Farmers and iPhones

MI5

Any farmers here use an iPhone :rolleyes:
Wife trying to convert me.
I'm thinking I wouldn't be seen dead with one!
I'm thinking it wouldn't look great after a few weeks of lying around in the tool box of the tractor, pocket of jacket with a bunch of nails, staples, washers, screws, fence insulators, etc,.

Are they any good?
Could I keep track of cows times? :eek:
Could I be considered to be a "fairy" farmer if I took one out at the mart?
Could I be considred to be a "fairy", full stop if I had one?

Any advise iPreciated :P

vanderbadger

have been using one since they came out, great yoke although my one is totally knackered now, still have it for over 2years which isnt bad, its a hacked one so have to be careful about updating it, hoping vodafone release their one in Jan so i can legitimatly get one, its not the 3g ver so its too slow for internet but I use for work email which is handy on the go, once you get used to the interface its very hard go back to a nokia put it to you that way

Rujib1

I have one. Let fall into bucket of water :rolleyes: Took it out, dried it off, left in hot press for a few days. Back in action no problem.
More of an email and web thing than a standard phone. Kids love it. Forever hijacking it to mess with those applications on it.
Apparently you can have all sorts of files and information on it, but i keep all my vital information on scraps of paper in a plastic bucket with a lid:D

trepasers

to be quite honest I think they are a waste of time.....They are a lovely phone to have....but for the price your paying is it worth it??
I no at least three people who the screen cracked on...To be honest a durable phone is what you need for farming not one that you well end up throwing away after a short amount of tiime!!

Rujib1

trepasers wrote: »

to be quite honest I think they are a waste of time.....They are a lovely phone to have....but for the price your paying is it worth it??
I no at least three people who the screen cracked on...To be honest a durable phone is what you need for farming not one that you well end up throwing away after a short amount of tiime!!

I suppose, if you were in to all that techi notes and spreadsheets on a mobile, you could put the expense of the phone against farm profit in your accounts, as you would a computer etc, for accounts.
Say you were keeping cows times and such on phone

emaherx

iPhones are basically ipods with phones attached. they don't do the whole smartphone thing as well as they claim to. I don't think there are any useful farm apps on iphone unless you want a virtual farm.

If you want a phone which dose all that iphone "claims" to do and more, then a windows mobile may be a better choice.

There is a number of phone versions of the HP Ipaq which are fully fleged PDA's and there are a few farm passific applications includeing farm managment software designed for Ireland. They are E200 to E250 euro sim free which is better value than the iPhones.

There are also Palm based phones available which also have farm passific software for Irish farms.

Bitten & Hisses

emaherx wrote: »

farm passific software

:eek::eek::eek:

Rujib1

Bitten & Hisses wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek:

His real name is Ryan:cool: Pudsey Ryan:eek:

emaherx

Bitten & Hisses wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek:

OMG! :eek: I made a typo
It should be specific.
I don't think I had spelled that badly, probably stupid spell check "fixed" it for me.
teach me to trust technology so blindly.

But thanks for your useful input, it really added to the thread.

any way.
If the OP is interested in windows or palm based mobiles. Agrinet and Kingswood make packages that cater for these devices.

hope my spelling this time satisfies the typing police who lurk around here.

yessam

emaherx wrote: »

OMG! :eek: I made a typo
It should be specific.
I don't think I had spelled that badly, probably stupid spell check "fixed" it for me.
teach me to trust technology so blindly.

But thanks for your useful input, it really added to the thread.

any way.
If the OP is interested in windows or palm based mobiles. Agrinet and Kingswood make packages that cater for these devices.

hope my spelling this time satisfies the typing police who lurk around here.

I had kingswood package and did not get much extra benifit from it once i was able to register calves on the icbf web sight.

jimmytrigs

Hi the iphone has some great features but is too overpriced for what it is. One can buy an ipodtouch for alot less money which will do everything the iphone will do except it hasnt got the phone but it got some great applications and is really useful for entering and storing data, It also has the internet if one is near an wifi source. It can be very handy on the farm for keeping track of data. One can buy a protective cover and this will proctect it from dirt and damp:)

Red_Marauder

Like the above user said, i would go for the ipod touch as opposed to the iphone.

Lots of us who work around animals or in farming tend to be on the phone a lot and I know that if I got an iphone I would inevitably drop it into a crush or into a trough of water as I have done many times in the past with regular cheapo phones.
The ipod touch however is more likely something you take out of your pocket when youre concentrating on doing something or accessing a piece of information, so you're less likely to drop or drown it because you're less likely to be distracted or multi tasking.

It is a quite a useful piece of equipment for a farmer on the go if you have wifi around the farm.

