CHARLES PERRETTI

Why the Ipad is Not better than a Netbook

At first I was psyched about the iPad. Not now, My god, am I underwhelmed by it. If you plan on writing documents, blogging, doing photography, or tried to print anything. There is more pain on tap with the ipad. This is a list of reasons I would not recomend buying the IPad and instead would urge everyone to buy a netbook or the macbook air until some of these change.

Blogging is a nightmare, If you find a web page that you want to share, you should be able to just tap the “Share page” option and you should then be presented with all the apps that are capable of sharing, for example WORDPRESS, blogger, Twitter, TweetDeck, Facebook, Evernote, delicious, stumble, Gmail, etc, even Bluetooth should all be a sharing option.  This should have been there from day 1. I want WordPress, LastPass and Xmarks in Safari, and I want it last year. Now if you find a page in Safari on your iPad and you tap the Share button, your options are Add Bookmark, Add to Home Screen, Mail Link to this Page and Print.  then you can really only share after you are at your laptop. LAME, You can share on Netbooks easy.

I bought the Ipad specifically to be able to apply for jobs anywhere, anytime. This has been a failure. After downloading numerous writing programs including iWork’s pages, I found it extremely time consuming to write and particularly format custom cover letters for each job in any program including Google Docs. The main problem is move the cursor and selecting text to be edited.

1st The Keyboard  should be customizable,I may want numbers on the main keyboard 2nd Arrow Keys are very helpful when a composing documents. It’s such a nightmare tryng to edit a document when the only way of moving the cursor is with the auto-select-pointer that never goes right where I want it and then highlight-selectsseamingly random text. Trying to just delete a period in the middle of a paragraph can be super frustration. There is plenty of room in horizontal mode for numbers and arrow keys. Especially because in Horizontal mode the keyboard is so big you can hardly see your work and there is no way to adjust it’s size. The keys also lays awkwardly flat on the screen so I wouldn’t plan on writing your term paper on it. None of the programs I used easily pulled down Google Docs and editing was too time consuming. Don’t get me started on formatting. For long-term writing on the go, a physical Netbook keyboard  still wins. Even the IBM 5100 beats the ipad in writing.

Why can’t I turn off the Auto correct on individual apps every time I hit the space bar I have to make sure the right word was entered. If your not a good speller there is nothing worst than a program entering misspelled words in place of your correctly spelled words, because when you scan back you may not have noticed the switch-a-roo. Constantly going back to correct these with the crazy selector is super time consuming.

No USB port means there is no external harddrive support for file transfer from camera or documents to external drives. I was just in Europe and I was shooting about 60GB of RAW photos a day, there is no way for the ipad to move that many photos off my camera and on to my rugged drive. You can’t even transfer to a flash drive or the cloud because you’d have to first put them on the Ipad then upload to the cloud which would be super time consuming on the ipad. 64GB of space may seem like a lot, but really if you are a photographer or just into buying movies, TV shows, music or have lots of snap shots, this can run out quicker than you’d think.

The SD adapter says “amateur photographers only.” I know Apple isn’t big on putting ports and drives onto their devices, but one USB3 or even mini-firewire port would do a lot towards allowing for additional functionality on the iPad. Particularly connecting an external hard drive for quick data transfer, backup and CD media (or any media other than from an App Store) . Netbooks can install files off USB drives or With a simple USB DVD/CD-ROM drive, or via any other input method. Netbooks also have at least 2 USB ports standard.

The difference between the iPad and a MacBook is that one is a multi-purpose device and the other is a media player. So why can’t I have usability over how I listen or watch my media?With all the possable functionality the Ipad could have, the lameness of iTunes really stands out as a loser. I envisioned itunes being more as a DJ program like MegaSeg 4.50, Traktor 3,  Serato Scratch Live, But instead what you get is a watered down version of a pathetic outdated program. There is no way to organize your music on the ipad other than Songs, Artist, Album, Genre, Composer. No Ratings, No BPM, No Date Added, no most played, nothing. Plus you can’t hook up an external drive to bring your whole collection on a trip or event like you can on on a netbooks.

