Basic HTML Version
Mobile Peace
of Mind
Technological equality is dawningand there’s
nosuch thingas bad smartphonesor tablets
There was a time when your
smartphone said something about the
type of person you are. The stereotypes
labelled BlackBerry people as serious
business types who valued email security
over frivolous entertainment. iPhone users
just wanted to have fun with music, videos
and web surfing. The Android owner was
a rebel who rebuffed the “Big Two” and
sought to support an upstart and more
open mobile operating system.
These classifications now seem silly,
since all smartphones now offer compara-
ble features, including processing speeds,
cameras, communication tools and GPS
functionality. The hyper-competitive
smartphone industry creates enormous
pressure to match the other guys’ features
and take them a notch higher. Android
sets the bar because there are multiple
manufacturers competing with each oth-
er—new phones and tablets are launched
constantly, and they are pushing each
other by improving existing features and
adding new ones. Apple, BlackBerry and
Microsoft are keeping pace—they have no
choice.
When farmers ask me what they
should buy, I tell them it depends on
their work and personal life, and how
mobile they are. I do almost anything
to avoid office time and I travel a fair
amount during winter months. For me,
the right hardware mix is an up-to-date
smartphone (BlackBerry Q10), a 4G-en-
abled tablet (iPad) and a two-in-one PC
laptop/tablet hybrid (Lenovo IdeaPad
Yoga). It works in standard mode with
a classic keyboard and screen, but the
screen folds 180 degrees and it looks
and performs like a tablet with a touch
screen. Never say never, but I think I’ve
bought my last desktop computer.
App availability is a consideration. The
dominance of Apple and Android assures
that most apps will be built for both plat-
forms. An increasing number of Android
apps can be used on newer BlackBerry
10s, but there are fewer apps built specifi-
cally for BlackBerry. Until Windows devic-
es garner more market share, it is difficult
for app developers to justify developing
versions for Windows phones.
If, however, you rely heavily on Micro-
soft Windows desktop software, there is
an advantage to having a Windows smart-
phone, tablet (Surface Pro) and laptop that
are fully compatible with record-keeping
and accounting software.
For me, smartphone selection is more
about battery life, keyboard (real or
virtual), screen size, durability and ease
of use. I stayed with BlackBerry because
I wanted the real keyboard, and the Q10
has a beauty. It also offers impressive
battery life—I can go almost two days
between charges. It’s a great phone, but
I’m looking at Android for my next pur-
chase due to a larger app selection and
lower price.
Among tablets, the iPad is a proven per-
former. I have both a standard size iPad
and an iPad mini, and, for my purposes,
I prefer the compact mini as it is easier to
carry when moving between tractor, truck
and shop. It will fit in some pockets, and I
can hold it in two hands and type with my
thumbs—which is harder to do with the
big iPad.
There are numerous makes, models
and sizes for Android-compatible tablets.
Do your homework and find the one that
makes the most sense. There are dozens
of Android tablets available today that did
not exist a year ago. The Google Nexus
and Samsung Galaxy tablets have been
leaders in this market.
I’m seeing more and more ag equip-
ment companies building apps that take
advantage of the tablet’s screen size,
wireless ability and processing power.
Many of the monitors you currently have
cluttering up your tractor cab might be
replaced by a tablet.
It makes sense to buy 4G-enabled
tablets that can use your cellular network
to access the Internet when you’re on the
go. If you are comfortable with using a
wireless network or tethering your tablet
to your cellphone, that’s fine, you don’t
have to buy a separate data plan for the
tablet. But if you decide an independent
and fully mobile tablet is necessary, you
have the option.
Don’t agonize over these decisions. It is
unlikely that you will use the device for
more than two or three years at most. It’s
more about how you use the tool than its
brand name.
Peter Gredig is a corn, soybean and wheat
producer near St. Thomas, ON. He is also a
partner in AgNition Inc., a Guelph-based
mobile development company focused on
building agriculture apps and solutions.
Spring
2014
grainswest.com
19
By PETER GREDIG
TECH
@WORK