Tommy Bateman

Them things are only for the teenagers, no need to get one at all. Its just a marketing gimic for them gullible teens.

pakalasa

....as I always say - what was wrong with the pigeon?

yessam

Red Marauder and Jimmytrigs - what exactly would you be using you ipod when out around the farm. please explain as I just dont see why you would need it when out around the farm on a regular basis. I just need to be able to convince myself that I need these things before I buy them.

Red_Marauder

Well... for example, you can post questions about farming on boards.ie as things happen in real time!

I can't speak for practical farm work most of my work is taken up in the veterinary side of things, and i get huge use for it there from accessing drugs compendia, fact sheets and other online data. I can't see why it couldn't be of similiar benefit to farmers.
I also use it for checking the racing entries and results to keep myself awake sometimes but that's less of a necessity I suppose.

Take the simple things like observation of oestrus in the cow. Poor observation/ poor recording is one of the major reasons for failing to minimise the postpartum period to get your animals back in calf as soon as possible. Eliminating the need to carry around pens or scrawling illegible notes on your hands is bound to be a plus. Instead youve got a very clear, organised calendar application you can use to consult alongside other breeding records, and the internet, and the ability to run AI reminders alongside this information - all while completely mobile out on the farmyard. This is just one practical example of how this could improve efficiency and possibly alert you to animals that are failing to breed.

The iphone/ tipod touch is not a necessity for farming. People have been farming for millenia without it and survived. They also survived without the wellington boot, the tractor, and electric fencing but all of these things allow farming to run more efficiently, and I think that if it can help, then go for it.

It costs a damn sight less than a new tractor and you still get a new gadget to play with.

emaherx

yessam wrote: »

Red Marauder and Jimmytrigs - what exactly would you be using you ipod when out around the farm. please explain as I just dont see why you would need it when out around the farm on a regular basis. I just need to be able to convince myself that I need these things before I buy them.

Em, listening to music or playing silly games while waiting for vet to arrive to do heard test, anything beyond that would require a proper PDA.
Ipods/Iphones are full of gimmicky apps not useful tools for "real" work.

Cabaal

Although I'm not a farmer I do own a iPhone and I have to say its fine for the most part.

However the touch screen can become unresponsive in very cold weather, I had this happen during December/January and it happens sometimes when I'm hillwalking.

Doesn't matter if its in my pocket it still seems to happen and its bloody annoying when it does.

I believe its a mixture of cold hands and cold screen that stops it

BeeDI

Do Zetor make phones I wonder:D

emaherx

Cabaal wrote: »

Although I'm not a farmer I do own a iPhone and I have to say its fine for the most part.

However the touch screen can become unresponsive in very cold weather, I had this happen during December/January and it happens sometimes when I'm hillwalking.

Doesn't matter if its in my pocket it still seems to happen and its bloody annoying when it does.

I believe its a mixture of cold hands and cold screen that stops it

I have nothing against the phone as a phone or mp3 player. Also some of the apps are fun and some may be even useful. Its just not a very good tool for farming. Not working very well in the cold is one of these reasons.

dar31

its a nice little piece of kit but in relation to farming it pretty pointless.
its hard enough to protect a normal phone in your pocket.
if you could put your herd software on them, id say they were the best thing going, but not so.
your normal phone should be good enough to keep records.
for any cows bulling/sick/lame etc i put their no in to the phone and ring it, no stored in call list with date and time, should be their for a few days any how.
short cut to notes, for more detailed info etc 1348 hf sml tri - cow 1348 ownes the hf calf with small triangle marking on head
short cuts to calculator/ convertor one click and your in

maybe im missing some thing with them, getting wifey one soon, might be converted next month,but cant see how

lil_lisa

emaherx wrote: »

Ipods/Iphones are full of gimmicky apps not useful tools for "real" work.

They have applications which will help you do your work and make things like calculations and information storage easier. I am currently researching a product for the iphone to help farmers like yourselves. I know from home that if you were to give a farmer one of these on its own, it wouldn't last a day. It is a stupid idea. However there is a lot of functionality and has potential for farmers. I want to create something for it, depending on what may be more useful. I'm thinking a durable hard easy clean case is a must?

Any input from you guys would be great! Thank you!

emaherx

If the phone won't operate well at low temperatures then their isn't really much point.

HP and Palm have far superior devices, some of which come in tough form.

castletrader

Will Agrinet or Kingswood be able to put their software on the iphones as apps?Has anyone got any news on if they can or not.

5live

Red_Marauder wrote: »

Well... for example, you can post questions about farming on boards.ie as things happen in real time!

I can't speak for practical farm work most of my work is taken up in the veterinary side of things, and i get huge use for it there from accessing drugs compendia, fact sheets and other online data. I can't see why it couldn't be of similiar benefit to farmers.
I also use it for checking the racing entries and results to keep myself awake sometimes but that's less of a necessity I suppose.

