Gyroscopic Investing

I love the way the mail app on my ipad mini (ios9) doesn't show the paperclip icon for attachments. And then, when I find a way to reveal it, I love that it prevents me from sending non-photo attachments from the device's own storage, because that's why I shelled out $400 for 64GB. No, I can only send items from the cloud. And, I cannot upload files from storage to the cloud, so it's a bit of a Catch-22 situation.

I'll just sit here quietly with folded hands.

I want to thank you guys for getting me into LXLE linux. If only I could put it on the iPad. Should have bought a Jolla tablet while I had the chance. Grr.

It is so ironic that since Apple's 1984 Super Bowl ad introducing the Macintosh as the liberator from Big Brother, Apple has morphed into the an Orwellian Nanny control freak that keeps you tethered to the Apple Mothership... That's why I call them Crapple...

PP67 wrote:It is so ironic that since Apple's 1984 .. Apple has morphed into the an Orwellian Nanny control freak ..

I guess they've always been a closed system even though Woz didn't want it that way.

it only sucks when it doesn't work. When it works its great. One advantage is that you can call Apple CS and speak to someone about the problem. OP, you may like to try that.

I'm pretty sure you can attach files on a Macbook. The problem seems to be stupid tablets.

Yes, this is a limitation of iOS. I would privately offer to file a bug/feature request for you, but I no longer work at Apple.

I'm really enjoying my new HP Spectre x360, which flips around and turns into a tablet. Many other PC laptops do this too, and in a lot of ways it really does seem superior to the dedicated tablet experience. Of course, Windows 10 is also kind of sucky, but you can put Linux on them! I'm back to Linux as my full-time OS (Fedora 25 right now) and it's kind of breathtaking how far things have come in the 2 years since I last did this.

I was able to share the file from the app which created it, a third party voice recorder. The ipad mini with ios9 comes with no voice recorder, calculator, stock app...
Still, I see no resolution for the general problem of attachments in Mail, or even a 3rd party mail app. Back to the Kindle Fire for now.

(Pointedstick) I'm really enjoying my new HP Spectre x360.... I'm back to Linux as my full-time OS and it's kind of breathtaking how far things have come in the 2 years since I last did this.

I'll keep that in mind, PS. I put Linux on one partition of my HP Stream -- bought it for Linux in the first place -- but the dark side of the force is strong with Stream, and it resisted. Even with a USB wifi dongle, I was never able to get wifi on it while running Linux. Will probably rededicate it to an all-windows machine.

I do have high hopes for putting LXLE Linux on my older Mac mini. Found a handy tool, a Mac-friendly equivalent of UNetbootin:
https://www.sevenbits.io/mlul/
Can't wait to try it out. I do like Apple's sturdy hardware.

EDIT: wrapped PS's quote in tags, a huge pain in the ass on an ipad.

dualstow wrote:I love the way the mail app on my ipad mini (ios9) doesn't show the paperclip icon for attachments. And then, when I find a way to reveal it, I love that it prevents me from sending non-photo attachments from the device's own storage, because that's why I shelled out $400 for 64GB. No, I can only send items from the cloud. And, I cannot upload files from storage to the cloud, so it's a bit of a Catch-22 situation.

I'll just sit here quietly with folded hands.

Have you looked for a "send attachment" dongle?

dualstow wrote:I was able to share the file from the app which created it, a third party voice recorder. The ipad mini with ios9 comes with no voice recorder, calculator, stock app...
Still, I see no resolution for the general problem of attachments in Mail, or even a 3rd party mail app. Back to the Kindle Fire for now.

I'm really enjoying my new HP Spectre x360.... I'm back to Linux as my full-time OS and it's kind of breathtaking how far things have come in the 2 years since I last did this.

I'll keep that in mind, PS. I put Linux on one partition of my HP Stream -- bought it for Linux in the first place -- but the dark side of the force is strong with Stream, and it resisted. Even with a USB wifi dongle, I was never able to get wifi on it while running Linux. Will probably rededicate it to an all-windows machine.

I do have high hopes for putting LXLE Linux on my older Mac mini. Found a handy tool, a Mac-friendly equivalent of UNetbootin:
https://www.sevenbits.io/mlul/
Can't wait to try it out. I do like Apple's sturdy hardware.

LXLE may be part of your problem. It's based on Ubuntu 16.04.1, which has an old kernel that often doesn't support contemporary Wifi and other hardware. This is one of my biggest gripes with Ubuntu and Ubuntu-based distros, like LXLE and Mint--their Ubuntu base tends to have really old packages, and that inhibits hardware compatibility and it takes forever for you to get new features in your software.

I really like Ubuntu in general, but their release model is problematic IMHO, especially for downstream distros which get locked into this very slow release cycle. I'm using Fedora 25 right now because their rapid release cycle allows high hardware compatibility, and I also like living on the bleeding edge. Other rapidly-updating distros like OpenSUSE Tumbleweed or Antergos give you the same thing. If I ever get tired of Fedora, I plan to give one of those a try.

