::Griffblog::

Funny as some of the comments are following the iPad launch, the ethos of computing may very well have changed with the launch of iPad.

How many of us spend time supporting the PC installs of family, relatives and friends? Who hasn’t taken a call from a family member asking why the laptop won’t load the internet or why, when they click on an application icon, nothing happens?

The vast majority of computer users ask no more of their little boxes of magic than they should power on when commanded and that they should be able to browse the web, send email and write a letter when they wish?

Few of these users even know what multi-tasking is let alone need it so all the hyperbole about its absence is a red herring. They don’t do a dozen things at once on a computer and they methodically open and close applications one at a time.  It’s a prayer to the computing gods in the hope that the next time they need to, it will power on and behave!

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Our Lakeland Terrier puppy – ‘Lucky’ is now 5mths old and the time has come to begin attempting some training. The breed is described as strong willed and stubborn and our little monster is both of them and more!

Although clearly very clever, she does what she wants when she wants to.  If not in the mood the sound of her name will not even raise so much as a cocked ear and so the training could not come soon enough.

And so last week MrsG and our daughter began the lessons, first of which was an owners only briefing on what would be required, what to expect etc.  Last night was the first actual lesson and not entirely unexpectedly we discovered that our ‘Lucky’ was far more interested in all the other dogs in the class than listening to and learning commands!

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There can be few who don’t know that later today Apple are holding a product launch event and that, if fevered speculation is to be believed, a new tablet style device will be announced. And as my close friends will attest, I am a Mac user and a huge fan of their products.

So what is it about Apple that drives this fanboi devotion to their product and the fever pitch of anticipation whenever they launch a new product? Why do Mac users display a unique devotion to their chosen platform that is quite unlike anything you see from users of other products?

Apple have the unique ability to whip up a storm of rumour and gossip months before any new product is unveiled. This free publicity is priceless but in this case all the hype has been whipped up despite the actual product being unknown. Can you think of any other company who can cause such excitement ahead of an event to discuss an ‘unknown’ product?

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‘What a difference a day makes’ are lyrics from a well known song and never have they rung more true for me than over the last 24hrs.

Yesterday I blogged about my op and my rather optimistic hopes for my post op mobility. Last night I was sat on the settee quite relaxed and as bedtime approached I got up and, with the aid of crutches, made my way to the stairs.

The moment I got up my leg started to throb badly and as I left the lounge I felt a severe chill and started to shiver. This wasn’t just a slight chill, it was a full on, teeth chattering and body shaking uncontrollably type shiver.

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Friday morning I had my op and the frame is now history. After a bit of faffing about I was wheeled into theatre at 9am and so keen were they to get it off that my consultant had begun unbolting the frame whilst I was still in the anaesthetic room being prepped!

I was lying there with an anaesthetist popping a cannula into my left hand, one theatre technician applying the heart monitor patches and another theatre technician spraying my leg with a liberal coating of disinfectant.

And whist this was going on, my consultant breezed in, shook my hand, said ‘now we’ll find out if it has well and truly set’ and then proceeded to wield the spanner.

Not the most encouraging of comments!! I can remember thinking, “I wish this bloody anaesthetic would hurry up’ and that was that.

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