You might have noticed a bit more “creative spelling” than usual at the blog this week. A bit of explanation is perhaps in order. I decided to try traveling with my iPad rather than my laptop, trying to reduce the weight and bulk of my luggage, especially since I am carrying a significant amount of photo equipment. In most ways this is working out quite well – I can handle most email and web work with its virtual keyboard, and it really is great to be able to use such a small device.
But about that “keyboard?” the iPad has an on-screen “virtual keyboard” that pops up on the screen when you need to type. Unfortunately it provides exactly no tactile feedback. The software attempts to compensate by “interpreting” my error-filled typing and automatically replacing gibberish with actual words. But not always the most appropriate actual words. For example, in one post my attempt to type “other” resulted in the word “mother” appearing in the text!
What about using the iPad to review and post-process photographs? That will br the subject of a later post, I think. For now I’ll just say that it is possible… but less than idea. I did magneto do some very basic editing of a few photos that I posted elsewhere, but the real work will wait until I’m back at my desktop computer.
( Just for fun, I left an iPad-ism in that last paragraph – did you “manage to” find it?)
G Dan Mitchell Photography
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Jim, I thought about that and may still give in for certain purposes. However, it sort of defeats the goal of compact size, light weight, and simplicity to having to start carrying add-ons. I’m leaning towards using the iPad for those times when my main needs are browsing and light email, the laptop when I have to do extensive typing or run Photoshop on the rod… and my desktop for serious photo work.
Dan
i definitely recommend getting a portable collapsing keyboard. Will make a huge difference. I use a bluetooth keyboard on it when at home. Works perfectly. Otherwise I’m more of a hen pecking typist on it.
Dan,
It definitely is a different experience using the iPad for typing! Due to its proximity to the space bar, the letter “m” tends to find its way into my typing much more frequently than it should, often making for some interesting interpretations. The question becomes… can I overlook (or become accustomed to) the challenges of the new virtual keyboard enough to outweigh the many things I love about using the iPad? I love the portability it offers, and the intuitiveness of the user experience is absolutely game-changing for me. Right now I still need an alternative for some heavy lifting tasks such as photo processing, but who knows… we are definitely seeing the immediate future of the computer user interface, and my guess is that we will see it become leveraged to improve the way we attack even those tasks that traditionally require a more robust device. And then along comes the next technological advancement…
Typed on my real computer, so there should not be an inordinate number of m’s : )
David