IPad, interrupted

Well, I did it. I could not take it any longer. I went to Best Buy and bought an iPad. I know, I know, I said that it was crippled, and I would wait for the 3g version.  But it is so cool!

The iPad is defiantly techno-chic.  When you use it, you feel you have stepped into the future.  The best thing is when you touch the home button and it turns on instantly, it is ready to check mail or google something.  No waiting.  Hello?  I have been waiting for this one function in a computer for 30 years.  I have wasted hundreds (thousands?) of hours of my life waiting for computers to boot up.  I am old now, I want to use every hour I can doing something fun, not staring at a boot screen.  Thank you Apple, for a computer that is already on.

Things that surprised me about the lowly crippled step-child of an iPad.

1. It has a digital compass chip in it. When you go to Google maps it knows North and the map can spin to orient itself.  How cool is that?

2. Its wi-fi psudo-GPS is remarkably accurate. The thing knows where it is on the map within 50ft without  a GPS. Which means it can know where it is inside a house with no need to have a clear view of the sky.  This is getting closer to a magical thing that Steve keeps talking about.  I need to tether it to my phone and see how accurate the fix is..hmm.

3. It has a good speaker.  iTunes has way better sound than a iPhone or iTouch.  I think the entire back plate must act as a resonator.

4. The processor is really fast.  It has a snap to its function that I have always wished for in a computer.

5. It has a good microphone. You can talk to the Google App and it listens and looks stuff up. The Dragon Dictate app also works better than I thought it would.

Now those are not all the good things about the iPad, and none of the bad things. There are some of those as well, they are just things that surprised me.  I guess it is not really crippled, it is perhaps just a country cousin to the shiny 3g metroPad that I am still waiting for to come the mail.

When I do get my 3g, I think I will let the others in my household have their chance to play with (fight over) this one.  I guess I am like a digital lion,  I make the kill, eat, and move on, leaving some digital goodness left for the rest of the pride.