I was sitting in my living room when the doorbell rang. I turned around and noticed a shade of brown beaming through the frosted glass. I sprang up, frantically flipped the lock, and swung the front door open to find a friendly UPS driver holding a box marked Saturday.
Saturday indeed. April 3rd to be exact. The day Apple starting delivering the most anticipated piece of hardware since the iPhone.
I carefully opened the box and lifted the solid slate of aluminum and glass in front of me.
It’s beautiful.
That much we know; Apple makes beautiful products. Whether it’s a notebook or a desktop, a phone or a tablet, Apple’s attention to detail and relentless pursuit of making things that “just work” is undeniable. Everyone I talk to understands this. What they don’t seem to understand is why someone would need an iPad.
Let Me Explain
I have been using an iPhone 3G since it was released a couple years ago. As you may know, I also recently purchased a MacBook Pro as my main computer.
Like a lot of people, the iPhone is my go-to mobile computing device. I use it to receive and send email, interact on Twitter, read articles and blogs online, and stay up to date with anything else relevant to me. I do a lot of couch reading on my iPhone. It is the first thing I pick up in the morning and the last thing I put down at night. It’s awesome, but it could be better.
As such a small device, the iPhone has its limitations. Size and speed are the obvious gripes here. The iPad solves both of those for me. No longer do I have to wait what seems like forever for a web page to load and then zoom in and out on different sections to find what I’m looking for. Gone are the days of squinting to read a PDF document. The iPad is bigger, faster, and provides a much better platform for developers to create rich applications.
So what am I saying here? Exactly what everyone else is saying…
Isn’t it just a big iPod Touch?
YES, and that’s exactly why I love it!
But it’s more than that. It’s an mp3 player, a web browser, a digital picture frame, an HD movie player, a portable game console, a Kindle, an email client, a newspaper, a sketchbook, a notepad, a file viewer, a magazine, a word-processing spreadsheet-making presentation-creating son of a bitch! Sorry, I got carried away there. Bottom line, the iPad is a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It’s one step closer to the dream device that merges many devices into one.
Awesome Apps
Here’s a list of applications I’m using that are better on the iPad.
Instapaper Pro – The ultimate ‘read later’ app. The interface has been improved to use the iPad’s extra screen real estate. Seamless Integration with Tweetie 2 makes it near perfect for me. There’s also a bookmarklet that works with Safari.
iBooks – Apple’s answer to the Kindle (I think). I purchased The Little Big Things by Tom Peters today and can say I already love reading on the iPad.
Kindle – Just in case you’re partial to Amazon and prefer to send your hard-earned money to Bezos instead of Jobs, there’s a great Kindle app for the iPad too.
Twitterific – I’ve been using this (and a few others) to read and post tweets on the iPad. The overall interface is really good, but I’m waiting for the fine folks at atebits to release an iPad version of Tweetie. I’ll even pay for it…again.
GoodReader – This is a great app for viewing most any document on the iPad. It integrates with Dropbox, which makes it perfect for me to read all those PDF documents I save to read later.
Evernote – This just goes without saying. I’m in here a lot. The iPad app doesn’t disappoint.
The Weather Channel – TWC did a great job with this app. The look and feel is awesome. I check it every morning.
Bible HD (YouVersion) – A fantastic Bible resource. I’m not sure it’s as built-out as the iPhone app, but I’m sure they’ll get there. The reading experience is, of course, much better than the iPhone.
WinAdmin – All of my hardware may be Apple now, but I still spend a large part of my day in a Windows OS. This may not be an essential app for you (or maybe even me) but it’s nice to know I can get to our (and more importantly my clients’) mission critical apps that only run in a Windows environment.
Essential Accessories
Verizon MiFi – This is the key accessory for me. In case you’re not familiar, the MiFi (manufactured by Novatel) is a 3G WiFi hotspot powered by Verizon’s network. It costs twice as much as the iPad 3G plan (unlimited data) but the MiFi allows me to connect up to 5 devices to it at once. The other advantage (at least to me) is that I get to run the iPad on Verizon’s network, which I believe to have far superior coverage than AT&T’s network.
iPad Dock – I ordered a dock along with my iPad; it will be here later this week. I’m not entirely sure this is essential, but I know it will be a nice addition and a sleek way to charge it.
iPad case – One of the first things I noticed while handling the iPad is that I need a case. Basic wear and tear is a key factor here, but more so for the fact that I keep thinking I’m going to drop it. I thought about buying a Saddleback sleeve after John Bergquist mentioned it to me, but I think I need something that stays on while I’m handling it. I’m a little lost as to what I should get…any suggestions? Regardless of what I end up with to wrap around my iPad, I’ll surely get an invisibleSHIELD for the screen. I have one for my iPhone and it’s been great.
Kensington Auto/Air Power Inverter – Like the MiFi, this isn’t iPad-specific, but it works great when you’re in a car or plane and need to charge your iPad. It provides an AC outlet and two USB ports for charging all of your gadget goodies. I’ve used it with my iPhone on multiple occasions and plan on needing it someday soon to charge my iPad or maybe even my MacBook.
Wireless Keyboard – I almost didn’t include this, but I think it’s a must for anyone that’s going to be doing a lot of typing on their iPad. The keyboard on the iPad is good, but I’m at least three times faster on a regular keyboard. The Apple wireless keyboard is a good option, but I’m sure any Mac-compatible Bluetooth keyboard would work.
What Am I Forgetting?
