Found (I think) my best layout for use of mlo, everywhere, in windows environnement!

[Luc Poitras]

Hi everyone!
Before I start, I just want to say: "Bear with me".
And let me just say this! I'm sure that there are lots of people here who read the emails in this forum, who are passionate about using mlo, who see it's great potential, and who have great ideas that they sometimes would like to share...but don't because they can't compete with the "knowledge", the "experience" of some of you here, or the fact that english is not there first and main language (like me for example; I speak french)... or wathever other reasons you might think of.

So here goes, bear with me!

I am trying to find, for a long time now, the best tools, or layout, to be able to use mlo everywhere (home, office, on the road, etc) and always being able to use it in windows environnement: I just want to be able to use the full capacity of mlo, and that, everywhere I may be!!!
I've tried mlo on iphone, and tried mlo on ipad, and tried mlo with parralels on my Mac 27 inch (still use parralels on Mac, but dropped mlo for iphone and ipad cause feels for me too limited, compared to mlo in windows!)
That being said, I want to share with you what I think would be the best way, in my own opinion, to use mlo with windows, in all "circonstances".

I just had a long talk with somebody I know who manages and owns in my region (Canada's National Capital) a relatively big company who sells computers and software to public and govermental firms. I was explaining my needs to him, and was telling him I was considering buying a tablet with windows environnement.
Tablet because:
- it's portable, and don't necessarily see myself transporting a laptop everywhere I go;
- because it would be kind of having an Ipad... with windows on it;
- and for a couple of other reasons.

So to get to my point here (sorry guys it takes so long) we came up with an interesting layout, considering that windows base tablets don't take much market place yet!

So...Not cheap but interesting layout:

Using the Lenovo Thinkpad x220 tablet. (there's a laptop x220 and a tablet x220). The tablet x220 is like the best of both worlds (laptop vs tablet).

So here is my scenario:
- At my desktop at home, I would clip my x220 tablet on the Lenovo dock (sold separately) so to work in mlo on my big screen;
- On the road, I unclip from the dock my x220 and it becomes my tablet I've always wanted; let's say I'm waiting at the dentist, I can still use the full capacities of mlo no problem;
- X220 tablet is touchscreen... obviously;
- If I'm in my living room and want to work in mlo, I can just transform my tablet into a laptop by turning the screen around.

...Am on a cloud right now because I can see all the ease of use of this layout, and for me, ease of use takes a large part in the decisions I make!

So, what do you think?
Any other layouts you think would fit my needs (full mlo capabilities everywhere!)
Now, don't blow my bubble here! (just kidding!)

Sincerely yours!
Luc

Envoyé de mon iPhone

[Mark Levison]

Luc - it's funny to see someone else in Ottawa on this mailing list.

I've been tempted by the same system but said no in the end:

- Weight the tablet version is ~4lbs. Windows ultraportables must be less than <3lbs

- Battery life ~5hrs disappointing for the weight

- Windows 7 isn't really touch screen friendly even the Android tablets get this right.

At the rate things are going I will likely likely purchase an Ultrabook this year when I see one that meets my price point. The IPad is out not because of the limited MLO functionality but because I can't readily edit my business documents on it (my business runs on GIT) and because it's not designed for heavy writing

Cheers
Mark Levison

Mark Levison | Agile Pain Relief Consulting | Certified Scrum Trainings: Ottawa, Montreal
Agile Editor @ InfoQ | Blog | Twitter | Office: (613) 862-2538
ScrumMaster Tales: Impediments are holding back the team, Stop Digging New Holes

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[Luc Poitras]

Thanks Mark for your response!

I heard about these ultrabooks! Effectively, they are not cheap!

And by the way, seems that the touchscreen will be much more efficient under windows 8, configured especially in part for the tablets, so that would solve at least that problem!

And lastly, about the battery life, seems that the 6 cells battery that comes in the box with the x220 tablet lasts about 7 hours, and if you switch to the 9 cells, it will last for about 12 hours if i'm not mistaking.