Can I get a bluetooth button in itune or anywhere so I don’t have to navigate all the way through the settings to connect to my bluetooth headset.

Why can’t you download in the background? I already hate the store, because it is so time consuming to search through with nearly no options for search, and Apple kicks me out after each purchase? What kind of shopping experience is it where you have to leave the store after each purchase?

There needs to be a central DROP BOX that all applications can write and read to. The way it is now each program has it’s own folder that other programs can not access. When you want to move files on and off your ipad you have to dig into each program;s folder from with itunes. There is no preview or sorting option in the itunes window to help you find the files your looking for. Then you have to sync again and you have to do that for each program.

No Settings for iWork’s Apps?-There are no settings for Pages, Keynote and Numbers. Weird, because they do have each have a dedicated Settings panel in System Settings. But all you will find there are the version number and credits. I can imagine a lot of little settings I would like to adjust, LIKE FONTS AND LINE SPACING!!!!. They are just not there. Of coarse you can use MS Word on Netbooks or just hop on Google Docs.

it takes like 10 steps to enter just time and place. It won’t sync back to G-calendar. Imagine your walking down the street and you get a call to set up a job interview and the caller wants to be brief, you stop and pull out your Ipad, in 10 seconds you’ll want to tap on the chosen  date and type the time, name and place in one line and save like you would in G-calendar, or outlook. But no, Apple wants you to fill out a 10 step form, complete with rolling dials like a slot machine. The chances of you getting everything right in 10seconds is slim. And then when you get back to your computer and jump on G-Cal, guess what, you have to remember to re-enter it again on your main cal. Now multiply that through out your week and you’ll be less than impressed too. Netbooks use the G-Cal Natively and any other Cal app.

Every-time you open a program and then quit it, guess what it’s still running, everytime. You have to double click the home button than press, then scroll, then press and hold, than select to to quit programs evrytime . You can’t choose what apps will run in the multitasking background and which ones will not. Default multitasking on 256MB RAM is stupid. Apple fanboys trying to convince everyone that the OS is intelligent enough to allocate enough RAM to the primary application on its own, It’s not, you basically have to clear all running apps when you launch the web Browser. Sure, netbooks might not have touchscreens, but you can install whatever software you’d like on them.

The idea that apps like the NYTimes can show me a headlines preview for each section without launching the full app is  very appealing. Tap the bar  to go from one section to the next and only if I’m interested in a story,  I tap it and then the app launches taking me directly to that story. I want widgets for job searches for all three of my emails accounts, for Google Books, YouTube videos, Facebook updates, Twitter mentions and Browser bookmarks. Very powerful stuff. The iPad has nothing comparable to this.

More on the way.

making things by hand | Village Park on Etsy

handmade earrings made with fabric, elbow grease, and a little love.

1/2 inch in diameter, a little smaller than a dime.

$7.00 USD

• villagepark
• linh nguyen
• San Francisco, United States
• I love making things by hand. I collect all types of colorful fabrics, papers, pens, and paints. These pieces are made for you. I hope it brings a smile to you face when you’re using it.

a phone cozy inspired by a phone!

phony phonecozy by villagepark on Etsy.

What it takes to get a Design Job

even an Entry Level Job or Internship

Looking for that big break?

1. Research

1. Decide which country and city you most would like to work in and decide which firm or designer you would most like to work with.
-Consult books, magazines, websites and ask fellow designers and professors: where would they go and who would they want to work with?

2. Make a list of at least 10 different firms and designers that you want to contact.
-Rank them (using criteria such as location, coolness of projects, reputation in design community, specializations, skills you will learn there) so that you know where to put your best effort.

3. Find everything you can about the city and designers and firms of your choice.
-Again, look at books and mags, etc. Get the design firm or designer’s contact information. You can use Coroflot to help you with this.

