Are desktop computers a dying breed?

Remember how I said it was time to take my old computer "out behind the woodshed and put it out of its misery"? Well, I did it; it's good and dead. Its replacement – a sleek, refurbished Lenovo laptop – cost only $320 and does everything I want it to do. Best of all, it's portable. (As you've probably discovered from reading my blog, portability is kind of a big deal to me.)

Unsurprisingly, I didn't even consider buying a desktop PC and probably never will again. How could I carry a desktop computer with me to the coffee shop, work, or on vacation? How would I make room on and under my desk for the tower, monitor, and other peripherals?

Figure 1. A photo of my new baby, a refurbished
Lenovo G570 laptop.

Of course, desktop computers do have plenty of good qualities. Purewal (2012) points out that desktops are usually less expensive and more powerful than laptops. Additionally, desktops are better for graphics-intensive games (Purewal, 2012). (This is not really an issue for me, since the most complicated game I play these days is the oh-so-addictive Words With Friends.)

Paul (2012), however, offers a different perspective and lists several "desktop killers," which include many of the usual suspects – laptops, tablets, smartphones, the Internet/cloud computing, and the recession. Google's Chromebook, a small, lightweight laptop that relies on cloud storage and a Web browser-based operating system, also made the list (Paul, 2012).

So are desktops a dying breed? Maybe. According to the Pew Research Center (2013), 61% of American adults owned laptops in 2012, just outnumbering the 58% who owned desktop computers. Sales statistics, however, look more grim for desktops: Baker (as cited in Paul, 2012) says laptops now make up 80% of PC sales.

What do you think? Are desktop computers still marketable today? Do you own a desktop, laptop, or neither?

References

Paul, I. (2012, January 23). Desktop PC killers: Past, present, and future. PCWorld. Retrieved from http://www.pcworld.com/article/248610/
desktop_pc_killers_past_present_and_future.html

Pew Research Center. (2013). Device ownership. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/data-trend/media-and-technology/device-ownership/

Purewal, S. J. (2012, October 9). 10 reasons why the desktop PC will live forever. PCWorld. Retrieved from http://www.pcworld.com/article/2011391/10-reasons-why-the-desktop-pc-will-live-forever.html

The silent treatment

Guys, we need to talk – or do we?

On Wednesday, I finally became eligible to upgrade my phone, so I opted for Google's Nexus 4 smartphone. (Apparently, in the spirit of Pokemon, I "gotta catch 'em all" when it comes to Google devices.) In the past few days, I've used the phone to do the following:

• Send and receive 29 text messages
• Check my email
• Browse and post to several social-networking sites
• Chat on AOL Instant Messenger
• Search the Web
• Listen to music
• Play games
• Read posts on a gaming forum
• Read the digital version of my local newspaper
• Take about a dozen photos
• Record a video of my pets (because the Internet can never have too many cat videos)

Only this morning, when I heard the unfamiliar sounds of a new default ringtone, did it hit me: I hadn't actually used my phone to take any calls – or place them – yet.

According to a recent TIME magazine poll, that's not so unusual these days: Americans in the 18- to 29-year-old age bracket "send and receive an average of nearly 88 text messages per day, compared to 17 phone calls" (Kluger, 2012, para. 5). The poll also found that "32% of all respondents said they'd rather communicate by text than phone, even with people they know very well" (Kluger, 2012, para. 5). 

But perhaps Troy from NBC's Community explained it best:

Figure 1. In this video clip from Season 3, Episode 15 of the NBC comedy Community, Troy says of Britta, "She was born in the '80s. She still uses her phone as a phone" (Harmon & Tsuchida, 2012).

What this means for libraries is this: It's important to keep up with this growing mobile technology. According to a recent Pew Internet & American Life Project survey, about 13% of Americans over 16 years old have used mobile technology to access library services/websites (Rainie, Zickuhr, & Duggan, 2012). In another study of online chat and text-messaging reference services, employees from various sizes and types of libraries said their libraries received anywhere from 350-1,500 chats per month, with 0.5%-25% of those chats taking place via text message (Frantz & Tucker-Raymond, 2011).

Impersonal? Maybe – but this seems to be the direction communication is headed.

