iPad, Laptop or Pen & Paper?

In January 1984 the very first Mac was released, known then as the "Apple Macintosh". Looking nothing like the sleek and attractive machines they have today this Mac was available to buy for $2,495 and had a keyboard and mouse. I was three years old at the time and this would have completely passed me by.

The very first Apple Macintosh - 1984!

Fast forward thirty years and Apple is a household name, they have revolutionised the way we view technology. They have made my life far easier, I have an iPhone which holds all of my personal information. My diary, text messages, birthdays, phone calls but most importantly my blogging reminders, twitter information and internet connectivity. I am never in a place where I can't be contacted in some way. 

Growing up I always used a pen and paper to note things down. It wasn't until I was working in an office and had money coming in that I was able to buy myself a home computer and even then it was very out of date. In more recent years I haven't felt the need to use a pen very much at all. My phone has a notes app which is available on all of my devices. This means that I can be out of the house and write a note about blogging, come home and view that note on my Mac. Brilliant.

If you read this blog regularly you'll know that I have an iMac and a Macbook both of which I use, a lot. I don't feel the need to have a pen and paper at hand because I always have my phone and it has a notes app. This app allows me to view my notes on all of my devices, including the iMac. All of these machines have completely changed how I view my work. I no longer have to wonder how long I will have to wait for windows to boot up or see any strange messages popping up. I don't have to rummage in the bottom of my handbag searching for a pen, I just grab my phone. The day I began using Apple products was the day I was converted. It is like a breath of fresh air and I will never go back.

The iPad Air - look how beautiful it is!
I was talking to a friend of mine this morning about the iPad and she was telling me she didn't really know how to use it. She knew how to get onto the internet but she didn't know that if you press the home button twice a different view opens up. This view shows you all of the apps you have open at that time. This is just one of many features that Apple use to make the iPad feel intuitive. My friend said she didn't really know a lot about how to use the iPad and that got me thinking. How many mums these days have no idea about the technology their children are using on a daily basis?

I guess I'm lucky in a way because the hubby works in the industry so I am aware of all the new features and products and am able to see whether or not they would be useful. I do think it's important to know about the devices our children use and what they can actually do. This got me wondering about how many of the mums I know have the very same problem. Could I be the one to teach them? I'd have to learn along the way too but I wonder how many of those mums would appreciate another mum telling them how to use this new technology. 

Not a day goes by when I don't use the iPad, iPhone or Mac and although this is a lot of screen time I am embracing it. I would much rather understand the things that my children are using, at least then I know what is possible and what they need to be protected from. I've been toying with the idea of approaching the Head at my children's school to see if she would be interested in me holding a class for parents. Of course this would be another commitment to take time away from other stuff but I feel like this is something I could actually do, another thing to make me proud of myself.

Do you prefer pen and paper or tech? If there was a class where you could learn about technology would you attend? What kind of things would you like to learn about?

Mama and More