First iPad App Getting Close
I think I'm weeks away now from submitting my first app to Apple. It's been a long time coming, but with the discovery of Xamarin Monotouch - which gives me the ability to develop using C#.net (and .net libraries), development has advanced in leaps and bounds. I hope to share news of App Store submission, and (gulp) approval, in the not too distant future...
Hello Notes Plus 3.0, Goodbye Samsung Slate?
Hello Notes Plus 3.0, Goodbye Samsung Slate?
Ok, this may be a little premature, but I am
seriously considering ditching my Samsung Series
7
Slate & going back to the iPod. And here's my rationale:
Original reason for dissatisfaction with iPod:
-Inking / stylus experience was poor (using Tagus
stylus)
-Handwriting recognition post-writing was substandard (Phat pad).
-Unavailability of OneNote (with true thing on the
Dad...
As a result, I was dissatisfied with i Pad as a
handwriting solution, and picked up the first decent
Windows Slate on the market. The Slate had the following advantages and disadvantages:
° Full One Note available on Windows
. True digitiser 1 pen experience with fine
level of control.
• Excellent handwriting to text conversion, during
and after time of actual handwriting input.
Disadvantages
° fess intuitive tablet experience
° Larger, heavier device
° Not fully solid-state (fan, heat, noise).
So, the Slate addressed the issues I found with
the Dad, but also introduced some new frustrations.
Once I started facing issues with the Slate, I decided to
borow back my iPod (which my eldest daughter had
happily adopted for awhile. I also decided to try
a different stylus, as I had begun to suspect that
at least some of my issues were related to the stylus
itself.
The first thing I noticed, was that the new (Geho
brand) combo pen-stylus was much more effective
on the i Pad Much less pressure required, and much
fewer strokes missed, While still less accurate than
an active digitiser + pen, this does make the i Pad
much more useable,
The real (& unexpected) improvement though,
came in the form of a major version upgrade to my
favourite note-taking app, Notes Plus. Most
importantly, Notes Plus has now added (via
an in-app purchase) a VERY effective handwriting
to text conversion. What amazed me is just how
effective and accurate it is-even with my cursive
scrawl. Compare with the un-edited conversion
below here to judge for yourself.
The final improvement which has occurred since my
last attempt with the Dad, is that there is now a
Microsoft OneNote app for the iPod. While I wish it
did real inking, I think a combination of Notes Plus
for authoring, and OneNote for filing, could be
very effective-Time will tell-Ill let you know.
Samsung Win 7 Slate + OneNote
Just thought I'd let the Blogosphere, Twitterverse and Facebook-whatever know that my new Samsung Series 7 Slate Video is currently uploading. (I'll post the link when it's available - > link is now available here: http://youtu.be/IhprcxfGAso)
One complaint to @Samsung - "iPad" has 2 syllables in one word, and everyone knows what it is and who makes it. Even the GalaxyTab manages 4 syllables, and good brand recognition. "Samsung Series 7 Slate" - seven (hard to say) syllables, and almost no one recognizes the product... Hard work needed Samsung to refine the image, the message (and perhaps the product name?).
Thanks to some constructive feedback both online and at home, this new video is shorter, with greater focus on the device and the software (OneNote).
I hope you like it, and keep the feedback / requests coming. David.
Kindle vs iPad as a Book Reader
A friend asked my this morning if I'd recommend a Kindle to someone who owns an iPad, but who doesn't enjoy reading books on the iPad.
I have the luxury of owning both devices, and I can say that, while the iPad is an amazing multi-functional piece of technology, the Kindle is MUCH better as a book reader (once u get used to the fact it's not touch screen!).
There's less distraction (no temptation for a quick game of Angry Birds), and the screen is much more 'paper like' in terms of contrast. Get the case with the built in reading light - the screen itself is not back-lit, which also makes it more like a book, and it's easier on your eyes (and it actually works great in full sunlight). Apparently back-lit LCD screens are more likely to affect your sleep too - the Kindle doesn't have that problem... So have I sold it to you yet?
Learning XCode iPad Development
I have a confession to make - I bought a copy of iPad Application Development for Dummies. I've worked through the first worked example, and honestly, it was a pretty good intro. The resulting App itself is not something anyone would buy (or even download for free, although, who knows...) from the App store, but it was a good intro to the basics.
