Many of my clients and friends have asked me, "Should I get an iPad?" Here's my answer: I did, and you should definitely consider one too.
Just in case you've recently returned from an island without TV, radio, newspaper, or the Internet, the iPad is a touch screen tablet computer recently released by Apple. It looks like an iPhone that grew but there's much more to it. For example, I'm writing this blog on my iPad using a pretty powerful word processor (called Pages) while tapping on a fake, but usable, keyboard on the screen. Try that on your iPhone or any other smartphone!
Let me get the basic technology stuff out of the way first. The iPad is available in 2 versions, one with Wi-Fi only access and one that offers Wi-Fi and access to AT&T's 3G data network. Each version comes with various amounts of storage: 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB. Prices start at $499 and go up. I also recommend purchasing a case to carry it around in. I opted for the nice Apple fold over case and purchased the Wi-Fi only, 32GB version. I did not want another monthly data charge from AT&T and my iPhone can serve my immediate Internet access needs when I don't have access to Wi-Fi.
What can you do with an iPad? A lot! Since I received mine on the first day it was released, it has become my primary carry around the house machine. Here's a short list of what I do with it: read and process my email (gmail and work which syncs to Microsoft Exchange), manage my work and home calendar (again which syncs to Google and my work Exchange server), surf the Internet, read books using the Kindle application, read magazines using the Zinio application, play games, and more. The biggest testimony I can give to its usefulness is that I have not touched my netbook PC at home and I've only used my MacBook Pro to process photos and manage our home finances.
Here's what I like most about my iPad: I turn in it on and it just works. Within seconds I am doing what I set out to do. There is no boot up time, no viruses to worry about (sorry security folks, the threat just isn't there yet), the interface is easy and works just like my iPhone, it can share data with the other systems I need it to, and did I mention it just works?
Here's what the tech guys don't like about the iPad: it's a closed environment with virtually no technical flexibility to set it up the way a techie might want it. So what. It's built for people to use, not techies to modify. Did I mention that it just works?
There is also an endlessly growing supply of applications you can download and use. All of your iPhone applications will work on the iPad, although I've found that the ones designed for the iPad work better.
For me, the iPad is a wonderful tool. For people looking for a great tool to complement your main PC, buy it. For some, it may even function as your main PC. One good story comes from our CIO. His dad, who has not ever really used a computer, picked the iPad up and was successfully surfing the internet within minutes. This is not something that is likely to happen with a PC.
There's a lot more I could tell you. For example, I love the way a magazine in Zinio looks just like a magazine you buy on the newsstand or that the book pages in Kindle turn like a real book page with a swipe of my finger. It seems silly, but that feels better than the way pages advance on the Kindle hardware. In an upcoming blog, I'll share some of my favorite applications on both the iPad and the iPhone.
For now, let me know if you've bought an iPad and how you like it. And, if you decided not to, let me know why that is too.