• Beware of Counterfeit Woodturning Tools (click here for details)
  • Johnathan Silwones is starting a new AAW chapter, Southern Alleghenies Woodturners, in Johnstown, PA. (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Paul May for "Checkerboard (ver 3.0)" being selected as Turning of the Week for March 25, 2024 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Digital Media

Joined
Jul 24, 2008
Messages
712
Likes
187
Location
Montfort, Wisconsin
If and when you partake of digital media like reading digital magazines or watching video demos what device do you most frequently use? Maybe you have several depending on the media?

Do you read digital books and if so what device do you use?

Curious as well if you have a device in your shop? How do you use it?
 
Joined
Jun 6, 2018
Messages
1,948
Likes
996
Location
La Grange, IL
I loathe reading books or even magazine articles on a screen of any kind.

I use my phone to access forums most of the time for the single reason that it's conveniently at hand when I've got time to kill. If I had a laptop or PC handy I would much prefer their larger screens, but my computers are in the basement and on the third floor.

Since I'm using the phone when I come accross posts with videos I tend to watch them on the phone, but if I really want to see something I go sit down at a real computer.

I have an old Windows XP laptop in the workshop for the odd video I need to watch in the workroom. I think the last time was a "how to assemble" video for the DC. I keep it zipped up in shoulder bag.
 
Joined
Feb 26, 2019
Messages
1,814
Likes
1,417
Location
Lebanon, Missouri
Leisure reading and videos typically with a desktop in the home office. I use my phone to look things up for instructions etc, many times in the shop. If it’s much reading or a long video I go to my office, the 24” monitor is much better to use. I do have a laptop/tablet that I use some if I need to see just how to do something while in the shop (its mainly for gps trip planning on the road when on my motorcycle).

I dont do a lot of book reading anymore. Most of my reading is digital one form or another. I have a lot of reference book on various subjects - turning, finishing, woodworking, machinist handbooks, engineering texts, vehicle mechanics, guns - that get used when a quick web search doesnt provide what I’m after.
 

hockenbery

Forum MVP
Beta Tester
TOTW Team
Joined
Apr 27, 2004
Messages
8,593
Likes
4,890
Location
Lakeland, Florida
Website
www.hockenberywoodturning.com
iPad most of the time, cell phone some, laptop and least of all the pc in the office with a big monitor.
Read a lot of kindle books on the iPad. Our library loans kindle books. Amazing you can be in South America and checkout a book from the Lakeland library. I keep most of the owners manuals on the iPad in Adobe format.

for most video centric media we watch it through the Apple TV that is connect to our dumb TV.
Some apps connect to the Apple TV if not the iPAD and iPhone both will screen mirror to the Apple TV.

when I do demos I often show a PowerPoint using the iPad. Just about ever venue can connect with HDMI or RGB. This works so much better than passing thing around the audience. Everyone is seeing the thing I’m taliknag about instead of asking their neighbor “what did he say about this “ when they get it. Plus I can show chainsaws, bandsaws.....

I got interested in the iPad when helping Trent Bosch at Arrowmont. When showing slides to the class Trent pulled out his new iPhone and connected to the projector. When it was my turn I lugged out my laptop and it’s heavy brick. Sherry had gotten an iPad and I quickly discovered there were cable connection for everything.

rarely use anything in the shop. But the iPad and iPhone both travel there easily mostly to take a quick picture to use in a PowerPoint.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jan 24, 2010
Messages
3,058
Likes
900
Location
Cleveland, Tennessee
I only read two or three digital magazines online on my laptop. I do search for some topics on YT. Don't have an iPad or iPhone, just a Samsung tablet. The only reason I read digital magazines is they aren't available in print. I'm from the old school- I like to hear the rustle of pages being turned.Our local newspaper has gone to three editions a week- Sunday, Friday and Wednesday. Otherwise, you need to subscribe to their digital form...which is a waste of money.
No electronics in the shop as they are allergic to fine wood dust.Plus, I have other things to do there than stare at a screen.
 
Joined
Aug 14, 2007
Messages
5,436
Likes
2,792
Location
Eugene, OR
I don't try to read anything on my phone, the screen just isn't big enough. I don't do face book on it either for the same reason, but I can text at a slow rate. I use the computer for forums and stuff, but prefer to have a newspaper in hand for my breakfast, and when reading for entertainment, 90% of the time, I have paper in my hands.

robo hippy
 

brian horais

Beta Tester
TOTW Team
Joined
Dec 20, 2014
Messages
249
Likes
1,844
Location
Knoxville, TN
Website
www.horais.com
If and when you partake of digital media like reading digital magazines or watching video demos what device do you most frequently use? Maybe you have several depending on the media?

Do you read digital books and if so what device do you use?

Curious as well if you have a device in your shop? How do you use it?
Dave,
I have a large monitor that will hold two magazine/book pages side by side, so I use it almost exclusively for online magazines and videos. That said, I read a lot of downloaded books on my Kindle and find it to be much more manageable when I am sitting in my easy chair. Also, it is back lit so I don't have to worry about lighting. I guess I could also read the digital magazines on my Kindle, but it would be tedious and the images would be too small. I don't understand how anyone can enjoy reading magazine articles or viewing videos on their phone. I've got good eyesight and as such, really enjoy seeing images on a large screen (sort of like the argument for why see a movie in the theater...)
 
