iPad: First Impressions


English: An image of an iPad 2.

Yes, its true, I am the way so awesomely proud owner of an iPad(2). Yes, I realize that the new model will be out before summer – I don’t care. For those of you in the know, no, I haven’t met the goal yet. (For those of you not in the know, Kim and I had a little bet – I needed to lose 35lbs before I could get one – so far, 15 to go 😉 ). I’d like to think its because she recognized my commitment and intention of making this work. I commented a few weeks ago that I needed to do something about my weight- and do something I have. More on that in a later post.

The reality is, it was probably the whining. I can live with that for now.

Is it everything I’d hoped for? Pretty much, yes. I know some think its just a toy, but I’d like to think I’ve already started proving its utility. In the week that I’ve had it, I’ve used it to…

  • review the entire first draft of Aspect Ratios, complete with corrections, highlights, notes, and revisions, thanks to goodreader
  • review a friends story
  • begun catching up on my mound of reading material in calibre
  • started catching up on my subscription to F&SF
  • used it as a dedicated media platform
  • discovered that flipboard is even more awesome on the iPad than on the iPhone, if that’s at all possible. If you don’t know this app, check it out – it turns your google reader, Facebook, twitter, and random news sources into a digital magazine on the fly.
  • used it as a doc reader to help configure hardware on the fly at work (trying that via paper or iPhone would have been frustrating)

Is it perfect? No. There are the things I knew (the lack of flash, which is annoying but dealable), and the things I didn’t think of (the kindle app isn’t 100% like the kindle – no access to Amazon Prime free books that are checked out).

And yes, most of this blog post was written on it 🙂

Now, back to what I should be doing, which is something fantasical, no doubt.

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