My first day with the iPad
Friday, February 11, 2011 at 1:46AM Since the day it was launched, I heard so many people talk about how amazing the iPad was. Every time someone would say, "Hey, check this amazing app out!" or, "Did you see what happens when I tilt it this way?" I would gag a little bit. I mean, I'm a technophile myself but no piece of technology can be that good. Or can it?
My awesome business partner, Mike happened to have one at home that he hasn't been using much. So instead of letting it sit around, acting like a giant drink coaster, he brought it into the office the other day. It sat by his computer for a little while but it wasn't long before the shiny black border and super awesome touch screen got the better of me. I picked it up, turned it on and loaded our new website for GetMinders (it'll be live in a day or two). And for those of you who care, it looked gorgeous! Not only that but I noticed a number of other impressive features right off the bat.
The device was fast, it was light weight but felt sturdy in my hands, the screen was bright but not glaring and most important, the onscreen keyboard rocked. I mean, I'm typing this blog entry entirely on the iPad and it feels pretty damn good. One other major point that I think most people gloss over is the fact that it's simple to get started. I mean, anyone can work hard enough to make a slick UI but it takes serious skill to create an OS and platform that can be picked up and used full force within a few minutes.
Finally, I want to share what has really sold me on this device -- productivity. I have a MacBook Air sitting on my desk at the office, a Dell at my wife's office and a MacBook at home but there's something to be said about a device that does only one thing well at a time. Many have said that they hate the fact that Apple doesn't offer real multitasking. And there is a time and a place for everything but in a world like mine where my day is filled with checking email, working on documents, chatting with customers and investors and getting research done, being limited to one thing at a time has boosted my productivity exponentially. I still use the MacBook Air for heavier lifting (I don't do much CPU intensive stuff) like logging into our servers with SSH and working on lots of code but I do find myself doing a lot more on the iPad during the day.
So far, I like the device and can't wait for the new one with a camera and all sorts of other new bells and whistles to be released. But for now I'm getting more and more comfortable with every minute I sound with this nifty computer-like piece of hardware.
P.S. If you have favorite apps for the iPad, please post them here in the comments or give me a shout on Twitter. I've started using some pretty cool products like MightyMeeting, WordPress, Squarespace, Flipboard and more and I'm always open to new suggestions.
ipad, mobile, productivity, technology 
Reader Comments (8)
I mentioned in a recent post that iPads seem really convenient for meetings -- you can whip one out much easier in a crowded restaurant or bar than you can a bulky laptop.
Also waiting on the next model, but I've been drooling over it since release. My MOM got one and she's far from a technophile. That says a lot about ease of use.
Dave,
Couldn't agree more. It's a great device and is becoming the norm for putting on quick presentations for showing off web sites or other products when on the go.
Roman,
Yep, the next version should rock. While I do love a lot of things about this one, it'll be great to be able to hold video chats, etc while sitting in a coffee shop or airport lounge without having to boot up a laptop.
Hi Jesse,
My company, TuneIn, has developed a version of our TuneIn Internet radio app specifically for the iPad. You can listen to AM/FM and Internet-only radio stations and podcasts airing all over the world, and it leverages the iPad's location-awareness capability to automatically display your local stations wherever you are. You can also pause, rewind and record live programming, and when you save a program or station as a favorite, that preset is synched across other mobile and connected home entertainment devices with TuneIn on them.
And just so this isn't only a shameless push for my company's app, check out the game World of Goo, which I believe is actually on sale for one dollar now. Amazing graphics, music and a lot of fun.
Bill,
Thanks so much for the suggestion. I really appreciate it and I'll definitely give your product a try.
Welcome to the dark side. :)
Shawn,
Thanks so much! Still loving my Nexus One but the iPad is a pretty slick device.