Anyways, thanks again, and see you soon maybe in a coffee shop on the Byward market!

Luc

Envoyé de mon iPhone

[gkoliver]

I have considered the Windows based tablets vs the Ipad again and
again... I don't use my non-desktop for business purposes, so YMMV.
One of the biggest unexpected benefits of the ipad for me is the speed
of task transition... when I go from tablet to kids to car to tablet,
it's a "put it down, pick it up" thing, versus the "power button,
wait, type password, wait for it to recover" cycle. It's literally a
second to go back to useful function on the ipad vs probably 30-45 on
my tablet (but my tablet is 2 yrs old now, so maybe the new OS starts
up faster). The other issue I have with my tablet is it is HOT, the
battery life isn't as good, and the touch screen isn't nearly as
responsive as the ipad.

So my tablet sits neglected, and I use my ipad for virtually all
portable tasks: checking email, watching netflix, MLO on the go, time
wasting games, etc. Literally the only times I use my tablet are when
I need my smart card reader or when I need to print.

My $0.02 worth, probably valued at about 1/2 that :)

gko

[Leigh]

All,

Something to consider, while not windows, is using an Android tablet.
The functionality in android is more robust than an iPad.

Cheers
Leigh

On Mar 28, 9:33 am, Mark Levison <m...@mlevison.com> wrote:
> Luc - it's funny to see someone else in Ottawa on this mailing list.
>
> I've been tempted by the same system but said no in the end:
> - Weight the tablet version is ~4lbs. Windows ultraportables must be less
> than <3lbs
> - Battery life ~5hrs disappointing for the weight
> - Windows 7 isn't really touch screen friendly even the Android tablets get
> this right.
>
> At the rate things are going I will likely likely purchase an Ultrabook
> this year when I see one that meets my price point. The IPad is out not
> because of the limited MLO functionality but because I can't readily edit
> my business documents on it (my business runs on GIT) and because it's not
> designed for heavy writing
>
> Cheers
> Mark Levison
>

> [image: Mark] <http://www.flickr.com/photos/36331075@N00/3833840021/>*Mark
> Levison* | Agile Pain Relief Consulting <http://agilepainrelief.com/> |
> Certified Scrum Trainings:
> Ottawa<http://agilepainrelief.com/landing/certified-scrum-master-training-wi...>,
> Montreal<http://agilepainrelief.com/landing/certified-scrum-master-training-wi...>
> Agile Editor @ InfoQ <http://www.infoq.com/about.jsp> |
> Blog<http://www.notesfromatooluser.com/>|
> Twitter <http://twitter.com/mlevison> | Office: (613) 862-2538

> ScrumMaster Tales: Impediments are holding back the

> team<http://agilepainrelief.com/notesfromatooluser/2011/12/scrummaster-tal...>,
> Stop Digging New
> Holes<http://agilepainrelief.com/notesfromatooluser/2012/02/scrummaster-tal...>

[tru]

On Wednesday, March 28, 2012 6:23:28 PM UTC-7, luc wrote:

Thanks Mark for your response!

I heard about these ultrabooks! Effectively, they are not cheap!

And by the way, seems that the touchscreen will be much more efficient under windows 8, configured especially in part for the tablets, so that would solve at least that problem!

And lastly, about the battery life, seems that the 6 cells battery that comes in the box with the x220 tablet lasts about 7 hours, and if you switch to the 9 cells, it will last for about 12 hours if i'm not mistaking.

Anyways, thanks again, and see you soon maybe in a coffee shop on the Byward market!

Luc

Envoyé de mon iPhone

Le 2012-03-28 à 15:33, Mark Levison <ma...@mlevison.com> a écrit :

Have you looked at the Dell Latitude ST? It's a pretty little beast and more an iPad-like device that you can dock than the flip-screen laptop-ish Lenovo. The pricepoint (starting at $759 USD) may be more to your liking. 