Tyler wrote:Have you looked for a "send attachment" dongle?

hahaha, now why didn't I think of that?

Pointedstick wrote:LXLE may be part of your problem. It's based on Ubuntu 16.04.1, which has an old kernel that often doesn't support contemporary Wifi and other hardware. .. I'm using Fedora 25 right now..

Good to know, thank you! I've always shied away from Fedora because I thought it was more of a server distro and a bit less easy to set up, but I'll try it on the laptop, which isn't that old. That's what I get for putting an OS meant for old machines on a new one! It (LXLE) did work great on two ancient laptops.

Meanwhile, the old Mac mini is mid-2009. We'll see how that goes over the holidays.

I am able to send a file from my iphone - same ios 10 as an ipad I think. Just sent a numbers spreadsheet to my wife.

Mountaineer wrote:I am able to send a file from my iphone - same ios 10 as an ipad I think. Just sent a numbers spreadsheet to my wife.

Yes, I think saw something about being able to send Numbers and Pages files if I enable iCloud. Did you enable iCloud? I haven't, and I also don't use Numbers or Pages. I have taken a look at both programs, and might use them in the future, but will probably stick with google drive.

MangoMan wrote:I bought a $150 video projector for my GF for xmas. She is an Apple fangirl and plans to use it with her ipad. Except since &#%*! macs do not support HDMI, a $50 adapter is required. You get what you deserve if you buy Apple.

An iPad isn't a Mac, and most other manufacturers' tablets also don't have HDMI ports, so she'd probably need an adapter no matter what (even if only a mini-HDMI to full-sized HDMI adapter). And plenty of non-Apple computers lack HDMI ports, too, such as the new PC laptop I bought last month. Whether to put a certain port on a computer is always a trade-off for the manufacturer, and I'm happy that HP chose two much more versatile and future-proof Thunderbolt 3/USB-C 3.1 ports for my computer instead of a full-sized HDMI port and something else.

Finally, you don't need to get the Apple adapter. Any old $8 HDMI adapter from eBay will work fine. If you're gonna bash Apple, at least be accurate!

MangoMan wrote:I also find it ironic that the Apple threads here switch back and forth between love and hatred.

Not ironic. It's a love-hate relationship for sure, though.

By the way, i was unable to find this page using the ipad mini's history. Loads the wrong page every time.

MangoMan wrote:

Pointedstick wrote:

MangoMan wrote:I bought a $150 video projector for my GF for xmas. She is an Apple fangirl and plans to use it with her ipad. Except since &#%*! macs do not support HDMI, a $50 adapter is required. You get what you deserve if you buy Apple.

An iPad isn't a Mac, and most other manufacturers' tablets also don't have HDMI ports, so she'd probably need an adapter no matter what (even if only a mini-HDMI to full-sized HDMI adapter). And plenty of non-Apple computers lack HDMI ports, too, such as the new PC laptop I bought last month. Whether to put a certain port on a computer is always a trade-off for the manufacturer, and I'm happy that HP chose two much more versatile and future-proof Thunderbolt 3/USB-C 3.1 ports for my computer instead of a full-sized HDMI port and something else.

Okay, that is a valid point. But they are still not very compatible with anything else.

Not to seem too pedantic, but what exactly does this mean? And I'm not sure what "they" is referring to. An iPad, or a Mac?

MangoMan wrote:

Pointedstick wrote:Finally, you don't need to get the Apple adapter. Any old $8 HDMI adapter from eBay will work fine. If you're gonna bash Apple, at least be accurate!

Perhaps you would be kind enough to provide a link for what you are referring to? Everything I found when searching was closer to $20 and shipped from China [read: wait 4 weeks to receive, if ever].

Well I'm not sure what you're converting from, but for example here's a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter for $7 that ships from the USA and arrives before December 22nd: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thunderbolt-Min ... SwLN5Wl0zm

FWIW everything I've ever ordered from China on eBay has arrived. The quality wasn't always the best ever, but you can't beat the price!

Hopefully I don't come off as an Apple apologist. I was dissatisfied enough with Apple's product line that I no longer own an iPad or a Mac and run Linux on a PC laptop. But Apple gets a lot of negativity thrown their way that they don't deserve, which distracts from the criticisms that are absolutely warranted.

MangoMan wrote:I bought a $150 video projector for my GF for xmas. She is an Apple fangirl and plans to use it with her ipad. Except since &#%*! macs do not support HDMI, a $50 adapter is required. You get what you deserve if you buy Apple.

I think Apple would tell you you're supposed to buy their Apple TV device, connect that to the projector, then use airplay from the iPad. You just can't deviate from the script when it comes to Apple - it has its disadvantages but it does make things simpler for people who don't like to tinker with things too much.

Thanks for all the info in this thread about Linux distros. For non-business computers Linux is a great option, although my experience with several distros is that you inevitably spend a very large number of hours getting it to work, and then finally give up on the last 5% or so of items (e.g. audio or maximal screen resolution).

