Category Archives: Ipad

Dove’s Back To Uni Essential Tech Kit

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Whether you are just starting or going back to university this September, it is important to be prepared, from essential reading to IT equipment. As many universities expect people to have computer technology and internet these days, they will often set tasks that involve using home IT equipment, so it is essential to be prepared for this. Dove has put together a guide to making sure you are prepared for the back-to-uni rush this September.

back to school back to college back to university

The Essentials Checklist

  • Laptop or PC – Beat the mad dash for the use of the slow and clunky old university library computers by being prepared and having your own PC or laptop in your student accommodation. You can use it anytime, and it makes completing assignments a doddle.
  • All-In-One Printer – Printing off at in the university library can be a stressful experience, especially close to deadline dates. But having your own all in one printer back at your accomodation would allow you to leisurely print, scan and photocopy anytime you need to.
  • Microsoft Office University Suite – To be able to complete assignments on your PC or laptop, you will need a Microsoft Office Suite, allowing you to create Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and more. Dove are currently running a student offer on the software, for more details click here.
  •  Internet Security – The internet is one of the greatest technological advances, but unfortunately it allows hackers and virus threats to freely enter your computer and cause no end of issues. Protect against this with  Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 3PC 1 year subscription, which offer pop up and virus protection so you can enjoy a worry-free browsing experience.
  • Back-up – Backing up your hard work is essential if you plan to use your PC or laptop for assignments and long running projects. All manner of things can easily go wrong with technology, for example if you simply spills a drink on the keyboard or accidently drop the laptop. These things happen, and although you can repair or replace broken technology, you can’t get back the data that was saved on there. We recommend an offsite back up program such as Mozy, which is ideal for home use, and Dove can install and set up the software for you, no hassle needed.
  • Tablet/iPad – A tablet is not an essential, but more people are investing in this unique and useful tool. With a multitude of apps and games available for you to enjoy, it is a great extra to consider when building your back-to-uni kit.

Dove Computer Solutions are offering an exclusive 6 months remote support on every laptop purchased between 16th July and 31 August, to help make the back-to-uni time as stress free as possible for you! 

Dove’s Guide to the Back-To-School IT Essentials

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Whether your kids are just starting or going back to school it is important to be prepared, from uniform and PE kits, to essential reading and IT equipment. As many schools expect people to have computer technology and internet these days, they will often set tasks that involve using home IT equipment, so it is essential to be prepared for this. Dove has put together a guide to making sure you are prepared for the back-to-school rush of September 2012.

The Essentials Checklist

  • Laptop or PC – This can be one of the most valuable homework and education tools available. You can utilise it for sourcing information for products, simply looking up unknown words and phrases, or even play some of the many educational PC games for children.
  • Printer – A printer is a useful tool for printing off information, and allows children to utilise the computer or laptop to get more daring and creative with their homework, and then allows them to print it off to take into school and show off.
  • Microsoft Office Home and Student Suite – For your children to be able to use the PC or laptop for their homework tasks, a Microsoft Office suite with programs such as Word, PowerPoint, Publisher and more is a must-have.
  • Internet Security – Your children obviously going to want to utilise the internet when gathering information for homework projects, and you don’t want to have the risk of them going on the wrong site, or pop ups and viruses becoming an issue when your child is working on the computer. We advise a home edition internet security package such as Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 3PC 1 year subscription, which allows you to set parental controls, and providers pop up and virus protection so you and your children can enjoy a worry-free browsing experience.
  • Back-up – Backing up your child’s hard work is essential if you plan to use your PC or laptop for homework and long running projects. All manner of things can easily go wrong with technology, for example if your child spills their drink on the keyboard or accidently drops the laptop. These things happen, and although you can repair or replace broken technology, you can’t get back the data that was saved on there. We recommend an offsite back up program such as Mozy, which is ideal for home use, and Dove can install and set up the software for you, no hassle needed.
  • Tablet/iPad – A tablet is not an essential, but more people are investing in this unique and fun educational tool. With a multitude of apps and games available for kids to enjoy, it is a great extra to consider when building your back to school kit.

Dove Computer Solutions are offering an exclusive 6 months remote support on every laptop purchased between 16th July and 31 August, to help make the back to school time as stress free as possible for you!

Google Nexus 7: Google reduce shipping period to fit tipped release date

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With the tipped release date for the Google Nexus 7 tablet standing at July 19th, Google has now reduced the expected shipping times on its recently unveiled 7-inch tablet, providing even more fuel for the release date rumours.

Google Nexus 7 Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Google Nexus 7

The new tablet, which features the brand new Android 4.1 Jelly Bean software, was previously displayed on the Google Play Store with a 2-3 week shipping time, but Google has now changed the expected shipping period to 1-2 weeks, which fits with the rumoured 19th July release date.

Google Nexus 7 Features

Tipped as a front runner in the battle against the seemingly undefeatable Apple iPad tablet, the Google Nexus 7 is set to entice a new range of consumers to the tablet market with a Android 4.1 Jelly Bean software, and access to the praised new Google Play Store.