 

Windows device, not Android.

 

Dell did make a flip-screen tablet similar to the Lenovo called the Latitude XT2, but I couldn't find it on their site - I was drooling over them for the longest time.

 

In general, though, I like your idea and I did have the first generation Lenovo Tablet (X41T) and loved it. I used it when I was a contractor and when I got a job, I ended up using my work computer and let my step-daughter use the it. Now it's dead. )c: 

 

 

 

Luc - it's funny to see someone else in Ottawa on this mailing list.

I've been tempted by the same system but said no in the end:

- Weight the tablet version is ~4lbs. Windows ultraportables must be less than <3lbs

- Battery life ~5hrs disappointing for the weight

- Windows 7 isn't really touch screen friendly even the Android tablets get this right.

At the rate things are going I will likely likely purchase an Ultrabook this year when I see one that meets my price point. The IPad is out not because of the limited MLO functionality but because I can't readily edit my business documents on it (my business runs on GIT) and because it's not designed for heavy writing

Cheers
Mark Levison

Mark Levison | Agile Pain Relief Consulting | Certified Scrum Trainings: Ottawa, Montreal

Agile Editor @ InfoQ | Blog | Twitter | Office: (613) 862-2538

ScrumMaster Tales: Impediments are holding back the team, Stop Digging New Holes

On Wed, Mar 28, 2012 at 3:05 PM, Luc Poitras <luc.p...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi everyone!
Before I start, I just want to say: "Bear with me".
And let me just say this! I'm sure that there are lots of people here who read the emails in this forum, who are passionate about using mlo, who see it's great potential, and who have great ideas that they sometimes would like to share...but don't because they can't compete with the "knowledge", the "experience" of some of you here, or the fact that english is not there first and main language (like me for example; I speak french)... or wathever other reasons you might think of.

So here goes, bear with me!

I am trying to find, for a long time now, the best tools, or layout, to be able to use mlo everywhere (home, office, on the road, etc) and always being able to use it in windows environnement: I just want to be able to use the full capacity of mlo, and that, everywhere I may be!!!
I've tried mlo on iphone, and tried mlo on ipad, and tried mlo with parralels on my Mac 27 inch (still use parralels on Mac, but dropped mlo for iphone and ipad cause feels for me too limited, compared to mlo in windows!)
That being said, I want to share with you what I think would be the best way, in my own opinion, to use mlo with windows, in all "circonstances".

I just had a long talk with somebody I know who manages and owns in my region (Canada's National Capital) a relatively big company who sells computers and software to public and govermental firms. I was explaining my needs to him, and was telling him I was considering buying a tablet with windows environnement.
Tablet because:
- it's portable, and don't necessarily see myself transporting a laptop everywhere I go;
- because it would be kind of having an Ipad... with windows on it;
- and for a couple of other reasons.

So to get to my point here (sorry guys it takes so long) we came up with an interesting layout, considering that windows base tablets don't take much market place yet!

So...Not cheap but interesting layout:

Using the Lenovo Thinkpad x220 tablet. (there's a laptop x220 and a tablet x220). The tablet x220 is like the best of both worlds (laptop vs tablet).

So here is my scenario:

- At my desktop at home, I would clip my x220 tablet on the Lenovo dock (sold separately) so to work in mlo on my big screen;
- On the road, I unclip from the dock my x220 and it becomes my tablet I've always wanted; let's say I'm waiting at the dentist, I can still use the full capacities of mlo no problem;
- X220 tablet is touchscreen... obviously;

- If I'm in my living room and want to work in mlo, I can just transform my tablet into a laptop by turning the screen around.

...Am on a cloud right now because I can see all the ease of use of this layout, and for me, ease of use takes a large part in the decisions I make!

So, what do you think?
Any other layouts you think would fit my needs (full mlo capabilities everywhere!)
Now, don't blow my bubble here! (just kidding!)