References

Frantz, P., & Tucker-Raymond, C. (2011). Integrating text messaging into reference services. Library Hi Tech News, 28(5), 8-9. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/07419051111163839

Harmon, D. (Writer), & Tsuchida, S. K. (Director). (2012). Origins of vampire mythology [Television series episode]. In D. Harmon (Executive producer), Community. New York, NY: National Broadcasting Company. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd8uJswc2Tc

Kluger, J. (2012, August 16). We never talk anymore: The problem with text messaging. TIME. Retrieved from http://techland.time.com/2012/08/16/we-never-talk-anymore-the-problem-with-text-messaging/

Rainie, L, Zickuhr, K., & Duggan, M. (2012). Mobile connections to libraries. Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/12/31/mobile-connections-to-libraries/

Social Networking: What It Is and Why We Do It

Although I briefly discussed social networking in an earlier blog entry, I decided to explore the topic a little more for my YouTube/PowerPoint assignment (and use Google Docs' presentation app for the first time!).

To view my slideshow, click here. 

Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, and enjoy!

Laptops: They're not dead yet

Guess who's in the market for a new laptop computer?

Figure 1. Photo of a Nexus 7 with a keyboard case. Be honest: Would you want to type an entire research paper on this tiny thing?

"But Michelle," you're probably thinking, "why in the world do you want to drop several hundred dollars on a laptop when you just bought a tablet? You must be a complete moron!"

While the latter may be true, I'm going to go ahead and put this out there: A tablet is not a replacement for a laptop.

Think of it this way: Would you type an eight-page essay on a 7-inch tablet – even a tablet with a Bluetooth keyboard? Would you search Valdosta's databases and do other in-depth research projects on a tablet? And what about Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, and all your other favorite programs? Are you willing to let go of them – or use smaller app-store replacements with fewer features – forever?

I'm not the first person to notice that a tablet isn't the ultimate laptop killer. Consumer Reports (2011) points out that while the less-bulky tablet works great for reading magazines, watching movies, and playing games, a laptop excels when it comes to business activities, transferring data, and typing long documents. Check out the full (and cheesy) video here:

Figure 2. This Consumer Reports video, retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvJZDel95WU, highlights the advantages and disadvantages of tablets and laptops (Consumer Reports, 2011).

Additionally, Pew Research Center (2013) reports that 61% of American adults owned laptops as of April 2012, up from 57% in August 2011. Even though laptops aren't experiencing the swift, sharp boom in popularity that tablets have in recent years, laptops are still more common – for now.

At any rate, don't throw out your laptops just yet, librarians (and librarians-to-be). Trust me on this one.

References

Consumer Reports. (2011, October 31). Tablet vs. laptop: Advice from Consumer Reports [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvJZDel95WU

Pew Research Center. (2013). Device ownership. Retrieved from http://pewinternet.org/Trend-Data-%28Adults%29/Device-Ownership.aspx

LIS Technology: An Interactive Chronology

Although the term "information technology" often brings to mind images of computers and glossy gadgets, sometimes a technological development can be as simple as a piece of paper. This multimedia timeline details several centuries’ worth of innovations that have impacted the LIS field, starting in 3000 B.C. with the first written records and ending with the gadgets of today.

To view my chronology assignment, click here.

I put together this presentation using a fun interactive tool, TimelineJS. I highly recommend it; the script has even made an appearance or two on our website at work!

(If you are using an older browser that can't handle interactives, you can view the slides in a PDF here.)

Face to Facebook

Ah, Facebook. It's a magical place where you can post a photo of your new Snuggie, spy on the mean-girl clique from high school, and even read a news story about how your annoying ex-principal was arrested for shoplifting a rotisserie chicken (true story).

But schadenfreude and unlimited cat memes aren't the only things Facebook has to offer. Social-networking sites have plenty of practical uses – ones that libraries have embraced.

Figure 1. Screenshot of the Atlanta-
Fulton Public Library System's Facebook
page, https://www.facebook.com/afpls

In a recent South Carolina State Library survey of library staff members across the country, 86.6% of respondents said their libraries use social-networking sites (Rogers, 2012). Respondents also said they use Web. 2.0 tools primarily for the following activities:

• Promotion of "general library services" (87.6%), as well as marketing adult programs (72.1%) and children's programs (62.2%)
• Giving "quick updates" to patrons (75.3%)
• Widening their audience and drawing in new patrons (54.4%)
• Sending press releases (39.5%)

The most popular social-networking site was – you guessed it! – Facebook, with a whopping 88.8% of respondents saying their library has an account. Twitter came in a distant second, at 46.8%.

