Posts by Geoff Campbell

That's odd

I don't recall anyone mentioning the ipad.

The Tab is an excellent device, I don't recognise any of your boilerplate criticisms from my real-world use of it.

GJC

@Wibble

Used one, then? Or are you just flapping your gums?

GJC

@Bassey

Absolutely, well said.

I have two daughters, aged 10 and 14. Both seem to me to be getting a good education, which plays to their strengths whilst also pulling them along in subjects they are weaker in. Their friends mostly seem well mannered and reasonably knowledgeable, with only a few exception who get looked down on by the rest of the crowd.

They'll manage well enough, just as we did in our time.

GJC

NFC on an iPad?

As much use as tits on a boar. I mean, come on, think about it - wandering past a poster with a product you like, or trying to buy a coffee in a hurry, and you get out your 10" iPad, power it up, and wave it at the sensor? Never going to happen.

GJC

Blonde hair and blue eyes are recessive genes

This keeps them relatively rare in the gene pool.

GJC

If in doubt, move the playing field.

Set yourself up a company, then anything you need becomes a) a vital business purchase and your decision alone, and b) tax deductible. Sorted.

GJC

Same model number....

....but different hardware, as we can see from the article. Does that count?

GJC

Ergonomics generally look poor

The whole thing looks like it would be an ergonomic nightmare, not just the mouse. I mean, I know the '90s were a different century, but even back then we knew about adjustable screens, and decent screen/keyboard/chair relationships. None of those look achievable with an iMac.

Still, nice piece of packaging, and there's no doubt it appealed to something in the buying public.

GJC

No, not just you

I have always said it was a bit of a Fisher-Price computer, a machine for people who wanted something simple to check their email and surf the web occasionally. I hate the design, personally, but I acknowledge that I'm a techie and a biker, not a design style guru. One thing that can't be argued, however, is that the ergonomics absolutely *suck*, a real First Class ticket to RSI and back problems in one neat package.

GJC

Best selling computer of all time?

I don't believe you. Figures, please.

GJC

Really, again?

I've been watching the regen meter on mine. It does generate charge in the batteries on the motorway, and it also uses that charge. Motorways aren't flat, and the regen braking doesn't only work when you hit the brake pedal, it also cuts in on closed or near-closed throttle positions.

But, yes, the system works better in stop-start than cruising at a steady speed on the motorway. However, at a steady speed on the motorway, the weight of the batteries is irrelevant anyway.

GJC

Really?

The batteries are a useful energy reservoir, allowing the capture of energy that would normally go to heating up rhe brake components, which is then re-used for acceleration, reducing MPG.

The oft-heard cry of "but it would be more fuel efficient without the weight of the batteries" is, once again, complete bollocks, and doubly so for congested routes where I can negotiate traffic jams using no fuel at all.

GJC

Servicing costs for a Prius

Are pretty much on a par with other similar cars, and quite possibly lower due to lack of brake wear. In fact the new Prius has a completely belt-free engine, reducing service costs further. The batteries and electric drive have no service requirements.

GJC

That's bollocks....

....if you'll excuse the bluntness.

My current commute is 80 miles, initially on hilly rural Welsh roads, then on a free-flowing M4. I get an average of 60mpg, as I've said.

Oh, and the Prius weighs 1.4 tonnes, very light for a car in this class.

Anything else you'd like me to help you with?

GJC

There are plenty of kits available

To give the Prius a much extended electric-only range, with plug-in charging. But rumour has it that Toyota are releasing a plug-in version shortly anyway, I saw a prototype a while ago at a car show.

GJC

Yes, 60 miles per imperial gallon

I'm just an old traditionalist....

GJC

Ah, what a wonderful logic fail.

"One Prius driver drives slowly, thus all Priuses are slow" is not any form of logic I recognise.

In fact, the current model Prius is about equivalent in performance to a mid-range two litre car of similar size. Not sporty, by any means, but more than capable of showing a clean pair of heels when asked.

GJC

That one's easy

The petrol engine feeds into a three-way CVT gearbox, as do the electric motors. This means the petrol engine can run at a specific constant rate (around 4000rpm, from memory) for maximum efficiency. The power can also be electronically controlled to either go to the road wheels, or to the electric motor as a generator, and also that the electric motor can be used to start the petrol engine, and the road wheels can drive the electric motor as a generator. It's a beautiful piece of engineering, and patented up the wazoo so it is unique to Toyota and their subsidiaries, I think.

GJC

Well, here's your counter example.

I own a Prius, and I wouldn't touch a 2CV with someone else's barge pole, let alone my own. Hateful things, and not at all economical.

GJC

Must you sneer so?

The thing with a Prius is that you do have to learn to drive it economically, to an extent, in order to get the best out of it. Most drivers don't, they just hoof it like any other car.

I was highly amused to see that the sales lizard in the Toyota dealership had stuck their demonstrator in "Power" mode, and left it there, resulting in a recorded mpg figure of 39.9mpg. Great sales aid, that....

GJC

Yes, I thought that might happen....

I can certainly achieve 80mpg, by cruising at a lower speed and ignoring the hilly bits near home. But I prefer to cruise at around 70mph, keeping up with traffic, and to quote real-world whole-usage fuel figures. And for that, 60mpg for a family-sized hatchback is good. There are a few diesel cars that can match it, but diesel costs more than petrol, and you know what? I do this for my own financial benefit, mostly.

I am about to go on a holiday that involves a long drive, which I will probably do at 90+mph. It'll be interesting to see what fuel figures I get then.

GJC