THE COMPUTER, MOBILE PHONE AND TV VERSUS THE iPAD
Brenda Kellow
April 14, 2013
April 14, 2013
With so many people getting iPads and the new Kindles, one would think those of us who do not have
them are Neanderthals.
I have a very small netbook, or whatever those little things are called, and a Kindle DX for reading
books. Neither has the phone feature. The netbook is lightweight but the keyboard is so small I find it difficult to use, so I don’t. My husband uses it exclusively for church meetings. I know I could add a portable keyboard, but that adds weight and becomes one more item to carry. Is technology making me
lazy or what?
I am actually finding I can do research with only my iPhone on a research trip, so why carry anything else. This week I read an article in the May issue of Consumer Reports that explained what I have been thinking all along, they just said it so much better. The article said,“Tablets and iPads are good for consuming media. Computers and laptops are good for creating it.” This explains my feelings accurately. One electronic device for consuming media is enough for me. I watch movies on a big screen TV, not something so little I can hold it in my hand. The phone feature is only on the iPhone.
I also love my large Kindle and find the new ones with internet connection and all just an additional
electronic device with all the same features as my iPhone, sans phone. I only use the Kindle to read books. Should I break my old Kindle with E-Ink Pearl display, I probably would only replace it with the one with Paperwhite display. I would be losing the audio or Text-to-Speech feature in the one I have, but I
really would not need the additional features of other models. Today, many of our genealogy source books are available for the eBook. In addition, now many genealogy mysteries and the usual suspense novels are available for the eBook. I do not read books on my mobile phone although I could, but I do carry two directories on it because of the email addresses and phone numbers in them. I also carry my latest column in case someone has questions. Otherwise, I want to read from a larger device than my phone and I do not want to carry extra attachments for anything.
We are not Neanderthals. We just assess what we need for what we do. The desktop computer with a monitor for searching the internet and for writing is adequate. I do not need numerous expensive devices that perform the same multiple functions and many of you agree. The television is the perfect size for watching movies.
CONFEDERATE RECORDS FREE ON FOLD3: Search Fold3.com free all month for records on the 32 collections Confederate Civil War records covering more than 19 million records, some created during the Civil War. These include both Union and Confederate Compiled Service Records and Confederate Casualty Reports.
HOLIDAYS BRING MANY FREE SEARCHES ON SUBSCRIPTION SITES: Remember, readers, many subscription databases such as Ancestry and Fold3 will have military databases for free around July 4 and Labor Day/Presidents’ Day holidays. Begin now to start your research list to be ready when the free search
begins.
FREE SEMINAR ON WRITING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY: Saturday, April 20, 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.,
Genealogy Friends and David Coy will present a free seminar, Beyond Genealogy to Life Story: Approaches to Organizing and Creating Life Stories, Memoirs and Family History, in the Program Room at the W. O. Haggard, Jr. Library, 2501 Coit Road. Afterwards, join the group for lunch and visit with the
speaker. For additional information, please check the website at www.genealogyfriends.org. For questions, please call (972) 836-9436 or e-mail [email protected]. Genealogy Friends of Plano Libraries, Inc. is a non-profit organization certified under § 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue
Code.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy.
Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].
them are Neanderthals.
I have a very small netbook, or whatever those little things are called, and a Kindle DX for reading
books. Neither has the phone feature. The netbook is lightweight but the keyboard is so small I find it difficult to use, so I don’t. My husband uses it exclusively for church meetings. I know I could add a portable keyboard, but that adds weight and becomes one more item to carry. Is technology making me
lazy or what?
I am actually finding I can do research with only my iPhone on a research trip, so why carry anything else. This week I read an article in the May issue of Consumer Reports that explained what I have been thinking all along, they just said it so much better. The article said,“Tablets and iPads are good for consuming media. Computers and laptops are good for creating it.” This explains my feelings accurately. One electronic device for consuming media is enough for me. I watch movies on a big screen TV, not something so little I can hold it in my hand. The phone feature is only on the iPhone.
I also love my large Kindle and find the new ones with internet connection and all just an additional
electronic device with all the same features as my iPhone, sans phone. I only use the Kindle to read books. Should I break my old Kindle with E-Ink Pearl display, I probably would only replace it with the one with Paperwhite display. I would be losing the audio or Text-to-Speech feature in the one I have, but I
really would not need the additional features of other models. Today, many of our genealogy source books are available for the eBook. In addition, now many genealogy mysteries and the usual suspense novels are available for the eBook. I do not read books on my mobile phone although I could, but I do carry two directories on it because of the email addresses and phone numbers in them. I also carry my latest column in case someone has questions. Otherwise, I want to read from a larger device than my phone and I do not want to carry extra attachments for anything.
We are not Neanderthals. We just assess what we need for what we do. The desktop computer with a monitor for searching the internet and for writing is adequate. I do not need numerous expensive devices that perform the same multiple functions and many of you agree. The television is the perfect size for watching movies.
CONFEDERATE RECORDS FREE ON FOLD3: Search Fold3.com free all month for records on the 32 collections Confederate Civil War records covering more than 19 million records, some created during the Civil War. These include both Union and Confederate Compiled Service Records and Confederate Casualty Reports.
HOLIDAYS BRING MANY FREE SEARCHES ON SUBSCRIPTION SITES: Remember, readers, many subscription databases such as Ancestry and Fold3 will have military databases for free around July 4 and Labor Day/Presidents’ Day holidays. Begin now to start your research list to be ready when the free search
begins.
FREE SEMINAR ON WRITING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY: Saturday, April 20, 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.,
Genealogy Friends and David Coy will present a free seminar, Beyond Genealogy to Life Story: Approaches to Organizing and Creating Life Stories, Memoirs and Family History, in the Program Room at the W. O. Haggard, Jr. Library, 2501 Coit Road. Afterwards, join the group for lunch and visit with the
speaker. For additional information, please check the website at www.genealogyfriends.org. For questions, please call (972) 836-9436 or e-mail [email protected]. Genealogy Friends of Plano Libraries, Inc. is a non-profit organization certified under § 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue
Code.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy.
Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].
