Many years ago a customer of mine had a requirement to browse internal file servers via their blackberry device. At the time we went with galty explorer. Over a long time it seemed to serve them well. Now, that product is gone and I am looking at alternatives. Does anyone know a similar product they recommend?
And I didn’t queue and get one. After a very early start, I popped by the Apple store on the way home (to pick up an iPad for a friend) and saw a queue which, for Belfast market standards, was stupendously long. The O2 store nearby also had a massive queue and people on the back were being told by staff “You’ve got no chance mate”.
I’m in no rush to be honest. The iPad is keeping me quite happy.
This is my first post from the iPad. So far, me likey! The on screen keyboard takes some getting used to, but the interface is just so natural, you know where to click before you look at the instructions.
So far.
Mail
Traveler (works a treat)
iBooks
Imdb
Twitterific
The mail interface is just fantastic by the way. It puts the mail.app interface (let alone others) to shame
I can see many hours used with this device. And tomorrow i have an ILUG presentation to give in Belfast city. Keynote on the iPad will be used!
The 64Gb 3G iPad is here, finally. Syncing with iPhoto/iTunes. Any recommendations on iPad apps now?
From my inbox (blogged with permission)
Just to show that some people actually listen to what you say in your
lectures: I am at (US Govt agency in Washington) and one of the
admins pulls out a printed copy of you Adminblast from LS09 . . . “This is
what we need to get done!”You are famous!
Victor
Ps: I shot it down and explained to all of them how full of shit you
usually are and that most of what you write is created in a state of heavy
inebriation . . . I’m just too honest to let things like that slide
Victor Toal
Chief Solutions Architect
Toalsystems Consulting
Disclaimer 1: Tom Duff and Marie Scott are online buddies of mine. Both of them are considered experts in their field.
Disclaimer 2: I have been sent a draft of one chapter of this book, as it’s not released yet
Disclaimer 3: No puppies were harmed in the making of this book (as far as I am aware)
For the past number of months, Marie and Tom have been beavering away working on an “end user guide” for the Sametime client. This is based around version 8.02 and includes the user’s perspective on the mobile client, unified telephony and the Sametime advanced features. Over the weekend, Duffbert fired me over a chapter and asked if I could review it.
The chapter I have read is “Managing your connections: How to make the most of your Sametime contacts”
Contents:
• How to add and remove people from your Contact list.
• How to understand the different types of directory entries you might
encounter.
• How to create nicknames for the people on your Contact list.
• How to categorize your contacts into different groups.
• How to sort your contacts and groups.
• How to manage groups and contacts between different types of Sametime clients.
• How “type-ahead” works on your Contact list.
• How to display a contact’s business card.
• How to manage your online presence when you’re on Sametime. • How to create group chats between three or more contacts.
Over the next 30 pages, the chapter goes step by step on these features above, taking you through each one. Basing the walkthroughs on different personae (George has no contacts, Susan has many contacts etc.) and how they would interact in the real world the book attempts to use pictures, diagrams, scenarios and explanations to give you knowledge of each feature.
This book looks good. Very good. On the negative, it does mention LDAP at one point, and very (very) lightly defines it. I think it shouldn’t as the user doesn’t give a crap what LDAP is. That also goes for the client software btw – who cares what LDAP is.
Other then that, it gives you a complete understanding of these features, written in a manner that users will understand and appreciate. Hell, I learned a couple of tricks reading this chapter. It also makes you want to use these features. It’s like a sales book for the product! This book has the making of a fantastic manual. Let me rephrase that. A fantastic, user focused book orientated at an IBM product that I think people will actually enjoy.
… Yep, you just had to go back and read that last sentence again, didn’t you. From what I have seen of this book already, this not only teaches, it sells the product. Teaching is all about selling. If you “sell” the product to the person they will want to use it and enjoy it. You sell something by making it look easy and useful. This book looks like it will sell very well.
Credit to both authors. Very well done so far.
The 10.6.4 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Snow Leopard. It includes Safari 5 and general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac, including fixes that:
For detailed information on this update, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4150.
For information on the security content of this update, please visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.
One of the most heartfelt, honest, damming, unarguable posts I have read in many years. Jon has managed to say what many others have tried to say, just so much better.
Grab a beverage and read this.
