- Skip Winters
- partner
- Telephone: 503-243-1022
- Fax: 503-243-2019
- E-mail: winters@bodyfeltmount.com
Eric “Skip” Winters is a native Oregonian, raised in the Willamette Valley. In his spare time, he and his family take part in all of the outdoor activities Oregon has to offer. In spite of his “offensive lineman” build, Skip is an avid cyclist and has participated in the week-long Cycle Oregon rides and the two-day Seattle to Portland ride many times (much to the delight of cyclists who draft in his wake.)
- Skip joined the firm in 1995 as an associate and became a partner in 2002. Skip practices general civil litigation, with an emphasis on products liability, commercial disputes, and construction defect. Over the last ten years, the majority of his cases have involved defending clients in construction defect representing every party, from developers to design professionals, general contractors and subcontractors in these complex cases.
- Skip has tried multiple week trials involving dram shop, commercial, and contract actions. He has also defended clients from developers to subcontractors in construction defect binding arbitrations.
- Oregon
Washington
U.S. District Court, District of Oregon
U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington
- J.D., Willamette University College of Law, 1994
B.A. (History), University of Washington, 1991
Professional & Community Activities
- American Bar Association
Defense Research Institute
Multnomah Bar Association
Oregon Association of Defense Counsel
- Skip has held positions in various professional activities including Chair of Oregon State Bar's Law Practice Management Committee (2008-2009), the Oregon State Bar President’s Advisory Committee on Future Issues (2002-2004). He was the Chair (2002-2003), Chair-Elect (2002) and Treasurer (1999-2001) of the Oregon State Bar-New Lawyers’ Division. He served on the NLD Executive Committee for several years (1997-2003). Skip was also the Co-Chair of the OSB/NLD Legislative Leadership Mentoring Program in 2000.
- Skip has been an Appellate Moot Court Judge and Moot Trial Judge for Lewis & Clark College and Willamette University. He has acted as a mediator. Some of his speaking opportunities have been for the CLE Bootcamp (2002), the Institute for Paralegal Education (2002), the Oregon Professional Liability Fund (1999-2002), the Oregon Law Institute (2000).
- Telephone: 503-243-1022
- Fax: 503-243-2019
- E-mail: winters@bodyfeltmount.com
On this tab, you will find information about converting to the iPad and a long list of my favorite applications below.
First a short disclaimer:
I'm a self-avowed (and some would say impulsive) "first-adopter" of new technology. As an active trial lawyer, however, I don't have the time available that I'd like to try and test new technology and software. Therefore, any opinions expressed below are only related to my interactions with the iPad (and iPhone.) There are, I'm sure, wide swaths of applications and add-ons that I haven't seen and am not trying to exclude any – I just haven't gotten around to them yet! Over the years, I've fielded lots of questions about the iPhone and the iPad and my obvious affection for both. Instead of continually sending out emails, I've tried to compile the information here so everyone can have access.
Why the iPad?
Anecdotally, I'll just say this: I've yet to meet a single person who has told me that they regret having bought an iPad. How many tech toys have you purchased over the years that you've felt this way about? As a firm, we decided to go with the Apple iPad in 2010 mostly because many of us already had iPhones and enjoyed them. There are many new tablets on the market. I wouldn't know how they stack up against the iPad because I haven't tested anything else. I come at our technology like any consumer; mostly through iTunes and the internet. There are a couple of a fantastic blogs, "iPhone J.D." and "Tablet Legal" that I highly recommend for more timely information that I provide here.
What kind of iPad should I buy?
First off, if given a choice between the iPad and the iPad 2 – buy the iPad2. The iPad2 is lighter, much faster and has dual cameras allowing for videoconferencing. Given the choice between the iPad 2 and the upcoming iPad 3 – buy the iPad 3. Faster is always better and the reports are that the iPad 3 (rumored to come out this spring) will be considerably faster.
There are basically six flavors of iPad – 16, 32 or 64GB with WiFi only; or 16, 32, or 64GB with WiFi and 3G. The 3G versions cost about a hundred dollars more than the Wifi only version – and are worth it.
The GB (gigabyte) differences deal with memory space. I have the 32GB size with 3G. Generally, however, your basic user will be just fine with 16GB which is still a lot of space unless you're downloading full movies or massive iTunes collections. In my view, the need for entertainment downloading is cut greatly with the instant watch feature available with Netflix. (If you don't have Netflix – get a minimum $8 per-month subscription. I promise you won't regret it.) We bought the 16GB version for the firm, and nobody has complained about running out of room.