Take the simple things like observation of oestrus in the cow. Poor observation/ poor recording is one of the major reasons for failing to minimise the postpartum period to get your animals back in calf as soon as possible. Eliminating the need to carry around pens or scrawling illegible notes on your hands is bound to be a plus. Instead youve got a very clear, organised calendar application you can use to consult alongside other breeding records, and the internet, and the ability to run AI reminders alongside this information - all while completely mobile out on the farmyard. This is just one practical example of how this could improve efficiency and possibly alert you to animals that are failing to breed.

The iphone/ tipod touch is not a necessity for farming. People have been farming for millenia without it and survived. They also survived without the wellington boot, the tractor, and electric fencing but all of these things allow farming to run more efficiently, and I think that if it can help, then go for it.

It costs a damn sight less than a new tractor and you still get a new gadget to play with.

I put observed heats on a memo on my nokia E51. It has all my appointments and lists of cows due which i can move from day to day. And the battery lasts 4 days before recharging including multiple alarm calls to check calvings. A nice toy but until some useful applications come along then i will stick to my cheap and cheerful nokia:p

blue5000

Last week I just bought a 'classic' nokia, had the old one for 7 yrs, I didn't mind when it cut out when herself rang me, but it got annoying when it went dead every time it rang.

I didn't even look at an i phone, you can record heats etc as a text message as already said. i phone simply isn't durable enough yet, hopefully they'll get better though.

dryan

Have avoided all these touch screen technologies when upgrading the phone last time around.
I dont think the 'touch screen' technology has evolved enough to cater for the state me hands do be in every saturday!
Button technology it is for me!
(question: how do the touch screens react to grease/muck/moisture/(slurry)?)

wildefalcon

Try a nokia 3720 classic - water proof, drop proof, dust proof.

It's a tidy, tough phone. It's survived me, snow, kids, muck, shed floor.

Not a smart phone though. Limited options for apps - only JAR type java.

blue5000

Ya wildfalcon, thats what I bought. Have you downloaded any apps for it? I miss the calculator.

red menace

dryan wrote: »

Have avoided all these touch screen technologies when upgrading the phone last time around.
I dont think the 'touch screen' technology has evolved enough to cater for the state me hands do be in every saturday!
Button technology it is for me!
(question: how do the touch screens react to grease/muck/moisture/(slurry)?)

They dont deal very well,
My X10 has a capacitve scrren.
My damp/greasy fingers cause it to react in a way larger area than where I touched and once the screen is wet it also assumes that part of the screen is still being touched and I have to loct the phone and wipe it on sleeve to dry it in order to restore order.

ihatetractors

Whats an iphone like under a silage pit , m8 was drawin silage during the summer, was on the fone one day when he was called to loosen plastic by the side wall so it wouldnt tear. Thaught he put it in his pocket but must have droped it. Well fermented now i reckon

He went and baught a nokia/sim for 60€ that evenin,been droped in a tray of waste oil, Dropped banged and scratched everywhich way (hope ye notice a trend here) and most recently was left on a mountan during the snow over night and still worked grand!, Beat that for reliability i say

5live

I had a siemens that went through a precision chop harvester. I found the sim card in the field and it still held all my info and phone numbers:). It failed within a week though. Must have been the shock of going into a nokia:D

thetiredfarmer

I had a nokia once lost it in dung and spread it on paddock. 6 weeks later found it in pieces but Sim still had all my numbers.I now have a blackberry Curve and when i took it out at the mart 2 old boys thaught i was from the department of agriculture and stopped talking to me!!! Now thats a useful phone!

wildefalcon

blue5000 wrote: »

Ya wildfalcon, thats what I bought. Have you downloaded any apps for it? I miss the calculator.

It's got a calculator. I've stuck it on the right arrow button. Straight in to the calculator after unlocking, if you want.

The only other apps I've got is an ebook reader (mobipocket) and a Chord directory (guitar chords).

But the laptop is never far from me.

blue5000

Thanks, found it in there since, even a scientific calculator at that. In under organiser, just wasn't able to figure out why a calculator would be in with the calender. might be somethin to do with addin 280 days to todays date? They're not called flyin finns for nothin.:D

wildefalcon

blue5000 wrote: »

Thanks, found it in there since, even a scientific calculator at that. In under organiser, just wasn't able to figure out why a calculator would be in with the calender. might be somethin to do with addin 280 days to todays date? They're not called flyin finns for nothin.:D

No Idea! Tell you what, though, the torch is a hell of a lot more useful than I thought it would be.

Locking up at night, bolts dropped in the dark, even looking into machinery. Great!