Sincerely yours!
Luc



Envoyé de mon iPhone

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[Luc Poitras]

Very useful comment gko when you talk about the 30 to 45 seconds it takes for the non-ipad tablet to recover. This is an aspect I haven't considered before, and I agree that would be an important enough element that would make me NOT use the tablet when on the go!
Luc

Envoyé de mon iPhone

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[Luc Poitras]

This is one of my next move Leigh. I gave a friend 20$ two weeks ago to install mlo on his ipad to try it out. Now, I'm gonna find another friend who has an android tablet , give him 20 bucks, and try mlo on his android tablet.

PS: Am I missing something here! Actually, I would love to use mlo on ipad, or even maybe on android tablet, but seems the flags (I use a lot) and the Outline/To-do...don't exist. And when some great idea that needs elaboration comes to my mind, I need the full functionnalities of mlo NOW to process it. It's not that I'm a big baby and need everything now. It's just that my work schedule permits that!
Luc

Envoyé de mon iPhone

[Mark Levison]

On Thu, Mar 29, 2012 at 12:48 AM, Luc Poitras <luc.p...@gmail.com> wrote:

This is one of my next move Leigh. I gave a friend 20$ two weeks ago to install mlo on his ipad to try it out. Now, I'm gonna find another friend who has an android tablet , give him 20 bucks,  and try mlo on his android tablet.

PS: Am I missing something here! Actually, I would love to use mlo on ipad, or even maybe on android tablet, but seems the flags (I use a lot) and the Outline/To-do...don't exist. And when some great idea that needs elaboration comes to my mind, I need the full functionnalities of mlo NOW to process it. It's not that I'm a big baby and need everything now. It's just that my work schedule permits that!

Lots of things are missing, however I trust that Andrey will eventually fill in all the gaps.

Cheers

Mark 

[Lisa Stroyan]

Flags are not on Android yet, but their are many different Todo views as well as Outline views.  I worked around not having flags by switching to Goals/Starred, since I was using flags to indicate rough priority anyway. I've been pretty happy with this workaround.

Lisa

Lisa

---

Lisa Stroyan, mailto: lstr...@gmail.com

[tru]

Great feedback, gko! Thanks.

[John Bray]

Hi Luc;

What your asking for is the exact setup that I use daily.

I've always been a ThinkPad guy and the x220 Tablet model with active
touchscreen is in a word; Awesome. The laptop design alone has so
many hidden features that the average Dell/Asus/Gateway/etc user would
never get - because a Lenovo laptop is really in a class all its own.
For instance; who designs a laptop keyboard whose physical keys ride
above hidden gutters beneath the keys edges. Should you spill a drink
(coffee or soda) over the keyboard - the liquid would fall between the
keys and be collected by the gutter system and routed around & through
designated ducting outlets to the bottom of the laptop. Brilliant!
There's video to show it in operation. Who builds in 3-axis
accelerometers in their laptops that can detect a potential fall and
instantly park the hard-drive head and pause the OS, or use it for
spatial awareness? Lenovo. These and so many other things set their
laptops apart. YES, you do pay more for them, but these aren't
'Chevy's'. They have special coatings, magnesium chassis, no plastic,
on and on. There's even a sweet model ($$$) that has a second monitor
that slides out from behind the main monitor.

OK, so you can tell I'm a big Lenovo fan. However, they like many
companies, have wanted to get that main stream market too and have
started building "consumer grade" junk - so buyer beware.

With my unit, I have removed the hard-drive and installed a SSD (solid
state drive). These are just now becoming more popular, but they're
still expensive. However, the Windows 7 Pro with a butt-load of
drivers initiating at start-up with the hard drive would take nearly
2.5 minutes from a cold start. With SSD - 20 seconds. That's not
just a desktop showing - that's apps loaded and this baby ready to
perform. Hard drive heat... gone, battery drain from heavy drive
usage... gone! Weight & sound... nill! I can't tell you what laptop
luxury is - but it's sweet.

