Thread: Desktops, Laptops or tablets?

Good day to you all.

In todays fast paced world we live in, we are all in danger of becoming dinasours overnight if we resist the concept of keeping up with the technological Jones'. I personally gain a certain amount of comfort in sticking with what I know, but am pragmatic enough to realize the need to step out of that comfort zone from time to time. I am quickly realizing that 2013 is one of those times. I am looking to upgrade one of the most important tools todays inspectors have in thier arsenal. The personal computer. I invite you all to chime in with what style of computer you use and why. I look forward to reading your comments and suggestions.

Thanks,

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Originally Posted by George Hallaron

Good day to you all.

In todays fast paced world we live in, we are all in danger of becoming dinasours overnight if we resist the concept of keeping up with the technological Jones'. I personally gain a certain amount of comfort in sticking with what I know, but am pragmatic enough to realize the need to step out of that comfort zone from time to time. I am quickly realizing that 2013 is one of those times. I am looking to upgrade one of the most important tools todays inspectors have in thier arsenal. The personal computer. I invite you all to chime in with what style of computer you use and why. I look forward to reading your comments and suggestions.

Thanks,

I use a PC desktop for office work. In the field I use an iPad that I keep in the kitchen to collect the data from the inspection. I then sync the iPad to the desktop and produce the report.

I also have IRC codes on the iPad which is helpful.

I like my Asus Transformer on the job. I will walk around with it for most of the inpection, and if I need to add major notes I can add the keyboard. When I get home I can sync it to my laptop (no room for a desktop in my home) and add the pictures and refine any notes before sending the report out. For me, it works better than using paper.

GH:

Good to see that you have entered the 21st century, albeit a dozen or so years late . . .

I personally use a desktop only in the office. Years ago I tried laptops, and more recently epads, and smartphones on site, but found them more trouble than they were worth for inspection data complication or storage. One simply cannot focus on the job at hand while wrestling with the need to play with yet another electronic device during an inspection.

Until such time that someone can come up with a computer capable of accurately recording visual, auditory, olfactory, kinesthetic, gustatory, proprioceptive, somatosensory, et al. data and then assembling it into a reasonably understandable report regarding property condition, I will just have to fall back on the wetware I came equipped with.

Originally Posted by Aaron Miller

Until such time that someone can come up with a computer capable of accurately recording visual, auditory, olfactory, kinesthetic, gustatory, proprioceptive, somatosensory, et al. data and then assembling it into a reasonable understandable report regarding property condition, I will just have to fall back on the wetware I came equipped with.

To which I must add another condition - survival of nuclear attack.
This is why I am sticking to the ENIAC for the time being.

This from Antique Radio Supply Sale Flawless Gemstones

For Release: Dec 30, 2009

Antique Tube Radios Survive Nuclear Attack

Early in 1960s both USA & then USSR found, during upper atmosphere (edge of space) nuclear tests, that on the ground tube radios survive and transistors do not.

If anyone wants to place an order for a nuke neutral tube radio, remember, your iPhone will be dead before the dust starts to fall.

Seriously, notebook (laptop) at jobsite, PC at home. I like a full keyboard.

Originally Posted by John Kogel

To which I must add another condition - survival of nuclear attack.
This is why I am sticking to the ENIAC for the time being.

This from Antique Radio Supply Sale Flawless Gemstones

For Release: Dec 30, 2009

Antique Tube Radios Survive Nuclear Attack

Early in 1960s both USA & then USSR found, during upper atmosphere (edge of space) nuclear tests, that on the ground tube radios survive and transistors do not.

Ah, the concern of a EMP or Electro Magnetic Pulse attack. The high altitude nuclear blast produces an EMP which destroys transistors and many of the transformers in the power grid. Once the power grid transformers go, it is estimated it will take 1-2 YEARS before the power grid is fully back online.

So even if you have your old style tube radios, tvs, etc, there will be no power to run them. If you want to protect your transistor based equipment, store them in a Faraday cage.

Or,... You could go much lower tech. And simply store them in a lead box with the lead being at a minimum of one inch thick or a half inch thick lead box lined with tungsten. In my years as a industrial radiographer, I learned that using high levels of electromagnetic radiation to test thick steel bulkheads would fry certain electronic equipment unless it was stored in that manner. When speaking of any intensity of electromagnetic radiation and the resulting negative effects, ie; e.m.p. It comes down to three simple factors, Time-Distance-Shielding. The amounts of each of the three factors are in direct corolation to one another. But all of that aside, Desktop, Laptop, Tablet or any combination there of???

George, it's a matter of personal preference. I use PalmTech software on my desktop PC, laptop, Ipad, and Iphone.
Lots of duplication of effort. I will probably lose the desk top PC on the next need to upgrade, keep a laptop, Ipad and Iphone because they all cloud sync (so does the PC but..) reports, photo's and calenders.
Ive tried using the phone and Ipad on inspections but like Aaron "One simply cannot focus on the job at hand while wrestling with the need to play with yet another electronic device during an inspection."
Until I can use the Ipad and Phone quickly on inspections I will continue to use the laptop.

Thanks for all of the input fellas, right now I still do the paper in field with a desktop at the office but as I stated in my o p, I am smart enough to realize the need to adapt to the times. I really like having my desktop in the office however, I'm torn between a tablet or laptop for on the go situations. I seem to type a whole lot faster on a keyboard rather than a touch screen.

I use desk top at home ,and voice recorder,pad of paper out at the inspection site fingers to fat to push all those buttons

For years I used a paper report that I created. I still use that report during the inspection and then put together the illustrated report on my desktop PC in my home office to email out.

I've considered laptops and pads for onsite reports, but see no way that I can provide the same comprehensive report on site with those. It takes me almost two hours to assemble a quality written report. I know many HIs do onsite illustrated reports, and all I can say is, that they must be better at it than me.