Sadly, I'm in love with the fucking Note. I'm focussing on stylus functionality, assuming all else will be equal (except speed), and the functionality allowing me to open a given app by handwriting one or two letters/symbols is...CRACK.
The multiple windows is neat, but will take some getting used to--balancing that against widgets, for instance--at least the task manager I'm currently using (I worked out how to sync with DGT GTD) lets me run it in a window, for starters. Oh, look--the window is pinnable so I can open full screen apps behind it...
Yeah, fuck.
Thanks Tab #1! You were great and I loved you, but if you can't be relied on to stay on for ten minutes at a time any more, your usefulness is radically diminished. Fuck, you can't even be relegated to alarm clock!
(I see Opera ripped the nads off its mobile browser too, but is still also distributing "Classic" for grumpy people like me--I'm even more likely to want to use a bookmark on a phone or tablet, over searching or typing, peeps. I feel weird that this is weird. Opera 15 has crashed twice on my Mac this morning (deviantArt doesn't work with 12 anymore, and I'm trying to get used to IO9 in it), and the first time it lost all its open windows, and opened with all the windows I have open currently in Opera 12. Second time it lost all of everything. Crashing is clearly bad, but this is even worse at restoring former state than Firefox (which apologises for not being able to do it, then does it--what is that all about?))
Google + Hangout? Anyone used it? Anyone have any tips? Apparently that's how I'm going to be doing the video chat thingie for @HuffPostLive tomorrow.
I've heard good things about it. The one time I used it was a disaster, but that was a connection to Gaza, and I gather that all internet connections to Gaza are a disaster.
Roommate is trying to decide if she wants an iPad or an iPad mini. She already has a kindle for reading. This would basically be for travel. (Has an iphone and mac laptop, so no interest in outside the apple universe). Thoughts? I suggested that if she were using it as an eReader, the mini might be good, but since she's not, the bigger is probably better?
I've used Google Plus Hangout for professional meetings. Worked like a charm. Test it out and consider your backdrop if necessary. Wear pants (or in your case, a skirt.) My colleagues have been generally charmed by my very curious cat, but you might want to sequester yours if that would stress you out.
I have various medical problems where if I ever got a tablet an ipad non-mini would be the perfect compromise between size and ease of use. But I don't what the tradeoff is for people with decent eyes and decent ability to use their hands is.
Google + Hangout?
Haven't used it much (my Dad and step-mom prefer Skype), but the Hangout that Raq set up for the election watch-and-post last November worked very well.
Consider setting up some extra front-lighting. Without it I find I appear on video chat as a dark head-and-shoulders silhouette with big blue glowing rectangular eyes created by my laptop screen reflecting from my glasses.
meara,
get the regular ipad. it isn't really too big (IMO) and there are really nice keyboard attachments that meld with the ipad and are full size for my hands (and I have big hands).
there are really nice cases and carriers for the ipad and not for nothing, but I also use the mac bluetooth keyboard for the ipad if I really am power typing.
Google + Hangout?
I use it pretty regularly for meetings, and I've seen a fair number of podcasts that have switched over from other thingies because it's really easy and painless compared to a lot of the options that existed before (and unlike Skype it allows for group video chats without paid accounts). Super easy.
I'm assuming they're setting it all up, in which case you'll get pinged in chat or they'll send you a link and clicking it to join is all you need to do. If you were the one setting up the hangout, first of all, BAD HUFFPO NO BISCUIT THIS IS NOT HOW WE TREAT GUESTS, but after that, it's a matter of going to google plus and clicking "hangouts".
I second all of dcp's tips for video quality -- some thought to lighting and a decent headset or mic will make a huge difference over room light and whatever's built in to your laptop. But that's all true no matter which provider you use.
Cool. I'm going to test out the mic I have to make sure everything is still okay, and I've figured out the best place to put the laptop so there's good lighting, a decent angle, and a plain background.
