72 Hours In The Life Of An iPad

"One man's voyage to see if the iPad has a place in the market or if it is just a massive waste of money!!"

When I first saw Steve Jobs announce the iPad I must admit I laughed! What was the point in a computer that wasn't a computer, the iPhone that couldn't make phone calls? I have an open mind though and vowed to wait and have a go before I passed my full judgment. When the launch came there was the normal hysteria that surrounds Apple, think lots of middle aged men and people that look like they don't go out much clapping as the first one was bought in an Apple Store, and after this died down a little I ventured into a store to have a play. I must admit I was amazed.
The screen is exceptional and so much more responsive than an iPhone. The web browser was fast and despite not allowing Flash was efficient, StudentPunch.com looks amazing on it I must add. So after a few days trying to justify it I took the plunge and got myself one of the 3G models. Below is an account of my first 72 hours using the device and wither or not the iPad has a place in the market.

Monday - The First 24 Hours

I had picked my iPad up on Sunday, thanks Cancom Edinburgh for having some stock, so we will start this adventure the following day with my first 24 hours of using the device.

The first think I do in the morning is check the football gossip and my email. This normally involves dragging myself to my desk in my fetching PJs but not anymore. I grabbed "The Pad” and found out Liverpool were no closer to appointing a manager and that some man called Nelson Mandela wanted to give me several million pounds, all I had to do was give him some personal details, from the warmth and relative comfort of my bed. Once I was up I must admit I didn't touch "The Pad" for the rest of the day and resorted to using my computer to do my work and watch the World Cup.

Once the days choirs were finished though I ventured into the gaming side of the device and whilst not a prolific gamer, I have an Xbox which is used more as a doorstop than a games consoles, I was impressed. There was quite a wide selection of games available and whilst not as cheap as iPhone games, which still work on the device, they were still very affordable. I opted for a driving game, which saw you positioned inside the car and looked amazing, and an old favorite in Red Alert. Whilst this all probably sounds very nice I am sure many of you will see it as not living changing or worth the investment.

Tuesday - Getting There

After the standard morning email and football check I vowed to make more use of the iPad and see wither or not it is a viable alternative to using a computer all the time. The first use of this was in a morning meeting. Where I would normally scrawl notes in a notepad I took clear and well laid out notes, for those of you who take notes in a lecture and then can't read them afterwards it will be a dream.

Taking notes on the device also allowed me to send them on afterwards in an email, again great for those pesky lectures. In the afternoon I watched the World Cup on the iPad using a handy website called Catch Up TV and the quality was great. So long as you have a WIFI connection you can watch any free view channel and iPlayer. After my little break I was able to edit several articles on the fantastic screen using an app called "Pages". This app is very similar to the software you can get for your computer and includes a full spell checker and also a dictionary for those tricky big words.

Wednesday - How did I live without it?

In my last 24 hours of using he device it really drove home it's ability. Whilst in work I watched the whole England game, sadly it couldn't fix the result for me but it enabled me to watch a game that the only other way I could have seen it was if I had pulled a sicky or lugged my large laptop with me. With the iPad I just slotted it into my bag then hooked it unto the WIFI when I got into work. And guess what I did on the device on my way home on the train? That's right I wrote this article - all without even getting close to using 50% of the battery.

Whilst it can't be denied that the IPad is a an expensive luxury that many people will feel they don't need but I feel I have to defend it against people who claim it is just a large iPhone. The iPad is so much more than that and it could in theory be a replacement for your laptop, a much smaller, nicer looking and unique replacement. The iPad has also allowed me to work or relax in times when I would normally be bored or doing nothing, so it's a time saver. There are a few flaws though. The fact that you need a computer to activate it and the screen does show up finger marks rather easily but it really is a market changer. Expect to see lots of replicas on the market soon and a move towards touch screen devices! Oh and the death of the notepad and pen!

Thanks Apple!!!!!