A long time since I last posted but have kept reading in the meantime. I hope some of you can help me with my computing dilemma.

My Sony Vaio laptop is on its last legs so I need to get a new computer of some sort. In many ways a tablet is attractive as PCs have so many features that I never use so it seems a waste of money paying for them. I use my computer for:

- internet browsing
- email
- itunes
- and a small amount of word processing and spreadsheets.

So I am wondering whether a tablet might be the way to go. But some questions:

- the ipad seems to lack functionality for file transfers (no USB port) and not great on spreadsheets etc? And can it synch itunes to an ipod nano?
- non Apple products seem a bit clunky? And can they work with itunes?

Any insight from the technology advanced will be gratefully appreciated!

The recent post about whether to buy an ipod or not (for the record I asked the same question and took the plunge with no regrets) brings me to a question about hard drives and back ups.

Currently my music is in itunes on my laptop and I back up all my data regularly to a hard disk so that if the worst comes to the worst I can restore everything.

Several posts in the thread above referred to putting itunes on a separate hard drive. Given that I'm likely to replace my laptop sometime in the next 12 months this has got me wondering whether I should:

1. Do nothing - it's all backed up anyway. In which case why do some users put it on a hard disk? Or
2. Copy my itunes library to a separate hard disk and run off that. In which case do I need a different hard disk to the one my back up is on?

This is all getting very hard! Advice please!

who keeps popping up?

As newcomer to these ipod thingies I have only recently joined the wonderful world of the Word podcasts - and very excellent they are to.

But periodically the debate pauses and an American (or at least I think it's American) voice comes on and says something like: "The Word, a podcast, a magazine, a way of life".

And if it is indeed American, why? As a UK magazine why not a British voice?

Just wondering in case one of the Word Towers occupants is reading.

Yes her out of the Cranberries.

As a group they rather passed me by but I'm vaguely aware they went over a cliff in terms of record sales after their first album.

She seems to come in for a right royal shellacking both on this board and in The Word magazine.

What were her monstrous crimes?

Well I've joined the ipod world having bought a very nice little nano at the weekend. So far so good.

Techie question. What do I need to play it in my car? The car stereo has a connecting "hole" but I'm wondering what cable device I need.

Cheers and looking forward to playing randomiser!

I read the tributes to John Martyn in last month’s magazine and firstly wanted to say that I thought they were splendid pieces showing a real affection for a flawed character.

I came to John Martyn relatively late in his career and most of the albums of which I have are from the last decade but treasured to a one. I started buying them after having been captivated by a live performance for which I booked tickets on a real off chance. Mrs Diz and I were stunned by what we heard that night.

Since then, I have seen him on a number of tours and always had a great evening. But it will to my everlasting shame that I decided not to get tickets for his last tour late last year. My thinking went along the lines that he tours every year or so, so I’ll catch him again next time around.

This is made worse by the realisation from the articles that he needed to tour because of his financial position, something of which I was completely unaware.

Who feels stupid now? That would be me.

I know this has come up before but I'm having trouble tracking down where.

I need some small, light headphones (ie none of the tea cup on side of head types) for an Ipod which offer some sort of noise cancellation.

Any suggestions?

Cheers

I've just caught up on the excellent air guitar thread which got me thinking about the numerous references to Pete Townshend (and let's be honest haven't we all air windmilled along to Won't Get Fooled Again?).

Which got me thinking - it must be damn hard to do while hitting the strings properly. And does anyone else do it? And if so are they anywhere near as good.

No one comes to mind.

Driving home last night I heard the new Bruce Springsteen single on which - unless I misheard - The Boss whistles on a few bars.

Now this is something I've pondered before. Is there any song in popular music where whistling really works? Personally I avoid it as it makes me grind my teeth. And I can't think of a single song in my collection with whistling on it but may have to make an exception with the new Sprngsteen album.

My own view is that it just doesn't fit in the pop/rock music stable. But I'm prepared to be convinced otherwise.

Create content and hot topics is now at the bottom of the blog front page but at the side for my own blog page.

I'm about to take the dive into the world of portable players and do not want to follow the ipod herd.

I'm thinking of a Creative player based on comments on past blogs but a daft question I'm sure:

What software does it use for the music? I have itunes on my PC - will this work or does it need converting to something else?

And if I want to get BBC podcasts does it work for that as well?

Thanks

In case anyone is online today. Keep tabs on Santa's progress. He's off and running:

http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.html

Picture the scene when this grizzled Word reader was a mere callow 12 year old(ish):

Sunday evening after tea at home with the parents one of my tasks was to do the washing up. Whilst not a task that I ever taken much pleasure in doing, the monotony was relieved by the fact that I could listen to the Top 20 countdown on Radio 1 undisturbed. So actually it passed the time in a reasonably pleasant manner. But after the countdown finished Radio 1 switched off and went over to Radio 2 where the airwaves were taken up by the frankly awful Sing Something Simple.

Fast forward to yeasterday (Sunday) evening:

Said grizzled Word reader is in the bath listening to Johnnie Walker's programme on Radio 2, a show that I enjoy very much: good music presented by a very decent chap. The radio is on at the other end of the bathroom. Then at 6.30 it ends and whilst Radio 2 does not go off air, what comes up? Yup, the frankly awful Alan Titchmarsh which I have to endure for 15 minutes before I can take it no more and abandon the bath and switch it off.

Plus ca change, la meme chose is the phrase which comes to mind.

I like to think of myself of a chap who stays in touch with modern culture but this has shaken me to the core.

I can't say I have followed the career of Girls Aloud with any great interest but I always perk up when the young ladies are on the videos on TV at my gym and can recognise their songs when I hear them on the radio.

And up until two days thought I knew who Cheryl Cole was.

So imagine my surprise on reading the latest issue of Word to find that the one I thought was Cheryl Cole was captioned as Nadine somethingorother. No I thought - those old codgers at Word Towers have got their names mixed up.

But I realised today looking at pictures of the X-factor coverage that the old codger is me - they are right and I have been labouring under a misapprehension for at least 2 years.

In my defence can I say that I've never watched The X-factor or followed the comings and goings of the football Wags with any great interest. Nonethless I feel as if I have must have been living in some celebrity culture hole in the ground - not a bad thing some may say.

Any other cases of mistaken identity out there?

Do you get a round of applause in Word Towers when this happens I wonder?