Pope Using an iPad

Pictures via Buzzfeed:

 

[caption id="attachment_1254" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Why does Vatican tech support wear cumberbunds and beanies?"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1255" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="I give it a week before he rules that touching something as sensual as the iPad is a sin."][/caption]

I'm not actually sure how I feel about this.  On the one hand, it's great to see the iPad being such an easy and intuitive to use device that even child-molestor protecting, former Nazi youth senior citizens can use it.  On the other hand, do we really want powerful religious figures to have access to technology which makes it easier for them to spread the shackles of mysticism?

iOS 5 after 1 week

I have been running the first beta version of iOS 5 on two of my iDevices for a little over a week now. The new features are a definite plus and very much a welcome addition. On the iPad 2, the new features seem to improve overall speed and responsiveness of many of the apps. I installed it on my Apple TV specifically for the wireless mirroring function. The HDMI dongle is useful but a bit tricky to get working with certain televisions, thus the wireless method was very much appreciated.

Many of the iCloud features are not yet enabled, in addition to the new Newsstand app being non-functional. See below for some screenshots and "in the wild" pictures.

New look for tablets

Thanks to the Onswipe plugin for Wordpress blogs, this site has a new look and functionality on tablet devices such as the always amazing iPad 2. Simply point your supported tablet browser to this site's normal address to check it out. Or check the screenshot below.

Mac vs. Windows Demographics

Via Hunch.com:

 

[caption id="attachment_1121" align="aligncenter" width="767" caption="Cliches confirmed."][/caption]

iPad Zoom Lens

I received a package in the mail today direct from China.  With some super glue, some patience, and a hand case for my iPad, I was able to add a removable zoom lens to my device.



 

 

So, how does it work?  Well, this photo was taken with the iPad camera by itself of a garage.  Note the garage door in the distance:



 

And this photo was taken with the lens attached.  Pretty damned good, I must say, even with the crappy iPad camera:

 



In all, not a bad way to spend $12.  Available from DealExtreme.

Eddy Shoots Latest Video on iPad 2

I never heard of her until this video made the news, but I am glad I found her.  Good, solid pop and dance stuff, combined with a quirky image, crystal clear voice, and cute pixie singer.

 

This was shot using 4 different iPad 2 units, though I don't know what kind of editing software they used.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUfxclbWavE

As the video indicates, you can get this single for free here or by visiting www.eddymusic.com.  She's also on iTunes.

Why People Buy Apple Products

As I sit in a shopping mall, thwarted once again by an early line at the Apple store, I am reflecting on what it is that makes people compelled to buy Apple products, particularly the uber-hot iPad 2.

People who routinely line up to buy whatever latest device or iteration of an existing device are scoffed at among certain tech circles.  The scoffers will point out that for the same money, or often (considerably) less, the same or greater technical specifications can be purchased in another brand.  They call Apple buyers "fanbois" or compare them to cult members, willingly lining up to trade their cash for what is described as a technically par machine for too much cost, drinking the "kool aid" as it were.

Thus, as I sit here, with money in my pocket I would have gladly given to Apple in exchange for something I wanted from their store, I ask myself the same question: why?

The fastest way to answer it is by asking a question in return.  Why do people continue to buy Mercedes cars?  After all, a car is something to accomplish a given task, just like a computer is intended.  If you want to accomplish the same task faster or more efficiently, surely technical aspects are where the comparison lies.

The Mercedes line up doesn't boast the highest horsepower vehicles.  Nor does it have cars which are faster than all others.  They don't make the biggest capacity vehicles either.  Their vehicles are not the market leaders in fuel efficiency.  Their engines often use the same kinds of parts as most all other carmakers.  An oil filter from Wal-Mart will likely fit a Mercedes equally well as a Toyota Corolla, depending on year and model.  So why do people regularly pay a premium price for the Mercedes vehicle when they could have the same or greater technical specifications for far less money?

The answer to that is simple: quality, feel, aesthetic.  The people who routinely buy a Mercedes car do so because the premium price they pay is worth it to them to do the same thing as someone buying a Kia: go from Point A to Point B.  They enjoy the quality of that trip, the amenities and "little touches" which make the vehicle "feel" better to own and operate.  They like the way the vehicle looks when compared to, say, a Chevrolet or Ford.  The workmanship of the vehicle, even despite using some of the same parts as other carmakers, and often having some of the same mechanical issues as others, is judged a better quality as well.  They don't need the fastest or the biggest or any other technical superlative.  They bought a car for a premium price compared to some of the competition on the market.

