It starts the same way every time; new technology sparks a whole new innovation for a part of my life that was only partially working. So, with much enthusiasm I purchased an iPad shortly after it was available. My goal was to find a technology solution to use as my work tool for meetings, appointments, and the occasional email. At first all seemed to be going well. I would walk into meetings with my client and whip out my sophisticated tablet. No need to pause – I didn’t need a computer to set up or pen and paper to slow me down – the ease and efficiency of typing out my notes in the palm of my hand was ideal...
Looking up, I would see the questions brewing as they watched me with the latest gadget. What ever our meeting was to be about, it all turns instantly into a conversation about the device.
But along the way I realize something isn’t right. I’m looking down at my iPad and not interacting with my client. Not the best way to make first impressions. I read about others who have tackled this problem and see some good ideas but none of them work for me. I find what I hope will be the answer – a pogo stick. But using it to write notes in a drawing application feels like a cave man scratching on the sandstone wall with a blunt object. I’ve just set civilization back a few millennia while using, arguably, one of the most elegantly designed pieces of technology I’ve seen in some time. This isn’t working.
I give the iPad to my wife and kids. I go back to using pen and paper. I just want a better tool than the PC Tablet/Stylus/One Note solution I have used for the past few years. I decided to wait for the next waive of tablets. And I’m glad I did. I travel a lot and am out of the office often. Five years ago I might have been stuck in my office, doing the grunt work, but now I’m out building the business, developing relationships, and directly helping my staff and clients. Last summer a new set of tablets hit the market and I go to some trouble to get every current model in the hands of my staff. There is the iPad2, the Samsung Galaxy, the HTC Flyer, and the Asus Transformer. Hands down, these are all great units. But the one of most interest to me is the HTC Flyer: the stylus based 7” form factor Android (2.0) tablet.
The HTC Flyer isn’t for everyone and I’m not so interested in a technology review. Every product has its pros and cons, but this product does what I need it to do right out of the box. No, I can’t watch Netflix, but I don’t care to. I have a stylus with a fine point, a note-taking app (Evernote), and a form factor that doesn’t give my wrist carpal tunnel syndrome... size, and ultimately simplicity makes all the difference. In the land of tablets that allow me to consume information, I’ve finally found one that allows me to create.
The pervasive “blogosphere” has been nudging at my side for some time now. Sure we’ve discussed posting to our own blog and contributing to the online community, but I’ve always resisted as I didn’t think we had a justified reason to add to the barrage of information, news, and opinions already available.
Then again, there aren’t enough people talking about the role technology can play to help non-profits and schools become more effective. The impact of sustainability and technology is significant across many different industries, but it is this niche (schools and non-profits) that will take the spotlight here. I believe that the folks at Varsity can contribute to that discussion in a constructive and valuable way.
In the coming weeks and months, we’ll cover a wide range of topics from sustainabilty, IT solutions and technology development, to the achievements of our great clients. Some posts will share ‘how-tos’ and insights while other times we’ll share our opinion on where things are going. I hope that you’ll find our contributions useful and intriguing. I look forward to your comments and feedback. Welcome to our blog!
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(Photo courtesy of Adnan Yahya via Flickr)
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