Acer Iconia A500

Early in June, after researching and reading reviews on a number of different tablets, I finally bought myself a new tablet, an Acer Iconia A500.

Previously I’ve been using only my desktop and laptop computers for all my computing needs. Reading e-books on Kindle, Nook and other e-readers, internet as well as everything else we typically use our computers for. So did I really need a tablet too? I thought maybe not, I just wanted it; I could afford to buy it so why not?

I do enjoy reading and to sit at the computer and read for hours becomes uncomfortable so I haven’t been doing much reading lately. Now with my new tablet I find that’s not a problem at all. Whether it’s in my recliner, sitting on the couch or lying in bed, I can read until my eyes get too blurry to see anymore.

I have my Kindle and Nook apps installed and there is also LumiRead that was already preinstalled . It also came with an Adobe app which I activated with my Adobe account so I can download and read the ePub books also. These are available from the local library and other sources as well. Now I have no shortage of sources for books, magazines or newspapers to read on my tablet anytime I want something.

I have my tablet right by my bedside when I go to sleep at night so in the morning before I get up I can check my e-mails, read the NY Times or any other paper that I wish to read. How nice is that to not have to go out to get the paper!

I have to get up eventually to make my coffee, but then it’s nicer to sit with my tablet in my lap rather than sit at the computer.

I do use it for making notes, keeping a journal, writing e-mails and things like that. I haven’t found it that practical yet for any extensive word processing or spreadsheets, (at least for me) but then again I’m still exploring what I can do with it. I installed some apps, but I’m still researching what is out there before I make my choices as to what I want to install.

You can find many more apps for the A500 on the Marketplace. There are apps for every category including business. So if your thinking it’s only to play with, you’ll be happy to know that it can be a great business tool as well.

Besides using it for reading, I can load any music that I want on it. I can use the built in speakers, or of course use headphones for a better quality sound. It will play video clips with Flash installed, unlike the iPad which doesn’t support Flash. I can connect it to an LCD TV (when I get one) with an HDMI cable, thus using the TV to watch videos.

It has both a front facing and a rear facing cameras. The cameras do take very nice stills and videos.

Here’s another fun thing to note. It has GPS capability. I can go outside and navigate anywhere I want to go with the GPS and Google Earth! I should never got lost now. I was surprised as to just how accurate it is.

Staying on the fun stuff, there are some games preinstalled also. You’ll also find a ton of stuff on the Marketplace. There are more apps than you could possibly imagine available there.

This tablet is a nice addition to by electronic toys. I’m enjoying it quite a lot and finding it very useful. If you bought one for yourself I think you’d find it worth the investment. There are many others out there and I found the one that I thought would be right for me. The one you choose for yourself should have the capabilities you need to do the things you want to use it for.

-Ed

Freedom Gained

Back in June I posted a short article, ‘Disability Discrimination’. I had been looking for help with my issue off and on for months. After I wrote that post I started searching for someone to help me again. After searching the internet, I eventually was led to an agency right here in Door County. Maybe there would be a slim chance that someone there who could provide help. I spoke with a very nice lady who referred me to Disability Rights of Wisconsin in Madison. She provided a number to call. The results of that referral I will tell you here in this post.

I made the call. The girl who took my call transferred me to an intake worker who took my information. I was asked to fax all the documentation that I had. I then proceeded to fax the 16 pages of documentation. My own notes, letters that I’d sent, letters sent by the building inspector and documents on the equipment that I needed to comply with ADA regulations for barrier free access to my building.

I was then sent an explanation of the laws regarding my particular situation. These were very helpful in understanding what my rights and responsibilities were and what those are of my landlord.

After they reviewed the information that I sent, I received a call from an advocate with DRW. We had a phone conference and she consulted with her supervising attorney. The attorney advised that I again write my landlord asking permission to purchase and install the equipment that I needed to make my building fully accessible to me.

I wrote the letter. I was disappointed, if not even angry with the reply. My request was granted to purchase and install the equipment, however, they would take possession of it if and when I vacated my apartment.

I faxed this to Madison. They were floored that the corporation that owns and manages this complex would even have the gall to do such a thing. After a meeting within their group, I was advised to write another letter telling the landlord that if they wanted the equipment they could reimburse me for all costs incurred or I would be allowed to take it with me if and when I vacated my apartment.

I wrote this letter and sent it. I received yet a worse reply. They said because it’s their building, any modifications I made, be it temporary or permanent, they would take it. And……they would not reimburse me anything!

What? Yes, they would take possession of everything that I installed to make things easier because of my disability!

I faxed this down to Madison and they had another weekly meeting. They reached a consensus to take my case. I was then sent all the paperwork to sign and return to them. Then my advocate and attorney started their communication with the corporation that I had been fighting on my own.

Now I received a letter from my landlord ‘granting my request’ to take the equipment with me if and when I left.

I ordered the door closer and lockset that I needed. This was on Monday and I received an e-mail the following day that my order had been shipped. On Wednesday I received the lockset shipped from Illinois. Then Thursday I received the door closer that came from Ohio. I contacted my installer (I can’t trust this maintenance man to install it correctly) and they stopped by Friday evening to look at what needed to be done. My installer then came Saturday afternoon and installed and adjusted everything.

I have now been enjoying my first full week of freedom this year! What a joy it is just to get out the door when I want to, and not when I can find someone who can come to let me out for a little while and then let me in again. Freedom feels good!

-Ed