Technology catch-all thread

[iamshack]

I have iWork on my iMacs at home, and yes, it imports/exports them just fine. There are probably some super advanced features of Excel that 0.00000000001% of the world uses or knows exists that iWork won't be able to handle, but I've never seen anything that didn't work.

 

Apple has some info on it here: http://www.apple.com/iwork/compatibility/

Thanks...I work in the utility industry and so we collect data upon data upon data...I never knew an industry could depend so much on Excel spreadsheets...

 

I'd love to be able to ditch my Windows machines almost entirely, if Numbers really does work that well with Excel..

[Y2HH]

Very good points, but I still think there is a lot of expanding they can do with both the iPhones and the iPads...there are a lot of people that have been unable to purchase iPhones because their carrier did not have rights to it...with all the Sprint customers coming on board, as well as many Verizon users coming on board, my guess is there are still a lot of those appetites to satiate. New iPad sales have been strong, and I think they are still reaching a lot of customers for the first time that are satisfied as to its utility that will finally pull the trigger after sitting on the sideline during the release of the first two iPads. Then you'll start hitting people who bought the first iPad who choose to upgrade into the new iPad, etc... So in summation, I guess I am not sure it is quite over yet.

 

But you are certainly correct that they need to move into some new markets and go back make some major upgrades to some of their other product lines if they wish to keep all this momentum going.

 

I'm sure they have a few more quarters of solid growth ahead of them, but they're reaching a peak, not only in public perception, but in terms of coming out with "must have" upgrades. The iPad2 to the iPad3, for example, featured a major jump in resolution/screen performance...a worthy upgrade. A simple processor bump at this point isn't going to cut it anymore, and the technology as we know it is pushed to it's maximum. You can't bump resolution every year, or you'll drive developers crazy...and adding a slightly better camera isn't going to convince people to shell out hundreds of dollars to upgrade anymore. When the iPhone first arrived, and the few subsequent models that followed, they had an insane upgrade rate...but with the 4 to the 4s, that upgrade rate diminished greatly. What the 4s had was an introduction onto Sprint, and mostly, Verizon, which is what most Verizon users were waiting for, versus buying the 4 which was almost a year old already at the time it came to Verizon...but a lot of people didn't bother upgrading from a 4 to a 4s, and as a person that did, I wouldn't do it again.

[Y2HH]

Thanks...I work in the utility industry and so we collect data upon data upon data...I never knew an industry could depend so much on Excel spreadsheets...

 

I'd love to be able to ditch my Windows machines almost entirely, if Numbers really does work that well with Excel..

 

There is probably a trial you can download...and give it a shot. Unless you're using super advanced features of Excel, which most people don't use, I wouldn't see an issue...I've yet to have an issue opening any sort of Excel document in iWork, or for that matter, editing one. That said, I don't deal with spreadsheets full of advanced Microsoft Excel features...but basic algorithms or calculations, etc...

[iamshack]

I'm sure they have a few more quarters of solid growth ahead of them, but they're reaching a peak, not only in public perception, but in terms of coming out with "must have" upgrades. The iPad2 to the iPad3, for example, featured a major jump in resolution/screen performance...a worthy upgrade. A simple processor bump at this point isn't going to cut it anymore, and the technology as we know it is pushed to it's maximum. You can't bump resolution every year, or you'll drive developers crazy...and adding a slightly better camera isn't going to convince people to shell out hundreds of dollars to upgrade anymore. When the iPhone first arrived, and the few subsequent models that followed, they had an insane upgrade rate...but with the 4 to the 4s, that upgrade rate diminished greatly. What the 4s had was an introduction onto Sprint, and mostly, Verizon, which is what most Verizon users were waiting for, versus buying the 4 which was almost a year old already at the time it came to Verizon...but a lot of people didn't bother upgrading from a 4 to a 4s, and as a person that did, I wouldn't do it again.

I basically agree....I do remember, however, that the 3G and the 3S were very minor upgrades as well, and then the 4 came and blew them both away...which is kind of what I was hoping the 5 would do to the 4 and 4S...but you're probably right...those days are probably over for awhile...

[BigSqwert]

I have, and you're co-workers are either repeating nonsense they've heard elsewhere, or they're lying. iWork works fine using Excel documents.

No. They actually do things in excel besides addition and subtraction.

[Y2HH]

I basically agree....I do remember, however, that the 3G and the 3S were very minor upgrades as well, and then the 4 came and blew them both away...which is kind of what I was hoping the 5 would do to the 4 and 4S...but you're probably right...those days are probably over for awhile...

