They Should Call It Crack-Pad

From BLOGS_IMAGES

I finally broke down and got one of these last weekend. I am selling my motorcycle and figured I owed myself something for the loss. So I went out and bought this to console myself.

First of all, I really didn't 'WANT' one of these. They appeared nifty and all, but I have this sneaking suspicion that this is where the world is going, so I figured I better jump on the train before the last car left the station.

So I plunked down my debt card and picked up a 32 gigabyte WiFi only model of the Ipad-2. While I was at the Apple Store purchasing the thing, the Sales Associate told me that he would check, but that he couldn't garrantee that they would have the model I wanted in stock. He said that when shipments arrived, they usually sold out within 3 hours, so I might have to take whatever I could get regarding the models they had on hand. I was lucky, I was able to get one of the last two of the model I wanted from the shipment that had arrived 2 hours before I did.

I have to assume that they are backing up semi-truck loads of cash to Steve Jobs estate every hour because of these things.

I have been setting up the device for the last several days, configuring wifi setting in our home and loading applications (apps) that I am downloading from the Apple App Store (more boat loads of cash for Apple) and generally trying to figure out Apple's iOS operating system.

So far.........I am impressed. I mean really impressed. I can see where this device is a game changer. It isn't a replacement for a computer or a smartphone, but it does drastically change the way you use the internet and communicate with it.

One of the reasons I have not been reading or writing blogs that much of late (besides the yearly melt-down in staffing at my office) is that I can see where I will be reading almost everything on-line from this device, once I have it all set up.

The iPad2 would make an excellent gaming device, if you wanted to use it for that purpose. As for me, I have no interest in that what-so-ever. As a reading device it has almost limitless potential.

For example, one application that I have come across is called 'FlipBoard'. This App is going to change the way I read and view blogs forever. While it is hard to describe, it takes the entire content of my online Google Reader and reformats into a magazine style layout. Imagine picking up a copy of Newsweek, but instead of news stories, all the blogs you read are laid out in REALLY slick formating with pictures, graphics and text and you can just browse through them like reading a magazine or book. I gotta tell ya, it is sweet. It makes all of my fellow bloggers look really good.

It wasn't cheap, but I am glad I got it. It is like putting a turbo-charger on your socially networked life. I am looking forward to catching up on all the stuff I haven't read for a while as soon as things settle down around here and I can cuddle up with the iPad and a cup of coffee.

There is only one negative that I would have to comment on regarding the iPad. It isn't lite. It is actually pretty solid and heavy at around 2.5 lbs. That isn't a lot, but if you hold it for about 45 minutes, your arm is going to get tired. Needless to say, I will be building up my arm muscles over the next few weeks.