40 replies to this topic

[Adrian K]

IPAD2 was launched in US, not too long after IPAD...
I was wondering how good is IPAD2, and any thoughts you can share regarding this product. Do you think is it necessary to buy one?

Will you get something like this?

[Ameya P]

adrian kohsf, on 13 March 2011 - 10:20 PM, said:

IPAD2 was launched in US, not too long after IPAD...
I was wondering how good is IPAD2, and any thoughts you can share regarding this product. Do you think is it necessary to buy one?

Will you get something like this?

Adrian,

Your PI doesn't have money.... You need a thermal cycler first...

This is all 'maya' Adrian. Its the world of 'illusion'. These are materialistic needs.
Din't music exist before, the iPod was invented... There is never a 'necessity' to buy these things.

Buying food is necessary, drinking water is necessary, iPAD is not....  

ok, enough of serious talk...    I think its a good device. But depends on what you are planning to use it for. Also, I am a huge fan of Samsung Products, so would suggest having a look at their Galaxy Tab as well.... should be cheaper than the iPAD.

[Adrian K]

gt_ameya, on 13 March 2011 - 11:20 PM, said:

Adrian,

Your PI doesn't have money.... You need a thermal cycler first...

This is all 'maya' Adrian. Its the world of 'illusion'. These are materialistic needs.
Din't music exist before, the iPod was invented... There is never a 'necessity' to buy these things.

Buying food is necessary, drinking water is necessary, iPAD is not....  

ok, enough of serious talk...    I think its a good device. But depends on what you are planning to use it for. Also, I am a huge fan of Samsung Products, so would suggest having a look at their Galaxy Tab as well.... should be cheaper than the iPAD.

I need a thermal cycler first...yaya...
Buying food is necessary, but iPAD is not.. yeah... I wonder this time whether Japanese will cheap sale their panasonic tablet for food... but in terms of economic trend, they will not and they will increase price instead.
In Malaysia, the selling price for Galaxy Tab is around RM2000 @ USD650... haiz...

Is another "Maya" for me after all...

[pito]

Whats an iPAD? Is it something you use in the lab? Never heard of it.

Or are you talking about that computerthingie?
(not that I know something about it)

[casandra]

pito, on 14 March 2011 - 06:17 AM, said:

Whats an iPAD? Is it something you use in the lab? Never heard of it.

Or are you talking about that computerthingie?
(not that I know something about it)

...I may be a techidiot but at least I've seen/touched one of these....and yup, it's one of those tablet computer thingie from Prickly Pear.....

and Adrian, if you have the resources (and want to drown in the sea of excessive consumption ), go and get yourself one but only you would know if you really need one and if it's worth to get one...and we should have more discussion on this "Maya" thing, Ameya...

[pito]

casandra, on 14 March 2011 - 06:31 AM, said:

pito, on 14 March 2011 - 06:17 AM, said:

Whats an iPAD? Is it something you use in the lab? Never heard of it.

Or are you talking about that computerthingie?
(not that I know something about it)

...I may be a techidiot but at least I've seen/touched one of these....and yup, it's one of those tablet computer thingie from Prickly Pear.....

and Adrian, if you have the resources (and want to drown in the sea of excessive consumption ), go and get yourself one but only you would know if you really need one and if it's worth to get one...and we should have more discussion on this "Maya" thing, Ameya...

They lost me when the cd-players came out. The last "techthing" I owned was a portable casette player.

I cant imagine you need such a iPAD for work or that your boss (company) would buy those things..
If you pay it yourself,ok, but expecting your company or boss would?

[Adrian K]

casandra, on 14 March 2011 - 06:31 AM, said:

...I may be a techidiot but at least I've seen/touched one of these....and yup, it's one of those tablet computer thingie from Prickly Pear.....

and Adrian, if you have the resources (and want to drown in the sea of excessive consumption ), go and get yourself one but only you would know if you really need one and if it's worth to get one...and we should have more discussion on this "Maya" thing, Ameya...

Exactly Casandra, I was wondering if there is any user here and how iPAD helps to transform their life into... more meaningful? more productive? How? with the exception of become poorer for few hundreds of USD...
I would very interest to know if any of the biologist geeks here own one of this...

Hmn... it seems that many ppl who managed to make such a "maya" into reality...

pito, on 14 March 2011 - 06:37 AM, said:

They lost me when the cd-players came out. The last "techthing" I owned was a portable casette player.

I cant imagine you need such a iPAD for work or that your boss (company) would buy those things..
If you pay it yourself,ok, but expecting your company or boss would?

LOLx pito, portable cassette player was something almost 20 years back?  you seems don't or never own a cellphone, do you?    
Perhaps I am proud of myself using my SE w800 for 5 years, still using though.
I don't think my PI will get those for me, and I will not buy it either unless it is proven tremendously useful or convenient for myself.
But then, I should find money to feed myself first.  