Hopefully not much, I think that’s kind of the point of the iPad. It’s an ultra-portable computer that just works.
What do you think? Are there any other great applications or accessories that I should be looking at?
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bert thomas on 
Ahhh crud! now you've confused me even more, Tim. I admit. I'm a gadget junkie (geek) whatever you want to call me. But, I'm conflicted. I'll also admit that I was a relatively late adoptor (in our circles that is) to the iPhone, converting from BB. My justification for the delay? I have an 80Gb iPod that I still haven't even made a dent in the memory. So, why did I need another? Of course, once I got the iPhone, I realized it was much more than an mp3 player integrated with my phone.
But right now, the iPad and iPhone have WAY too much overlap for me. And actually the iPad, as you noted is just a big iTouch, giving me a bigger keyboard that will help me stop sending fat fingered texts and tweets.
I need a new notebook. I'm getting a MB Pro. No doubt. So, as for the iPad. I guess I need way more convincing.
Thanks for the review. Good stuff.
Please could you elaborate on the saving of PDF documents via the web on the iPad as well as moving PDF documents from a laptop to the iPad. This item (i.e., iPad/PDF) needs more attention from the media I think.
“Of course, once I got the iPhone, I realized it was much more than an mp3 player integrated with my phone.”
I think you'd feel the same way about the iPad. Once you get it and use it, you feel like the iPhone could never be a suitable replacement.
I suppose the biggest difference between the two is necessity over luxury. I would put the iPad in the luxury category, whereas the iPhone is in the necessity category. BUT, if you can have both, it's awesome.
Thanks for commenting Barry. Always a pleasure.
I'm sure there are several ways to do it, but let me elaborate a little on how I'm accomplishing this.
First, I have a paid Dropbox account (50 GB of storage) that allows me to store all of my important files in the cloud. Any PDF (or any other type file) that I want to read later I just throw into my dropbox folder so I can access it from anywhere. Here's a referral link for Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTE5NjU1Mjk
Second, I have purchased the GoodReader application on my iPad. This app provides the ability to interface with services like Dropbox. Actually, you can connect to just about any internet-connected service out there (mail servers, iDisk, GoogleDocs, box.net, FTP servers, etc). I haven't tried connecting to GoogleDocs or my company's FTP site yet, but I plan to shortly.
GoodReader also allows you to connect directly to the iPad from your laptop if you are on the same network. Once connected, you can upload any file you want to the iPad.
Either way you do it, GoodReader downloads the file you want access to and displays it in a 'My Documents' pane for easy access to it. The reading/viewing experience is excellent as well. When you're done with the file, you can delete it off the iPad.
Hope this helps. As I said before, there are probably many ways to accomplish this, but this method is working extremely well for me right now. The GoodReader app is well worth the money…I think it's still only 99 cents in the store right now (probably going up soon).
One more clarification. Does one need a Dropbox account? I mean can one just using GoodReader do two things: Download files from a website while browsing onto the iPad (I am not sure how this would happen) and Transfer files from MacBook to iPad when they are connected? Is this correct? Thanks.
No you don't need a dropbox account.
Yes, you can browse the web from within the GoodReader app and download files directly onto the iPad.
Yes, you can transfer files to and from the iPad to any computer on the same network via a simple web interface.
Please could you elaborate on the saving of PDF documents via the web on the iPad as well as moving PDF documents from a laptop to the iPad. This item (i.e., iPad/PDF) needs more attention from the media I think.
“Of course, once I got the iPhone, I realized it was much more than an mp3 player integrated with my phone.”
I think you'd feel the same way about the iPad. Once you get it and use it, you feel like the iPhone could never be a suitable replacement.
I suppose the biggest difference between the two is necessity over luxury. I would put the iPad in the luxury category, whereas the iPhone is in the necessity category. BUT, if you can have both, it's awesome.
Thanks for commenting Barry. Always a pleasure.
I'm sure there are several ways to do it, but let me elaborate a little on how I'm accomplishing this.
First, I have a paid Dropbox account (50 GB of storage) that allows me to store all of my important files in the cloud. Any PDF (or any other type file) that I want to read later I just throw into my dropbox folder so I can access it from anywhere. Here's a referral link for Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTE5NjU1Mjk
Second, I have purchased the GoodReader application on my iPad. This app provides the ability to interface with services like Dropbox. Actually, you can connect to just about any internet-connected service out there (mail servers, iDisk, GoogleDocs, box.net, FTP servers, etc). I haven't tried connecting to GoogleDocs or my company's FTP site yet, but I plan to shortly.
GoodReader also allows you to connect directly to the iPad from your laptop if you are on the same network. Once connected, you can upload any file you want to the iPad.
Either way you do it, GoodReader downloads the file you want access to and displays it in a 'My Documents' pane for easy access to it. The reading/viewing experience is excellent as well. When you're done with the file, you can delete it off the iPad.
Hope this helps. As I said before, there are probably many ways to accomplish this, but this method is working extremely well for me right now. The GoodReader app is well worth the money…I think it's still only 99 cents in the store right now (probably going up soon).
One more clarification. Does one need a Dropbox account? I mean can one just using GoodReader do two things: Download files from a website while browsing onto the iPad (I am not sure how this would happen) and Transfer files from MacBook to iPad when they are connected? Is this correct? Thanks.
No you don't need a dropbox account.
Yes, you can browse the web from within the GoodReader app and download files directly onto the iPad.
Yes, you can transfer files to and from the iPad to any computer on the same network via a simple web interface.