It also boasts a Tegra 3 quad-core processor lining up alongside 1GB of RAM and a 1280 x 800p HD display to form a hugely impressive device. The 1.2 megapixel front facing camera, WiFi connectivity and attractive design only add to its popularity.

One of the most praised aspects is the price tag, which stands at just £159.99 for the 8GB model, and £199.99 for the 16GB model, offering much more for your money than its price competitor, the Amazon Kindle Fire. It is also offering a comparable amount of worthwhile features to the much higher priced market leader, the Apple iPad.

Home and Business Buyer’s Guide to Tablets

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Tablet computers are the latest computing innovation, with some people opting for a tablet to replace their laptop of PC, while others are purchasing as a handy extra. Whatever your wants and needs are regarding tablets, picking the right one for you in regards to your budget, what you intend to use it for, etc is essential. So here is Dove’s buyer’s guide to tablets for home and business users alike.

apple ipad

The Apple iPad

Choosing your operating system

Tablets are available on a variety of operating systems, each one offering individual pros and cons. The most well known and popular at the moment is the iOS operating system, Apple’s operating system designed for the iPad and iPhone. You will find that although the Apple iPad tablet may not be cheapest choice, it has been rated the best tablet on the market by many technology reviewers, and seems to be the number one choice for most business and home users.

tablet pc

Fujitsu Lifebook Tablet

But that isn’t to say that Android, the Google backed operating system isn’t just as good, with recent rocketing sales showing it creeping up the popularity charts, and looking like knocking Apple off the top spot. The Android operating system has equal benefits to Apple’s iOS, and can be found on a variety of manufacturer’s tablets including Samsung and Acer. This means it is easier to find Android for a cheaper price than that of the iPad.

hp tablet

HP Palm Touchpad Tablet

Then there is also Blackberry, HP, and Windows 8 all bringing out their own operating systems for tablets, which at the moment have not been rated well, but are constantly being updated, so keep an eye out for the latest updated versions if you want a tablet for a lower end budget.

Display Size Matters

Screen size is extremely important when you consider what you want to use the tablet for. On one hand, a larger screen makes it easier and more enjoyable to use, but a smaller screen would make the device much more easily portable.

If a big screen is something you are wanting, then the iPad 2 and 3′s screens are some of the largest on the tablet market at 9.7-inches, and the latest Android 3.0 tablets have increased some of their display to 10.1-inchs due to popular demand.

playbook bb

BlackBerry Playbook Tablet

For those who want something slightly more pocket sized but bigger than a mobile display, the Dell Streak 7 and Blackberry Playbook to name but a few have 7-inch displays, some of the smallest on the tablet market.

To 3G or not to 3G?

All tablets will support Wi-Fi, to enable connection to home and office networks or free Wi-Fi hotspots. Having a Wi-Fi only tablet does significantly reduce the price, but also limits when and how you use it.

dell tablet

Dell Inspiron Duo Tablet

Opting for a 3G tablet means you can connect to the internet with Wi-Fi when it is available, and by 3G network when it isn’t. It does add a large chunk onto the tablet price if you pay up front, but means you don’t get tied to a contract. Alternatively, many mobile network companies now offer contracts for tablets. Like a mobile phone contract, the device is often free or at a reduced price, and you pay a monthly tariff for your usage.

Smile for the camera

A camera is something that may be just an added fun extra to some, but essential to others. Most tablets now come with a back and front facing camera, the latter to enable video conferencing, and ideal feature for business users of people who make use of video calling apps such as Skype. Most tablets do have a camera these days, but if it is an essential feature for you, be sure to check before you buy, especially on low budget tablets.

tablet samsung

Samsung Galaxy Tablet

How much storage space do you need?

 

Depending on what you intend to use the tablet for, you may need more than the lowest standard tablet storage, which is 16GB. If all you do is load music and photos, it will be plenty, but if you intent to use large applications and watch/store HD video, you will require considerably more.

The iPad comes with fixed storage, however most other tablets have memory card slots for expandable storage. If you choose an iPad, be sure to get the maximum memory you expect to need otherwise you may have to compromise. If you are unsure how much memory you will need in future, it may  be best to opt for an expandable memory device.

Tablet TV?

Many people want to connect their tablet to TV sets and monitors for various reasons, such as presentations, slideshows, streaming, and more. Most tablets can connect using a HDMI cable, but some require a special cable as they do not have a full sized HDMI input port, meaning you need to fork out top dollar for the extra piece of kit.

motorola tablet

Motorola Xoom Tablet

If you plan on using the tablet with the TV often, and don’t want to have to buy extras, look at a tablet with a full size HDMI port such as the Motorola Xoom.

Laptop v Tablet

If you are considering buying a tablet as an alternative to your laptop or PC, it is important to remember that tablets, as amazing as they appear, have their limitations. Although there are ample apps like image editing and Google Docs that allow you to do what a laptop does but in a portable form, its important to remember that you can’t create documents on a tablet, and the apps will be nowhere near and feature rich as a full PC or laptop version software.

