Apple

Why I’m NOT getting an iPad 2!

Posted by beyond438 on Mar 11, 2011 in Apple, ClickHOST, Technology | 3 comments

Yes, today, March 11th, 2011, is launch day for Apple’s new iPad, the iPad 2.

I pre-ordered the iPad 1 and eagerly awaited the Fedex guy to deliver my oversized iPhone. I’ve loved using my iPad since them, HOWEVER, I’m NOT getting the new one. Don’t get me wrong it is another magical device and how can I go against David Pogue of the NY Times and CNet.Guess what, I’m actually going in the other direction. I officially handed over my iPad 1, 64GB to my wife and she loves it! I have a big screen iMac for work, however I need a device that can travel with me. So, I’ve done lots of thinking and research and I’m opting for the 11″ MacBook Air.

 

 

Surprised, here are my reasons:

1. I need a real keyboard. The keyboard on the iPad is great, but it takes up half the screen. You also cannot rest your figures on the keyboard. I also don’t want to lug around a wireless keyboard. MacBookAir: 1, iPad: 0.
2. I want (not need) a very small and light device to carry with me. MacBookAir: 1, iPad: 1.
3. It must be cool. MacBookAir: 1, iPad: 1.
4. I use logmein for my hosting business, ClickHOST.com. I need access to my servers and cloud-based software and yes, you can do it with the iPad, but I found it cumbersome. Logmein on the MacBook Air is as if you are working on your desktop computer. Although a much smaller version :-). MacBookAir: 1, iPad: 0.5.
5. I need to see 2 windows at one time. MacBookAir: 1, iPad: 0.
6. I don’t want the device to be a barrier when I’m meeting somebody. The iPad is awesome in this regard, and a full laptop is bad. The MBA 11″ is a good compromise. MacBookAir: 0.5, iPad: 1.
7. The iPad has an awesome battery, over 10 hours. That should last you a day. I’ve really enjoyed NOT having to carry a charger with me. The MacBook Air’s battery is ok at 5 hours. It should get me thru most of my day. MacBookAir: 0.5, iPad: 2.
8. Backup for my iMac. I can also quickly connect my USB backup drive to my MacBookAir if my iMac had a problem. MacBookAir: 1, iPad: 0.
9. Streaming movies, access to my favorite websites, iTunes, etc: MacBookAir: 1, iPad: 1.
10. Instant on/off. MacBookAir: 1, iPad: 1.
11. Not having to clean the screen — priceless!

In summary: I’m getting a 11″ MacBookAir and my wife’s getting the iPad.PS: My son is buying his own iPad 2 today. He sold his iPad 1 yesterday.Question: What do you think? Did I make the right decision?

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Best iPhone App ever – Consulting Rate Calculator

Posted by beyond438 on Oct 28, 2010 in Apple, Business, Technology | 2 comments

OK, I’m bias. I’m so excited about this that I’m giving away 2 $10 iTunes vouchers. See below.I spent most of my professional career calculating margins on consulting rates, including doing conversions between different currencies, calculating hourly, daily and monthly rates. Well, now I have a handy little iPhone App, called Consulting Rate Calculator that can do all this for me and more. Here is a screen shot:

There are 2 versions: A 2-buck version that you can find here, and a and a free or lite version that you can find here. Here is the description from the App Store: Consulting Rate Calculator enables you to quickly and easily calculate your hourly, daily, weekly and monthly rates and profit. The app offers an intuitive and simple interface with the ability to view, edit, save and email your rate sheets. Switch currencies with ease or updating any charge out rate or cost rate cell in the sheet to assist in determining the optimal rate structure for your next project.Key Features:>> Hourly, daily, weekly and monthly values all editable and visible in a single sheet.>> Multiple currencies with selectable base and comparable currencies (Limited currencies available in lite version).>> Exchange rates updated in realtime.>> Save rate sheets for later viewing/editing (Full version only).>> E-mail rate sheets in CSV format (Full version only).>> Configurable hours per day, week and month.Usage Examples:1. A consulting manager can save his/her team’s rates for quick lookup. Quickly lookup a consultant’s rate structure when getting a call at the airport for a specific position.2. The manager of a multinational consulting firm can enter the charge out rate in GBP and the cost rate in USD to review the profit of a US-based consultant working in the UK.The guys at Cobi Interactive in Cape Town, South Africa did an awesome job with these apps. They develop mobile apps for almost any mobile device, including: iPhone, iPad, Android, Nokia, Blackberry, Samsung Galaxy Tab, etc. Post a comment and I’ll put you in touch with them.

Give-away

I have 2 iTunes $10 vouchers to give away. Here’s how it will work. Download the app, write a review on the AppStore and re-post that review in the comments below (including your email address as the contributor) and I will pick 2 random posts** and email you the $10 iTunes voucher.

**Small print: I need at least 20 reviews to make the math work. I’m sure you’ll understand.

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iPad is the new Apple killer device…

Posted by beyond438 on Jan 27, 2010 in Apple, Entrepreneurship, Technology | 0 comments

It’s official it’s the Apple iPad. See Engadget’s live blogging. Here’s a picture one of this first official pictures:

I want one!!!

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The network IS the computer!

Posted by beyond438 on Dec 15, 2009 in Apple, Technology | 2 comments

Sun Computer’s vision is: “The Network is the Computer“, well I think this is finally starting to take shape in the form of cloud computing. Bandwidth, even at speeds approaching 30MBps, is still orders of magnitude slower than main memory. However, I love the netbook-type (or webbook) computer that a company called, Litl, recently launched. The machine is a thing of beauty and follows in Apple’s design footsteps. Simple UI, easy to use, and does what it’s made for very well! I think it looks a litl 🙂 like the OLPC laptop.

Here is a Youtube video by the CEO, John Chuang.

I think that litl has a head start on Google. Google’s own Web operating system is called, Google Chrome OS, and with GCO on a netbook the netbook will immediately launch the Google Chrome browser with all your data stored in the cloud. Very similar to the litl’s approach to software.

Here are some other write ups on litl: ABC Technology&Science, Engadget, and Wired.

OSNews preview.

Very interesting stuff. Would you buy a litl netbook? At $699, it’s a bit pricey for me.

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Really cool designs

Posted by beyond438 on Jan 30, 2009 in Apple | 0 comments

One reason that I’m a fan of Apple products is that they really think about design, even the internals of their products. The recent unibody MacBooks are great example.

Here is another cool design from tayasui.Yanko Design’s blog contains numerous beautiful designs, including this one:Do you have any interesting design websites?

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I’m back in the SAP HCM world as a ROC

Posted by beyond438 on Aug 13, 2008 in Apple, Business, HCM, SAP, South Africa | 0 comments

Update: January 1, 2009 – I’m not with ROC anymore.First off, I apologize for the lengthy silence. I’ve been busy! As of July 1, I’m the CEO of ROC Americas, Inc. and a board member of ROC Global. ROC’s vision is to be THE Global SAP HCM specialist, and after just 7 weeks with ROC I believe that we’ll get there…soon…very soon.Since I’ve joined, the ROC world has grown to include South Africa, France and obviously now the US. ROC is a company with a vision, a world class management team, and the ability to move very quickly. Great stuff!I’ll write more soon…

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