No update on the LINUX Netbook. Well, that is not entirely true, there is an update, only it's "no update". Hopefully before the end of the week.
I also wanted to give an update on my quest for a Power Point replacement. I Tweet every week when this blog entry is made. Last week was no exception. Well, hats off to SlideRocket. They were listening and offered to fix my import issues. Great customer service always deserves mention. I will let you know the outcome as soon as I get it. Thanks again @SlideRocket.
Finally because of the lack of progress on either of the two fronts above, I want to take a moment to list three things I love about my Netbook.
1. It is small enough. Small and weighs very little. At the end of the day it does not feel like a chore to grab it to take home with me. I used to loath carrying the full size laptop. It is heavy, it is big, and I often just left it where it was. My Netbook has become as automatic as the keys to my car. On the airplane it is a dream, room for it and the warm nuts when I am luck to get an upgrade!
2. It is large enough. Once I get it home I can accomplish real work. It has now become my go to computer. Before I simply put off whatever it was I thought of, or tried to accomplish it with my mobile phone, but the Netbook has changed all that. When a thought hits me, I pop it open, hit the on button and in just a few seconds I am online working with close to full size keyboard and a real life browser that parses AJAX and runs FLEX!
3. The battery life is more than sufficient to have meaningful work sessions. I have about 4 hours worth. Dell calls it three, but if I stay away from videos, (harder to do than you think), I can work for 3 hours and 25 minutes before I start getting battery warnings. The new model will have a 6 hour battery, I can't imagine working that long without a break. But more importantly I have yet to run out on a plane trip.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Slideless
This week has been full of distractions. The Yankees are on a skid, the events in Iran have me glued in front of Twitter and to top it off we are now into the stretch of Texas weather that makes one want to do as little as possible, its in the 100's everyday now and will be for the next few weeks. At any rate I am a little tardy with my post, sorry.
Besides being late I do not have a lot of news. The new Softless Netbook loaded with Ubuntu is in back order hell somewhere so we are in a holding pattern with those updates.
On the replacement for PowerPoint quest there has been a lot of traveling but not a lot of getting anywhere. I am at the point where lowering my expectations may be in order. So far I have tried four different packages. None of them have really met what I would call replacement level capabilities. Maybe they work so good that I am missing something. My basic requirement is to be able to convert an existing PPT and have it run with little modification. I have not found that. I think my definition of basic is probably a little skewed. Most of my presentations have at least some animations, even if it is simple slide transitions, none of the packages, strike that, none of the services I have tried thus far have made it through this process without some problems.
I hesitate to list the services just because I am not complete with my evals, but I suppose if I limit my comments to my importing experiences that is fair.
As I mentioned last week Google Presentation was first. As I also mentioned, it has its issues in some areas, and importing a PPT file is not different. I am not sure why, but it can import a simple slide deck with no animations, and it comes in completely formatted. But add just one animation and the same slide that formatted correctly is now jumbled with letters and graphics over written. No animation at all, but this is a limitation of Google Presentation as a whole, not just the import feature. I am still not impressed with Googles effort here.
280Slides was a waste of my time. I logged on, I tried to import, the service never came back. I tried again, same results. Third time was the point where I closed Firefox and moved on. Maybe I caught them on a bad day.
Empressr. I have to say that what did import came in formatted correctly. But the problem here was some things simply did not come over. I am not sure where they are, but I lost several pictures and text blocks. There was nothing exceptional about them, in fact other slides with similar items came across fine. The quality of the import was pretty good except for the losses. Animations of the slide transitions were created by Empressr, OK, but I didn't ask for them. None of the text or picture animations made it in the import, I think this is also a limitation of Empressor, at least the trial version I have.
SlideRocket was my fourth try. While the import did not work exactly right it was the closest by far. The problem came with the order of animations, some of my text "appears" were out of order. The text that I wanted to "appear" first actually "appeared" last in some cases. Sometimes the animation happened in reverse, in other words, all my text showed up, then as the animation ran it "disappeared". I think that this is probably something I can fix with some tweaking on the imported show, I will keep you updated on how much effort it takes.
