This month I am passing on my review of the Apple IPAD which will shortly be available for sale in Ireland. I had the opportunity to get hands on and close up to an ipad recently when an American visitor very kindly let me look at his Ipad while visiting Ireland. At the bottom of this post you will find links to see online demos and reviews of the device.
Overview
Many of you will have seen or heard of the iphone and while this particular phone has not become popular in Ireland it is very popular in the U.S. and Europe. The IPAD, while not a phone expands on the capabilities of the iphone to give you a device which is capable of fulfilling many of the computing requirements of the average computer user. I’m not an Apple advocate but in this case I have to say I love this device and its ease of use. The IPAD is not a replacement for those of you who are heavy computer users and ideally this device should be coupled with a desktop or laptop machine. What it can do, it does extremely well and indeed some of the features are truly amazing and revolutionary.
Hands on
The ipad measures about the size of an a4 notepad and weights in at around 1.5 pounds. The core of the device is its touch sensitive screen which is a joy to use. Browsing the web is a breeze and when you need a keyboard you can bring up an onscreen keyboard to enter text. The device boots and shuts down quickly and easily and the screen can be flipped and the display will automatically adjust the page. The resolution is excellent and viewing your photos will be a pleasure on this device. Pricing has yet to be announced for Ireland but I expect it will be this more so that the actual device which will prevent the device becoming commonplace. At least one company will ship the base device from the UK but it will cost you $655.95 which is not cheap.
The Cons
The Ipad is not a full computer per se in the traditional sense as it lacks both a cd/dvd drive and usb ports. Thus the only way to get information on or off the device is via the apple connector or Apples istore. If you are looking to download or store large quantities of data or for that matter write your thesis this is not the device for you. On the other hand if you are looking for a lightweight touch screen internet enabled device you should take a look at the IPad.
Links
Apple's own demo ->http://www.apple.com/ipad/
Engadget Comprehensive Review - > http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/03/apple-ipad-review/
YouTube Features Review - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFbhzlTnoL0&feature=related
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Backing Up Your Data – Part 3
June's Article dealt with the backup devices available to you. If you missed the article you can read it and all back articles online at here.
I've been remiss in posting the online versions of these articles but should be caught up shortly.
Backup Devices
As recommended in my previous article the ideal solution for backup is an external hard disk and if possible a NAS version. This is only part of the solution as the most common problem I come across is that people fail to use the drive correctly or worse still put the backup process on the long finger. Even more startling is the amount of computer owners who never bother to backup.
Here are the three simple rules for choosing an external backup drive.
Rule #1. Choose a drive that has sufficient capacity to backup your entire system easily. Thus if you have a 100 gigabyte hard disk you should purchase a drive with a minimum capacity of 250 gigabytes.
Rule #2. Choose a quality brand. There is little point purchasing a cheap device that may fail when you need it most. Don’t skimp on your backup!
Rule #3. Install the drive and backup! Seems obvious but I know from experience that people simply do not backup their data. Set aside an hour, turn off your mobile, turn off the tv, make yourself a cup of tea and backup your drive.
Backup Software
Depending on the operating system you are using your pc may or may not come with backup software installed. You can use either the built-in software or use the software that came with your external drive. If you are unsure seek professional advice in setting up and using your backup device.
Backup And Recovery Strategy
You should maintain several backups of your information on your external drive. I recommend at a minimum you backup once a month and maintain at least three months of backups. Once you have backed up your data have a competent technician check that your backups are valid and that you are indeed backing up all of your data. If you use Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express you need to ensure that the mail files are included in the backup process.
Common Mistake With Backup Drives
There is one caveat with regard to using any external hard drive and this relates to how you use the drive. Do not use your external backup drive to store ANY information other than your backup files. The reason for this is simple. Any information stored on your external drive is never backed up and when it fails you will lose whatever was stored on there.
I've been remiss in posting the online versions of these articles but should be caught up shortly.
Backup Devices
As recommended in my previous article the ideal solution for backup is an external hard disk and if possible a NAS version. This is only part of the solution as the most common problem I come across is that people fail to use the drive correctly or worse still put the backup process on the long finger. Even more startling is the amount of computer owners who never bother to backup.
Here are the three simple rules for choosing an external backup drive.
Rule #1. Choose a drive that has sufficient capacity to backup your entire system easily. Thus if you have a 100 gigabyte hard disk you should purchase a drive with a minimum capacity of 250 gigabytes.
Rule #2. Choose a quality brand. There is little point purchasing a cheap device that may fail when you need it most. Don’t skimp on your backup!
Rule #3. Install the drive and backup! Seems obvious but I know from experience that people simply do not backup their data. Set aside an hour, turn off your mobile, turn off the tv, make yourself a cup of tea and backup your drive.
Backup Software
Depending on the operating system you are using your pc may or may not come with backup software installed. You can use either the built-in software or use the software that came with your external drive. If you are unsure seek professional advice in setting up and using your backup device.
Backup And Recovery Strategy
You should maintain several backups of your information on your external drive. I recommend at a minimum you backup once a month and maintain at least three months of backups. Once you have backed up your data have a competent technician check that your backups are valid and that you are indeed backing up all of your data. If you use Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express you need to ensure that the mail files are included in the backup process.
Common Mistake With Backup Drives
There is one caveat with regard to using any external hard drive and this relates to how you use the drive. Do not use your external backup drive to store ANY information other than your backup files. The reason for this is simple. Any information stored on your external drive is never backed up and when it fails you will lose whatever was stored on there.
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