Shiny toys for happy people
Even the simple things in life go better with education. I base this on my morning, where I spent about ninety minutes introducing someone else to the wonderful world of the tablet. Read iPad, given that we don’t seem to invite any competition. Not my point. The instruction manual with a new tablet is truly minimalist; a single playing card sized picture that shows where the buttons of importance are located. As if your tactile skills weren’t up to the task.
Actually teaching the basic moves didn’t take long. What required a true devotion to the cause was the obligatory enrollment in the underlying market structure. More questions than a passport application, and when you “time out”, all that you can do is start again. That verification email which requires a response is well thought out – if you receive it. Turns out that the email address had been redirected, and only after some careful research on the Exchange server were we able to clear things up. All to say that the user now has a shiny new toy, and a proper instruction manual from O’Reilly has been ordered.
In perfect synchronicity, I was out in “the shops” this evening, drawn like a moth to the flame by the tablet display. Tempting, if unnecessary. I could spend too much money on something I don’t need (really), or I could hang in there and wait to be gifted. At some point, clicking and dragging and making appreciative noises will lead to some new music. GarageBand, in the garage.