So, does all that social networking actually make an impact? Are librarians just wasting their time? They don't seem to think so. Those surveyed gave social networks a score of 3.7 out of 5 for "effectiveness toward achieving marketing campaign and/or promotion goals" (Rogers, 2012, p. 4).

Granted, I don't work at a library, but here's my 2 cents: Social networking is a fantastic tool for spreading the word about services, but don't go too crazy with it. Here are some tips I try to keep in mind when I'm posting on behalf of an organization or business:

• Don't be annoying. I tune out whenever someone I follow posts Facebook or Twitter updates every five minutes. Try to gauge what your audience can handle, and stick to that post frequency.
• Engage! If someone asks a question, respond and be helpful. They'll love it.
• Use a conversational tone. (Let's not reinforce any of those ridiculous negative stereotypes about librarians!)
• Use different types of media. Remember, you can post videos and photos on many social-networking sites in addition to the usual text updates.
• Think outside the box. Try posting a photo of something that's going on behind the scenes, or encourage patrons to participate in a fun activity like a contest or quiz.  

How does your library use social networking? Do the South Carolina State Library survey results ring true?

References

Rogers, C. R. (2012, February 29). Social media, libraries, and Web 2.0: How American libraries are using new tools for public relations and to attract new users – fourth annual survey November 2011. Retrieved from http://www.statelibrary.sc.gov/docs/pr/201202_com_social_media_survey_dec_2011.pdf

Wi-Fi for all?

Last month, my husband and I stopped by a local pub to grab a bite. When I was feeling fat and happy, I had one of those Oh, crud! (well, not exactly my words at the time, but I’d like to keep this blog family-friendly) moments when I remembered I had to check on something for work. Luckily, I had my tablet with me, so I just hopped onto the bar’s free Wi-Fi to read my email. Off-handedly, I asked my husband, “Do you think they’ll ever have, like, free Wi-Fi everywhere?”

A couple days later, this article appeared in the Washington Post. Maybe I’m psychic (or maybe I’m just addicted to the Internet and need to spend more time thinking about other things).

Anyway, here’s the gist of the story: According to Kang (2013), The Federal Communications Commission is looking into building a nationwide Wi-Fi network, though it would take years to make the project a reality. The wireless industry obviously isn’t too pleased with the idea, but Google and Microsoft say such a network “would spark an explosion of innovations and devices” (Kang, 2013, para. 2).

There’s another (big) benefit to having a huge network like this, too.

Last semester in MLIS7700, I did a lot of research on the digital divide, or the “troubling gap between those who use computers and the Internet and those who do not” (Mehra et al., 2004, p. 782). According to a recent National Telecommunications and Information Administration (2011) study, 31.8%  of U.S. households do not have broadband Internet access at home, and 28.9% of U.S. households do not have any kind of home Internet access (p. 28). About one-quarter of respondents said they didn’t have broadband access at home because it was “too expensive” (NTIA, 2011, p. 28). I think public Wi-Fi would have a huge impact on bridging that divide.

That’s not to say that I don’t have any concerns, however. Several questions spring to mind:

• How much would this cost, and where would the money come from?
• How secure would the network be?
• Would my personal data be compromised?
• What would the quality/speed of service be like?
• If I prefer my current private broadband provider, could I keep it?
• Would the current telecom companies go out of business? If so, what would happen to those workers?

What do you think? Is universal public Wi-Fi a good idea?

References

Kang, C. (2013, February 3). Tech, telecom giants take sides as FCC proposes large public WiFi networks. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-02-03/business/36728627_1_wifi-networks-wireless-industry-wireless-networks

Mehri, B., Merkel, C., & Bishop, A. P. (2004). The internet for empowerment of minority and marginalized users. New Media Society, 6, 781-802.

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (2011, February). Digital nation: Expanding Internet usage. Retrieved from http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/ntia_internet_use_report_february_2011.pdf