Oh fond memories, the old BnS 200 was my best bit of kit for noting and looking them up. Flick it on, boot up in seconds, do my thing, flick it off. Used to go months without use and still work. But battery died eventually, and longer before I chased doing anything about it. It's over 20 now and should be given a decent burial.
But,.... and something I gripe about too often maybe, the editing, searching and navigation even on that relatively crude device, was still more efficient than anything I do on idevice yet. I had it for university, cost £1200 or so around 1991. RobH. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Teresa Cochran" <batsfly...@me.com> To: <viphone@googlegroups.com> Sent: Saturday, June 21, 2014 1:17 PM Subject: Re: If Anyone Is Using Only iDevices and No Computer, How Are You Faring? Thanks for the thoughts and discussion. This thread is great. Random musing: I can only think of one thing I would miss about the computer at this point: being able to transfer files to and from my ancient Braille Lite 40, which still works just fine, and has a long battery life. (Speaking of technology for the blind that is expentive :) I'm entirely all for using standard technology. However, my BL40 is the exception that proves the rule. I still have the serial-transfer software on my backup drive. This might have been a deal-breaker before NLS Bard came out, and I could read Braille books on iOS. Still gives me pause. Teresa "Twinkle, twinkle, little bat How I wonder what you're at" --Lewis Carroll > On Jun 21, 2014, at 4:13 AM, David Chittenden <dchitten...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > Thank you, I forgot the proper number of zeros. > > David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA > Email: dchitten...@gmail.com > Mobile: +64 21 2288 288 > Sent from my iPhone > >> On 21 Jun 2014, at 23:02, Joseph FreeTech <joseph.freet...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >> Hard drive sectors can be written over up to 300,000 times on spinning >> hard >> drives which are not even considered enterprise drives but are considered >> good drives such as the Western Digital Black series. >> http://media.webcollage.net/rwvfp/wc/live/13689131/module/wdc/products.wdc.com/library/SpecSheet/ENG/2879-771434.pdf?action=download-resource&caption=Drive%20Specification%20Sheet%20(PDF)&a=d >> >> Joseph >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "David Chittenden" <dchitten...@gmail.com> >> To: <viphone@googlegroups.com> >> Sent: Saturday, June 21, 2014 3:36 AM >> Subject: Re: If Anyone Is Using Only iDevices and No Computer, How Are >> You >> Faring? >> >> >> Apparently, the biggest problem with solid-state memory is the >> controller. >> The memory is estimated to last 60,000 rewrite cycles before starting to >> fail, which is significantly longer than HD technology. What fails is the >> memory allocation controller. >> >> David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA >> Email: dchitten...@gmail.com >> Mobile: +64 21 2288 288 >> Sent from my iPhone >> >>> On 21 Jun 2014, at 22:09, "RobH." <bobs...@googlemail.com> wrote: >>> >>> True, but deterioration rates should be less, and each transfer >>> effectively >>> refreshes the data to full strength. True, a glitch could also >>> proliferate >>> at each re-write. A new copy is only as good as the old one. So taking >>> a >>> new copy sooner to minimise the degradation of the old one. >>> >>> I don't even understand the physics behind what holds memory in modern >>> ss >>> materials, so not sure how well its degradation process is understood >>> and >>> calculated yet. >>> We are still looking for the ultimate in really permanent memory. >>> >>> Apple could really score big if they floated something like that. >>> Bio-memory >>> or atomic level storage.... I've not heard of the latest ideas for a >>> hwile now. >>> >>> >>> RobH. >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Joseph FreeTech" <joseph.freet...@gmail.com> >>> To: <viphone@googlegroups.com> >>> Sent: Friday, June 20, 2014 11:47 PM >>> Subject: Re: If Anyone Is Using Only iDevices and No Computer, How Are >>> You >>> Faring? >>> >>> >>> David, >>> >>> actually, your current hard drive has the same type of magnetic surface >>> as >>> your previous floppies and is also susceptible to data rot, so you might >>> want to reconsider how you're storing such old data. >>> >>> A hard disk drive platter (or disk) is the circular disk on which >>> magnetic >>> data is stored in a hard disk drive. >>> The rigid nature of the platters in a hard drive is what gives them >>> their >>> name (as opposed to the flexible materials which are used to make floppy >>> disk). >>> Hard drives typically have several platters which are mounted on the >>> same >>> spindle. A platter can store information on both sides, requiring two >>> heads >>> per platter. >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "David Chittenden" <dchitten...