I’ve had an iPad 2 now for about 3 months, and I still stand by what I said before I bought. “It is not necessary in my life, I just want it because it’s awesome.” It is in fact an amazing device (I don’t think anyone can dispute that) and it is totally unnecessary, but surprisingly it has found a place in my life. After having one for only a short time, I forget what it was like before I had it.
I use it mostly for the following:
1) Blogging in coffee shops.
Believe it or not, about 90% of this Blog was written on my iPad 2. (Thanks to Plaintext and DropBox). It’s not only a lot of fun to use in coffee shops but much more practical then a laptop. You don’t need to wait for a seat by an outlet (the battery is incredible), you don’t need a big enough table (or a table at all I guess) and you don’t have to worry about plugging in a mouse or using the trackpad too much. Plus, when you’re done writing, you close the smart cover and walk away. No wrapping up the cord, no waiting for it to power off, just snap it shut and leave. It’s very nice for casual writing.
2) Laptop replacement.
I used to carry my laptop with me everywhere. I’m one of those guys… those just-in-case-I-need-a-computer kinds of guys. My laptop came with me everywhere in a MEC backpack made specially for hauling around portable computers. Since the iPad, my laptop has left the house…maybe once. My MacBook has more or less become an easier-to-fold-and-hide desktop computer. Carrying the iPad is a pleasure. It’s like having a purse with just one book in it, if that one book contained every book that was ever written and could go on the internet. It’s a weight off my shoulders.
3) Work.
Last week was Improv Summer School, and every little piece of it was done on the iPad. I made the registration packages in Pages, put the budget together and organized student information in Numbers, planned workshops in Plaintext, emailed confirmations and thank you letters using Mail. And not only was it easier, it was fun.
So my iPad has found a useful place in my life, and not just as a “couch computer” but as a more portable, more fun and (let’s face it) way sexier computer.
