June , 2010Welcome to Issue 3
Welcome to our third Information Matters newsletter from the University of Brighton. In this issue Katie Piatt gives us her thoughts on the Apple iPad, what it's good for and where it fits into the broader computing ecosystem. Phil Bradley is the subject of our 5 minute interview and offers some insights on Web 2.0 and libraries. We've also got our usual Free report of the Month, Blog of the Month and Web 2.0 Tool of the Month. Enjoy.
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Why do I need an iPad?
by Katie Piatt
Senior Learning Technologies Developer, University of Brighton
You've already got a laptop, an iPhone (or an iPod touch), you are mobile and connected so why do you need an iPad? Well, you don't need one, but who wouldn’t want the latest device from Apple, and to experience the new ‘third device’? What I want to highlight in this article is what I think the iPad does better than everything you already own and where it can make a difference for Information Professionals.
Overall, the iPad is a scaled up iPod Touch, with the addition of a microphone and optional 3G data connectivity in addition to WiFi as standard. However the improvements in responsiveness, screen resolution and the difference the screen size makes to data entry set it far apart from the Touch. It runs iPhone applications you already have as well as dedicated iPad applications which take advantage of the size. Text entry on the on-screen keyboard is actually much more like a real keyboard, you have the space to touch-type.
The most significant difference is the opportunities the iPad brings for group usage. Your laptop and your iPhone/iPod are primarily personal devices; even if colleagues gather round your laptop, you're still the one driving it and you're probably the only one sitting down. The iPad is able to bring people together around content by making the technology so simple it is effectively invisible. Ideal in small group study situations for passing around and huddling over.
The app store is starting to see an increase in multi-player games for the iPad, designed to be played together on the same device. Nobody "grabs the mouse" because there is no mouse, you can all sit around and touch it. The quality of the screen and responsive rotation means everyone can see and interact with the content - be it marking up a photo, exploring a website, or collaborating on a diagram.
The other game changing element to the iPad as far as I am concerned is the excellent “iBooks” application. Yes, it’s just another eBook reader, but it’s such a superb implementation it deserves attention. The ability to bookmark, define, search, google and Wikipedia any word or phrase you come across means that reading, particularly for research becomes about as efficient as I could imagine.
The one feature I feel that is missing is some way of managing multiple users. Unlike an iPhone which is clearly a personal device, the iPad’s ability to be shared is a strength, but will put people off also using it for their email/diary etc. If you could select a user when you turn it on I can see it becoming a more useful device for sharing within a family or a team of colleagues.
Price-wise the iPad is in the same league as a very respectable laptop, but there are situations I can see the iPad being the better tool for the job: In the workplace I can see meeting rooms having a few iPads handy instead of traditional laptop and projector setups. I can see them being the device of choice for kids, who find the size much more suitable for their developing motor skills. I can predict applications being developed that use the iPad as a control device for all sorts of equipment. It is the perfect sofa-computer for emailing and watching media. And of course, this is only the first generation iPad. Where will tablet technology will go next? It’s an exciting space to watch and might finally unchain us from our desktop computers.
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Blog of the Month
The Running Librarian - James Mullan
http://www.therunninglibrarian.co.uk/
Useful insights and thoughts on work as a law librarian with a focus on Web 2.0 technologies and their practical uses in the worplace. Relevant for all library and information workers, not just those in the legal profession.
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Web 2.0 Tool of the Month
Toodledo
http://www.toodledo.com
by Martin De Saulles
I recently switched from using Microsoft Outlook as my to do/task manager to Toodledo which is web-based but, in my humble opinion, superior. Any email you receive can be turned automatically into a task simply by forwarding it to your unique Toodledo email address. Tasks can be categorised by whatever variables you want, deadlines can be set with email reminders and it integrates seamlessly with the GotToDo mobile app for Android phones. There is also an iPhone and iPad app. The free version is probably fine for most people but there are some cheap subscriptions to enable extra functionality such as file attachments and sub-tasks.
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Free Report of the Month
OECD Evolution of News and the Internet
http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2009doc.nsf/LinkTo/NT00009C92/$FILE/JT03285390.PDF
This is hot (well still warm) off the OECD presses and is good reading for anyone interested in how the Internet is affecting the news industry and how it might play out. It is certainly topical in the light of Phil Bradley's comments over to your right.
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