How I'm Using My iPad (Hint: A Lot More Than Rick)
Yesterday, Rick admitted that despite owning his iPad for 2 months, he rarely uses it. Why? I can only guess at the real reason, which seems to me that he cannot appreciate joy.
I've had my iPad for about 6 weeks, and I have had a somewhat different experience. Here is a standard day with my iPad:
0545 Chumby wakes me to the soothing sounds of The White Stripes on Pandora. I reach over, turn off the alarm, and lift my iPad out of its bedstand cradle. As I throw on a pair of pants, I quickly check my e-mail.
0630 As I exercise on my elliptical machine, I watch a TV show on Netflix -- on my iPad. I used to watch TV, but the iPad ironically gives me a significantly broader spectrum of choices.
0730 I ride the bus into town. I use my iPad to check e-mail and read the news. Most days, I switch between Early Edition and The NYT Editor's Choice, but I have a slew of news apps to choose from. After a few minutes of that, I open the Barnes & Noble eReader to continue the book I had originally purchased for my now-abandoned nook. (Actually, the nook hasn't gone to waste -- my son has inherited it.)
1200 I grab some lunch, and play TowerMadnessHD or read more of my ebook.
1730 On the bus ride home, I will play more games, check mail, and read my book. Hmm, Hotel Mogul is pretty addictive.
1830 I check e-mail at the dinner table. I know, bad etiquette. Worse: I open an attachment in Documents to Go, make some edits, and send it back.
2230 I climb into bed with my iPad and read a little. If Colbert is on vacation, I won't bother turning on the TV. Instead, I will flip over to Netflix on the iPad. I've just discovered Torchwood, and it's a lot more convenient to watch it on my iPad than to rent the disc and put it in my bedroom's DVD player.
2300 I set the iPad into its cradle and wish it good night. After all, I'll be seeing it again in about 7 hours.
Bottom line: I've never found a single device so useful, so productive, so fun. I've never found a single device that integrates so thoroughly into every aspect of my day, from sunrise to lights out. I'd shower with it if I thought it was sufficiently waterproof (and if I wasn't sure my wife would divorce me).
Of course, YMMV -- especially if you are Rick.