So there you have it. Four tries, four not so perfect results. While I think the four services listed above have done a good job, they all failed to meet what I think are a reasonable first test, import my old stuff so I can use it with my new stuff. Stay tuned as I give up and just try to use my new stuff and create a Softless presentation from scratch.
Finally I am assured that the LINUX Netbook is on the way, look for my updates on that as well.
Besides being late I do not have a lot of news. The new Softless Netbook loaded with Ubuntu is in back order hell somewhere so we are in a holding pattern with those updates.
On the replacement for PowerPoint quest there has been a lot of traveling but not a lot of getting anywhere. I am at the point where lowering my expectations may be in order. So far I have tried four different packages. None of them have really met what I would call replacement level capabilities. Maybe they work so good that I am missing something. My basic requirement is to be able to convert an existing PPT and have it run with little modification. I have not found that. I think my definition of basic is probably a little skewed. Most of my presentations have at least some animations, even if it is simple slide transitions, none of the packages, strike that, none of the services I have tried thus far have made it through this process without some problems.
I hesitate to list the services just because I am not complete with my evals, but I suppose if I limit my comments to my importing experiences that is fair.
As I mentioned last week Google Presentation was first. As I also mentioned, it has its issues in some areas, and importing a PPT file is not different. I am not sure why, but it can import a simple slide deck with no animations, and it comes in completely formatted. But add just one animation and the same slide that formatted correctly is now jumbled with letters and graphics over written. No animation at all, but this is a limitation of Google Presentation as a whole, not just the import feature. I am still not impressed with Googles effort here.
280Slides was a waste of my time. I logged on, I tried to import, the service never came back. I tried again, same results. Third time was the point where I closed Firefox and moved on. Maybe I caught them on a bad day.
Empressr. I have to say that what did import came in formatted correctly. But the problem here was some things simply did not come over. I am not sure where they are, but I lost several pictures and text blocks. There was nothing exceptional about them, in fact other slides with similar items came across fine. The quality of the import was pretty good except for the losses. Animations of the slide transitions were created by Empressr, OK, but I didn't ask for them. None of the text or picture animations made it in the import, I think this is also a limitation of Empressor, at least the trial version I have.
SlideRocket was my fourth try. While the import did not work exactly right it was the closest by far. The problem came with the order of animations, some of my text "appears" were out of order. The text that I wanted to "appear" first actually "appeared" last in some cases. Sometimes the animation happened in reverse, in other words, all my text showed up, then as the animation ran it "disappeared". I think that this is probably something I can fix with some tweaking on the imported show, I will keep you updated on how much effort it takes.
So there you have it. Four tries, four not so perfect results. While I think the four services listed above have done a good job, they all failed to meet what I think are a reasonable first test, import my old stuff so I can use it with my new stuff. Stay tuned as I give up and just try to use my new stuff and create a Softless presentation from scratch.
Finally I am assured that the LINUX Netbook is on the way, look for my updates on that as well.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Getting Disconnected
The purpose of my Netbook experiment was to go without software. There has been an interesting side effect of my efforts, I am now learning that I can go without hardware!
The more I push myself to become independent of the tether called software, the more I am realizing I do not need to worry as much about having a specific computer at hand. Don't get me wrong, I know I cannot walk around without the Softless Netbook and have any guarantee to be online all the time, but I am learning that if my computing life is geared to live in the clouds, then I don't care what I use to reach them.
Case in point, my wife offices out of our home. Her office is downstairs, my home office is upstairs. It is just as easy for me to jump on her office machine, log on to my office web email access, check email and send out meeting requests, as it is to climb 14 steps to retrieve the Softless Netbook. I can write this blog, work on my web site, Tweet to my heart's content, and never leave the first floor our our residence. Yes, I am lazy. But its true.