Check out Dove Computer Solution’s extensive tablet services at http://dovecomputers.com/home-users/mobile-a-tablet-services or call us on 0845 22 605 22

Adobe launches ‘eat-all-you-can’ Creative Cloud

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Adobe Creative Cloud lets you pay a monthly £46.88p (Just over £39 if you are VAT registered) subscription fee to use all of Adobe’s core products. That includes all the popular titles like Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Premiere Pro, After Effects and more.


Adobe Creative Suite 6 launched this week with the latest versions of each piece of software. Because Creative Cloud is an ongoing subscription, you’ll receive the latest updates too — so no more forking out hundreds of quid only to have the next version come along packed with new features, leaving all the other graphic designers in Costa sniggering at you because you don’t have the latest context-aware pixel perfect tool.


New programs include video software Prelude and SpeedGrade. The subscription also gives you iPad apps like Adobe Photoshop Touch and Proto, which allows you to create wireframes and prototypes of websites and mobile apps.

Adobe Muse is a new program for creating HTML5 sites without coding, allowing you to lay out future-proof HTML5 sites in a what-you-see-is-what-you-get style, just as if you’re laying out a print page.

You also get 20GB online storage and syncing across your devices, depending on which price plan you opt for. Extra features such as support and social networking will be added to Cloud Creative over time, as well as more programs including Lightroom 4.

The deals start at £46.88p per month if you sign up for a year-long contract, or £60 if you pay month-to-month. A discount is also available for anyone who owned the previous CS3, CS4, and CS5 packages starting at £22.78p + VAT (£27.34p incl. VAT)

Once you’ve paid up, download the software to your computer and get creative.

Is Creative Cloud good value for money? Will you be replacing your age-old pirated copy of Photoshop with a gleaming new legal version? Tell me your thoughts on Facebook at www.facebook.com/doveinternet

Can you run a business using an iPad?

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Many new business owners decide the latest iPad is a must purchase, not always just for its business uses.  There are plus points for businesses who use iPads, you can access emails instantaneously, often faster than powering up a PC or laptop and its email program.

ipad 3 new ipad ipad 2

iPad=Good for business?

It is also ideal if you want to dip into work related articles, background paperwork or research something on the web in extra fast and out of office. It can be utilised as a front-end for a larger system, and you can even generate invoices using it if you subscribe to a cloud-based accounting system.

Downfalls

All those plus points are great, but there are downfalls to go with them. The iPad is an excellent tool when it comes to reading content created by others, but producing documents on it, something most businesses are likely to need to do a lot of, is not a possibility.

Most business tasks are still based around spreadsheets and other Microsoft Office based documents, and at the moment there isn’t anything like that available for use on an iPad, meaning you would still need to do a great deal of business on a desktop PC or laptop.

iPad vs PC

That isn’t to say it completely rules out the idea of making a living by only using an iPad, it would be possible to do some work for a client, get paid and move onto the next piece of work, but this in effect could be done without any computer technology at all. To run a serious business with plans for progression and expansion would need to use a PC or laptop to do all the planning and produce reports, etc.

The iPad is a nice business accessory, and can be something to invest in to aid you in certain areas, but it cannot effectively serve as a replacement for a PC.

Information courtesy of Mark Needham, www.widgets.co.uk 

Price Worth while expense
Likely impact on your business 5/10
Likely impact on you 9/10
Usability 9/10
Pro Great for reading, researching or messing about on the internet
Con Don’t kid yourself it’s real work

New Apple ‘IPad Mini’ could be with us by Autumn 2012

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It hasn’t even been officially named yet, but reports are saying we could have the ‘Ipad Mini’, the latest offering from the world’s largest company Apple, in our hands as soon as Autumn 2012. The new IPad Mini gadget would be a ‘mid-sized’ combination of both the IPhone and IPad’s features, and could be in your hands as soon as autumn 2012 if all goes to plan in Apple’s attempt to compete with new releases from Samsung and Microsoft.

Apple Ipad Iphone Mini

The Apple Ipad and Iphone Family

Apple has obvious dominance in both the tablet and smartphone world with their innovative and unbeatable generations of IPad and Iphone, as well as monopolising the music player market with the IPod. Now fans of the company are on the edge of their seats as speculation about the new Apple Ipad Mini’s features and release date circulates.

The rumours aren’t clear on whether the IPad Mini will have mobile phone capabilities or would be intended to be just as it is described, a smaller version of the IPad, with its screen rumoured to be around 5 inches.  Although people are sceptical about the need for it and its success, Samsung have shown there is a market for mid-sized tablets, with their Galaxy Note, a mobile phone and tablet combination with a 5.3 inch display, selling over 5million units in a matter of months.

Dove Computers can offer a range of support and services for Apple Mac, Ipad and Iphone users including pre/post support, setup/installation and Mac mini server network installations.