So I am away on annual leave in beautiful Tuscany but the big question before we left was what tech to bring? In the recent past I have always taken a laptop of some description but this time I decided to go with the iPad alone. That meant also taking Apple’s camera kit in order to get my pictures off my camera in order to do anything with them.
The camera kit is interesting as the name suggests it is for connecting cameras, which it is. However, I was also able to successfully attach both a USB headset and a Mac USB keyboard, though the latter reported that it was not compatible but worked just fine. Neither of these items have made it into the kit bag to Italy but I do have my stowaway Bluetooth keyboard and an Apple iPhone headset for making skype calls.
I am still to find a suitable iPad stand that works in both orientations and is transportable so I am sticking with an old plate stand I found around the house.
Despite the iPad having ebook reading software I much prefer my Sony Reader. The reasons for this are that the experience on the Sony is so much closer to that of a book. It is also lighter and easier to hold for extended periods.
The final piece of kit (leaving aside the chargers) is my iPhone 3GS which while I won’t be using it much as a phone it will come in handy as a sat nav, electronic guide book and entertainment device.
The picture below shows the kit ready to go. In the next post I will run through the apps that I have been using while away.
