Technology

My new lifestyle of commute-work-commute-eat-sleep has resulted in some significant changes in the technology I use and the way I use that technology.

The biggest change happened last summer, when we finally got those iPhones Peter (and I) have been coveting for so long. It has turned out to be a fantastic thing for me, since my job only allows a few minutes at a computer at a time, barely enough to read my work email, let alone personal email or any other kind or media. When I get home, I would rather talk with my husband and watch a movie together, than stare at my computer screen. Crazy, I know! So I end up reading Facebook, email and Twitter on the iPhone, and read what news and blogs I can on the computer at breakfast.

Being an AVID blog reader, this has been a challenge for me, but it has also been good to cull those over blogs that are productive and underperforming (for my interest). So I'm reading less overall, but more stuff that interests me.

Yesterday brought another change. Peter managed to talk me into more new technology, although I wasn't resisting too hard.

I am now blogging on his brand new iPad! We had talked about this when it was first announced, mainly as a tool for me with the long bus rides. On the iPhone, I can read my email very well, but it's a massive pain to try to type anything.

Typing this entry has maybe taken marginally longer than a regular keyboard, but I think people might be surprised at how easy it really is. Of course, I will have to check more closely for spelling errors, because sometimes it makes the most bizarre word changes!

So you MAY just see more blogging going on here, now that I have an easier way to do it during my extended free time on the bus (but no promises!). Peter is having me test his iPad out on the bus for him (I don't remember what exactly I'm going to test that he can't, but I'm not complaining!). If it changes my life the way the iPhone has, I will very likely be getting my own soon!

Happy teching!

New Family Member

Well, we did it. We took the plunge and brought home our new baby, my very own MacBook Pro. I should have taken unboxing pictures, but that seemed a littl ridiculous. At least, it did until I opened the box and saw what a marvel it was (of course. Apple seriously has the best packaging). It's updating right now, but I can't wait to play with it!

Grrr.... iMovie

You know I heart Apple. I really do. I didn't understand why everyone wasn't happy with the new iMovie. I mean, yes, it's a totally different format, but it makes some things so very much easier. And they FINALLY fixed the stupid issue with the Ken Burns effect that caused horrible zooming that made you feel seasick. Compensating for that wasn't fun and it's been an issue pretty much since the second version. My movies tend to mix stills and movies a fair bit, so I really want a functional Ken Burns. I was so excited to see how well the new version worked with stills, so I started dealing with all our Alaska movies and photos.

But. Big huge but. I quickly realized what all the complainers were complaining about. Most of the features I considered *basic* like being able to slow down a video or add a song to a specific part of my track, those were all gone. Yes, I could put together a movie quickly (if I could find the best video bits quickly), but it wouldn't be what I wanted. And I would probably get really frustrated trying to get it the way I wanted, without being able to. I was trying to think of ways to circumvent it all, and do what I wanted in each version (the older version is still on the computer) and then put them all together, but even if it was possible (and I don't think it is), it wouldn't be worth it. I would be happy if Apple just let me do the Ken Burns from iMovie 08 and everything else from iMovie HD. Or just put all the good stuff from the old versions into the new one. That'd be good too :-)

Typing Bliss

I really like typing on this little MacBook. Its keys are very fun and clicky. I've heard that the new iMac keyboards are similar. Yay!

Nothing very exciting to post, but I had a little free time and felt like writing (typing) so you get a post. I have five projects due in the next week, so I'm a little busy with schoolwork. Peter started his week before school prep stuff, so he started his day at 6:45 AM and didn't get home until almost 6. Phew! I guess summer really is over and the fall of our great stress begins.

New Toys Part Deux

I wasn't expecting it, but we got a new MacBook today. Peter starts school next week and really needs something he can bring to school and back to work on lesson plans and other fun teacherly things, and since his old-ass laptop has forgotten it is a laptop and requires being plugged in constantly, he gets a new one. And oh what a new one it is! The clicky-ness of the keyboard, the teeny little camera practically smiling at you, and how can we forget the luscious,
glowy Apple logo on the back? Mmmm... I have been promised a new iMac when Leopard comes out (thank God for student loans and Peter's amazing scholarship this year). This way we won't have to fight over computers and we will both have what we need for school and hobbies (i.e., my photography obsession).

Peter also got iWork, which always looked appealing to me, but didn't since worth it before since it didn't have an Excel replacement (just PowerPoint and Word-like programs). Apple has now introduced Numbers, so it now replaces everything we ever used Office for. I think Peter was sold on it when he opened up the spreadsheet app and saw not only a grade sheet template, but also a science lab template, complete with incredibly easy charts and graphs. Like, wow. You mean, you can just highlight a chart, click a button and you get exactly the kind of chart you wanted all along? And don't even have to go through a 15-step "wizard" that never seems to get it right anyway? And on top of that, it looks like some high-end design team drew it, rather than a cubicle-dwelling number cruncher? Sweet.

I've played a little bit with the new iLife '08 (which the Apple store said we'd probably have to pay $10 to get the DVD mailed to us, but was already in the box as a "drop-in"). So far, so goo, though it's hard to get a real idea of it, since I don't want to crap up Peter's computer with my gajillions of gigs of media. I'll wait for my iMac to do that. Plus, I really don't have time to do much more than a little playing with my classes now. In the next week and a half, I have 5 projects due for two classes. So fun!