Apple users prefer the devices Apple makes not because they exceed all competitors on technical specifications, making the premium price worthwhile.  They buy them because using them is a joy and comfort.  They go the same distance from Point A to Point B, but ask any road seasoned traveler (like me) and they will attest that often the best part of a journey is how you travel the road.

Review: Rocketfish iCapsule Bluetooth Keyboard for iPad

I have been through a couple of different bluetooth keyboard options for my iPad. I first purchased the Apple version. I loved it and it remains one of my favorite keyboards, but it lacked the portability I was hoping for. Putting it and my iPad into the bag I carry resulted in the keyboard being kind of smushed inside, which I decided couldn't be good for it.

My next attempt was with an all-in-one case and bluetooth keyboard I found on ThinkGeek for a song. I like the idea of it, but ultimately didn't like the keyboard itself. It's fashioned on the rubberized "foldable" keyboards one sometimes sees advertised. The keys were too sensitive and didn't offer enough tactile feedback, apart from being rather small.

The latest offering I have tried is the iCapsule from Rocketfish. I picked this up as an open box/clearance item at Best Buy today, so may have trouble getting the same steal I got, but it retails for $100 in most stores and online. The idea is an attractive one: the iPad is clipped into the lid of a laptop looking device, with a full laptop, tactile keyboard on the bottom tray, connected via bluetooth. Strangely enough, there is also a carrying handle on the rear hinge of the case which reminds me strongly of a See n' Say I had as a child.

The design is simple and rather elegant, even if the plastic is kind of cheap feeling. That there is so much of the plastic, however, is a comfort given that it appears it would take a good deal of shock away from the iPad if it were dropped. There is even a cut out on the back of the lid so the all important Apple logo can be seen! ;)

The keyboard itself is a dream to type on. I am currently using it to write this post and find I can go full, caffeinated speed on it and the iPad keeps up merrily. The keys are spaced well, and the right keys are in the right spots. There are a host of shortcut keys at the top, which I haven't yet learned in detail, but they cover such tasks as copy and paste and the usual media control keys.

The keyboard case so strongly reminds of a laptop that I sometimes forget I am using an iPad. I find my thumbs looking for a trackpad on the small wrist area below the keyboard. The hinge is strong and holds the iPad with ease in any of the different angles one might need. The only complaint, at this stage is the short time the keyboard remains powered on between key presses and the next time you might need to use it. However, a few quick presses of a key brings it back to life fairly quickly.

Another nitpicky complaint is the high gloss black plastic finish on the outside of the case. It shows fingerprints worse than the screen of the iPad itself. The last complaint would be that connecting external devices to the iPad is nearly impossible while it's clipped into the lid. The case allows for both landscape (while clipped into the lid) and portrait (using a slot on the keyboard itself), but either configuration makes it hard or impossible to have the charging/sync cable attached. The lid has a cut out for using headphones, but if you use high quality studio headphones like I do, you might have to trim away some of the rubber stress flashing around the plug to make it fit.

Bottom line, however, is that the iCapsule is a worthwhile investment. While I am glad I didn't pay full price for it, had I encountered it earlier in my iPad history, I would have doubtlessly got it. Four and a half stars out of five.

$100 from Best Buy, by Rocketfish (a Best Buy brand)

iPad versus neon lights

At dinner yesterday evening in a fashionable sushi restaurant in Chinatown, near the heart of DC, I noticed peculiar behavior by my iPad.  At first, I was alarmed that something had been damaged and it was going to have to be serviced.  However, with some basic detective work, I soon learned it was the result of likely heavy EM interference by the neon lights lining the bar.  See for yourself:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt_v1RY5DgI

The note I was typing is shown below.  Holding the unit in the air, away from contact with the bar's surface, it behaved fine and normal.  Laying it down on the produced the weird results seen in the video and on the typed note.

