Sent From My iPad

Posts Tagged ‘ipad’

When I got my iPad I really liked the way it felt and acted so much like my iPhone and not my computer, but then after showing it to my Boss he hit me with a shocker.  He would want one if it just had handwriting recognition.  He is not the biggest fan of apple, and so I was really taken aback, not being defensive I showed him Penultimate, and he decided that would be good enough as he was going to just send the pages to his admin to convert anyway.

Then I discovered Phatware’s WritePad 3.3 for the iPad, it is a note taking application that, wait for it, has hand writing recognition and a whole lot more.

The application has a built in dictionary you can add to, with gestures and custom words (example – you write your initials and it fills in your complete name) to shorten your entry, that makes me wish it was system wide.  Additionally it has a crazy translation capability so thaty you could type something in and then have it translated from your language to another.  It requires an internet connection, but it is really cool and functional.

Once you have your document like you want it you can  email it  to whomever you want.  Or you can select and copy the entire note into another app to create a PDF.  Hopefully the developer will add this functionality in as well as the ability to stay in an ink mode to draw images for the meeting.  As it stands today this app still needs Penultimate to allow you the maximum flexibility of what your notes are going to look like, but it is well worth the $9.95 in my opinion to be able to take freehand notes whenever you want to.

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This will be a 5 out of 5 star app when it has a form of folder structure to store your notes in other than entry date, and the ability to place “ink” within the text when desired, and create a PDF to email.  BUT this is still an awesome app.

I’m not sure how your apple iPad case is looking almost a month into the relationship, but my case is still sparkly clean. How you ask, well I am glad you asked, I cleaned it. How you ask, oh that’s why this is a tip, I’ve tried multiple items. First I was tipped by a friend to try and use a disposable cleaning wipe you use for your handset at your office, clean your phone then your case. That worked really well, then I tried a Screen Alcohol based pad and it seemed to work almost as well, and lastly i have used clean water from a spritzer and a wash cloth.

All three seemed to work well, but the reason I arrived at the 3rd option is that with the frequency of my compulsive cleaning I feared what alcohol or another cleaner might do to the material the case is made from.  Alcohol has a tendency to really dry out the items it is rubbed on and after a lengthy period of use there is a better chance it would affect the case than using clean water would.  iKlear is a product that is I suspect is primarily isopropyl alcohol diluted to some level, 70% is cited as safe for computer cases and screens on the apple website.

I would recommend a clean partially damp lint free cloth (or clean cotton wash cloth) for frequent cleaning; never pouring, dunking or spraying the case with the iPad in it, though I have used the damp cloth with the iPad in the case without incident thus far; YMMV.  In general due to the inner flap of the case I would not recommend immersion cleaning of the case of any sort, if you’ve tried it and it worked let me know.

So in the world of high tech gadgets sometimes it helps to look outside the box. Sure you can buy cast aluminum that has been lovingly sculpted to present the iPad in all it’s glory, for $129, or you can look at the Bookgem for $14.99. Now I like the Joule and all the others, but they are heavier, and they cost quite a bit more.

The Bookgem is made for reading books and has two folding legs and two spring loaded arms that hold a book or an iPad firmly in place.  The flexibility of the device is it can hold your iPad in one of four positions, all of which make using the iPad on a table or surface much better that just the  case.  It also works with out the case, but I have found once you have your iPad in the case getting it out is pretty unpleasant, so better to get a small portable stand and just leave it in it.

Update: After using it for a while it is not all that I will ever need. It is serviceable, but I am again looking for a good stand, the angle of the iPad causes it to slip (and possible come off the iPad) if in the case and jostled significantly.

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