Is this forum dying?

[bakubo]

Some people have said they have switched to be only readers of this and other forums. It didn't occur to me that one reason is that so many people are using tablets and smartphones now. Typing on them is a pain in the butt. I have a Google Nexus 7 tablet (7") and it is okay for reading stuff, but typing anything even as long as this short paragraph is not fun.

Are smartphones and tablets turning us into sissies?

http://news.yahoo.com/are-smartphones-a ... 59859.html

More and more of us are drifting away from PCs and laptops, and toward mobile, touch-screen devices. The benefits for consumers are clear enough, but what about the downsides?

One answer turns very specifically on that word choice: “consumers.” Sue Gardner, executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation, observed in a recent interview on the Australian radio show "Future Tense" that Wikipedia participants who transition to tablet devices seem to contribute less as a result, because those devices “are better for watching videos and surfing the internet than for typing text.”

Her real point was that this is not just a problem for Wikipedia, it’s also a potentially profound shift in how to think about what the Internet is for. Instead of being a place where all sorts of people create all sorts of things for all sorts of audiences, Gardner continued, “I think increasingly what's happening is, partly as a result of the kinds of devices that are being manufactured and that people are buying, people are moving toward a more consumption-based Internet experience from a production-based experience.”

Earlier I was sort of half serious that if everyone is just a reader then all there is to read is old posts. I got the tablet after I returned from Nepal because I didn't take my netbook on that trip to save bulk/weight. I did wish I had something occasionally to check email, send email, investigate something on the internet, and so on. So, I got the small/light 7" tablet to use on trips. Other than playing with it for a few days and getting the apps I want installed I haven't used it much.

[bfitzgerald]

Tablets have their pros and cons. Their appeal is obvious small size, you can get the bundles with a mini keyboard and use it like a more compact laptop or just the screen section on it's own. But they have notable downsides too, lack of connections, lack of power (fine for web and netflix but forget serious computer power), non user changeable battery.

I have mixed feelings on these devices. The computer industry has gone towards smaller products even for desktops and ultra slim laptops. Tablets are just an extension of that thinking. But I agree they suck for touch typing (for those of us who can touch type), and anyone thinking they will replace everything else is sadly mistaken. Sales are up but the novelty will wear off.

[Dusty]

My wife has the Nook and loves it, but when sending me e-mails from it I notice more spelling mistakes and shorter e-mails.

As to less people creating content - have you seen some of the doggie-doo out there? I hope less of that is created!

It's sort of like my take on why movies and tv shows have gone downhill in recent years: "The talent in Hollywood is a constant, but the number of shows keeps proliferating."

Of course, some people like doggie-doo, look at Van Gogh.

Dusty

[Birma]

I think you might have something there Henry. I had never thought about it but the tablet situation applies to me. We have a couple of tablets at home which get used a lot (they do make 'consuming' much easier and handier), and with smart phone use as well it probably means that, while I visit more often, I comment less.

[Mike-Photos]

To me, a tablet is like a fixed lens camera - it does what it does quite well, but it doesn't do everything.

I have an Asus Android tablet with a real full-size keyboard that clicks into the tablet making it like a netbook. It's ideal for traveling - I can email, browse, and Skype.

I could stream my TV on it at home, but I don't.

I think Microsoft are possibly onto something with Windows 8. Not Windows RT. which is just another tablet, but the full Windows 8 version. With the same full size keyboard option, you have the choice of having a tablet or a notebook whenever it's convenient, and the whole thing works in the same way as a desktop or laptop, and runs the same software.

BTW, the keyboard on the Asus needs weight to keep it stable, so it contains an additional battery. The keyboard battery gets used first, and it even charges the tablet battery so that you can remove the keyboard and still have a full charge. With both batteries connected, I get about 14 hours of usage.

[artington]

Since we are now on the subject of tablets, I made the following post elsewhere (Give it your best shot) about the problems I have seeing complete images on this site using an iPad. It has yet to receive a reply, which may indicate I placed it in the wrong forum, and since I should like to receive one I am linking it here

http://www.photoclubalpha.com/forum/vie ... =17&t=7497

[Omega892]

However, I feel like I'm the stuck in a support group for OS/2 after IBM dropped it.

Dusty

Ah! Memories of 'Through the porthole'?

Personally I feel that Minolta dropped the baton, taking far too long to produce a good DSLR and then when it came it was a tad overpriced and underwhelmed with 6 MegaPixel when others were at 8 or 10. The redeeming features were that some controls were just like the Dynax 7 film body that preceded it, on top in stacked turrets, and the 6MP sensor performed better than others with 8. Sadly flash working had some nasty surprises. Then SONY having picked it up made a brave fist with the Alpha 100 and then we waited and waited for the true successor to the D7D.

An Alpha 700 did fit the bill but then there was another long wait with the advent of NEX, whilst useful for some, was not what I was looking for for the next purchase but I saved my pennies and waited.

When the A77 arrived I was about to dive in when gout hit me hard, still an issue but under control, and then a daughter (with a Chemistry Ist but a family of four boys ages 2 - 15) urgently needed a new laptop to progress a PGCE course necessary so that she could look to a future where a better mix of work and family could be achieved. So my saved pennies vanished.

As others have commented, there is a distinct lack of attractive new glass for Sony DSLR, especially in the medium to long telephoto or zoom ranges. Will my BigMa work on the A77 I wonder - Sigma 50-500 EX? Perhaps my days are over where I can comfortably lug a DSLR with grip and a milk bottle on the front around.

[bakubo]

Posting has really picked up here in the last few weeks. Glad to see it.

I have been having internet problems for the last few days here in Japan so until I can get those fixed I am in and out here.

[Greg Beetham]

Henry it looks like that Kim Suk Sil guy (what a tugboat ) has chucked a spacky and wants to play with rockets and declare war on everyone so I expect that the civilian bandwidth in Japan might take a hit while the military there reserves bandwidth for itself at the moment…just in case, you never know he might shoot one off and it could end up anywhere.
Greg

[bakubo]

Canon G1X was using one the other day for a bit and quite liked it IQ is very good, decent build and the price has dropped quite a lot.

Last year in Tokyo I picked up a G1X several times to have a look at it. I liked the size and feel of the G12 better, but the G1X has the larger sensor. If I find the G15 interesting then it might replace the S95 that I always keep with me. The G12 was just a bit too big for that purpose, but the G15 is a bit smaller so it might barely squeak into the the acceptable size/weight range. Actually, I wish there was a model more the size/weight of my old A590IS. For a camera that is in my pocket (usually side pocket of cargo shorts) I don't want a big, heavy lump. The A590IS had a mediocre OVF, had a small grip so that it could be held securely and with one hand, and was not so heavy. I was okay with the level of external controls for the uses I had for the camera. The G12 was a nice camera to hold, but the lens was a bit slow since it has a small sensor and wasn't good to carry in my pocket. The G15 might be okay though. I'll find out.

I had a chance to look at the G15 a few times while in Osaka last week. Size/weight is better than G12, but still a little large/heavy. On Friday I ordered one from Amazon Japan and it was delivered in less than 23 hours with free shipping. I have been using it for the last few days and I will make a post later with some of my thoughts.