Picard Using an iPad

They obviously had to obscure the Apple logo for legal reasons. ;)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVqHoGKQXLI

Microsoft learns lesson from Zune, kills tablet

Microsoft appears to have learned a lesson from their miserable Zune experience. When Apple brings a new gadget to market, and it captures public attention, as the iPod/iPhone and now iPad has, bringing a competing product to market which appears half-finished and in now way innovative is just bad business.

From Huffington Post:

UPDATE 4/30/2010 8:54 AM ET: Will Microsoft be tablet-less?

New reports from Hewlett Packard suggest that HP has scrapped the HP Slate, a tablet unveiled by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer earlier this year.

TechCrunch writes,

Hewlett-Packard has killed off its much ballyhooed Windows 7 tablet computer, says a source who's been briefed on the matter. ... But our source tells us that HP is not satisfied with Windows 7 as a tablet operating system and has terminated the project (something CrunchGear mentioned months ago).

---
According to reports from Microsoft employees, the mysterious and innovative Microsoft "Courier" tablet, which would have been a rival to the iPad, is not to be.

Leaked video, photos, and specs suggested the tablet would be a two-screen, touchscreen "digital journal," weighing just over a pound, measuring less than an inch thick and about the size of a book.

But the "iPad Killer" has been killed. "Microsoft execs informed the internal team that had been working on the tablet device that the project would no longer be supported," writes Gizmodo.

VP of corporate communications for Microsoft, Frank Shaw, told the press:

At any given time, across any of our business groups, there are new ideas being investigated, tested, and incubated. It's in Microsoft's DNA to continually develop and incubate new technologies to foster productivity and creativity. The "Courier" project is an example of this type of effort and its technologies will be evaluated for use in future Microsoft offerings, but we have no plans to build such a device at this time.

Words with Friends

So, the latest addiction on the iPad is a Scrabble-type game called "Words with Friends".  I was turned on to it by, of course, friends who play it on their iPhones.  The iPad screen real estate does this game immense justice.  Big, brightly colored tiles, responsive touch controls, and subdued sound effects make this a pleasure to play.

The game is played on a turn by turn basis, with each participant taking his or her own sweet time to respond.  Think of it like chess by mail (and the makers of this game also do a similar chess game).  The push notification becomes essential in this case.  You turn on your device and find that one of your opponents has made a move and now it's your turn.

I spent pretty much any free time I had yesterday playing this game and went to bed last night with words on my brain.  I woke up this morning to find 3 players had made moves and had to force myself to see to other tasks before sitting down to indulge.  However, the game seems to be a heavy drain on the iPad's epic battery life.  Running the game for an hour resulted in over 20% battery loss.  I'm not sure what's happening which would cause such a drain, but it's curious.

The iPad version is $2.99 and available now.

My game name is "ragle".

[caption id="attachment_581" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="104 point score (name of opponent redacted)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_582" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="130 point score (name of opponent redacted)"][/caption]

iPad and the Centenarian

This honestly brought tears to my eyes, it's so sweet and touching.  This college educated lady from the 1900s lost her ability to read due to her glaucoma.  Read more here and below:

By Lynne Terry, The Oregonian

April 21, 2010, 7:28PM

A 99-year-old Lake Oswego woman stars in a YouTube video that’s gone viral.

In it, Virginia Campbell sits on a sofa in her apartment in Mary’s Woods Retirement Community.

She never looks up at the camera. She’s totally focused on her new her toy: an iPad.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndkIP7ec3O8

“It’s changed her life,” said Ginny Adelsheim, one of her daughters.

Campbell, who graduated from Reed College in the early 1930s with a bachelor’s in English literature, has always been an avid reader. But she suffers from glaucoma, making it difficult to read.

Now she’s reading books on the iPad and writing limericks on it as well.

“The thing that’s so neat is  there’s nothing between you and the screen,” Adelsheim said. “You can enlarge the print, and it has a much brighter screen so you can read on it more easily than with a regular computer screen.”

Campbell, widow of former Lake Oswego Mayor C. Herald Campbell,  has never owned a computer before — or a Kindle.

But when she heard all the hype about the iPad she wanted one.

Her daughter Corinna Campbell-Sack and son-in-law, Bob Sack, went and stood in line the first day they came out.

Campbell has been writing and reading on it ever since.

“She’s writing all of her poetry on her iPad now,” Adelsheim said. “Her handwriting is so scratchy. It’s so much easier because she can actually read it. Others can read it, too.

