Two months ago after much thought and research and talking to other iPad™ users, I took the plunge and bought an iPad 2. This wasn’t meant to be a toy but a tool for getting real work done, any place, any time that suited me and my busy on-the-go schedule.
The things I like most about the iPad are how easy it is to use and how truly portable it is. A gentle, quick swipe or two and the screen scrolls right, left, up, down. A two-finger expanding pinch makes tiny text easier on aging eyes. Touch it with a finger in the right place and magical things happen … a book page turns, a letter appears, an unwanted email disappears, photos scroll by. How easy is that!
And it’s hard to beat the iPad’s portability. Given the choice of 8 pounds, 4 pounds, or 1.5 pounds, I know which one I’d rather carry. My laptop plus charging brick weighs just over 8 pounds. My netbook weighs about 4 pounds including a slightly smaller charging brick. My iPad with its feather-weight charging cord add up to less than 1.5 pounds. If the device weighing the least can do all I need it to do, why lug around the extra weight?
And have I mentioned the apps … over 140,000 and counting last time I checked. Many are free and those that aren’t free generally range in price from 99 cents to $19.99. Of the apps that I’ve downloaded for work purposes, most cost less than $10 each. A few work productivity apps that I’ve discovered so far include Dragon Dictation, DocsToGo®, IAnnotate™ PDF, HandySign, GoodReader®, iThoughtsHD, and LogMeIn® Ignition. For travel planning, the apps I’ve found useful include Hipmunk, TripIt®, Kayak, WeatherEye, and Trip Advisor®, all of which I’ve been using on my PC for years. To manage information, I was glad to find apps for Evernote® and DropBox which I already use on my PC and some others that are new to me such as Flipboard™.
Of course, there are just a few(!) games available. Trainyard (99 cents) is easy to learn but rapidly increases to more challenging levels as you use it. Love that you can design your own Trainyard layouts. So far I’ve restrained myself from downloading many games. But really, I should try a few more, don’t you think? All work and no play makes Jack (or Jill) very dull!
The iPad is not all sweetness (ease of use) and light (as in light-weight) however. It is annoying not to be able to view Flash(tm) media, printing is a challenge, and learning a new user interface takes time.
But despite a few bumps in the road, I’m well on my way to knowing and loving my iPad! Thanks, Steve!
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Blog posts pre-dated December 1, 2015 were originally published under Neff Law Office Professional Corporation.
