I just finished a good book on productivity and I want to take my to-do list to the next level and it looks like Things could help me do what I need it to do (with tags and such).

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Several months ago, someone gave me an iPad and up until this time, it’s been more of a recreational device. When needing to get any serious work done, I’d just default to the laptop as it’s easier to use and I’m more familiar with it. So, this was a great chance to really test it out.

Well, all I can say is that my experience was pretty good. I’m not at all ready to give up the laptop for the iPad, but I was surprised at what I could get done. Sitting on the couch and doing a lot to typing is not really that easy. I’d have to prop my legs up on the ottoman and hold the iPad in place with my legs while I typed. I was impressed by how fast I could actually type. At times, I was typing on it as fast as I do on the laptop.

I’d say the things that were a little frustrating were the websites that I do work in that are based in flash and the multi-tasking. I’m constantly jumping back and forth between programs, tabs and windows all the time and although you can do this with the iPad, it’s just not nearly as seamless.

So, I’ve got a loaner laptop until my computer is fixed… but I’m curious to see if my usage on the iPad for work related tasks are going to go up now that I’ve learned that it can be fairly productive without having to lug a computer around the house or to a meeting.

Ever since I left Apple in the 90′s, I’ve always found the Apple culture funny. Apple loyalists are a close-knit tribe and at times could be pretty obnoxious. I guess if I had a product, I’d want a loyal fan base that loved the product so much they were obnoxious about it. With the iMac, iPod, iTunes and iPhone products, the tribe has grown significantly and has gotten a little less obnoxious, but the culture carries on. I think this little video from the Onion perfectly illustrates a snapshot of the Apple culture.

New Apple Friend Bar Gives Customers Someone To Talk At About Mac Products

I think the iPad is going to be wildly successful. I really think that once people get these in their hands and play with it a little, they’re going to want one. I do think that the 2nd generation is going to be the killer device and they’ll sell even more of them. Maybe the price will be a little better or maybe there will be a webcam built in for video chat. Whatever it is, it will have worked out some of the bugs from the first version and everyone’s really going to want it.

However, I’m thinking beyond the iPad. I think that with the release of the iPad today, personal computing is changing in a big way. I think that 10 years from now, we’ll point back to this day as the day it all changed. The tablet has been around for more than a decade, but it’s never caught on. Why? Because the makers were thinking “laptop” when they created it and they tried to put a laptop in a tablet. Apple decided to rethink how a device like this would be used and went from there. As a result, Apple opened the door to a new way of personal computing, the tablet that everyone wants to use.

In the near future, Google will have their Chrome OS on a tablet. We’ll also find android on a tablet. I’m sure we’ll also see Windows on this new form factor styled tablet as well (and why wouldn’t we?). The competition will be stiff, but within a few years we’ll have so many options with the abiliyt to do so much more than what the 2010 iPad can do. It’s going to be really exciting.

Viva la revolucion!

So, here’s the basic rundown of the big four browsers.

Internet Explorer: Seriously, are you really using this? It’s slow and often riddled with security issues. Do yourself a favor and download any other browser. You’ll be glad you did. Internet Explorer is the oldest browser of the big four. It also has the largest market share, but that certainly isn’t an indicator of how good it is. In actuality, their market share has been decreasing to the other three big browsers simply because they’re better. IE has not been innovative in many years. It can do some of the “extra things” the other browsers can do, but mainly becasue it has adapted and copied over the years to remain relevant.

Safari: It’s a genuinely positive browsing experience. The basic, entry level Mac user tends to use Safari and be happy with it as a web browser and it really is good. It’s probably the dominant Mac browser simply becasue it comes with the Mac and new Mac owners don’t know any better. When you compare Firefox to Safari, Firefox usually wins when it comes to features and usability. Safari does include plugins which create extra functionality, but the number is limited mainly becasue of Apple’s iron grip on all Apple products which lessen development from outsiders.

Firefox: For many years now, Firefox has been the open browser that people came to when they got tired of a poor browsing experience or being told how they should browse the internet. The stigma for quite some time was that if a person really wasn’t very computer savvy, they used Safari or Internet Explorer, but once they moved beyond what was handed to them, they moved to Firefox. Firefox is very customizable from aesthetics to functionality. Thousands of developers are constantly creating new plugins to allow you do to all kinds of cool stuff. Personally, I moved to Firefox about 3 years ago and my experience has been amazing. The plugins make all the difference in the world. As a result, my browser experience is always changing and getting better.