Oh, it's different with iOS, so I'll tentatively agree with you there. I keep hoping that Apple will ditch the proprietary Lightning cable used on iPhones and iPods now that USB-C exists, which does everything Apple wanted from Lightning: slim, reversible, and carries more than 9 watts of power. Fingers crossed.

Then again, dongle hell is by no means unique to Apple: if your girlfriend had an Android tablet of some sort, she'd still need a dongle to connect it to a projector: a micro-USB-to-HDMI cable, which I notice isn't cheap.

I'm not sure what the USB port on the projector is for, but it's probably not going to carry a video signal.

WiseOne wrote: Thanks for all the info in this thread about Linux distros. For non-business computers Linux is a great option, although my experience with several distros is that you inevitably spend a very large number of hours getting it to work, and then finally give up on the last 5% or so of items (e.g. audio or maximal screen resolution).

I'm really, really happy with Fedora 25 right now. Everything on my brand-new laptop worked perfectly out of the box. Native screen resolution is available, audio is perfect, my printer works, my scanner works, touchpad behavior is better than with Windows, basically it all works. The only bugs I've filed or fixed so far are minor UI niggles of the sort that show up on any platform. Power consumption/battery life is a little worse than in Windows sadly (7 hours vs 9 hours) but it's still more than enough for my purposes.

The version of Linux Mint that just came out today is excellent as well, if it supports your hardware--it's based on a version of Ubuntu that's 9 months old, so any laptop or specialized desktop hardware that came out since then may not work perfectly out of the box without tweaks.

Thanks for that helpful info! I'm one of the 0.00000005% of computer-savvy Americans who don't own a tablet computer, because the main reason I'd want one is for traveling and I'd need to be able edit and present my rather complex Powerpoint presentations on it. But it might be nice to have one at home, just not at the price point of an iPad.

Pointedstick wrote: I'm really enjoying my new HP Spectre x360, which flips around and turns into a tablet.

Wow. I am a Windows user but that is the time I have looked at a PC and thought, "I want that." It looks great and it's nice and lightweight. Is it well built?

Mr Vacuum wrote:

Pointedstick wrote: I'm really enjoying my new HP Spectre x360, which flips around and turns into a tablet.

Wow. I am a Windows user but that is the time I have looked at a PC and thought, "I want that." It looks great and it's nice and lightweight. Is it well built?

Very. It's a unibody aluminum chassis that's very rigid and sturdy. I love it. I did an absolutely absurd amount of research before buying this computer and it very narrowly won out over the Dell XPS 13 and Lenovo Yoga 910. Here were my final tallies:

HP Spectre x360
+ Best speakers
+ Two Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports
+ Charges over Thunderbolt 3/USB-C with a universal charger
+ Cheapest of the three
+ Keyboard has best key selection: dedicated home/end/pgup/pgdn and media playback keys
- Worst trackpad, though much better in Linux than in Windows, where it's just awful
- Keyboard backlight a bit uneven

Dell XPS 13
+ Best screen
+ One Thunderbolt 3/USB-C port
+ SD card reader
+ Best Linux support
- Not unibody aluminum
- Unpleasant rubbery palm rest surface, not metal or even smooth plastic
- Worst keyboard
- Webcam placed in a useless location
- Smallest battery (52 watt-hours)

Lenovo Yoga 910
+ Best keyboard (though not for people who use the right shift key)
+ Best trackpad
+ 13.9" screen fit into a 13.3" screen sized case
+ Biggest battery (79 watt-hours!)
- No media playback keys on the keyboard
- USB-C, but does not support Thunderbolt 3
- Worst screen
- Webcam placed in a useless location
- Heaviest (still not that heavy though)
- Worst Linux support

All three are excellent machines.

dualstow wrote:I love the way the mail app on my ipad mini (ios9) doesn't show the paperclip icon for attachments. And then, when I find a way to reveal it, I love that it prevents me from sending non-photo attachments from the device's own storage, because that's why I shelled out $400 for 64GB. No, I can only send items from the cloud. And, I cannot upload files from storage to the cloud, so it's a bit of a Catch-22 situation.

I'll just sit here quietly with folded hands.

I want to thank you guys for getting me into LXLE linux. If only I could put it on the iPad. Should have bought a Jolla tablet while I had the chance. Grr.

Glad you are enjoying it, Dualstow!

-the poster formerly known as early cuyler

dualstow wrote:I love the way the mail app on my ipad mini (ios9) doesn't show the paperclip icon for attachments. And then, when I find a way to reveal it, I love that it prevents me from sending non-photo attachments from the device's own storage, because that's why I shelled out $400 for 64GB. No, I can only send items from the cloud. And, I cannot upload files from storage to the cloud, so it's a bit of a Catch-22 situation.

BTW, you might try Dropbox. I've had good luck getting files on/off my iPad with that.