It's starting to get late, I'm going Chrome.

Dig Lit - David Mullett

After my cloud epiphany, I've gradually bumped across most of my daily processes to Google, I've actually started to use Gmail as my personal/career email after years of having my own domain name and looking after my own mail accounts. All my personal, work documents and elements are in Drive and all my photos are in G+.

It became quite clear recently that I didn't really use any proprietary software at all, not tied to any particular OS or hardware, ok apart from the exception of iMovie on my Mac Mini, however it was this clarity that made me realise maybe owning an iPad and iPhone wasn't particularly effective any more.

A quick look back at the last 10 opened apps on both devices solidified my trail of thought, Google Drive, Picasaweb, Chrome, Messages, Phone, BBC News etc etc Nothing that was iOS centric.

Would it not make more sense to use a Chromebook and Android phone instead? Yes, it would make more sense, a lot more sense. However the transition hasn't been as rosy as I'd like to make out.

I will break these down into two separate blog posts as I think there's enough to be said about going iPad to Chromebook and iPhone to Android to warrant it.

But for simple overviewing purposes I have to say I do now have an HP Chromebook 11 in it's blue accent guise and I also now have an HTC One. Currently writing this in the car waiting for the partner to finish work, working offline in Google Keep. Needless to say one of the very notable differences using this Chromebook over an iPad.. a tangible keyboard :)

A nice element has been the auto integration of my Google credentials for all Google apps, before in my security settings in my account I regularly reviewed what had access and whether the application specific passwords were still needed, as I ditched the iPad and iPhone this list is now basically blank. Keeps my OCD in check.

The two blog posts will follow soon about the device shift but also I'm keen to delve deeper into how Chromebooks coupled with Google Apps For Education can be used to supply and assist with technology enhanced learning in HE, supplying cheap and expendable and essentially 'dumb' terminals (Managed Chromebooks) instead of expensive higher end tablet devices or the varied success of BYOD.

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