Quite a few of my friends don't have an iPad. Some can't afford its hefty price tag. Some are committed to Microsoft products and don't want anything Apple. Some have a smartphone and feel that is more than enough. I still have a flip phone which fits in my pocket and it costs about $100 a year or $8 a month. True, as the man said, you can't do much with it but make phone calls. That is basically enough.
I bought an iPad after my wife had valiantly accepted one as a gift from me, a gift she never asked for and was not eager to accept and learn to use. Her experience and our kids' showed me I wanted one. Our computers use the mouse and keyboard arrangement so basically iPads are our only touch-sensitive devices or machines. I saw that the iPad fit into my wife's plans and needs and I figured I better try one.
About 2 ½ years ago, I got a mini iPad on the grounds that it was a convenient size and cost less. I usually spend plenty of time on a computer and I didn't think I would make much use of the iPad. My usage slowly increased so when I dropped it on the cement garage floor, I bought a 2nd one to have while the shattered glass was being repaired. The 2nd one was a later model and is lighter weight. I use it all the time.
I spend most of my time at home or in campus buildings. The iPad remembers its settings and joins the wi-fi in either place as soon as I walk in. So, I am actually connected to the internet for free most of the time. As David Weinberger makes clear in "Too Big to Know", it is easy to get lost in rambling around in searches and sources and news and updates. I actually don't make that much use of the device when I am not at home.
The main use and the main place is my living room. When I want to change locations and give myself something other than my computer monitor to look at, I go in the living room instead of my office. I have the iPad set to show "notifications" of emails for either of my accounts. A notification from them or Google Voice lets me know that something has come in. Half the time, I reject the item for attention later and half the time, I go to it immediately. I could use the settings to make a sound play for each notification but that is too annoying.
It is very easy to make a typing error when using the virtual keyboards that pop up when sending a message so if I have any composing to do, I much prefer doing it on the computer. Even there, the laptop keyboard is small and I use a cheap Hewlett-Packard keyboard which is larger and easier to use.
I read aloud to Lynn most days and for that reading and my own, I tend to use the iPad with its free Kindle app. Since I use Google's gmail and other products, I doesn't matter much what machine I use for computing, Microsoft or Apple, they all are basically being used with Google services. I have a Kindle paperwhite and use it for my main download receptacle but the iPad is good for reading and I can see any notifications I want to pay attention to while reading.
I use the device several times a day and I recommend having one and giving it a try. It will grow on you.
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Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety
