Just joined the 21st Century

[Gene Howe]

Our sons gave us a Kindle fire HDX and Fire TV stick for Christmas.
It's a wondrous toy, for sure. I'm still discovering all the neat things it can do.
While messing with it, I found that You Tube has the full set of Sketchup for Woodworkers tutorials. Now I can set up the Kindle and watch while working on the computer. Much handier, plus I can fling it over to the TV if I need to see it in a larger format.
I think I'll even take it to the shop for other You Tube stuff.
It's a bright new world out there.

[Ed in Tampa]

I just purchased an Apple IPAD and for Christmas my daughter got me Apple TV.

I fought the IPAD tooth and nail for about a week. I was bound and determined I was going to return it within the 14 days. But somewhere in the second week of wrestling with the thing it won. I gave up and learned to go with the flow.

I now love it and and since having it my time on the computer has dropped dramatically.

For reading mail and forums it is unbeatable. Posting long posts can get wearisome but in light of my long posts most of you will agree that could be a good thing

I also found out that my cable provider supplies me an app that allows me to watch TV on it with no need of a cablebox.

If you ever use an app you will agree that is the way to go. Just click the app and it takes care of what ever the app was designed to do. You don't need extensions, add ons, different drivers, different settings or anything. Just click and go.

[JPG]

Let us know how easily you program it yourself!

[Gene Howe]

Ed, Get back to the computer with a real keyboard when you post! I like your long posts.

[Ed in Tampa]

Let us know how easily you program it yourself!

Why program a tablet? With millions of apps surely you can find one that will do what you want. Most are free or the cost so low that it would not be worth the time to cobble a new program.

I suspect in a few years because of the tablets and apps personal computers will evolve into what most people want, information/entertainment source that requires no knowledge of computers to maintain and use.

And yes there will be those that demand something they can tinker with, something they can program, something they can play around with. But most users aren't those people. Most users want info so they can make informed decisions, solve problems, and invent things we haven't even yet imagined.

[JPG]

Let us know how easily you program it yourself!

Why program a tablet? With millions of apps surely you can find one that will do what you want. Most are free or the cost so low that it would not be worth the time to cobble a new program.

I suspect in a few years because of the tablets and apps personal computers will evolve into what most people want, information/entertainment source that requires no knowledge of computers to maintain and use.

And yes there will be those that demand something they can tinker with, something they can program, something they can play around with. But most users aren't those people. Most users want info so they can make informed decisions, solve problems, and invent things we haven't even yet imagined.

I know, I know that I be out of the mainstream and consider a 'tablet' to be a something other than a programmable computer. From one stuck in the past programmer to another, I just had to ask.

Yes there are some(quite few I imagine) like me who still write software in decades old languages. Thank God for DOSbox!!!!

[charlese]

Oh MY JPG! Out of the Mainstream? Wow! You better jump into using an I-phone or tablet in order to understand what the rest of us are doing!

[Ed in Tampa]

Seriously I never thought I would ever say this but since getting this tablet i'm seeing less and less need for a computer. Right now the only thing I can see is if you had to input a large text, or an abnormally large spreadsheet.

For checking the mail, reading forums, surfing the Internet a tablet more than fills the bill.

If you don't own one you owe to yourself to check it out. Plus since there is no fan, no air vents tablets are fantastic for in the workshop.

[JPG]

Seriously I never thought I would ever say this but since getting this tablet i'm seeing less and less need for a computer. Right now the only thing I can see is if you had to input a large text, or an abnormally large spreadsheet.

For checking the mail, reading forums, surfing the Internet a tablet more than fills the bill.

If you don't own one you owe to yourself to check it out. Plus since there is no fan, no air vents tablets are fantastic for in the workshop.

Maybe some day(never say never!), but I hate screens with finger prints all over it.

[garys]

I've never done any computer programming and I have no interest in doing it now. But, I've never been a mainstream computer user either. I refuse to "fit" into the little box that Microsoft and Apple expect you to fit into, so about 15 years ago I switched to Linux to have the freedom to do computing my way. I could never go back to any Microsoft or Apple product or software, be it a computer, phone, or tablet.

One of these days, I might find a use for a tablet, but be assured it won't have any Microsoft or Apple software on it. Until then, I'll stay on my computer.