PCs vs Tablets (split from My new toy -- iPad Air)

[richb]

I guess I will have to take my chances as I am not about to buy a copy of Win 7.

[life0riley]

...
Creating content? PC/Laptop.
Consuming content? Tablet.

I agree with this. For me any serious or productive work is done on a PC/Laptop. To me the smart phones fall into the Tablet category. I don't own a tablet, but I would probably use it for casual web surfing and keeping up on forums. Thats how I currently use my smart phone now in addition to using the calendar, some emails, reminders, gps...etc.

I use it for Quicken because I do not like any of the Linux alternatives, a golf league management program and for updates to devices such as Garmin, and Harmony remote. So connection to the internet is required for those activities. I do not browse the internet with it.

I have Windows 7 VB Guest just for Quicken. I considered migrating to an open source alternative since support for XP ends April 2014, but that's a tough decision, because I've used Quicken for 15 yrs. That data needs to stay intact. I did end up purchasing a copy of Windows 7. The only other copy of Windows 7 in our house is an OEM version on the main family PC that is constantly in use. I couldn't risk my financial data on an unsupported end of life version of Windows, since I do download transactions from the bank.

[woodsmoke]

tablet keyboards

However, Microsith may have accidentally, rather like Balmer cavorting on the stage,



hit a possibility of a "mark".

Their tablet has an "attachable" keyboard.

From all the images that I have seen it is kind of like the old "roll up" kayboards in terms of "tactil" response, in other words the "feel of it".

And, there was a "projected virtual keyboard", first being shown to the masses on an episode of CSI Miami.

I cannot find an image from the whow but this is almost exactly what was shown:



The JohnnieMan,



now passed on, dragged one of those projectors from the beltlines a few thousand years from now

and vouchsafed it to me....

and...

I was NOT impressed.

BUT.... for those who are not viewers of Project Runway......

HP has given to the people in the competition for the last several seasons a HP lappy/tablet with a "detachable, fold around" keyboard.

Now, on that show, the producers VERY CAREFULLY show that the the competitors can DRAW EASILY on it..... they can even "print to Kinkos" a design and it can then be produced as a.........

CLOTH............design..................

or

paper...........

Let me reiterate..........it will somehow "print to screen" .......... A CLOTH DESIGN...

Now where it is "printed on cloth" I do not know.



BUT;.....the big point here is that there are two viable "keyaboards" for tablets.

Methinks that the Plasma Active folks need to jump on this.

woodsmoke

[SteveRiley]

How vulnerable will it be to security problems.

Extremely.

What do you use it for? I think I read that Google and Mozilla will continue to provide security patches for their browsers until 2014. Not sure how much difference that makes in the grand scheme of things... If it's not ever connected to the internet, and you scan files before you transfer them onto the system, then I don't see how you'd have a problem with it (I'm sure someone will enlighten me, though!).

You can't get new versions of Internet Explorer for XP. Chrome and Firefox will cease supporting XP. Bugs will be found in whatever $FINAL-VERSION happens to be; when the operating system or a vulnerable application makes a connection, the risk of exposure is non-zero.

So connection to the internet is required for those activities. I do not browse the internet with it...
I guess I will have to take my chances as I am not about to buy a copy of Win 7.

Yes, you're taking on some unnecessary risk here.

[GreyGeek]

....Yes, you're taking on some unnecessary risk here.

Indeed! A copy of Windows 7 Home Premium is only $89. Recovering from the financial losses that might occur if your personal ID & financial info were stolen could be 10s to 100's of times more expensive. Win7 is harder to keep secure than Linux and I minimize the risk by ALWAYS doing on line transactions using private windows in FireFox in Linux with cookies turned off by default, allowing only those I approve of to create one.

I have a friend who got burned banking on line and they closed their bank account, canceled their credit cards, and now do everything with cash or money orders. Except for the money orders they leave no trail at all a minimal trail. I don't know where their "bank" is hidden, but it isn't paying much less interest than bank's checking or savings accounts these days. (Errata -- SHE goes around town paying bills by cash. But, you'd never suspect them of carrying several hundred or thousands of dollars of cash around because they drive a car that's at least 10 years old, and shows it, and they dress lower-middle class.)

[Feathers McGraw]

Indeed! A copy of Windows 7 Home Premium is only $89. Recovering from the financial losses that might occur if your personal ID & financial info were stolen could be 10s to 100's of times more expensive.

Recovering from the financial losses that might occur if someone breaks into your house and finds your life savings under the bed could be much worse than that!! Lol.

If your money is in the bank you should be covered for most fraud provided you notice it. Businesses have less time to notice than individuals (weeks instead of months).

[richb]

Indeed! A copy of Windows 7 Home Premium is only $89.