[pito]

I really cant imagine how an iPAD would help you?
Really.. Its  nothing more then a screen that you can use to read a newspaper/book on or do some simple math? Whats the point?
Now I know you are speaking of this iPAD thingie.. I can tell you that the only people I have seen with it are total geeks that use it to read the newspaper on the bus or play idiotic games on it.. I have not yet found anyone that used it for a nice thing..
(I mean,  reading the paper, ok, thats not that bad.. but buying for such a thing? Or reading a book...? oh well, everyone his pleasure I suppose? I thinks its a waste of money).

And I can understand that pc techs might need it for their job, but other people? To me its just a fancy cellphone.
BTW: what are you thinking of using it for? I mean: you think about buying it, but for what? To read a paper? To textmessage your friends...?
You must for sure have some idea why you might need it?


Well to be true about that cellphone.. I have one.. somewhere, collecting dust...
(dont even recall where I left it)

[Adrian K]

Hmn, I'm not sure whether iPAD is capable in doing such but:

• access to bioforum everywhere without the need to carry laptop
  
• write down my notes without notebook
  
• save my lab protocols and experimental information on the spot
  
• Presentation in seminars
  
• writing papers or reading papers
  
• primer design
  
• blast
  
• Access to Genbank, uniprot
  
• Chat with pito, casey, ameya and others  

hmn...on second thought, I think a laptop suits better for such case...

Does it really functions like a cellphone?  

But then, seriously, I don't have the money to own one. Just interested to know how others would think about such tablet computer, of course, in a molecular biologist perspective.

[Ameya P]

To be honest Adrian ( and with all respect to Apple users), I think Apple products are meant for two age groups, below 10 and above 50. I have used a MacBook and you dont even have to remember where you put the files... Its all just there...and the search does everything for you. It does not even challenge your brain. Plus there is no joy of RIGHT clicking.

Imagine the fun with windows.
My Computer> D: > Documents> Important > More important files> PDFs> paper 1 (close)> paper 2 (close) back back

My Computer> D: > Documents> Important > Read these> Papers > Good papers > PDFs> Art of Hu Gen (close) > Nuc Acds Res (close)>   (Damn where did i keep it?????)  

Probably its on some other drive (back back back back)

My Computer> F: > Downloads > Later > Papers > Biotechniques 1 (close) >   Lets play Age of Empires for  while     



Three hours later, where is the paper I wanted  


You see my point, there is no challenge for the brain.... and Apple takes away your impulsiveness....

[Ameya P]

• access to bioforum everywhere without the need to carry laptop    
  
  --> Yes, but do you have Free wi-fi networks  
  
  
  
• write down my notes without notebook
  
  --> Shouldn't you have a University lab book???
  
  
• save my lab protocols and experimental information on the spot
  -->PI:  You are irritating me Adrian, where is your lab book?????
  
  
• Presentation in seminars
  -->  Good point. The cool presenter with the iPAD  
  
  
• writing papers or reading papers
  --> I'm not sure, if the iPAD comes with something that allows you to write, edit, cite and save... (unlikely)
  
  
• primer design
  
• blast
  
• Access to Genbank, uniprot
  --> You are just saying it to increase the number of reasons  
  
  
• Chat with pito, casey, ameya and others  
  --> Now you come to the point,  lets have a vote
  
  Ameya : Aye

[pito]

So if I understand it right: an iPAD is just a small laptop with wich you can also call on a computer network (I just asked someone and he told me you cant use it as a regular phone, it has to be on a computernetwerk).

So really, whats the point of buying this? Buy some cheap small laptop ? Those minilaptops, arent they cheaper?

Besides: do you really need to acces this forum at any given time or write down stuff all the time?

How well, if you think it will make you happy.. go ahead, save some bucks and spend them on this iPAD thingie.. But I would rather spend my money on something nice.

I think an iPAD is again an example of "something you need to have as a computer geek" , esp. a mac geek.

I really still dont understand the concept of having a big cellphone that you can use to do all tons of shit with, but you cant figure out how to phone or text with it..
(and yes, some people benefit from it and need it, but really 90% of the people I see running with it.. they better spend some money on schoolbooks or whatever)


About the presentation in seminars? Dont they have laptops for that? I do wonder if such an iPAD can even handle such a presentation? Or that you would be able to plug it into the projector? I mean: its a mac product.. not all companies have all the needed software I suppose?

+ its small.. you really want to write a paper on such small screen? It will only hurt your eyes.. And writing: I checked an image of it.. it seems weird to use as a "typemachine"... brrr

Oh well, evyerone has his own opinion. But mine is simple: waste of money.
(but maybe I am not the right person to tell you this.. I used to have a laptop that was 8 years old and my deskcomputer is maybe 10 years old and I can only do 2 things with my cell phone: call and text message.. and its black and white... and I still dont remember where I placed it)

Edited by pito, 15 March 2011 - 12:58 AM.