The importance of this week's story is that while we are achieving software independence we are also achieving hardware independence. This (I think) in part, is playing a large part in the proliferation of mobile devices. It just doesn't matter how you connect, as long as you can get connected. Thus ideas like Netbooks are now a growing reality, not an occasional visionary. Since I have been carrying mine, have noticed a lot more of them. This may not be a fad.
On another front, I am still chained to some applications. I have yet to find a suitable replacement for PowerPoint. Don't say Google Presentation, I'll make you put together a real deck with it as punishment. Its not that Google Docs Presentation does not work, it just does not work in the same class as PowerPoint. I am willing to compromise, I am not willing to go backwards in time. I am not sure why Google Docs Documents is so good, and Presentation is so bad, but in my opinion it appears they were written in two different eras, let alone buildings. Over the next few weeks I will be looking into some options. You can be assured I will report them here.
To cap this week's comments off, I want to mention a new application I started using this week. Its a remote desktop tool called LogMeIn. I use it to access the laptop (that I have started to think of as a desktop) at work. We have some very heavy client side data tools that are not anywhere near ready to be hosted (think Java Eclipse IDE for data stores). To use them I have been linking to the desktop of my office via LogMeIn. So far, so good. The video could be better, but once I start working on a project I forget all about the pink that should be white. The best part, they have a free version that meets my needs.
Also next week I think the new NetBook will be here...should be interesting to see how all this transfers over to LINUX.
The more I push myself to become independent of the tether called software, the more I am realizing I do not need to worry as much about having a specific computer at hand. Don't get me wrong, I know I cannot walk around without the Softless Netbook and have any guarantee to be online all the time, but I am learning that if my computing life is geared to live in the clouds, then I don't care what I use to reach them.
Case in point, my wife offices out of our home. Her office is downstairs, my home office is upstairs. It is just as easy for me to jump on her office machine, log on to my office web email access, check email and send out meeting requests, as it is to climb 14 steps to retrieve the Softless Netbook. I can write this blog, work on my web site, Tweet to my heart's content, and never leave the first floor our our residence. Yes, I am lazy. But its true.
The importance of this week's story is that while we are achieving software independence we are also achieving hardware independence. This (I think) in part, is playing a large part in the proliferation of mobile devices. It just doesn't matter how you connect, as long as you can get connected. Thus ideas like Netbooks are now a growing reality, not an occasional visionary. Since I have been carrying mine, have noticed a lot more of them. This may not be a fad.
On another front, I am still chained to some applications. I have yet to find a suitable replacement for PowerPoint. Don't say Google Presentation, I'll make you put together a real deck with it as punishment. Its not that Google Docs Presentation does not work, it just does not work in the same class as PowerPoint. I am willing to compromise, I am not willing to go backwards in time. I am not sure why Google Docs Documents is so good, and Presentation is so bad, but in my opinion it appears they were written in two different eras, let alone buildings. Over the next few weeks I will be looking into some options. You can be assured I will report them here.
To cap this week's comments off, I want to mention a new application I started using this week. Its a remote desktop tool called LogMeIn. I use it to access the laptop (that I have started to think of as a desktop) at work. We have some very heavy client side data tools that are not anywhere near ready to be hosted (think Java Eclipse IDE for data stores). To use them I have been linking to the desktop of my office via LogMeIn. So far, so good. The video could be better, but once I start working on a project I forget all about the pink that should be white. The best part, they have a free version that meets my needs.
Also next week I think the new NetBook will be here...should be interesting to see how all this transfers over to LINUX.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Stop the Madness
I told myself that this blog would center on my experience with this Netbook. I even told you the same thing. But this week I have reached a point where I have to get something off of my chest. My rant is going in this blog because it is related to Netbooks.
Begin Rant.
I have had enough! Mobile computing device manufactures stop the madness. You all are out of control. This is crazy. However, I can say it is not a surprise. We humans always try to out do ourselves. Improve upon our success. Make it better.
But I have to hold my hand out and say, "STOP!" This is one area where I think we have split the hair right where it needed to be split on the first pass.
Netbooks with 12 and 13 inch screens? Smartbooks (?) with Android OS on them?