@gmail.com> >>> To: <viphone@googlegroups.com> >>> Sent: Friday, June 20, 2014 2:47 PM >>> Subject: Re: If Anyone Is Using Only iDevices and No Computer, How Are >>> You >>> Faring? >>> >>> >>> I started working with computers in 1983. Every time media upgrades, I >>> transfer all relevant files from the old media that is becoming >>> obsolete, >>> to >>> the new media. At this point, all my old stuff is taking up part of a >>> one >>> terabyte external HD. Much easier to haul around with me, and I know the >>> data will not degrade as the older magnetic surfaces do. >>> >>> My music, which is on CD is also on a 250 GB external HD, and will >>> shortly >>> be transferred to a 256 GB USB stick with lightning port when I receive >>> it >>> in a few months. >>> >>> David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA >>> Email: dchitten...@gmail.com >>> Mobile: +64 21 2288 288 >>> Sent from my iPhone >>> >>>> On 21 Jun 2014, at 8:27, "RobH." <bobs...@googlemail.com> wrote: >>>> >>>> I'm glad you wrote this. The youngsters haven't got half a lifetimes >>>> accumulation of written work to manage. this is ever my issue with >>>> giving >>>> up a PC of any type when this argument arises. Great here and now >>>> consumer >>>> infotainment iGismo; but the more seniors brought an awful lot of >>>> material >>>> with us, often in plain text, which is no bigger than the sum of the >>>> characters and spaces to produce it. But it is our stuff, and we >>>> don't >>>> wanna part with it, or give it somebody else to look after, for an >>>> esculating fee no doubt, and so on. >>>> We've dragged it this far from a few floppies to boxes of floppies. We >>>> got >>>> it this far, so not giving up now. >>>> Great if that pen drive idea works, and we got routers that have the >>>> usb >>>> slot and support the concept. That's a lot of IFs for us all to benefit >>>> from >>>> it. >>>> >>>> RobH. >>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>> From: "Sherrie" <nanagoose4...@gmail.com> >>>> To: <viphone@googlegroups.com> >>>> Sent: Friday, June 20, 2014 4:38 PM >>>> Subject: Re: If Anyone Is Using Only iDevices and No Computer, How Are >>>> You >>>> Faring? >>>> >>>> >>>> i use my iPhone 5 extensively and got an iPad a year ago to share with >>>> my >>>> sighted husband. I am glad he uses it since I don't bother with it at >>>> all >>>> anymore as I can do anything on my phone that I could do on the iPad. I >>>> find >>>> the iPad very difficult to use as the screen layouts are so different >>>> and >>>> the large screen makes it harder to feel around for the items I want. >>>> I >>>> have used the iDevices with a BT keyboard for a few weeks at a time >>>> when >>>> away on vacation but was extremely glad to get back to my windows >>>> laptop. >>>> I >>>> use Excel a lot and have not mastered the Numbers app for this as yet. >>>> Also, >>>> doing the hundreds of emails I get daily is much quicker on the laptop. >>>> Surfing the Internet is so much quicker with IE or Firefox. . >>>> But the main thing I use the laptop for is copying and storing >>>> articles, >>>> recipes, information and such. When an email or webpage has >>>> information >>>> I >>>> might find useful in the future I copy the relevant info and quickly >>>> save >>>> it >>>> in my Dropbox folder. I have huge files of health articles, recipes, >>>> iDevice >>>> information, computer and Jaws info, and tons of other stuff. I have >>>> not >>>> figured out how to quickly (or slowly for that matter) copy items from >>>> the >>>> web or email on my IOS device and save them in my files for future >>>> reference. >>>> Another thing the Windows laptop can do is handle certain functions on >>>> Facebook that I can't do with the regular Facebook app.I also agree >>>> with >>>> the >>>> person who mentioned the ability to use USB memory sticks for the NLS >>>> readers and other backup purposes. I use my iPhone to listen to books >>>> during >>>> the day but find my NLS player easier for night listening. >>>> If you need a new computer you can get a budget laptop for less than an >>>> iPad >>>> and then you have the best of both worlds. >>>> just my biased opinion... >>>> Sherrie Gosling >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -----Original Message----- >>>> From: Teresa Cochran >>>> Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2014 9:37 PM >>>> To: viphone@googlegroups.com >>>> Subject: If Anyone Is Using Only iDevices and No Computer, How Are You >>>> Faring? >>>> >>>> Hi, all, >>>> >>>> I have a computer that needs a hard-drive replacement, at the very >>>> least, >>>> and possibly has a failed logic board. I'm seriously considering >>>> replacing >>>> it with an iPad. Price is only somewhat an issue, since there seems to >>>> be >>>> only about $100 US difference between a new model I would want and the >>>> iPad. >>>> Mainly, I don't want the hassle of replacing moving parts and getting >>>> dust >>>> and cat-hair and such snarled up in it. I'm also extremely comfortable >>>> with >>>> iOS and use my iPod 5th gen constantly. I intend to use the iPad with a >>>> keyboard. >>>> >>>> So has anyone else taken this sort of step? Am I out of my mind, or do >>>> you >>>> think this is doable? >>>> >>>> I am a casual user. I read books, browse the web, play videos and music >>>> and >>>> games, and occasionally write for informal publications. >>>> >>>> What do you guys think? >>>> >>>> Teresa >>>> >>>> Winging its way from my iPod >>>> >>>> -- >>>> The following information is important for all members of the viphone >>>> list. >>>> All new members to the this list are moderated by default. 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