We just recently got back from a Mediterranean cruise and my wife went out to look for computer replacements . She came home with an iPad. If you have seen my earlier post you’ll notice that I was not a fan of the iPad and I said it was going be as successful as the Newton. Well, I have to admit that I was wrong. In fact, I’m glad to have to say it, since I *was* wrong and we now have two FOUR of them. It’s really a pretty neat little machine and has a lot more uses and has a lot more significance than I thought it would.

I want to start off by talking about the cons with the iPad before I go into the pros.

• Cons
  • The device is heavier than I had initially expected. What this can do is lead to a dominant hand that gets tired. I use my left hand when I hold things up when I read and I find it gets more tired than if I had been reading a lighter book.
  • The screen tends to get a lot of fingerprints on it and this is a major distraction. I found that a micro fiber cloth used on the screen will take care of that.
  • You cannot charge the iPad through the computer and it has to be plugged into the wall. That means that you are losing one of your rapidly decreasing number of sockets that are available in your house.
  • The iPad synchs with iTunes, ugh. My experience with iTunes on the PC under Windows XP and Windows 7 was not good. I did not like the way it synchs things up. I did not like the way it handled MP3 devices or the iPod Shuffle.

On the other hand the iPad has a number of good points:

• Pros
  • I like the fact that I have to 10 hours of charge or more, and it doesn’t lose it very quickly.
  • The iPad has a very clear screen, so it’s very readable, particularly in the dark or in well lit conditions.
  • The fact that they designed in an easy to use zoom functionality is another major plus. This makes it easier for those of us who are older to see certain parts of the screen and makes it easier to read.
  • You can customize it however you want. There are a large number of Apps in the App Store, which is good. That’s good for competition for the PC World.
  • I like the fact that it’s in color and that adds to the value of iPad as opposed to the Kindle.
  • It has good wi-fi capability and I have not found any place in my home (a three story) where I can’t connect to my wi-fi Network.
  • I also like the single tasking limitation as it keeps me from being distracted by too many things at once.

Slick tool, Apple, big thumbs up!