Why get 3G?
The real decision is between WiFi only and 3G. 3G is the wireless service provided through either AT&T or Verizon. Nicely, the service is month-to-month, so if you don't like it, you can drop it easily. The basic plan costs $15 a month, and if you can get the $15 plan but are a heavy user when not on WiFi, the iPad will tell you when you are running out and it will offer to bump you to the $25 plan. Without the wireless 3G option, you might as well buy a desktop computer. You will rapidly find that there are a lot of applications and features that you'll want to use on the go, but can't. I've never talked to anyone who regretted getting the 3G version of the iPad, whereas I know several people who returned their WiFi only versions to upgrade to 3G. It is also spectacular to be able to travel with only the iPad (as most of us now do.)
Are there additional costs?
Yes. In addition to the wireless service, you will be buying applications to get the most out of your iPad (see below). There are also a few items that I strongly recommend to enhance your iPad.
First, to protect your new investment, you will probably want a cover. We have tested a few around here and found that the best cover is made by Apple. It is thin and turns the iPad 2 on and off. http://store.apple.com/us/product/IPAD_SMART_COVER-107759
We have also purchased the Bluetooth keyboard (also from Apple): http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC184LL/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY Having a keyboard really makes the iPad a very good replacement for laptop computers – at about a third the cost.
If you want to use the iPad for presentations - or hook it to your TV at home, you will need an iPad VGA connector – which you can also pick up at the Apple store. The adaptor will allow you to mirror whatever is on your iPad onto a connected screen with HDMI quality. http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/mirroring.html I also have the Apple TV at home (not the upcoming actual 42" from Apple), but the $99 book-sized box that attaches to your home TV and enables you to stream from the iPad or iPhone – and directly download content from iTunes or Netflix.
Which Applications do you recommend?
Let's get to the real fun and functionality behind the iPad or iPhone – the applications.
I've spent a lot time testing applications and weeding through all the chaff out there. I've attempted over the last couple of years to cut my list down to the "must have" applications that, at minimum, have some value and enhance my use of these devices as tools for work (and entertainment.)
I've shared the list with lots of folks for the iPhone. Not every application makes it to the iPad, but there is some overlap, so I've split the list up for both devices.
Many of the applications are free, but some -- especially the core work applications -- cost money. New applications are coming out, literally every day. I will try to update this list as often as I can.
Skip's Favorite iPad Applications:
Work-Related
- Numbers – Apple's version of Excel
- Pages – Apple's version of Word (We have tried a number of "Word" apps. Frankly, they are pretty expensive and don't work very well.)
- Keynote – Apple's version of PowerPoint
- Dragon Dictation – A fairly good (free) transcriber. [Incidentally, your iPad has a microphone located by the jack for the headphones.]
- Evernote – Evernote enables you take and transfer notes simultaneously between all devices. [Mine updates my work computer, iPad and iPhone automatically. I don't suggest getting the "premium" service unless you really rely on Word documents.]
- Drop Box – With Drop Box, you can easily move large amounts of data between your computer and the iPad. [We have found, however, that there is a 2GB storage limit, so don't get too crazy with large files.]
- GoodReader – This program the best and most useful pdf reader
- Fastcase – Free online caselaw – a must for lawyers
- Calculator 4 – Remember to turns the iPad sideways for more complicated functions
- WinAdmin – This program lets you "see" your computer desktop (through your work server), allowing you to navigate around and pull documents that you may have left behind at the office.
- Jump! – Jump is another remote VPN program. I am currently trying it out as an alternative to WinAdmin, and, so far, have found it terrific. It was easier to set-up and, so far, has been much faster than WinAdmin.
- iDisplay -- This app allows you to use the iPad as a second (or third) display with a PC or Mac. I haven't figured out how to use this in a practical way (but love the look on people's faces when they see that I have three screens up.)
- Netflix – Another must. If you have the bare-minimum Netflix account, you can watch anything on the Netflix "instant watch" list for free all the time. If you don't have a bare-minimum Netflix account, get one. (Maybe later, I'll give you a list of my favorite Science Fiction TV series to watch as well.)
- Pandora, Radio 365, or TuneIn Radio – Free internet radio and music.
- Spotify or Rdio – "Netflix"-like monthly unlimited streaming service, but with music.
- Flixster -- For movie times, trailers, ratings etc.
