Monday, January 30, 2012

Grateful for Technology

Isn't it amazing how technology has truly changed our lives? That seems like such an obvious and overused statement that it is practically cliche, but cliches become such for a reason.  Looking around our house this weekend, you likely would have seen an adult doing work on a full-size computer, another checking email on a smartphone, and both kids with iPads propped on their lap playing games. This wasn't the entire scene, or an all day scene, but typical nonetheless.  (We actually spent most of the day Saturday at OMSI - our local hands-on science museum.) 

This morning a friend was telling me that his boyfriend is a composer and I asked what he composed on - expecting he would say a piano or guitar. He actually composes on a computer program that simulates many instruments.  How handy to be able to grab the laptops, head to the coffee shop, park, school, or a friend's house, and have everything you need right there - no bulky instruments required! 

Vicki and I have discovered that the iPads have changed the way we do so much - especially her! Her whole life is almost paperless now.  She has found checkbook programs for us to share, dayplanners and timekeepers for work, notetaking programs that replace both a notepad and paper, and Word-like word processing apps.  Need a receipt for tax purposes? Open the approprate app - snap a photo - and presto! - saved for tax time.  In a computer smaller than some of my tablets of paper at work, I now have productivity apps, games, Facebook, Gmail, news, magazines and more - plus - being a Apple product, I don't worry about the kids downloading viruses when they are searching for games. The iPad truly is remarkable - and the netbook before that, and the laptop before that, and the desktop computer before that......

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