When I pull out my iPad in public, it’s interesting how consistently I get the question, “Do you love it?”
Not “Does it live up to the hype?” or “Do you like it?” Almost without exception, “Do you love it?”
And without hesitation, my answer is yes.
I bought my iPad primarily for work. Our CEO has said he expects tablets and touch-screen devices like iPad to transform how people consume content within 12 to 18 months. Not having an iPad felt to me a bit like trying to help steer an ocean liner with no navigation device — or maybe less dramatically, like working at a media company without having Internet connectivity.
But the iPad quickly became a part of my whole life. The Yelp app helped us find an amazing Mayan restaurant to stop at for dinner on our road trip to Vermont and the GPS-powered map function guided us on an alternate route when traffic was lousy on that same trip. The Pocket Piano app lets me practice my piano lessons on the train, unless I’m reading a book on the Kindle app.
I sometimes use my iPad to figure out what to cook, with Epicurious, and it came in handy when I was amateur bartending, with the Drinks app containing hundreds of drink recipes.
Of course I also use it for news consumption — New York Times, NPR, USA Today, AP, ABC … I can easily check multiple sources to see what’s happened in the world, and what the different takes are on those events, much like consuming news online except I can do it nearly anywhere.
The iPad isn’t perfect. It really should have a camera, and it’s weird that the makers of iPhone don’t give you the ability to connect the iPad to a Bluetooth or something to make calls. It needs cut and paste. It should be easier to hold with one hand — maybe with a ridge along the edge to make it easier to grip?
Imperfect though it may be, I love it.
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