Using Apple Products As An Environmental Scientist
Today’s working environment has changed drastically over the past 15 years. Commuting from A to B was accepted as a necessary evil; however, today we telecommute in the familiarity of our home office space. With the aid of the internet and recent technological leaps the office has gone mobile, the work environment has become global, and business networks have gone viral. The confines of the cubical have been replaced by dynamic online accessibility.
In order to do any amount of work, one needs to rely on the tools of one’s trade – the universal standard being a smart device (laptop, tablet, or smartphone) with online capabilities. As an environmental scientist and freelance writer, my career and life rest on my smart devices. Five years ago I turned to Apple for my smart device needs. Apple products meet the two characteristics I look for in anything worthwhile investing in – a device that is reliable and that offers simplicity.
Reliability
The most dreaded sight for any environmental scientist is to witness the Blue Screen of Death while drafting policy documents, running climate change models, and conducting impact assessments. All that sensitive data and precious hours lost. With the utmost honesty, I can say this has never been my experience using a MacBook Pro. Yes, there has been some performance issues (especially with the advent of Yosemite). However, most of these performance issues are solved with a quick search on Google. With the MacBook Pro, no dread exists of losing data in a flash of blue, and there is the added security of storing data seamlessly on iCloud.
Simplicity
You should not have to possess an IT degree to operate a smart device. Part of what makes a smart device ‘smart’ is that it is simple to use. No on the fly coding needed to install an application and no sets of digital gymnastics performed to have an application do what it was designed to do! With Apple products, all that one needs to do is to purchase an app and in a few moments it is ready for use. This is why I use Apple products in environmental science.
I remember my first purchase on the App Store… Keynote for the iPad. That week I needed to present my findings to State clients. I delivered an interactive Keynote presentation for 20 minutes. The State Director General was so impressed with what could be done on an iPad, that she thought I was some IT wizard. Not only does Apple offer simplicity, but it stress elegance as well.
Conclusion
Smart devices are multi-purpose tools that allow for the quick collection, processing, and production of meaningful information anywhere. As an environmental scientist, the ability to be able to work on the move is priceless. Being able to research while sitting on a train using an iPhone, saves time. To get others involved in a presentation using an iPad, is fulfilling. Confidently using a MacBook Pro to draft national policies in a nature reserve, is inspiring. Using Apple products has transformed the way I do work, because of Apple’s reliability and simplicity I may exercise creativity and confidence.
Image courtesy of Victor Habbick at FreeDigitalPhotos.net