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I Get It Now!

Entry 1154, on 2010-02-04 at 19:38:12 (Rating 1, Computers)

I suppose many people would classify me as an Apple "fanboy" (or, to use a more complimentary term, an Apple enthusiast and computing professional). Even so, I was initially a bit skeptical about the new iPad. First, I didn't like the name; second, I thought it needed a camera (and maybe a few other useful hardware components, like an SD card slot and USB port); and finally, I wanted multitasking!

I'm currently writing a review of some of the highlights of Richard Dawkins' book, "The Greatest Show on Earth" so I'm carrying the book around with me (in my laptop bag) so I can work on it when I have a few spare minutes. But that book is heavy (its 470 pages) and uses a lot of space in my bag so its quite inconvenient to use.

It would be so much easier if I had a copy of the book on a compact, easy to read device which I could set bookmarks on, copy quotes from, and store lots of other books on as well. Wait a minute... that sounds like an iPad! And it wouldn't matter if it had a camera or not (I have a very nice SLR and a camera in my iPhone and one in my laptop). And it wouldn't matter if it didn't multi-task either!

Of course, I could use a Kindle as my eBook reader but that really is a single purpose device (and about the same price as some iPads anyway) so that would be just too limited.

There is also evidence that Apple might be going to put a camera in the iPad - possibly even in the current model before its released - so it would be there if I did need it. Plus many people are saying that future versions of the iPhone OS (which the iPad uses) will include multi-tasking (its an operating system limitation more than a hardware one).

So I think I get it. I didn't think I needed an iPad but obviously I do. I think when I do get one I'll never buy another physical book. I have several book cases full of them and storing them electronically is just so much more efficient.

I do have eBooks on my laptop and iPhone already but neither of those are as nice to read from as a book. I do use PDFs on my laptop for technical documentation but that's not the sort of thing I read for long periods of time - even a computer geek like me doesn't like reading a 1000 page PHP manual like a novel!

I have said in the past that I don't like to get too enthusiastic about a new product until I have a chance to use it but I think when I do get to test an iPad I will be quickly wanting to go out and buy one!

Comment 1 (2599) by GadgetDon on 2010-02-05 at 02:01:21:

A camera for pictures, I can see. But a video camera for videoconferencing - you'd have to hold the iPad completely still, or somehow prop it up just so. My theory is that it did have a video camera, but in testing, people on the other side almost got motion sickness unless it was docked (which most people won't).

Comment 2 (2600) by OJB on 2010-02-05 at 08:15:47:

I don't know if I accept that explanation. People use cell phones for video calls. The iPad CPU should be fast enough to do image stabilisation too.

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