Chrome: I don’t know that anyone saw Chrome coming when they jumped in the browser war a little over a year ago. Chrome was designed to push browsers to the next level. Changes were made to the way Chrome operates as a browser to make it faster. We all want a faster experience and Chrome has taken big steps to make that happen. Another really cool thing Chrome did was to make each tab it’s own individual process. That means when the page your surfing fails and locks up, it doesn’t lock up your entire browser. Just close out of that tab and you’ll see all your other tabs work just fine. Like anything new, the layout is a little different and it may take some getting used to, but the experience is better. Like I posted yesterday, Chrome just added extension functionality so you can customize your browsing experience. However, what Chrome did differently is to separate the extension processes from the browsing processes so your speed experience isn’t minimized as a result of extensions. Firefox users have always known that when more plugins are installed, the slower the browser ran. Not true of Chrome.

So, that’s an overview of the current browser war. Yes, it was my opinion. It’s based on my experience of using all four browsers. So what do I use? Well, since I’m a Mac, I don’t even have access to Internet Explorer anymore. I use Safari about once a week and it’s usually just as a backup. Sometimes I come to a web page that doesn’t display correctly, so I’ll open Safari just to see what it looks like there. That’s really the only reason I use Safari. Primarily though, I’m still a Firefox user; however, Chrome may have just swooped into the lead with all the extensions. Chrome for the Mac is still technically Beta and I’ve occasionally encountered it’s bugginess. Until the glitch I run in to while editing blog posts on WordPress is fixed, I’ll probably still use Firefox primary. After that, I see a switch in the works.

What I love so much about Google is that they push through glass ceilings to promote progress. Yeah, they’ve got an agenda. They want to sell ads that you’ll see and click on. But if that means I get to have access to quality tools, a faster internet and free services in exchange for a small strip of text ads on my sidebar, I’m up for that… especially when they’re relevant to what I want or what I need. In recent years they pushed congress to auction off the 700 MHz spectrum. Did Google with their billions buy it? Nope, but they saw the potential of having this spectrum open for consumer use… to benefit us the user as well as them as a business. They also released an open OS for smart phones called android. In the near future there will be more android phones on the market than iPhones. Their innovation pushes progress forward that benefits us as the end user.

Their latest project that they’re starting to push out the door is fiber communities. Click here to read about it or watch the video below. Basically, Google wants to provide ultra high speed internet straight to your house. Most of us get anywhere from 5-10 megabit per second. Google wants to jump that speed to over 1 gigabit per second at a reasonable price. They also want to do what other companies won’t do, but share their network with other companies so more people can have faster access to the internet. Even though Google is looking at how this will make them more money, but through providing us with more. How can you not love this?

Earlier today I wrote about anticipating today’s big announcement. Several years ago they announced the iPhone and it made significant changes. Before the iPhone, most people only had data enabled phones for work. I (along with most of the world) would have been shocked if Apple didn’t announce a tablet. And they did. They’re calling it the iPad.

Here’s what I was most curious about though.

1. How bad am I going to want it?
2. Is it going to be a game changer?

I’ll get to those two questions in a second though. Following the twitter feed, the general public seemed to have the same impression that I was having. Is this it? It’s just a bigger iPhone. Sure, it’s cool and I’d certainly rather kick back on the couch with this as opposed to my iPhone or laptop. Everyone was looking at this devise with a price in their head. There’s no way I’m paying $1000 for something that’s too much like my iPhone. Then they dropped the bomb. $499. No one expected that. No one. Suddenly the iPad got a lot more appealing.

So, back to my two questions. How bad do I want it? Not bad bad enough yet. It’s kind of like when the iPhone came out. As cool as it was, it wasn’t cool enough to drop $600 (or later $400) to have one for myself. But, once the 3G came out and the price point was unbelievable – I was in. For me, the iPad isn’t there yet. No camera. If it is the ultimate way to browse the web, it needs to have a camera for video chat. I knew that at some point I’ll want an ebook reader, but I’m not convinced I’m there yet. I also have a 2 year old in my house. Having an iPad and a 2 year old makes me REALLY nervous.

