Happy Easter

As usual, I'm confused by Easter.

My iPad Review

I was on the fence about getting an iPad at first. I just didn't feel like I needed it. I have my Mac Pro, with which I do all my video and animation work. I also have (had) a Macbook Pro, which I bought in 2007 to aid me in my working trips. While it was never perfect showing films and images on my laptop, it was really the only alternative to making people crowd around my iPhone to watch video. But soon my tech-lust managed to weave a story in my head, "what if you sold the macbook?" it whispered. The rationalization was easy: since I don't do too much traveling, and the only thing I do when I travel is show my work, (ie. films, images, and maybe a script or pitch, all of which are visual presentations) I also do email, the odd online airport check-in, etc. but really nothing that demands a full blown Macbook Pro. My rationalizing also thought about practical reasons; "it's cheaper, its smaller, lighter. Think of the money you would save!" That was enough, I pre-ordered two days after Macworld.

So I sold off the Macbook Pro, and easily had the dough to pick up this fantastic little toy with a few hundred left over for my pocket. yea, straight of the box it's slick, and with it I will present my ridiculous cartoons to unsuspecting executives all over the globe.

My configuration; 64 GB WiFi only. I think the 3G thing is a pretty good deal, $15/mo. with no contract, but the idea for me was that this device would fit the same niche as the Laptop did, and WiFi is sufficient for Hotels, Airports, and coffee shops. I have had the iPad (still hate the name) for 72 hours, and my review is that this is what I needed all along for travel and light work. Obviously no heavy lifting needed on the road, I can create and edit documents using "pages" ($9.99) and the rest is super easy and fun stuff.
Mail is a bit better than on the iPhone, with a large preview pane on the right, and stacks of messages if you choose multiple messages at once. ITunes and iPod apps are also more Robust, as well as the Photos App, which has a few different ways to view your image library.

The thing I like the most isn't really tangible, I tend to early adopt when i like the direction something is going. I consider it an affirmative vote for the product family, rather than a complete acceptance of the product itself. I like this direction, it's getting people excited again about mobile computing, and thats always good. I'm most excited about the sheer number of apps that will be available for this thing in a year. Don't get me wrong, it's already a great device with amazing capabilities, it makes every game and app I already have look 2x as good.
I should mention the battery life is amazing. I have had the thing for three days, off and on, the kids have played with it, and it still has 50% battery left, and that was straight out of the box, I have yet to even plug it in once! The screen rez. is amazing, I can't wait to see my iPhone game on this thing!

The one small complaint is the thing is weird to type on when its laid flat, either on a table or your lap. You want at least a 20 degree angle for it to feel normal. I have ordered the case that Apple makes, that should take care of that complaint. oh, and the way the screen shows off fingerprints looks a little yucky when its turned off, ick.

So for the money, yea, its what I needed, and a really beautiful thing. Go get one.