I had to laugh, because my experience is the total opposite (both figuratively and literally).

I’d say something more along these lines: “You can only learn to sail when the seas are rough and the winds are strong. I didn’t learn anything while the seas were calm and the weather was warm – except how to swat flies and apply sunscreen.”

True statement… Both figuratively and literally.

A lot of it is USA-made.

I like the M-65 Field Jacket. My Dad used to bring these home when he was a weekend warrior, and I even had one when I was a kid, because I wanted to “be like Dad”. The flight jackets are cool too, and in different colors! Awesome.

http://www.alphaindustries.com/collections.asp

• File Manager HD
• OfficeSuite Pro
• Pixlr-o-matic
• Play Music
• Huffington Post
• Readability
• SwiftKey Tablet
• Feedly
• Zinio
• Catch

I’d decided to go with an Android tablet for several reasons, and have since discovered even more features that make me glad I chose the Android tablet as opposed to a new iPad (more on that later). I’ve been using the iPad for about a year, and in that time, I’ve become proficient in iOS. I’ve also had an Android phone for about a year and a half, and am proficient in Android as well. I think I’m pretty well qualified to make an unbiased comparison of both platforms.

I decided on an Android tablet because I’m a power user, and iOS is just too “dumbed down” for me. I like the customizable features in Android. I’m also a heavy Google user and appreciate Android’s seamless integration with Google products. Frankly, the iOS Gmail functionality is limited. I also went with Android because the devices are cheaper, and because paid apps that are purchased with my phone can also then be used on my tablet as well. And last but certainly not least, I loathe the iTunes experience, and the dependence of iOS on iTunes when you want to perform device software upgrades, and media sync, and backups/restores. I love that Android has the capability of doing these things entirely over the air, with no tethering to a PC via wires or without.

As far as deciding on the Acer Iconia A200, I chose it because (1) it has a USB port and (2) a MicroSD card slot. It’s got a Tegra 2 processor and 1gb of RAM. It’s been updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS). And the thing only costs about $300. It’s also got a 10″ screen. I was intrigued by the possibility of flashing files to the device using a USB drive.

So far, the after using the device for about a day, and I’ve discovered additional features that make this tablet awesome:

1. I can plug a mouse or a keyboard into the USB port, and they both work.
2. I can plug a USB thumb drive into the USB port, and that works too.
3. I can browse and purchase/install apps remotely via the Web through my laptop and the Google Play Store. Once I purchase something, a few minutes later it shows up on my device (assuming it’s connected to WiFi).
4. I’ve discovered that non-tablet apps render much better on an Android device than they do on an iPad. iPhone apps installed on the iPad render in the same size and shape as an iPhone, with the option to “2x” the rendering, which often produces a pixelated app image. On an Android device, the rendering might appear a bit stretched, but beyond that the non-tablet apps render very well. This was a pleasant surprise.

Some things I miss about my iPad:

1. The Newstand, and support from most of the magazines I like to read (i.e. BusinessWeek, GQ, Popular Photography, etc.). I’ll have to use the Zinio App if I want to continue reading these on my device.
2. There are several apps missing – most notably, the WashingtonPost for tablets, Instapaper, and several other tablet-only apps available for iOS.
3. I miss the abundant supply of iPad accessories available at discount stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls. Accessories for the A200 are tough to come by, and and generally not cheap.

*UPDATE 4/11/12* I’ve discovered the Acer A200 doesn’t connect to Wireless-N networks. Kind of annoying, since I have to bump it down to my “G” network at home. The iPad supported “N” networks, as does my Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone.

I’ll continue to update this post for anyone who might be interested.

With that said, here’s a little about him:

He was born in St. Catharines (I think), Ontario in 1913. As he grew up, he moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, and while in his early 20′s, stayed there even when his family left and migrated to Toronto. His first job was in a Department store, and it was while working there that he decided he needed to earn an education – and so with the help of his friends’ school notes, he taught himself through high school and eventually began college with a correspondence course through Queen’s University. He spent a summer working as a “spark chaser” at a logging camp, and then earned his degree in Economics from the University of British Columbia before doing post-graduate work at Iowa State University, and the University of California at Berkeley, and eventually earning a PhD in Economics from Harvard University in Cambridge MA. In the mid-40′s he married his wife (my Grandmother) in Reno, NV. He went on to work as a statistician for the British Embassy in Washington D.C., and then at the World Bank. In the early 60′s, he accepted a job on faculty at Michigan State University, and after four years left to rejoin the World Bank as an economist, where he worked until the late 60′s. During his time at the world bank, he visited Iran, Thailand, The Congo, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, and several other countries, performing economic research. In 1968 my Grandfather was hired by Brock University in St. Catharines Ontario as its first Chairman of the Department of Economics. He retired in 1979.

He was a dedicated family man, and likely one of the world’s first “jet setters” and traveled many places. He expressed some regret for never having made it to Tennessee though…he thought the name “Tennessee” was intriguing. He enjoyed a retirement of about 33 years, and was sharp until the end – continuing to soak up weekly issues of “The Economist” and relentlessly rewatching old episodes of the “Lawrence Welk” show. He was preceded in death by his wife, Gilda Perkins, who passed in 2005, and is survived by his two daughters, Susan Bowling and Cheryl Scheer, his two grandchildren, Stacia LaGarde and myself, Darren Bowling, and three great grandchildren, Leonard IV, Anastazia, and Takeo LaGarde.

An interview I recorded with my Grandpa in 2001 can be heard here.

Beatrice says “Slainte!”

Beatrice says “Happy St. Patrick’s Day!”

Irish pants teaser.