- Huffington Post
- The New York Times
- BBC News
- Fox Business for iPad
- 60 Minutes for iPad
- USA Today
- EW's Must List
- Sports Illustrated
- ESPN the Magazine
- The Score
- Sportacular
- ESPN Score Center XL
- NCAA March Madness On Demand
- Today
- Rock Center
(I've used and enjoyed reading books on each reader. Downloading is a breeze and it is much cheaper (and lighter) than carrying paper. The screen does take some getting used to though. You can usually download a preview chapter of the book, which is also a nice feature – and should allow you to test out your tolerance to the reader.)
- Amazon Kindle
- Nook
- iBooks
- Night Stand – A decent alarm clock
- BigOven – A huge online recipe book
- Angry Birds – The very fun catapult game – really popular and really fun
- Emerald Observatory – A great, and beautiful astronomical clock
- Virtuoso – A free piano player
- AccuWeather – My favorite weather forecaster
- Scrabble -- Just like the board game, this game is a fun distraction for the whole family when on the road or waiting for a table somewhere.
- Xfinity -- if you have Comcast cable, you can control your DVR from afar (e.g. when you are away from the house and think "oh, man, the game is about to start!"). There is also programming available to watch just like Netflix.
- Reckless Racer 1 and 2 – Very fun, top-down racing games.
- Plants v. Zombies – a good tower defense game, very addictive.
- Tiny Tower – a simulation game that is as mindless as it is easy, yet surprisingly satisfying.
- NFL Flick QB or Flick Soccer HD – depending on your definition of "football" either game provides a short, but satisfying result.
- Steam Birds HD or Crimson Steam Pirates – both are "turn-based", top-down strategy games (one in the air, one on the water.)
- Google Translate – a quick and easy language translator.
- WikiBot – for access to Wikipedia
- Wolfram Alpha - a huge database and computer devoted to hard facts and figures. Built by hard-core nerds for hard-core nerds.
- Convertbot – a unit converter for anything
- IMDB – so you can settle, "who is that actor," arguments quickly.
Skip's Favorite iPhone Applications (not listed above):
News/Sports sites- Reuters News Pro
- NPR News
- NBA Gametime lite
- Slacker – While Pandora is the best internet-based radio station, this one is a close second.
- Last FM
- Wolfgang's Concert Vault -- Recordings of live concerts
- ESPN Radio
- iheartradio – This program lets you listen to radio stations in local towns.
- urban spoon -- A restaurant guide
- Yelp -- Another restaurant guide, with community-based reviews. Really nice when travelling.
- Open Table – Make reservations at places nearby
- FlightControl – Guide Airplanes in for a landing.
- Peggle - (One of my favorites)
- Crush the Castle – Nothing says fun like a catapult
- Word with Friends – Just put it away when the airline attendant asks you to.
- Fruit Ninja – just like it sounds
- Cut the Rope – another fun physics based game
- Bejeweled, Planet Buster or Crazy Caps – all different spins on the "Match Three" concept of games.
- Flashlight – WAY, way more practical than you may think – I use this app literally every night as I negotiate around the house. It may be my favorite practical application.
- iHandy Level -- Neat little "bubble" level
- 9-Toolbox -- Several useful tools
- Battery LED -- This application lets you know, exactly, how much time you have left to talk, play games, watch shows, etc.
- My AT&T Wireless – Keep track of minutes, payments, etc.
- Opera Mini – A slightly better internet browser than the Safari that comes on the phone
- Google – A great browser that now has voice recognition software and a very cool photo recognition software trick
- WorldLens – Another fun app, less helpful as a tool but still worthy entertainment. Take photos of anything with foreign language on it and this app will "change" the photo to English.
- Shazam or Soundhound – These applications recognizes songs that you hear -- even in crowded rooms. It's close to performing a magic trick. Shazam recently moved to "pay after 5 songs per month," which is kind of a bummer.
- Skype -- Excellent for international calling without using AT&T as long as you are on WiFi – and if you don't have FaceTime which is available on the iPhone 4 and, undoubtedly, will appear on the iPad 2.
- The Weather Channel – More detailed weather, maps, etc than the app that comes with the phone
- Zippo – Dumb, fun
- Gate Guru – This application allows you to find food and services at different airports worldwide and track flights. It is surprisingly useful.
That is all I have for now. If you've tried out a great application that is missing from the list, I'd love to hear about it. Feel free to email me at winters@bodyfeltmount.com with your suggestions!