Is it going to be a game changer? I’m leaning toward saying yet. Again, I don’t think they’re done yet. There is some tweaking and additions to do to the iPad, but I think it’s going to shift computing for the next several years. It’s a kindle killer. Why spend $300 or so on a kindle when you can get SO MUCH MORE with this? Although I think staring at the iPad is going to be harder on the eyes than staring at the e-ink of the kindle… but they’re apples and oranges. Just as the iPhone and iPod touch jumped into the game market, the iPad is going to be a killer gaming device. Last of all, the size allows the iPad to be more of a productivity device. I can get online and do some work. The interface works so well, I don’t have the need for a mouse anymore and using my hands is the device is so much more natural. So, I think we’ll see a lot of these things, especially in the second version when Apple gets a little mileage out of it. Best of all, they’re going to push competition to innovate and rethink the way computing is done.

In case you missed the big event, click here to read about it (with pictures).

Even better, watch Apple’s cool video to get the best experience.

Today Apple has a big announcement. It could be the iPhone 4G. Some say it could be iLife10. However, most are anticipating an Apple tablet. Some are calling it the iSlate or just Slate. A 10 inch iPhone like device that uses the iPhone OS. I must say, I’m more than curious on this one. I love the idea of a tablet, but I’m not sure why I need one. At some point I’m sure I’ll have an e-reader like the Kindle, but I haven’t felt compelled to have one like I did with the iPhone.

So, there may not even be a tablet. But if there is, I can’t wait to see the presentation. Other than it being a cool gadget, I really don’t know why I need it and how it’s going to change my life. However, I’m expecting that Apples going to change my mind. They have an uncanny ability to develop a product that you never knew you needed so bad. It’s amazing. I’ll follow-up this post later today with my impressions. Was I disappointed? Did they blow me away? We’ll see.

Regardless, this presentation is worth seeing. If you communicate for a living, you can’t afford to miss an Apple event like this. So many lessons to learn in timing, presentation and style.

I was having a conversation with a fellow blogger yesterday (I won’t say any names as to not place a target on this person as well). I was talking about my current email situation. Last week I switched my work email over to gmail becasue I so passionately hate Entourage. Really, my biggest problem is that I just needed to be able to freakin’ sync my google calendar with my work calendar in any way. I’ve explored every option available and the best solution I had was to forward my email to gmail and use a google calendar. The positive side of things is that my wife can now see my calendar and all is well on that front. However, there are some issues I have to work around. Man, I wish it would just work.

I guess this is what frustrates me. Google sync came out for Outlook nearly two years ago.

A few months ago, I needed to work with some videos to put on our Kids Church computer which is a Windows machine. In order to work with this video file, I had to purchase the codec for $25. On a Windows machine it wouldn’t have cost me anything.

I just read about this amazing Bible software, but currently it’s just for Windows.

Oh, and Chrome. I was so excited for Chrome to come out over a year ago. Is it out for the Mac? Nope, not yet. I’m actually using a developers build just so I can use it on my Mac.

When these things happen, it reminds me why I left Apple before. Oh yes, I did. I grew up on a mac. I had a mac all through college (I was the only one in my dorm with a mac). It was the incompatibility that drove me NUTS. I was always frustrated to go to the giant computer store and walk by isle after isle of PC software to get to my end cap of software compatible only for the Mac.

It’s different now. Apple makes a remarkable product. I really do love my MacBook Pro. I love my iPhone. However, (for those of you PC people one day dreaming of switching), it’s not all unicorns and rainbows (I don’t even know what that means). There is a price to pay. By moving to Apple, there are things you will be giving up. You’ll be joining a niche community. At times, you’ll feel limited. At other times, you’ll spend a lot more money. Although they make quality hardware and innovative products, they aren’t the perfection that Mr. Jobs would like you to believe.

Okay, so that was my Apple rant. I feel better now.

Well, you can now download the developers version of Chrome for the Mac. Google discourages general users to download this as it’s buggy and many things don’t work yet. But, if you want to take it for a test drive and see how it works, you can. Click here to get it.