ROBUST discussion

We have a new television set because I knocked over the perfectly adequate one we had before, cracking the screen. We're also getting an entirely new television standard in Ireland. So now we have a new television that works differently from the old one, a satellite receiver I still haven't got the hang of because I never have two hours to give to reading the manual, and a DVD that in our house only I have learned to operate, so that everyone asks me to record their fave programmes; however, both the satellite receiver and the DVD recorder are about to become obsolete too, the latter being replaced with a hard disk and the former with a high definition version. I'm really not looking forward to three thick books of Japlish about illogical sequences of operations all assigned to the same non-existent button because ¡€#¢∞§¶•ª in another office decided to change the pictograph on the button.

The above paragraph explains perfectly why I am happy to buy Apple computers and pay the premium for an ergonomically optimised interface system.

I have confidence in you. You'll either figure it out, or get rid of everything.

I have already, my dear. With the help of my technical advisor, the leading engineer Dakota Franklin, who sent me a preconfigured iPad, I watch such little television as interests me (not very much) on the iPad and leave everyone else to read the Japlish! A perfect solution! Your confidence in me is fully justified.

Kench!

iPad - the solution to all your technical problems.

(Brought to you by the 'Steve Jobs Realty Distortion Field verison II.)

K.A. wrote: "iPad - the solution to all your technical problems."

D'you really think so? Interesting.

LOL - read the second line, it tells the real story.

I love my HD system. Oddly, I think it's even better for those of us who watch little TV. With a couple of clicks I can record any program I wish for later viewing - which suits me perfectly because I don't often want to watch at the time the program is on. I watch mostly sports and the odd other program (which will of course get cancelled the minute I'm hooked - Brothers & Sisters comes to mind). Of course, probably at least 50% never do get watched and I remove them to make room for yet more that have a high likelihood of not being watched.

K.A. wrote: "iPad - the solution to all your technical problems.
(Brought to you by the 'Steve Jobs Realty Distortion Field verison II.)"

Kench, Kat. What will we do when you go on vacay? Good thing we have Patricia.

Apple, huh? I have a friend who bought an Apple laptop. She signed up for lessons and went for an hour a week for many weeks. She still calls me for advice when she can't figure something out. Me, who does not now nor ever has owned an Apple comp. Me, who learns one or two things and learns them well, and that's about it. She gets rather miffed when I tell her I don't know, I've never used one. She thinks I should be able to figure it out. Not. Apple is very proprietorial. I do have an iPhone now though, so I can work my way around things a bit easier.

Still, it was not an iPad I chose, but an Asus. (you can win an Asus by following them on Twitter or FB and doing a bit of work for it). I was able with minimal thought/skill to set it all up the way I wanted. I regularly find new uses for it and when I do, it takes the same minimal effort. Though I have had some Kench moments when I go to sync videos/audios and discover WINDOWS has decided to sync everything in the file, when I only clicked on 1 or 2 items. I don't use Windows Audio/Vid but a friend downloaded some audios there a year or so ago and subsequently some downloads default to there even though another player is listed as my default. Grrr...

A few days ago I was out with my friend with the Apple laptop. She now has an iPad and the Android phone with the big screen. She asked me to help her figure things out. The commands on both devices are almost identical to my iPhone (which I must admit is super-easy to figure out), so I was able to help her.

I watch way too much TV. Every so often I disconnect cable TV for a half year or so and I'm perfectly content -- then I'll decide I'm ready to watch again. Right now, I'm in a six-month stretch of watching. I get up in the morning, turn on the TV, and it's often still on at midnight or later. Doesn't matter what's on. I like the noise. But when I don't have TV service, I like the silence. Go figure.