Walt Mossberg

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Mossberg’s Mailbox

Apps for Androids

Q:

Is there software available to allow one to run Apple-compatible apps on Android tablets?

A:

None of which I’m aware. However, bear in mind many of the most popular apps for the iPhone are now available in versions for Android phones. My guess is that, over time, if Android tablets start selling in large numbers, the same phenomenon is likely to occur, with at least the top apps for the iPad being issued in versions for Android tablets.

Q:

I subscribe to 10 magazines. When I want to save an article I tear it out and file it away. I was wondering if there is another way to save articles by faxing/photocopying them and sending them as an attachment to a remote site accessible anywhere in the world. I would be willing to pay for the site but it has be easy to use.

A:

The answer is yes, but not exactly in the way you envision. If you’re starting with paper, you’d have to scan the articles into digital files and then upload them to a service or site that’s universally accessible. One good candidate is Evernote, at evernote.com. It allows you to file away a wide variety of digital files, including the PDF files you’d likely create from scanning, and then access them from any PC, or Mac, or from many smartphones and tablets. In fact, some scanners can directly send the files they create to Evernote, or you can email attachments directly to your Evernote account.

The other option is to read your magazines digitally, and save the articles directly from the digital editions, skipping the scanning step. Evernote can handle this approach, but there are other options.

A service called Instapaper can save Web pages for later reading, and works on computers, iPhones, and iPads.

Q:

I have a MacBook Pro for personal use—mostly Web browsing, emails, calendar, Facebook, etc. I want an iPad 2 but need to sell my MacBook in order to fund the purchase. If I do this, what will I miss most about my MacBook Pro?

A:

All of the things you say you do on the laptop can be done very nicely on the iPad 2. However, you will lose some significant advantages that any laptop offers. These include a built-in physical keyboard; a larger screen; the ability to view Flash videos in the browser; and direct connectivity to external devices like hard disks, wired Internet connections, and wired printers. Also, though you didn’t mention it, you might miss the option of using a wide variety of much more powerful productivity programs than exist today for the iPad.

You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox and my other columns at the All Things Digital website, http://walt.allthingsd.com. Email mossberg@wsj.com.

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