Listen, if you want 1TB of hard drive, 8G of memory, a 4 core processor, a 14" monitor, all the bells and whistles of a notebook computer, then buy a laptop.
And by the same token if you want a device a little larger than a phone, with no hard drive, and a simple interface, get an iPhone and buy an add on keyboard.
I am not saying their are not improvements to made on the idea if Netbooks. There are plenty. But using current technology in different combination is not the way to get there. Innovate, give us something we don't already have, but don't ruin the idea by morphing them into pancea computing devices that serve evryone, but please no one.
Some thoughts:
I love the idea of the broadband being built in, that makes sense for a portable computing device. A larger hard drive or screen does not.
I also loved the idea of an instant on OS, with file indexing features removed, optimized to connect to the Internet. But we can get that from a modified version of LINUX called Ubuntu NBR.
The problem with taking away and adding to the core Netbook features I have today is my device either becomes more of a phone or less of a laptop. I already have both! I do not want to replace either.
I like the set of features I have as the base for all NetBooks.
Manufactures of Netbooks, if you happen to read this, please take note. You are heading in the wrong direction.
It sounds like you are talking to a bunch of people who are dreaming up utopia, what they are describing is a device that will leave us all wanting. Including you, meaning shelves full of super Netbooks unable to unload once the rave is over.
Do yourselves a favor, talk to those of us using these devices in the field on a daily basis, before you try to fix them.
Remember, the reason we were attracted to these things in the first place were because they split the hair, right where the hair needed to be split!
(Rant over)...
Begin Rant.
I have had enough! Mobile computing device manufactures stop the madness. You all are out of control. This is crazy. However, I can say it is not a surprise. We humans always try to out do ourselves. Improve upon our success. Make it better.
But I have to hold my hand out and say, "STOP!" This is one area where I think we have split the hair right where it needed to be split on the first pass.
Netbooks with 12 and 13 inch screens? Smartbooks (?) with Android OS on them?
Listen, if you want 1TB of hard drive, 8G of memory, a 4 core processor, a 14" monitor, all the bells and whistles of a notebook computer, then buy a laptop.
And by the same token if you want a device a little larger than a phone, with no hard drive, and a simple interface, get an iPhone and buy an add on keyboard.
I am not saying their are not improvements to made on the idea if Netbooks. There are plenty. But using current technology in different combination is not the way to get there. Innovate, give us something we don't already have, but don't ruin the idea by morphing them into pancea computing devices that serve evryone, but please no one.
Some thoughts:
I love the idea of the broadband being built in, that makes sense for a portable computing device. A larger hard drive or screen does not.
I also loved the idea of an instant on OS, with file indexing features removed, optimized to connect to the Internet. But we can get that from a modified version of LINUX called Ubuntu NBR.
The problem with taking away and adding to the core Netbook features I have today is my device either becomes more of a phone or less of a laptop. I already have both! I do not want to replace either.
I like the set of features I have as the base for all NetBooks.
- 10" screen. - (Dell, don't build the mini 11 that's dumb)
- 1G of ram. - (If you need more, you have too much software running locally)
- 60G Hard Drive - (I have 160G, too much probably, solid state if possible).
- g/n Wireless - (This is the core, you have to be connected)
- A good display - (Hi-res if possible, even watching Diggnation on LoRes sucks!)
- A good keyboard - (The keyboard on my Dell was the difference maker)
- A good touch pad.- (This almost made me not get the Dell)
- Stripped Down OS - (I had to spend a few hours on XP to get it there)
Manufactures of Netbooks, if you happen to read this, please take note. You are heading in the wrong direction.
It sounds like you are talking to a bunch of people who are dreaming up utopia, what they are describing is a device that will leave us all wanting. Including you, meaning shelves full of super Netbooks unable to unload once the rave is over.
Do yourselves a favor, talk to those of us using these devices in the field on a daily basis, before you try to fix them.
Remember, the reason we were attracted to these things in the first place were because they split the hair, right where the hair needed to be split!
(Rant over)...
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