AS far as I know that is for an OEM version, above $200 for a non OEM version.
This from a moderator of the Microsoft Community. Probably not critical if installing in a VM which can be cloned.

OEM versions of Windows 7 are identical to Full License Retail versions except for the following:

- OEM versions do not offer any free Microsoft direct support from Microsoft support personnel

- OEM licenses are tied to the very first computer you install and activate it on

- OEM versions allow all hardware upgrades except for an upgrade to a different model motherboard

- OEM versions cannot be used to directly upgrade from an older Windows operating system

[oshunluvr]

I, like Rich, have a Logitech Harmony that I keep a Windows XP VM for. You can access it without Windows, but it's exponentially more difficult and just not worth it. I never cared for Quicken (too much minutia not needed by the home user) but I agree the Linux alternatives are not better. There are at least 4-5 decent linux financial programs now for the home user. Have you tried them lately, Rich? I find a spreadsheet does most of what I need for financial tracking.

I would never access anything financial with a windows machine, but I'm also not paranoid about it. I submit carrying cash about is the least secure way to transact. A car accident, a fire, a lost receipt, dropping ones wallet, any of 100's of other ways you can loose 100% of your cash without any chance of recovery. Even with a debit card, most banks cover your losses. Not trying to insult anyone in particular, but anyone who carries on a cash-only life style is a criminal or suffers from a serious mental condition. Although, a few hundred or even a 1000 dollars isn't that much money anymore. It seems I can't visit the grocery store without spending at least $200 and I usually carry upwards of $500 in cash all the time (I am the family ATM).

RANDOM SURVEY QUESTION? What's in your wallet? How much cash do you usually carry?
A: Less than $20
B: $20 to $100
C: $100 to $300-400 (your ATM limit)
D: More than your ATM limit
E: More than $1000

I'm almost always in the "D" category.

It seems to me the most secure transactions are credit card based. 100% guaranteed (at least by my bank) against fraud, traceable, and you can challenge a false charge and in some cases, force a refund that you would otherwise not be able to get if a service is not satisfactory. Plus, I get airline miles!


BTW, A lot of identity theft comes the old-fashioned way - from paper. Using a shredder is every bit as necessary as solid computer security.

[Feathers McGraw]

Definitely fewer than 20 of your US dollars, good sir!

I like to punish people that take my money by making them look at the queen

[richb]

The last time I tried the Linux financial offerings, (about 6 months ago), none could download data directly from a brokerage account, only from traditional bank accounts. That is a requirement for me. Also the budgeting and analysis features of Quicken are without peer compared to the Linux offerings.

As far as financial transactions, I have used "internet" banking before there was internet banking using custom software, Checkfree. So that is over 20 years. Never say never, but I have not been compromised over that period.

As far as cash, enough for a beer, Stella or Guinness.

[oshunluvr]

I guess it depends on your bank also. Several of the programs I've tried will import qif files. I can't argue about the Quicken offerings as I haven't tried it since 1990's when I left Windows. I use Wells Fargo at the mo' and their banking website is rather excellent. I used ING for a minute once and the older Bank of America was my first attempt at 'net banking. My favorite was NetBank until they were taken over by ING - they suck. Wells is really good. I'm considering Ally but Wells and I are rather entwined at the moment.

Some day, you should have a Stella in Belgium! Well worth the trip! I love Affligem as well and used to serve it in my bar along with Chimay. Someday I will have a pint of Guiness pulled by a bonnie lass in old Éire herself!

[richb]

I spent a lot of time in Belgium on business in the mid 90's. Mostly in and around Kortrijk and Meulebeke. Love the Belgian beers.

[Feathers McGraw]

Someday I will have a pint of Guiness pulled by a bonnie lass in old Éire herself!

Guinness in Ireland is so much nicer than anywhere else, just like a tasty pint of milk!

I'm not normally a fan, but pubs in south-west Scotland and Ireland keep it really well.

[GreyGeek]

Recovering from the financial losses that might occur if someone breaks into your house and finds your life savings under the bed could be much worse than that!! Lol....

Very true, which is why you'd never catch me doing that. But, someone could break in anyway looking for stuff to fence to support their drug habits, and the loss could be equally as great or greater. That's why I keep some firepower in a quick opening biosafe.

[GreyGeek]

I.... Love the Belgian beers.

You might find this interesting! The claim is that beers between 5-6% lengthen telemers while Coffee shortens them! (I'm assuming the active agent in Coffee is caffeine.) I've been thinking about that article since I read it yesterday. Asians are great tea drinkers, which has as much caffeine as coffee, but it doesn't appear to have shortened their life spans significantly, if at all. And, the UK and Germany, noted beer drinking societies, do not have life spans any different than the Asians or other countries. So, I suspect that article is another in a long line of pseudoscience papers, but it makes interesting conversation.