Campbell actually wrote a tribute in appreciation of her newfound freedom from the frailties of old age.

To this technology-ninny it’s clear
In my compromised 100th year,
That to read and to write
Are again within sight
Of this Apple iPad pioneer.

“She’s so into it,” Adelsheim said. “She shows it to everybody. People come to her apartment and she entertains the masses by showing them how to use the iPad.”

Early Adoption Fatigue

I have written several posts now on the topic of the Apple iPad, a device I purchased only a week after its debut in stores.  I have thoroughly enjoyed the device, found it has replaced several other devices, and it goes with me everywhere I travel.  It has become an indispensable tool.  I have also loaded it with apps, music, movies, books, and anything else I can think of which might be helpful at the touch of an on-screen button.

Yet, it's wearying being an early adopter, especially of such promising new technology which will inspire whole industries to compete in providing new applications and peripherals.  For starters, I have nearly every major app currently released for the iPad, not to mention several older apps released for the iPhone and which run in compatibility mode.  App development and release will take some time, especially with the 4.0 firmware update around the corner.  Many developers are taking their time getting to know the new hardware and OS, which is fine.  I want solidly developed apps, not a rush to market with a shoddy product.

The same goes for peripherals.  Apple has released a limited line of peripherals, but 3rd party manufacturers haven't caught up yet, nor do I expect them to so soon after launch.  It takes time to get these things right and I am expecting a flood of new stuff, both hardware and software, later in the year.  The bottom line is that I find myself fatigued by the impatience of waiting for new, cool stuff to take advantage of the iPad's capabilities.  It's been a daily routine to check for the latest app releases or updates to existing apps and download them right away if anything appears.  My focus is now on actually using my device for what it was intended.  It's become my book reader, web browser, and primary email client.  It's also my complete day planner and scheduler.  Until new stuff comes out, I am content to use the apps I have.  The iPad still attracts a lot of attention when I use it in public and maybe some of that attention is what fuels my craving for ever more cool stuff to demonstrate on it.  My casual use of it at home turns into a public spectacle when I break it out in a coffee shop.  That will change, as more people grow usd to seeing them being used and I have made some effort to actually disguise my use of the iPad in public.  I carry it in a zippered case and try not to make it obvious I am using it.

In short, it's lonely being an early adopter, but it's still cool to be on forefront of what was once a niche and dying market for tablet computers.  Have you gotten yours yet?

iPad "peripheral" review

I recently went on the hunt for an adequate stand or dock for my iPad.  I investigated and rejected the Apple offering as being too expensive and too limited.  However, I recently ran across a posting which sent me to the local OfficeMax.

[caption id="attachment_538" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Next-gen iPad stand"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_539" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Works best in landscape mode"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_540" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Rear view"][/caption]

The "stand" is made of plastic, available at most office supply stores, and retails for $0.99...or less.

iPad Killer Apps

In a previous post, I discussed the iPad hardware and some of its peripherals.  This post is dedicated to discussing some of my favorite (and not so favorite) apps thus far.

Games:

Some of the iPad games caught me completely by surprise.  They were....gorgeous.  The iPad's huge screen afforded ample real estate for a gaming experience I hadn't really considered before when using the iPhone and iPod Touch.  While I am not a big action gamer on this kind of platform, some of the sim and puzzle games bring me back again and again...

...such as We Rule.  This is a "build your kingdom/grow crops" sim game.  It has familiar concepts to anyone who has played Farmville.  Build your kingdom, plant crops, build more types

[caption id="attachment_500" align="alignright" width="300" caption="A kingdom of minions on your iPad!"][/caption]

of buildings, sell stuff, collect taxes, repeat.  The graphics are stunning and truly shine on the iPad's display.  The game suffers from some network connectivity problems, however, which are unrelated to the iPad's hardware itself.  The game servers have proven to be rather unstable at times and there have been days when I couldn't connect for hours at a time.  This is largely due to the success of the game and the number of players accessing the system, which is a good sign, but can be frustrating when you have a costly batch of crops coming due for harvesting.  The best thing?  It's free!  Look for me under the gamertag "ragle".

