Ode to an iPad

I love my pad.
No, not my home.
And my dear dad
Had no such tome.
My pad's an "i."
It goes with me
Where'er I go.
The apps I buy
All let me see
What's there to know.

Hot diggity! Let's trot out the reference material to see whether I followed the form correctly. Or - no - let's skip it. In any case, I've found my iPad (purchased in late October) a constant boon and problem-solver - rather than the "toy" many have called it. Those who already have iPads will find the following natter redundant - though I hope that some among them may have suggestions to resolve the few annoyances I've accumulated. In any case, among the uses: Given that I often end up in a variety of unfamiliar locations, a ready (readable) variety of maps have let me travel with increased confidence. (Also, given the fun of travel, it's been downright necessary at times to determine potential weather problems - so the forecasts and radar from the free Weather Channel app have been a boon.) Given that I enjoy having an entertaining book with me at all times, I do. Given that I often need a calendar, I have it. Given that I seem to need to refer to iMDb virtually daily, I can. Given that there's ongoing discussion of comic books available for download, I've downloaded a few so that I can know what the heck people are talking about. Given that I like to keep tabs on my email, I can do that - and follow Twitter, too.

I've paid for almost no apps. The books I've loaded so far (and they're far more readable on the iPad than on the Kindle, which I used to use) have been free. (I'm now reading James Branch Cabell's Jurgen, though to do so I have to saddle up a lot more vocabulary than I've been used to using recently. And that was fun, too. In any case, that novel was free, as were several books by Saki, Mark Twain, Jerome K. Jerome, and P.G. Wodehouse.) Note: I have paid for Office2 HD and Star Walk - the first, for work; the second, for fun.

And so far, at least, the iPad holds a charge long enough to last between my opportunities to charge it.

Annoyances: It's not easy to use for professional writing or editing. It lacks direction arrows on the three on-screen keyboards. It lacks a cents sign on the ditto. It lacks a USB port (which, I suspect, is deliberate). It lacks a quick copy-paste function (maybe the "copy" function will pop up, as my finger lingers over a word; maybe it won't; in any case, it takes far longer to copy-paste than the simple clicks on even my tiny, cheap notebook computer). That's about it for gripes. [Looking for a solution, by the way, I've studied the Brookstone iPad holder with its built-in keyboard (complete with direction arrows) but am not about to plunk down $100 for what looks as if it would let me touch-type except that it seems not to have been designed by anyone who actually touch-types. (Hint: Touch-typists need a shift key on both sides of the keyboard. Check it out, Brookstone. And watch out, keyboard-lovers, if you've only been able to judge from small online images of the holder.)]

What are your favorite apps? I'm still experimenting with "Flipboard," following the recommendation of #PCHH's Glen Weldon. How about you?

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iPad .... because

That's a header that will bewilder anyone who has no familiarity with the strange vagueness of a series of ads in 1950s magazines with sizeable female readerships. And, yes, I'm revisiting the general snickering that accompanied Apple's announcement of the name for its all-purpose lug-around computer thingy. (I'm a little surprised there didn't seem to be an immediate flood of fake iPad ads featuring gorgeous women in over-the-top formalwear with iPads discreetly Photoshopped into the images.)

The thing is, "iPad .... because" pretty much sums up the reason for my addiction to the thing (though I don't pretend to know why those '50s ads seemed to insist on four dots instead of the usual three in ellipses - trademark, maybe?). Today, again, I'd hauled my iPad with me to an event, and, when I began to use it (in this case, to note some upcoming dates in its Calendar app), folks stopped to ask what it was and how it worked and why I found it useful.

So. When I first heard about it, I thought, "Well, I'll get it in 2011, when they release the second version, because what do I need it for right now?" Then, I thought, "Well, maybe I'll treat myself with one for Christmas, because I hear good things about it." Then, I thought, "How about my birthday? I could get it for that." Then, I visited daughter Valerie, whose son has one, and I borrowed it for an evening, at the conclusion of which I asked, "Could we go to the Apple store tomorrow so I can buy one right away?" Because it's not just what so many have called it when I've showed it to them. It's not just "Maggie's toy."

I travel quite a bit. Not on the level of Neil Gaiman, who jets around the globe because so many people rightly want to see and hear him in person. Not on the level of businessfolks whose jobs take them hither and (especially) yon. But I'm often in locations I don't know well, away from entertainments of home, and I've found my carry-ons growing more and more heavy with an assortment of electronic thises and thats - and, even so, missing things I enjoy. So currently on my iPad (top of the line, with AT&T's 3G service, so I can connect lots of places without WiFi), I have (free, once I bought the thing) Calendar, Notes, Maps, iTunes, and iBooks apps. (Maps is of particular importance in my travels, showing me clearly how to get here or there by car, bus, or walking - and even showing me where I am at the moment: a help in some cities, let me tell you.) I've loaded a number of free apps (iMDb app for quick movie info, many books [especially Saki and Wodehouse at the moment], Marvel and DC apps, and a National Public Radio app. I also connect with the Internet via Safari and (and this was when I decided I had to have it) that lets me connect to Wisconsin Public Radio's two networks (Ideas and the News and Classical Music service) and its 24-hour classical music service so that I can listen to my favorite NPR programs, no matter where I am. I have not begun to explore the iPad's possibilities, though my daughter showed me one app I paid for: "Star Walk," which lets me identify the current constellations wherever I turn. (That's one that evokes an "Ooooooooo!" when I show it off - and, yes, that is a toy aspect, but hey ...)

Got an iPad? What's your favorite application?

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