How the iPad Changed My Life :)

I don't want to be overdramatic or 'overplay' this but dad-gummit the iPad has changed my life!  130 days in and I still can't believe how amazing this device is.  I have always had lots of technology toys in my life.  From the Casio Telememo watch to the Palm Pilot to the Treo smartphone, I've had them all!  So why has the iPad created such a stir?  There are three things it does extremely well that have literally changed the way I work and live.

First, I love to read... I consistently read three newspapers, six magazines, dozens of blogs, Twitter posts and Facebook updates.  (Not to mention about a book a month!)  Suffice to say I am an avid reader.  The iPad has changes where, when and how I can read.  I subscribe to the Wall St. Journal for the iPad.  It is a great app, easy to update, simple to read and can go anywhere.  For blog reading I love the Pulse app... it makes reading blogs easy and moves quickly between an extract and the full post on the web.  Flipboard is a new app that makes everything look and feel like a magazine.  I use it for reading Twitter and Facebook posts, as well as some magazines.  (I'm hoping that Flipboard and Pulse merge, that would be the perfect reader!)  Instapaper is an incredible app that allows you to "read later" any story you find online.  I recommend it highly.  All in all, I have become a more productive reader with the iPad.

The second aspect of the iPad I am amazed by is the business functionality.  I travel a lot and have found that the iPad is almost a complete replacement for my laptop.  I recently was in NYC and had 14 meetings with friends and investors discussing a new company I've been helping.  In each meeting all I had was my iPad and Moleskine calendar.  I simply fired up the Keynote app, set my iPad on the table and stepped through the deck page by page.  It was seamless and made for great conversation.  From calendar to email to presentations, spreadsheets and documents it does it all.  The single downside today is the inability to easily print.  Surely Apple will fix this soon.  (Side note, I can now type about 80% of the speed of my laptop, not bad!)  I have also begun taking meeting notes into my iPad using Notepad Pro.  It is a very handy app and makes meeting recaps quick and easy.

Finally, I love the apps!  It has huge entertainment and information value.  I watch streaming movies and TV shows from Nexflix.  I play Words with Friends with my son (and consistently lose!).  There are incredibly functional apps including TripIt, Amazon, Maps, Skype, Flixter, Yelp, Redbox, Starbucks and NYCWay to name a few of my favorites.  I even manage my accounts from my iPad... in fact, just about everything I need is right there in the 10" by 7 1/2" little pad.  I have found myself taking it just about everywhere.  Yes, I have an iPhone too but the size and comfort level of reading the iPad makes it a must have when I am out and about.  It is lightweight and not at all a burden to carry around.  I can't imagine leaving home without it!

So if you don't have an iPad I suggest you get one.  Try out a friends for a day and you'll see what I mean.  I know there are imitators on the way.  That will be a good thing in the same way that iPhone imitators have brought better functionality in it as well.  It is a rare occurance in my life when anything exceeds my expectations.  As I sat on my porch on April 3rd waiting for the UPS truck to arrive I was already excited.  Now, 130 days into being an iPad owner, I continue to be blown away and I predict  you will be too!

Tom Cuthbert

iPad Pre-ordering Fun

This morning at 7:30 AM, I stopped what I was doing and logged onto the Apple site using my iPhone.  I zipped into the Apple store and  pre-ordered my iPad, a 32g Wi-Fi model.  Sure, I thought about joining the club and camping out overnight at the Apple store on April 2nd (with hundreds of other dorks!) so I could get mine sooner.  But alas... I chose to simply sit on my porch all day long on April 3rd and wait for the Fedex truck.

Apple's device has been called the, "Most eagerly awaited tablet since Moses delivered the Ten Commandments".  I have to say, it's been awhile since I've been this excited about a new product release.  So why and I so pumped about the iPad?  Simple... for me, I believe it is a game changer.

There are three aspects of a Apple tablet product that I believe will change things.  First, portability.  I always travel with my laptop.  Over the years I graduated from a Treo to an iPhone (like jumping from kindergarten to grad school!) and still a laptop is a must have for most business travelers.  The iPad will fit perfectly size-wise between a phone and a laptop.  Throw in a portable keyboard and poof, you have a computer well-suited for business travel.  It will be ideal for everything from email and spreadsheets to games and movies, all in a compact, portable size.

Secondly, the newspaper and magazine industry should be thrilled that they will soon be able to distribute their content digitally.  I know Amazon has the Kindle and numerous others have  e-readers that do this now.  But Apple has figured out how to digitally dominate music and they will do the same with "print'.  I wrote recently about the "Future of Newspapers" and noted that this is an industry in transition.  The seemingly easy to read iPad will make newspaper content more relevant, timely and easier to access.  It also will launch the micro-payment industry.

Finally, the iPad will set the bar significantly higher for entry laptops.  I imagine that these devices will become staples for students (the textbook possibilites are enormous), older folks who want the simplicity of an Apple product for a low price and travelers.  The idea of being able to do the "basics" (email, video, music, pictures) all in one $500 device has mass market appeal.

I really didn't see the need for 3g... I will always have my iPhone with me and Wi-Fi is pretty ubiquitous between Starbucks, hotels, airports and even some airplanes.  Plus I am already paying AT&T for 3g access and don't want to fork out more.

So if you are looking for me on April 3rd... I'll curled up in the corner of my porch, waiting for my iPad :)

Tom Cuthbert