Main display, a 19″ flat screen running @ 1280*1024. This is where I do all of my reading and writing. Its a fab display very bright and crystal clear. Its DVI connected to my main server, which runs Windows 2003 …
There is a flurry of debate in the blogs because Peter says, I Still like the tablet. But I am all out of love, well I have a story to tell about Tablet love as well.
I got my first Tablet, a HP TC1100, in January and it was love at first sight, I just took to the slate format and at the time forgave the terrible keyboard, (although it didn’t take me long to remember my old IBM keyboard with increasing longing). I wrote all about my early experiences in my tablet blog. Well my circumstances changed and I found myself working mostly from home so the mobility benefits I was getting from the tablet reduced and I started to look at the platform more objectively. These are some of the conclusions that I came to, but I think it’s a pretty personal view so don’t expect any conclusions that I draw to apply to you.
The Tablet didn’t work for me when I was mainly deskbound:
I used to have an IPAQ years ago and despite using it a lot in the beginning I gradually stopped using it mainly for the following reasons:
Then along came a Blackberry which I instantly fell in love with, I have talked about my love affair with my Blackberry before in my gadget blog. However I recently started working from home and the subscription costs to the Blackberry service no longer seemed worthwhile so I decided that I would take that money and invest it in something that was a higher priority, I decided I would try a traditional Palm or Pocket PC PDA again.
The process of choosing is a classic example of the tyranny of too much choice.
My experience went something …
This is a short article that I wrote for the occupational therapist who works with one of my daughters who has Raynauds and Scleroderma.
There are a variety of different types of technology assistance that would benefit Jennifer in an educational setting. My perception is that a range of techniques will be required that reflect the unpredictable nature of her symptoms and the variety of different tasks that she needs to perform. There is no magic bullet solution that meets all of her needs.
Writing
When Jennifer has to write for extended periods there are a number of issues that need to be considered:
1. Her ability to dictate in a fluent fashion is limited at this age
2. Her hands get cold
3. Her hands get tired
4. Sometimes the movement/dexterity of her hands is limited
What solution options are available in addition to traditional pen and paper?
1. Voice recognition
2. Hand writing recognition
3. Simple gesture recognition
4. Different types of keyboard
5. text substitution
Each option is considered in brief below:
Voice recognition
Voice recognition is …