I got an iPad the very first day the 3G model was available. I had such high expectations but I also had a lot of questions. One I blogged about was where my iPad would fair versus the notebook I had been counting on for more than a year. That first post gives the early info on what I had loaded on the iPad and some of the thoughts I had going into iPaddom early on. But after two months, I realize I was spot-on in some areas, and I hadn’t anticipated quite a few things.
Where do I use it?
It’s interesting. The portability and immediate access makes it hard to leave the iPad behind! Granted, I don’t use it much if I am having a full day in the office, BUT anywhere else it seems to be handy.
Airports/Planes — On flights and in airports has been very handy, even if I have to turn it on airplane mode. The utility of 3G at the airport to let me while away that 30 minutes at the gate or the 20 minutes once you are in the plane. And I can flot on free wifi if its avaialble and don’t have to worry about the Boingo or whatever if not thanks to the 3G component.
Car/Mobile — In the car was something I had realized was a good thing, for me keeping connected on work or online. And I talked about the ability to upload photos.
My niece totally still as the family listens to a band concert
- I hadn’t anticipated the versatility it offered my 8 year old niece. I found it kept her busy on a 3 hour plus car ride. It also kept her seated and quiet during a long school band concert where we sat through several bands before her brother got away. Movies like “The Incredibles” and “Ice Age 2” are a hit, so was is the iPod function. Interestingly enough, downloading a couple of kids books (I chose “Curious George goes Camping” through B&N eReader to go with the iBooks version of “Winnie the Pooh.”
- I also hadn’t anticipated the mapping utility being so handy. When I made a trip in June to a university I wasn’t familiar with, I set the hotel & meeting room locations into the map before I left Memphis. When we hit the ground in Alabama, the others wondered where we were headed and the iPad showed us the way! Then this week, I was wandering around the Delta snapping a few pics and after a while on the dirt roads and turnrows wondered if I was really headed the right way back. Check out the handy iPad use in this video.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN2QMXYcs8A]
- I’ve also used it around town waiting for a bite at cafe or whatever, reading the New York Times or whatever. LOVE finding ways companies are encouraging you to bring it to the store. Barnes & Noble ran a promotion for several weeks where summer reads were available to those with the iPad or Nook.
What applications are a hit? Any misses found so far?
So I’ve gotten a better feel for the programs I have, and some I’ve newly downloaded.
- The Pages application has been used more than I anticipated early on. I downloaded it just thinking I needed something for general stuff. I’ve used it a lot more than expected. Great to have something to quickly put down ideas for an article, some planning or whatever. And I’ve used it to take notes in SEVERAL business meetings. Amazingly liberating not to have to worry about where the outlets are! And to take notes directly in the computer rather than a notebook is priceless on productivity. It worked so well during a day-long on-site event that a wire reporter was quizzing me on it!
- WordPress has been a great app for me because it lets me throw together blog ideas on the run. I can leave them in as local drafts, upload as drafts or publish directly from the iPad. I’ve played with it and used it in several ways. It rocks.
- IM+ has been great for staying in touch with friends while I’m traveling too. I love that it gives me Facebook chat, Skype, Google chat, Yahoo IM and more!
- Since I’ve mentioned the built in maps program (gizmodo link here, different than above), I guess I should acknowledge that. One of the things I love is the integration with Google Earth to let me pull information about the location I’ve visiting. The 360 degree view came in handy for sure!
- I’ve got Evernote on the iPad and have enjoyed that it allows me to move ideas, website information, etc seamlessly among all of my computers.
- I mentioned the general iPod function… well, while I didn’t anticipate using it since I have a couple of iPods… I’ve found having a couple of key playlists really advantageous. I have used a playlist for a long time to drown out unfamiliar noises in hotels, having it on the iPad with the integrated speaker… Perfect! And it also lets you play a few tunes to listen to while you work (a constant part of my life).
- Twitteriffic is still my twitter app — have found it does a pretty great job too!
- I downloaded Sobee’s but rarely if ever use it to access Facebook. I find the browser version makes more sense. Just wish they’d get the last few things worked out there like tagging photos & being able to decide where the tag goes.
- Since I have a Blackberry that I have fully loaded with contacts, calendar and notes, I tend to defer to Outlook or the BB app for those things.
A couple of final notes:
- Love that the application store automatically shows you updates waiting — there have been quite a few updates since I’ve downloaded so many programs, that seamless update Apple offers rocks.
- I’ve been surprised by how many people haven’t seen an iPad but are thrilled to see them. With the growth of mobile technologies, my guess is that won’t last long.
- Using the iPad around the house… well it happens plenty despite having several other computers here and usually at least one of them turned on!
- The word addiction comes to mind when I think of it.
How do you use wi-fi while driving?
iPad is cool man…but wait, for how long? Does this device will still be available next year or apple already release something cooler to replace this iPad?
Good point. Innovation is coming so quickly across computerized electronics that second generation and third are coming quickly. The iPad will certainly face competition from other companies (I have heard that HP is working on a touch tablet of a similar nature) and they will continue to innovate. I’m an early adopter on some things, wait til tech stabilizes a bit more in some other areas. I guess that comes down to an individual choice. Does the value of having it early outweigh the knowledge you will want to upgrade? For me, both strategies have worked or been less than successful than hoped on occasion. So far, I feel like I’ve made the right move but we’ll see whether I still feel that way when the next wave hits. (By the way, my family loves me being first out as they consider themselves part of my redeployment plan. 😉 )
Janice – I can totally relate about the “entertaining the kids” value. It is a MUST Have with our two-year-old on car trips or for an event that requires him to be quiet and sitting for a long period of time. We even used it at my grandmother’s funeral recently to keep him quiet during the service!
I also forget that it’s a draw for people. Sometimes I whip it out at an event to look something up or show off a pic, and suddenly I have a crowd around me looking at it.
I personally love it as a book reader. I tried to buy my father a Kindle for Father’s Day and he returned it telling me he’d rather have an iPad.
Like your ideas on other apps. I’ll have to check it out.