 

An example that highlights upgrades that people don't care about, look at the AppleTV3. I have an AppleTV2. The only new features are a bump from 720p output to 1080p, and a slightly faster processor. I'm not going to upgrade to that, it doesn't really add much. While 720p to 1080p is nice, only videophiles care about it...can I see a difference, sure...but does it matter that much? No.

 

The iPhone 5 needs to have a larger screen...I'd say 4.0 to 4.2" (up from the current 3.5"), and it could be a worthy upgrade. I'd prefer Apple NOT go the way of a lot of Android manufacturers and push to cartoonishly large screens that look absurd to me. I think for a phone, 4.0-4.2" is a sweet spot. Those newer androids with near 5" screens on them just look awkward unless you're a Sasquatch the size of BigSqwert.

[Y2HH]

No. They actually do things in excel besides addition and subtraction.

 

iWork can do most of those advanced equations, if not all of them, not only addition and subtraction.

[southsider2k5]

iWork can do most of those advanced equations, if not all of them, not only addition and subtraction.

 

Besides we know anywhere that hires BS isn't going to be doing much more than addition or subtraction anyway.

[RockRaines]

There are companies out there who still compile all of their financial data on excel spreadsheets, large companies at that. These are geniuses that spent hundreds of millions of dollars on an ERP system like SAP yet they extract their data, manipulate it in a free application and then re-upload it.

[Texsox]

I am using my iPad2 more and more for stuff besides light websurfing and games. I am still bothered that there is no flash support. It makes posting here a pain.

 

I do like it for taking notes at meetings. I use an external keyboard. The faster boot time and easy email function are winners.

[Y2HH]

I am using my iPad2 more and more for stuff besides light websurfing and games. I am still bothered that there is no flash support. It makes posting here a pain.

 

I do like it for taking notes at meetings. I use an external keyboard. The faster boot time and easy email function are winners.

 

What does flash support have to do with posting here? And mobile flash is dead...Adobe killed support for it. So expect fewer and fewer things to bother supporting it, such as they already are.

Edited April 3, 2012 by Y2HH

[Balta1701]

Google unveils prototype of "Computer glasses" (with picture).

[StrangeSox]

I bricked my phone

[iamshack]

I bricked my phone

?

[StrangeSox]

I was messing around with some crap on my rooted Droid x2 and it got stuck at the start-up splash screen. Thanks to the trusty internets I was able to get it reset.

[HuskyCaucasian]

Facebook just bought Instagram for $1 billion

[Brian]

Facebook just bought Instagram for $1 billion

 

Remind me to go back in time someday and invent Instagram

[iamshack]

Remind me to go back in time someday and invent Instagram

Brian,

Go back in time some day and invent Instagram.

 

 

[Brian]

Brian,

Go back in time some day and invent Instagram.

 

[iamshack]

I've given in. I am officially committing to follow Twitter.

[HuskyCaucasian]

Remind me to go back in time someday and invent Instagram

Go back in time and sabotage this stupid program.

[HuskyCaucasian]

I've given in. I am officially committing to follow Twitter.

Hell of a guy, I recommend following him.

[Balta1701]

Seems like good, overdue policy.

Cellphone companies and the government are trying to make it as difficult to use a stolen cellphone as it is to sell a stolen car.

 

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said in a statement late Monday that major cellphone carriers and the Federal Communications Commission have agreed to set up a database of identification numbers that are unique to each phone.

 

Using the list, cellular carriers will be able to permanently disable a phone once it's been reported stolen. Until now, U.S. carriers have only been disabling so-called "SIM" cards, which can be swapped in and out. That's enabled a black market to exist for stolen phones.

 

Schumer said that the goal of the agreement is to make a stolen cellphone "as worthless as an empty wallet."

 

He has said that unique ID numbers known as International Mobile Equipment Identity numbers are already effectively used in Europe to deter stealing.

 

Schumer also said he will introduce legislation to make it a federal crime to alter or tamper with a phone's IMEI number.

[HuskyCaucasian]

Is Google planning to sell Motorola's handset business to Huawei?

 

Wall Street Journal columnist Dennis Berman says that rumors are swirling in Asia that Google has already offered to sell Motorola's handset business to Huawei for a "high price." That's the first we've heard of any such plans, but they would line up well with previous rumors that Google also wants to sell Motorola's cable box division — as well as underline the patent-centric nature of the acquisition. After all, Andy Rubin told us flat-out that Google would build a "firewall" between Android group and Motorola after the deal closed, and Google's already replaced Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha with former ad sales exec Dennis Woodside — not necessarily the moves one would make in preparation to dig in and revive Moto's unprofitable handset business.

[RockRaines]

Ipad 2's are going off some places at 300-350. Really debating whether to get a 3 or a 2.