[Adrian K]

Quote

[*]write down my notes without notebook
--> Shouldn't you have a University lab book???

No, we was not provided but I do keep one.

Quote

[*]save my lab protocols and experimental information on the spot
-->PI:  You are irritating me Adrian, where is your lab book?????

Sorry for the irritation, I do have a lab book but that is not for me to write down my experimental details: my lab book is like a diary and personal scheduler which states what I do that day, or future planning. My yahoo mail is my "lab book", I will type out what I did and send to my own email account.

Quote

[*]Presentation in seminars
-->  Good point. The cool presenter with the iPAD  

Quote

[*]writing papers or reading papers
--> I'm not sure, if the iPAD comes with something that allows you to write, edit, cite and save... (unlikely)

You are right, there is no EndNote for iPAD....

Quote

[*]primer design
[*]blast
[*]Access to Genbank, uniprot
--> You are just saying it to increase the number of reasons  

I used my friend's net book 2 weeks ago and helped him design some primers. He just told me that his PCR is working... I wonder if iPAD can do the same... I never use it so I don't really know....  

Quote

[*]Chat with pito, casey, ameya and others  
--> Now you come to the point,  lets have a vote

Ameya : Aye

Hahahaha.... I'm not buying it anyway, I don't have the money to buy either.
Just interested to know how you guys think...

[Adrian K]

pito, on 15 March 2011 - 12:52 AM, said:

So if I understand it right: an iPAD is just a small laptop with wich you can also call on a computer network (I just asked someone and he told me you cant use it as a regular phone, it has to be on a computernetwerk).

So really, whats the point of buying this? Buy some cheap small laptop ? Those minilaptops, arent they cheaper?

Over here, it is more or less the same price, maybe ~RM400-500 @ USD100 differences.

Quote

Besides: do you really need to acces this forum at any given time or write down stuff all the time?

Hmn... makes sense...

Quote

How well, if you think it will make you happy.. go ahead, save some bucks and spend them on this iPAD thingie.. But I would rather spend my money on something nice.

Haha, I might save money to get iPAD4 in the future, if I'm interested.

Quote

I think an iPAD is again an example of "something you need to have as a computer geek" , esp. a mac geek.

I really still dont understand the concept of having a big cellphone that you can use to do all tons of shit with, but you cant figure out how to phone or text with it..
(and yes, some people benefit from it and need it, but really 90% of the people I see running with it.. they better spend some money on schoolbooks or whatever)

I see your point. Agree.

Quote

About the presentation in seminars? Dont they have laptops for that? I do wonder if such an iPAD can even handle such a presentation? Or that you would be able to plug it into the projector? I mean: its a mac product.. not all companies have all the needed software I suppose?

I never thought about the software compatibility... thanks for pointing it out.

Quote

+ its small.. you really want to write a paper on such small screen? It will only hurt your eyes.. And writing: I checked an image of it.. it seems weird to use as a "typemachine"... brrr

thumbs up

Quote

Oh well, evyerone has his own opinion. But mine is simple: waste of money.
(but maybe I am not the right person to tell you this.. I used to have a laptop that was 8 years old and my deskcomputer is maybe 10 years old and I can only do 2 things with my cell phone: call and text message.. and its black and white... and I still dont remember where I placed it)

It is quite interesting to myself that I found somebody who do not use cell phone nowadays. How would your family members/boss/colleagues contact you in case there is emergency?

[pito]

adrian kohsf, on 15 March 2011 - 04:16 AM, said:

It is quite interesting to myself that I found somebody who do not use cell phone nowadays. How would your family members/boss/colleagues contact you in case there is emergency?

If I am at work: they will find me... I mean... I am there, at the office, at the lab... I check my emails often..

At home: I dont see why they need to call me during the evening? If the lab is on fire for ex. , what can I do about it? I mean: emergency? I am not from the firedepartement or a doctor that has to save someones life..

And about being there for familymembers: yeah, thats the only reason I have a cellphone, so that my mother or brothers or dad could phone me in case of an emergency, but even then: they can call my neighbours who still have a "fixed" phone line.. (I dont even have that...) if I dont reply... And also (maybe thats also why I dont need a cellphone, I live nearby, me parents house is maybe 5km away) so they can easly come to my place if needed.


A cellphone (to me) seems only interesting if you are the one in need to make a phone call (eg you are hiking and broke your foot , you can call an ambulance or family to come and get you.. but the other way around its often not really needed...)


A cellphone is nice, it can help... but plz... people overact with it.. they find excuses for it that are not true...

And yes: some professions need a cellphone, but hell, most just dont...

And dont get me wrong: I have one, but I just dont use it often.. And people know that, if they really need to tell me something, they will just email me or send me a text (I try to check my cellphone each night once).