Like you mentioned, it's a laptop - full blown with all the comforts
of a perfect system. Yeap... docking station too. Literally set it
down and Click! - its like a desktop. All peripherals plugged in
and instantly accessible. DVD drive, printers, remote monitor, WiFi
antenna with 30db gain, USB hubs, etc - all connected in a snap. It
charges the battery while docked and can lock the laptop to itself -
you use a key to lock & remove. Actually, it charges the laptop
battery And an additional battery simultaneously. When its time to go
do some field work - click and I'm off.

Speaking of batteries, I too have 1 of the standard batteries and two
of the larger celled units. My setup with the larger battery can run
just about 7 hours with heavy use. The smaller battery about 4-5
hours. With light use... who knows... it's my workhorse.

When in the field - I convert to the tablet mode - again awesome...
don't get me started. It does what people believe to be a iPad using
my fingers but with SO MUCH more horsepower. Then I'll pop out it's
pen and start transcribing notes - and because of the power, you don't
need to stop and wait for the OCR to catch up - just write like on
paper on its there. Even with my hieroglyphics, it might only miss a
word or two. Considering my script or printed text - that's
fantastic. I even get die-hard Apple business acquaintances - say
that it's pretty cool. I wear a strap around my neck and my tablet
becomes a walking mobile notes desk.

I use this mode to proof & inspect job sites showing scaled drawings
that I actually "digitally", write note upon. My notes and symbols
are automatically categorized into an Excel spreadsheet for report
regeneration and data migration later back at my office site. I might
walk a job for hours with Dragon dictate running, pdf markup app
running, Excel opened, Evernote opened and actively syncing, music
files playing, etc, AND MLO at the same time. The SSD really makes
this possible in this instance.

I really 'tried' to crash it when I first put this laptop together -
but couldn't. It's powerful and robust!

I can NEVER go back to a standard sub-grade laptop system again. If
you shop it right- you can get into this level of performance in about
the $2000.00 dollar range - depending on how you build it and what
'extra' stuff you want on it; SSD, more memory, touch screen options,
built-in mobile phone, peripherals, etc.

All I can tell you from my experience and that of other (different
higher end Lenovo model) owners is that these laptops are truly
business class (and even military spec'd) systems. Nothing compares.
You open this baby up and you can instantly see quality. Don't buy a
laptop from the big box stores - those aren't the same - get them
directly from Lenovo website.

Geez, I'd better step down off this soapbox. My apologies to the MLO
board for my ranting. Guess I get a little excited with a product
that actually performs - as compared to the thousands of dollars I've
wasted on junk through the years... (though the Toshiba Satellite
series wasn't too bad for consumer grade).

MLO is a awesome program and Android phone app combination - along
with the cloud sync service. Again, I was looking for a task system
that is bullet proof / industrial grade - not just something to remind
me to "pick up milk", like all the other (again consumer friendly)
task based progs/apps out there.

MLO IS the "goto" system. Heck, even I don't fully use all its
capabilities. If you're looking for cute & colorful - then you're at
the wrong site. If you need context based, project driven, task
management - then you are exactly where you need to be.

Anyway, I hope this works for you. My system/setup has completely
changed the way I now operate. Efficiency is 10 to the X fold. I'm
certain no other setup could do this. I would however, Love to see
the Android OS grow to see a office main stream and give ol' Bill
Gates an even greater wake up call. For me, running a memory/resource
hog like AutoCAD on a Android tablet with wireless user input controls
would be F!@#KING INCREDIBLE!!!

I'm curious to see what Windows 8 will bring to the tablet arena.

Regards,

John

[Luc Poitras]

Wow John, I'm impressed!
Question: do you feel that the touchscreen under W7 works ok enough?
I'm gonna check the SSD thing you're talking about to see!
...And the way you put it, looks like the perfect layout I was looking for.
Now, I just have to convince my wife to let me spend 2000$. (just kidding)
Luc

Envoyé de mon iPhone