TECHTALKTECHTALK

WITH GEMAL HUMMAD

Ireceived gifts in the past from well-meaning people, which I was unable to use. It saddened me that I could not use the gifts and that energy and resources which far exceeded their market value were allocated to creating them.

Software is rarely thought of as a gift idea, but it can be a wonderful gift if chosen with care and attention. If the

giver knows a particular need, there are many choices of apps available that can fulfil the need. Apple Store, according to Statista, has over 4 million apps and games as of July 2020. Google Play Store has even more. Apps today, whether they are run on iOS, Android or Windows, provide good service and are mostly affordable.

Not convinced that software alone is good enough for dad? How about giving your father an electronic tablet like an iPad, 4th generation or newer? iPads are equipped with powerful cameras and high resolution 9.7” retina display, which allow the user to comfortably read a book, while controlling a page’s font type, size, color, background light and orientation. By adding a keyboard accessory to the tablet, you can turn it into a traditional laptop computer.

For Windows users, Microsoft has formidable tablets that provide far greater computing, storage and output resources than Apple. Surface Pro class tablets, generation 3 and newer, provide powerful computing, memory, and storage platforms, but are the most expensive to repair; They also do have batteries that swell easily after long use.

Any tablet you choose for a gift will provide many services and serve the environment as long as it can also be used as a book reader. The days of paper books will soon be completely behind us; I’m certain the Trees would be delighted.