Thread: The loss of basic skills in school

Originally Posted by welshwizard

Stephen Hawking is a one-off, I'm not sure that there is anyone else like him.

There are countless handicaped children & adults that can now communicate to the outside world though the means of fantastic tools that couldn't have been developped without the use of modern technology.

I was only using Mr. Hawking as an example of one of the thousands of people who can communicate because of these tools.

Originally Posted by Glenn24

There are countless handicaped children & adults that can now communicate to the outside world though the means of fantastic tools that couldn't have been developped without the use of modern technology.

I was only using Mr. Hawking as an example of one of the thousands of people who can communicate because of these tools.

Well count me as one of those people. I am hard of hearing (80+% loss) in both ears from birth. The hearing aids I wear have a 64 bit processor in each and makes 42million calculations per second after sampling the sounds in whatever environment I am in and automatically adjusts my hearing aids so that I can listen or hear in comfort. They have wireless capability and Bluetooth.
My hearing is corrected to 102%. And yes, I can turn them off when the wife talks too much.

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

What is the price of the iPad?

Apple - iPad 2 - All-new design. Video calls. HD video. And more. : "Starting at 499"

Resale price of old iPads is also higher than that of used textbooks, but even without that using it for 3 semesters (and as an electronic textbook only) makes it a cheaper option than traditional textbooks.

Originally Posted by gugi

Apple - iPad 2 - All-new design. Video calls. HD video. And more. : "Starting at 499"

Resale price of old iPads is also higher than that of used textbooks, but even without that using it for 3 semesters (and as an electronic textbook only) makes it a cheaper option than traditional textbooks.

I graduated from an online college that used e-textbooks. They were in PDF format and I was able to use my Dell WinXP laptop and/or my Dell desktop. Can a student today still use a laptop or desktop instead of having to purchase an iPad? My point here is, if you have a laptop with Adobe Reader, why go out and purchase an iPad?

No idea, I don't have an iPad since I need much more computing than it can offer, and haven't convinced myself it's a good enough toy to get just for fun. There are cheaper PDF readers too.

I've been using the electronic versions of scientific publications for many years now, but I still print paper copies fairly often. Annotating electronic document is still more cumbersome for me than a paper one, although it's not clean cut, both have advantages and disadvantages and the electronic is destined to win.

Originally Posted by gugi

No idea, I don't have an iPad since I need much more computing than it can offer, and haven't convinced myself it's a good enough toy to get just for fun. There are cheaper PDF readers too.

I've been using the electronic versions of scientific publications for many years now, but I still print paper copies fairly often. Annotating electronic document is still more cumbersome for me than a paper one, although it's not clean cut, both have advantages and disadvantages and the electronic is destined to win.

I have a first generation Barnes and Noble Nook and I can put PDF documents on it; it's less expensive than the iPad.

Originally Posted by ghostonthehorizon

Am I the only one?

It is not just you, and even with the electronics some of them are still barely managing. Please see evidentiary Exhibit A:



Come to think of it, my face, my name, my birthdate etc should all the "same" too.

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

Come to think of it, my face, my name, my birthdate etc should all the "same" too.

No, your face keeps changing, so usually they want a new representation of it. From exhibit A it looks like your Birthdate: is pretty much 'the same' as your Lic. No:, just a little bit shorter

Originally Posted by gugi

No, your face keeps changing, so usually they want a new representation of it. From exhibit A it looks like your Birthdate: is pretty much 'the same' as your Lic. No:, just a little bit shorter

Trust me, it's the same. At least I don't act any older
Exhibit B: see how above quote appears to miss the point of the post it was in reply to in a half-witted effort to cast a variable light on my visage

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

Trust me

Never!!!!!!!!