Given the iPad doesn't support Flash (I know, I know), Farmville is currently not able to be played.  However, in searching around for a suitable replacement, I found an iPhone game which works almost as well.  In fact, it appears to be a direct rip-off of Farmville, with the addition of

[caption id="attachment_501" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Where do zombies fit in the food nutrition pyramid?"][/caption]

zombies.  Zombie Farm, basically, allows you to plant and grow an army of zombies alongside your fruits and vegetable.  You can then use the zombies to "attack" other players and steal their resources (and their brains).  Scaling the app up to the iPad's screen makes for a better experience, but the apps is currently running in compatibility mode, which makes it slightly less than what it could be eventually.  Hopefully the developers are working on an iPad exclusive edition.  The game is free and my game profile can be accessed if you are one of my Facebook friends.

Both beautiful and addictive, Harbor Master has become one of my favorites.  The concept is basically all about multitasking and management.  You have a number of ports, each one of two

[caption id="attachment_502" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="So many boats, so few docks."][/caption]

colors.  Various ships with matching colors enter the screen, at random points and speeds.  You must direct the ships to the appropriately colored dock, wait until it unloads, and then direct it back off the screen.  All the while, more ships are still coming into the area and must be managed so they do not collide as they wait their turn to dock.  It sounds simple but can get pretty hairy, pretty quickly.  For some reason, the iPhone version of this game costs $1.99, but the stunningly beautiful iPad version is free.

Another beautiful, yet confusingly priced (free, with the iPhone versions costing between $1.99 and $4.99) is Aurora Feint III.  It's sort of like a Dr. Mario or Bejeweled "match three kinds of blocks to eliminate them" game, with the added twist of "battling" random characters in the forest.  Each row of three blocks you clear is a slash against the enemy, who is slashing you

[caption id="attachment_503" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Gorgeous"][/caption]

in return.  The graphics are awesome, the sound is beautiful, and the gameplay is very compelling, even a bit nerve wracking at times.  I found myself both frustrated and fascinated as I learned the various techniques to clear blocks quickly before they rise to the top or the enemy slashes me too many times.  I only recently started playing this and haven't put too much time into it yet, but so far, so good, it's a keeper.  Look for me on the OpenFeint network under Ragle or via my Facebook page.

Honorable mentions include CastleCraft, GodFinger, and MonkeyFlight.  All of these are beautiful, fun games, but I just haven't been brought back to them again and again as I have the ones mentioned above.  Touch Tanks looks great, has a great online multiplayer premise, but was buggy as hell on the iPad.  Controls would stick or freeze and the game would eventually crash.

Information:

The built in iPad apps, like those on the iPhone, are those I constantly use.  The iCal, Address Book, and Safari apps are probably accessed more times individually than all other apps combined.  The iBooks app, while not included in the initial installed selection, is also a stunner and I use it frequently.  While these alone are worthwhile for owning an iPad, the 3rd party apps below are must-haves for the device.

The various Google web apps are definite holdovers from my iPhone.  Accessing them in the web

[caption id="attachment_505" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Google apps family"][/caption]

browser and then bookmarking them as apps on the main screen allows me to get to my Google Voice, Docs, Talk, and Buzz pages quickly.  They even have their own little icons like "normal"

apps.  Yes, I have my Google Wave app bookmarked too, but it appears highly unstable on the iPad and will crash my browser.  These are all obviously free and you can find them in your Google account.

The NPR app is a great example of the power of the iPad and the great way to read and listen to the various news stories on that network.  The has a clean, simple interface, designed for the iPad's screen to take full advantage.  Stories are laid out in draggable bars, divided into categories.  Many of the stories have companion audio pieces from NPR's radio broadcast or

[caption id="attachment_506" align="alignleft" width="222" caption="NPR's awesome multimedia app"][/caption]

podcast.  You can queue them into a playlist and, for example, listen to an interview with a politician while reading book reviews.  It's a great way to consume news information and is an invaluable addition to the iPad.  Best of all, again, it's free!

