Change in hardware/change in software?

Posted by Ken
Jul 14, 2014 at 04:30 AM

The continual changes in hardware and software sometimes seem to make it difficult to get things “set up” for any extended length of time. Just as we think we have everything as we like, a program or device is no longer supported, or we upgrade and try to find a new optimal solution. I am not a big fan of relying on my smartphone as anything other than a device of convenience, but as much as my last phone delivered the web to me at my convenience, it was a horrible piece of hardware that never seemed to get out of its own way. My contract recently ended, and as much as I normally do not like upgrading for the sake of being able to, I could not wait until I was given the choice of choosing a new phone.

My trusty iPad2 has been been by my side for the past three or so years, but I found that it was really best for web surfing. As handy as many of the app that I had were, I just found that I preferred doing any serious work with a keyboard and screen(s). So, my laptop rode in my brief each day, but was used less and less except around the house. In light of this, and my ability to choose a new phone, I decided to “go big” and get a phablet. I just picked up a Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and have been getting acquainted with it these past few days. I enjoy a larger screen as I do not talk on my phone as much as use it for information retrieval. And, its larger screen size makes it a bit easier to use than my old phone, giving me a bit of a mini tablet.

Now, all of this is nothing new to any of us, but I am curious to see if my habits or app usage changes with this change in hardware. Asana’s app seems to be a bit improved from the version on my previous phone (which was really not a very useful app for actively managing my tasks/data). And, I am curious if the digitizing pen will change my habits for collecting small bit of information that sometimes escapes me if I do not put it to pen and paper. I will post any significant changes or observations if they should arise, and am looking forward to seeing if I can leverage this change to be a bit more on top of my data, especially my extensive task lists. I suspect that my iPad 2 will still be used extensively, but it may no longer ride in my brief on a daily basis. I am hoping for the best, as I could use a bit of a productivity bump to keep up with my life these days.

—Ken