2. Contact

4. Put together a brief letter of introduction, telling the firm or designer-
-Who you are
-Where you go to school or where you currently work
-What you are doing there (studying, working as a draftsperson, whatever)
-Why you are contacting them (for an internship)
-Why you are contacting them in particular (you feel their design work is the best, they specialize in the field you want to get into.)
-What you hope to get out of working with them (better insight into the field, etc.)
-That you are eager to relocate to their city (if applicable)
-That you are looking to learn and not to earn. (that you don’t need to be paid)
-How to contact you if they are interested (e-mail address, phone number, address)

5. Include samples of your work! Very important!

-Slides, color photos, color printouts, even a photocopied or laser-printed sheet with clear pictures of your projects is enough.
-If you have particular skills or talents, like sketching or modeling or computer work, emphasize them in your samples.
-Five or six images should be enough to whet their appetites, but send more if you have enough quality projects and photos.

6. Include your C.V. or resume

-Keep it to one page.
-List experience with work, computer programs.

7. Don’t over-design this little package!

-Don’t spend hours working on your letterhead and picking special papers for your envelopes and letters. Don’t try any crazy layouts or stunts to make your package stand out – you are not applying for a graphic design position. Just be sure you

-Make it clear
-Make it short
-Include pictures

8. Call, fax or e-mail the firm or designer to get a contact name

- the person who handles hiring – and label your package to their “Attention.”

- Send it off!
- Even if the firm says they are not hiring at the moment, get a contact name and send off your package anyway.

Follow up

9. After sending your packet to the list of designers:
-After a week or so, contact the firms by phone, fax, or by e-mail.
-Be sure to talk to the person you sent the package to.
-Confirm they have received your package. Ask them if there are any questions they have about it. Ask them if they would like to see more work.
-If they have questions, answer them; if they want to see work, send them some more. If they want to have you come in for an interview, do it!
-If you need to travel a long distance for the interview, try to set up a few other interviews for the same time, and give yourself some time to see the sites- make the trip as multi-purpose as possible.

10. Repeat Step 9 every month (even every 2 weeks) or so until you get someone to invite you over for an interview. Being persistent pays! Stay in contact with the firms and send them more of your work as you produce more. Gather firm names and look for firms that are hiring at Coroflot! Keep at it!

giving this PDF a read.

Getting A Design Job | IDSA | Rob Jensen Design.

Story Telling | People Buy WHY You Do It.

Not what you do.

People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.

Work for people who believe what you believe in.

Selling your story…

• Start with “just one story” that reveals your essence.
• Show WHY you use your talents.
• Tell of a turning point in your career and what you learned.
• Select stories that reinforce your personal brand and show your passion and personality.
• Tell how you developed or sharpened a key characteristic — and the results achieved.
• Show how you handle major change and lead others through it.
• Find hero stories where you saved the day.

…and what to avoid

• Don’t talk for too long or ramble. Two minutes is the absolute max.
• Don’t tell stories that aren’t relevant to a targeted job.
• Don’t lie or exaggerate. ~
• Don’t omit sensory details and a bit of color.
• Don’t forget to wrap up the story with a one sentence moral, key message, or lesson learned.

Think about the following aspects

• have you foregrounded your interests?
  • make sure what’s important to you isn’t relegated to the very end
  • and don’t leave it out altogether, because you think it’s ‘not professional enough’
  • you’re a well-rounded person with outside interests, not a corporate automaton — an interviewer wants to see this!
• have you shown the connection between your life and work?
  • make it clear to an interviewer that your job is an important part of your life
  • it’s not ‘just another job’
  • if you show this sort of commitment to your work, a prospective employer will feel more comfortable about hiring you
• have you given examples ways you’ve engaged with your work?
  • the same thing applies, here
  • what problems have you solved in your current job, how have you helped your current employer, and why does this matter to you?
• have you demonstrated how passionate you are about the role you’re applying for?
  • obviously, you don’t want to appear needy or desperate, but you do want to make it clear exactly why this role would be good for you
  • so always tailor what you write—don’t just think a generic application will do for all the jobs you want
• finally, why should the employer  think about you?
  • it’s not just a question of whether the job is right for you — do you fit the job?
  • think about the skills, experience, and passions you present in your application — why does this combination of traits make you the ideal candidate for the role?

Hulu – TEDTalks: Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action.