I have gotten to the point where I turn off or don't have any more a lot of the
"future tech" gadgets. You reach a point where you are spending more time
fooling with that than with actually DOING stuff. There comes a time when there
is too much communication - or actually too much trivial babbling and less real
communication. For the most part anymore, if you want to get hold of me use the
phone or send an email. I am no longer interested in getting your text messages
at 2am.
But I am kind of a dinosaur - I am not even a facebook or twitter fan...
..................................................................................................
Northern Arizona Wind & Sun - Electricity From The Sun Since 1979
..................................................................................................
----- Original Message -----
From: Joel Davidson
To: RE-wrenches
Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 6:31 PM
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Is a Smart Phone a Useful Tool in PV?
Dan,
I used a hackberry from 2003 to 2007 for phone calls, voicemail messages from
worldwide time zones, emails w/o attachments and lots of typos, PV system
problem alarms, and occasional internet use (like booking a flight on line
while standing in line at the airport, finding phone numbers, etc.). We planned
to use hackberries for roof-to-office transfer of site photos, short movies,
and other info to speed up estimates but that never happened. We went almost
everywhere with our hackberries to the point where most of us felt phantom hip
vibrations when not packin' the darn thing. Now I am back to using a cell
phone, separate camera, and handwritten field notes. When designing and quoting
PV systems to last for decades, speed in the field is less important than time
to think (like during the drive back to the shop and overnight). I am
interested in hearing otherwise from hackberry devotees.
Joel Davidson
----- Original Message -----
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 11:14 AM
Subject: [RE-wrenches] Is a Smart Phone a Useful Tool in PV?
Hey Everybody;
I'm trying to justify switching to smart phone technology.
(BlackBerry Curve.) My Immediate supervisor just gets this "I don't know Dan"
look on her face. Others question the need for that level of communication in
the field. Good point. But I can kinda rationalize the argument both ways. What
can I reasonably expect to get out of this thing for the $$? (that I can't do
with a phone). Is there a "killer app"? The GPS stuff looks cool. The calendar
-- maybe. A contact manager? I pretty much work out of a Hand book/scheduler
now. and doing OK with it. (Whole lot easier to make corrections with an eraser
-- shoot, I can hardly even see that little key pad -- Yes, I should get new
glasses) I can see where the ability to exchange files could be helpful.
I guess I'm just a bit gun shy maybe. I remember "Back in the day," when
personal computers were making their grand debut, I was seeing so much "stuff"
coming and going (Remember FORTRAN, COBOL and BASIC? or the 6502?) So I decided
to study Assembly, but looking back, even that degree was pretty much obsolete
the day I stepped off the stage. Let's just say I'm a bit apprehensive.
Anyway, I thought this might be a good forum to turn to for insight.
thanks db
Dan Brown
President
Foxfire Energy Corp.
Renewable Energy Systems
(802)-483-2564
www.Foxfire-Energy.com
NABCEP #092907-44
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