And also, not exactly dead…
Today I’m typing out a blog post on a device I never thought I would own, a shiny new iPad. This may come as a surprise to anyone who knows me. I openly mocked the iPad when it first came out, as did a lot of geeks. I quoted most of the same weaknesses. “It can’t multitask. It can’t do anything my netbook can’t do. Etc.”
And so, I must recant. Mostly.
It is true that my netbook can do most everything that the iPad can do. And the iPad does still have it’s weaknesses. However, a few days ago, I noticed that my netbook doesn’t get taken out as often as I should think it would. I thought about why I don’t use my netbook that much. This, in turn, lead me to think about just what it was that I used my netbook for.
The one huge advantage the iPad has over my netbook, and the advantage that got me seriously thinking about getting one, was the instant on ability. If you have an idea or need to take a note, the iPad is ready in just a second or two. Getting the netbook ready is quite a process, with book times it can be measured in minutes. This lowers the temporal barrier between yourself and the task you want to complete. It’s the same reason that I will grab my iPhone instead of opening a browser to check my mail, and that convenience is worth a lot.
When thinking about what exactly it is for which I use my netbook, I realized that i didn’t multitask very much while on my netbook. Yes, my netbook is more powerful than the iPad, but I wasn’t using that power. Everything that i actually was doing on my netbook, the iPhone would also do admirably.
The one drawback that still concerns me on the iPad is the virtual keyboard. In landscape, I can mostly touch type, but the error rate is hi. Autocorrection helps, but not enough. This would be a huge pain if it were my only option (also, the temptation to leave my typos in to prove the point was terribly great. Be thankful i resisted).
But Apple has a wireless keyboard that is compatible with the iPad, and is supposed to be quite light and portable. One of these keyboards is winging its to me as we speak. I would have gotten one at the store, but they were sold out. When it comes in, expect an update on how this keyboard hopefully transforms a solid piece of hardware into an excellent mobile tool in almost all respects.