Before getting into the larger worked example in the second half of the book, however, I have gotten a little distracted by ambitions of wanting to make the whole thing more Agile... so off I went looking for information on Unit Testing, Test Driven Development, and Automated Documentation Generation.
Turns out Unit Testing is built into XCode. I have found a few articles to help me with configuring my first unit test... so far so good. I also found one article on Test Driven Development, but I haven't gotten to try that one yet.
As far as automated documentation generation goes, Doxygen turns out to provide pretty much everything I could wish for on that front, and seems to do a very nice job of it. There are various output options for the documentation. I'm using HTML for now - as a newbie to Objective-C and XCode, this automated documentation generation is proving quite useful in finding my way around.
Anyway, I shall continue being a Dummy for now, and will work through the rest of the book. Beyond that, I have my eye on a book by Deitel & Deitel (& Deitel) - iPhone for Programmers - An App Driven Approach). I remember enjoying their book on Java during my time at University, so I expect I would enjoy this book also, and they have a good approach to learning, which certainly goes beyond the Dummies paradigm.
It’s Been Awhile…
It's been awhile since I posted an honest-to-goodness Blog post here. Sorry about that. I toyed with having my Twitter updates post as Blog entries... well, there's obviously a reason why Tweets are Tweets and Blogs are Blogs... so, that feature has now been mercifully laid to rest.
I just thought it was updating on two recent discoveries / developments:
TinaIsOverIt - Icarus' burned wings...
I came across a new Blog by a colleague of mine - TinaIsOverIt. Tina's reflections mirror a lot of my own thinking on work-life-balance, purpose and productivity, which is all the more pertinent as Tina represents Gen Y, while I myself sit happily (and tiredly) in the Gen X bracket.
Like Icarus, there is a huge temptation to put life (people, family, enjoyment and fulfilment) on hold to soar early to giddy heights in our careers and finances, only to find our wings have melted in the sun, as we plummet to disaster. It is a common temptation to us all, and one to be overcome on the path to establishing a truly meaningful and purposeful life. I continue myself to strive for the 40 hour work week (the "4 hour work week" sounds great, but not within my grasp just yet I think), to let weekends be weekends, and to be willing to pay the price if my commitment is seen to be below that of others. I think in the end, I'll be able to look back and say that I committed myself to the right things, in the right balance... I like to see my kids and wife each evening, and I count it a blessing that I am usually able to do so.
Anyway - Tina writes honestly and well, and I think you'll find some encouragement there if you are also struggling with some of these issues.
MacBook and iPad Programming
The second item on my list, and in keeping with my balance between personal productivity and Techie-Geek interests, is a note that I have recently purchased my first ever MacBook (which I am currently using to write this article). So why have I gone down this path? Well, as a means to an end really - I want to get into programming iPad apps, and there is really only one platform on which you can effectively do this, and that is (of course) the Mac OsX platform. So far I have just been rote-learning, following through a book on the topic. I hope soon, however, tho begin construction on one or more of the first apps of my own. I'll hopefully provide updates here on how that is going on a bit more regular basis. Oh - I don't currently actually own an iPad, that's another interim goal I'll have to achieve somewhere in the not too distant future...
Apple's new iPad
OfficePod - New Meaning to "Work from Home"
Oh yes, in case I haven't already mentioned this here, I have come across a product which I think would look great in my back yard, especially with my Mac, and a Nespresso coffee machine in it.... the OfficePod. I can see this marvellous structure reducing my daily commute to about 30 seconds... I just need to sell the first 100,000 or so iPad apps, and that should then be workable 
OfficePod - an office in the garden?
MobileNoter – OneNote on iPad
The good folk over at MobileNoter have responded to a query of mine to advise me that inking is on it's way to a version of MobileNoter in the near future.
MobileNoter is the iPhone (and now iPad) app which allows you to sync (via WiFi or cloud) and view OneNote Notebooks on your iPhone/iPad. Up until now you have also been able to create a Quicknote on your Apple device for syncing back to your PC, but no inking.
Handwriting has been available in various forms through other apps, mostly with ability to export as an image, which can then be stored in OneNote.
True inking in MobileNoter would bring the product much closer to the level of functionality available in the desktop product. It'll fill the niche nicely until Microsoft come to the party. Roll on MobileNoter v2.0!
iPhone OS 4.0 announced
Steve Jobs today announced iPhone OS v4.0. You can find a summary of the inclusions here: http://bit.ly/cX1sxW Among a few major announcements (multi-tasking support), were some arguably less central, but nonetheless very interesting details, such as support for Bluetooth keyboards - something I have personally been wanting to see for a long time.
Another small detail with a big impact on some users, is the inclusion of a character count in the SMS app - something which can make a big difference to those paying a per message fee.
All in all, it's sounding like a useful upgrade.
Tablets, iPads, Couriers etc etc
Like a lot of (Geekish) people, I was keenly awaiting the launch of the i-[insert favourite name fo the latest slate-like Apple device]. Then the iPad (strike one just for the name) was announced and demonstrated. While many media pundits seemed to be happy to re-hash the Apple press-release material (category-defining, magical, game-changing), many actual users of precursor devices seeemed to breathe a collective sigh of disappointment at the Apple offering.
Does the world need a 10" iPod touch? Quite possibly not. No, no even with the 3G option. My 3G iPad-mini (aka iPhone 3Gs) seems to fill most of that niche quite nicely.
What is my personal ideal device in this area? Well, I'd have to say I believe I have seen a demo video of it, and it is called the Microsoft Courier - a twin 7" screen "Booklet" form factor device with custom user interface (possibly sitting on top of a version of Windows 7). The "demo video" may be pure animation - the product may yest prove to be vapourware, but Microsoft claims otherwise.
The reason I think the Courier is revolutionary, and on-the-money - at least from my perspective, is that it works the way people do - something Apple usually excels in, but seems to have under-delivered on this time around.
I have been a long time user of the Franklin Covey planning system in paper form. I keep my notes, schedule, to-do, calendar and many other things (photos, misssion statement etc) in that binder.
A year or two ago, however, I experimented with using a Fujitsu p1610 Lifebook touchscreen tablet PC as an alternative. The thing that made this even slightly feasible - Microsoft OneNote. For those that use OneNote, they will tell you there literally is no other comparable product on the market. It is the closest product I have seen to a "works the way people do" product in electronic form.
If Microsoft have taken the lessons learned from OneNote, and created an integrated hardware and software device around those lessons, then that is a product I would be interested in checking out.
My hope is that it would not be too heavily locked down and specialised. I would want it to also be able to edit Office documents, and run Freemind mindmapping software (and other useful Windows utilities) without a complete rewrite of the applications.
And the price point? Well, I would find it hard to believe it achievable, but I think this was one place where Apple did get it right. A US$500 starting price seems about right if the device is to usurp the ubiquitous Netbook, and keep the iPad at bay.
Now, I wonder if Mr Balmer might like to send me a demo model to check out? I'd be only too happy to provide constructive feedback
Pages
- About David Nimmo
- Agile Methodology
- Articles
- Coaching Resources
- Downloads
- Effectiveness
- iPad Stuff (mainly iPad App Development)
- Useful Links
app
Apple
Apps
article
AwesomeNote
Balance
blog
Book
Business Analysis
case
cloud
Coaching
Courier
Development
DocsToGo
Effectiveness
Guest
handwriting
ink
inking
iPad
iPad 2
iPhone
iTunes
iWork
keynote
Life
MacBook
meeting
Microsoft
MobileNoter
OneNote
Organiser
Paperless
Penultimate
Planner
requirements
Samsung
slate
Tablet
TDD
Test Driven Development
Windows
WorkLife
Writing Adventure (1)
Apple (11)
Apps (16)
Business Analysis (1)
Cases (1)
Coaching (1)
Effectiveness (8)
Handwriting (9)
interview (1)
iPad (20)
Kindle (1)
Life (7)
Paperless (21)
Peripherals (1)
Planning (5)
Programming (3)
SciFi (1)
Technology (13)
Twitter (26)
Uncategorized (19)
WorkLife Balance (3)
Writing (2)
WP Cumulus Flash tag cloud by Roy Tanck and Luke Morton requires Flash Player 9 or better.
Blogroll
Other Links
Archives
- March 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- August 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- November 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009