I’ve had my iPad 3G for a couple of months. Everywhere I take it people ask me about it. What is it, how does it connect to the Internet, could it replace a computer, etc…
So far I’ve been very happy with it. It allows me to have an extremely portable device that I use to access email and the Internet; load music, videos, and books; take notes; and demo work for clients.
The device is 9.56 by 7.47 inches, and 0.5 inches thick. It weighs 1.6 pounds. It has a touchscreen keyboard that you can hide when you don’t need it, and the screen rotates as you turn the device.
The iPhone has many apps, which also drew me to the iPad. The iPad screen is a bigger and better version of the iPhone screen.
If you are a business person that spends time out of the office and needs something that can provide you with the ability to check email, browse the web, work on documents, and a variety of mobile computing tasks, I think it can be a good alternative to a laptop, and for me I like it better than a netbook computer.
The iPad only has 16 or 32 GB of memory and is limited in connecting other devices such as a camera and external storage devices. You have to connect and sync the iPad though iTunes installed on a PC.
It’s great for checking email. Many of the iPhone apps have versions that have been optimized for the iPad. If fact, I think the apps really help to set the iPad ahead of a laptop. Most apps are just a few bucks and provide a lot of capabilities. There are apps that allow you to share files and print wirelessly.
I love reading on my iPad, from ebooks that I purchase to PDF files I read like Community News online.
Whether you are are looking for something that you can use for work or business, the iPad is a really cool device that has been reliable and performed as I had hoped.
I typed this on my iPad – and I am not compensated by Apple in anyway!
This first appeared in print in Community News (www.mycnews.com), Sept 1, 2010, Page 24, Vol. 88 No. 44.