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So, how's it going with the new toy, after nearly four days of use?
Provisionally, well. It's an intensely social computer for one thing, with Lorna and I passing it backwards and forwards during a discussion about a day out we had planned for Sunday. It's also surprisingly "handy"; you tend to leave it lying around in communal spaces, and then just pick it up when you need to consult the internets about something. It seems as shame it's a single user account machine in that context - it's always my e-mail in the e-mail app, so it couldn't be a truly "shared" machine.
Talking of e-mail, it truly is a fantastic e-mail device. In landscape view, it's great for quickly flicking through and dealing with trivial e-mails. In portrait position, it's great for reading and responding to e-mails in more depth. For that sort of use, I've found the on-screen keyboard to be more than adequate. That said, I've already ear-marked the keyboard dock as my next purchase. If I'm to achieve my ambition of using the iPad as a laptop replacement, I'll need the keyboard for longer pieces of writing, and blogging in particular.
I'm finding content apps more compelling than I expected. Instapaper is my number one favourite app right now, especially in combination with the excellent NewsRack RSS reader, which was recommended by Antony Mayfield. The ability to rapidly scan through my feeds, and throw the longer posts I want to take time over into my Instapaper account, for offline reading if need be, is so handy, I can't imagine going back to the "hundreds of Safari tabs" approach I took before.
But I think the thing that has struck me most deeply is how good this tablet is as a consumption device. I've never found laptops or desktops particularly good environments for reading significant amounts of text - or even watching lengthy videos. The iPad form factor changes that. It's comfortable to hold in your hand at a coffee shop table, on your sofa at home, on the train, and even in bed. The weight isn't insignificant - it's certainly heavier than many hardback books, but it's well balanced, and that makes it practical to hold for longer periods.
On the other hand, I do worry that it's better as a consumption device than a creation one. There are a couple of stumbling blocks to using it as a really handy blogging tool, for example, but I'll be addressing those specific issues over on One Man & His Blog. Am I glad I bought it? Oh, yes.
Yes, it's a LBD with a pouch for your iPad. Nerd fashion...
48 hours until my iPad arrives and this blog really gets going.