Joined
Jul 26, 2016
Messages
2,326
Likes
1,105
Location
Nebraska
With newer technologies making printed materials not cost effective, and more people storing data to the cloud, our societies are destined to repeat history with another dark age. Instead of burning libraries to the ground they can just flip a switch and all of the knowledge is erased from society in an instant. When you study ancient history and the only remnants of knowledge are printed scrolls, clay tablets and inscribed stone, you have to ask yourself is this the right path? A printed book can last multiple generations if taken care of, digital information needs to be transferred to newer formats as old ones become obsolete and much of it gets lost or poorly identified/archived over time.
 
Joined
Nov 24, 2010
Messages
419
Likes
317
Location
Lexington, KY
[SNIP] When you study ancient history and the only remnants of knowledge are printed scrolls, clay tablets and inscribed stone, you have to ask yourself is this the right path? A printed book can last multiple generations if taken care of, digital information needs to be transferred to newer formats as old ones become obsolete and much of it gets lost or poorly identified/archived over time.

Having graduate degrees in ancient Near Eastern history and archaeology, I have spent much of my life with 2000-5000 year old written records. I spent fours years reading cuneiform inscriptions from inscriptions on stone and clay tablets, including the Law Code of Hammurabi (c1800 BC), the Epic of Gilgamesh (same date), Assyrian royal inscriptions (700-600 BC), liver omen texts (same), treaties, and various letters written between 'regular' people or between kings. Only the Greek and Roman texts I've read were written on perishable material and have survived. What we do have shows that we have lost the vast majority of ancient records. On the Greek and Roman side, perhaps the most interesting were Homer's Iliad and a Roman eye-witness account of the destruction of Pompeii by Vesuvius in 79 AD
 
Joined
Jan 24, 2010
Messages
3,058
Likes
900
Location
Cleveland, Tennessee
Having graduate degrees in ancient Near Eastern history and archaeology, I have spent much of my life with 2000-5000 year old written records. I spent fours years reading cuneiform inscriptions from inscriptions on stone and clay tablets, including the Law Code of Hammurabi (c1800 BC), the Epic of Gilgamesh (same date), Assyrian royal inscriptions (700-600 BC), liver omen texts (same), treaties, and various letters written between 'regular' people or between kings. Only the Greek and Roman texts I've read were written on perishable material and have survived. What we do have shows that we have lost the vast majority of ancient records. On the Greek and Roman side, perhaps the most interesting were Homer's Iliad and a Roman eye-witness account of the destruction of Pompeii by Vesuvius in 79 AD
My complements. Loved Latin due to the history and culture. Having a M. Div., I'm impressed as to the time you put in to learn the language and symbols but also translating them. This could be a sideline to interpret doctor's handwriting. Wife got a report from her doctor. Even he couldn't read his own note.
 

Chris Fairbanks

Adminstrator
Staff member
Beta Tester
Joined
Dec 6, 2019
Messages
277
Likes
156
Location
San Ramon, CA
In the evening I like reading in bed on my iPad but due to a few herniated discs in my neck from being rear ended in a hit a run it was really hard to continue to do that after the accident. I then came across the Levo G2 tablet stand. I absolutely love this thing. The base tucks up under the edge of the bed and holds my iPad perfectly so I can either lay down and read or pull the arm up a little higher and sit up and read. If you are looking for something to hold any flavor of tablet I would highly recommend it. https://levostore.com/products/levo-g2-deluxe
 
Joined
Apr 20, 2006
Messages
1,265
Likes
992
Location
Erie, PA
The only magazine I read online is Woodturning from England and that is on one of my PCs. I have numerous tablets and 2 Ipads and a Kindle with over 1200 books on it (it is basically a storage device). When my wife needs reading material she picks out what she wants from the Kindle and I change them from Kindle to Nook. When I worked I read almost a book a day and then woodturning happened. In the 19 years since I retired I have read just one book When We Were Soldiers and that is because I saw the movie and I had to read the book. And that was a real book, I don't see how anybody can read a book on a device. I got 3 free books from Audible and maybe someday I'll try that venue.
 

john lucas

AAW Forum Expert
Joined
Apr 26, 2004
Messages
8,322
Likes
3,577
Location
Cookeville, TN
I prefer paper. I do get 2 magazines online but really have trouble making myself read them. I can't find a good way to hold my tablet without getting cramps in my fingers. I haven't figured out how to transfer those to the computer. Maybe when I get my new computer in a few weeks I will try and figure it out. It's just much more relaxing to hold a paper magazine or book and sit back in the chair and read.
 
Joined
Nov 14, 2020
Messages
69
Likes
32
Location
Fergus, Ontario
Magazines I read on the laptop, although not my favourite. Much prefer paper, I refuse to read newspapers the digital way.
Also books are read the natural way, paper.
 
Joined
Jun 16, 2004
Messages
1,224
Likes
1,135
Location
Colorado Springs, CO
I listen to audible books, using my iPod Touch (carried in my pants pocket) and noise-cancelling headphones over bluetooth while turning.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top