Not enough can be said for the Netflix app.  I have had a Netflix account for over a year.  While I take full advantage of the DVD mailer program, it's my wife who watches the online streaming movies the most.  (Our TiVo could be used to watch Netflix if I had not "altered" it to enable some other features, rendering the Netflix function unable to authorize my account.)  However, since getting the iPad, I have found myself watching more Netflix shows in the last week than I did in the previous year.  This becomes great for putting on the spin bike and watching a show to take my mind off the growing fatigue in my legs as I pedal.  I also find myself watching my favorite MythBusters episodes in bed instead of laying on the couch only to find myself waking up at 3 AM and being uncomfortable.  Sitting outside and catching up on Penn&Teller's Bullshit show has also proven an enjoyable experience.  The app itself is free, but requires a paid Netflix subscription, starting at around $9 per month.

Apps from the iPhone which are badly in need of updating to take advantage of the iPad are Facebook, Cracked, Colloquy, and Skype (yes, the iPad can make phone calls).

Are you an iPad developer with an app you'd like reviewed?  Leave a comment and contact email below.

iPad: The Magic Glass

I have enjoyed my iPad for over a week now and I feel as strongly now as the day I purchased and brought it home:  this replaces my netbook.

[caption id="attachment_489" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Base model is $499 for 16Gb WiFi"][/caption]

The device does everything I need in a portable machine.  I have access to email, web browsing, chat/IM, games, word processing, document editing, and media consumption.  All of these things are accomplished by way of a slick, half inch slab of glass and metal with a gorgeous big screen, amazing battery, and full multitouch interaction.  It truly has changed the way I do portable computing and I have found myself spending a lot more time away from my main computer and a lot more time downstairs on the couch, or lounging on the deck, or sitting outside, at all times accompanied by my "magic glass".

Those things said, I did find some short comings, easily addressed.  First of all, the onscreen keyboard is great for small, quick edits, emails, Tweets, etc.  It is not good for a long blog post

[caption id="attachment_490" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Portrait orientation only. No landscape for you! Also, it's $69."][/caption]

(such as this one will eventually become).  The reason is the speed.  I found myself about to work up to about half of my normal typing speed on the onscreen keyboard.  On a "normal" keyboard, I can get up to about 80-90 wpm, when fully caffeinated.  Granted, getting to 40 wpm on a virtual keyboard should be adequate to get the job done, but it wasn't unthinking and effortless for me.  I spent a lot of time making (and correcting) stupid mistakes.  On a normal keyboard, I type without looking or really even thinking of the process.  The words just flow.

Thus, I found the need for the Bluetooth keyboard from Apple to be a requirement.  I shopped the full gamut of Bluetooth keyboards on the market (all of them should be compatible with the iPad) and found that the Apple branded keyboard fit the bill best.  It's small and lightweight (great for

[caption id="attachment_494" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Thin slab of metal to accompany thin slab of glass. $69 from Apple"][/caption]

toting in my bag) and has a good "feel" to the keys.  Apple spared absolutely no excess room in the thing.  It's as thin, mostly, as the iPad itself, with only the back portion rounded to give it some tilt and accommodate the batteries.

I went with this keyboard instead of waiting for the iPad specific keyboard dock for the purpose of being able to position the iPad any way I want when typing.  For example, the Mail app on the iPad is most useful in landscape, which means typed emails are also in landscape.  The iPad keyboard dock will only hold the device in portrait orientation.  Second, I can use the keyboard with my other computers, something I am finding myself doing more and more often.  Last, the dock keyboard doesn't appear to come apart in any way and thus would be a bit more bulky when carrying.  As I said before, this Bluetooth keyboard fits nicely in my bag, with the overall weight still less than that of that of my former netbook.  At $69, it's a worthwhile addition and should be the first peripheral you purchase.

However, this brings up another issue in itself:  how to cradle the iPad while typing.  The standalone dock Apple markets has the same drawback as the keyboard.  It only holds the device in portrait mode.  From what I saw, it doesn't even do that terribly well.  Part of the interaction of the iPad is the touching of the screen.  Very quickly, you will find yourself interacting with the iPad touch screen like Commander Data poking away at the Enterprise screen.  All that tapping with the iPad in portrait mode on the Apple dock will inevitably knock the thing over, resulting in a near heart attack at your iPad crashes backward on the table.  There is no perfect solution, as yet, and I have experimented between making my own and repurposing a business card holder (yes, I actually went out and bought two of these from OfficeMax for $0.99 each).  The Apple dock is $29, but you shouldn't buy it.  Wait for a better solution to come along.

[caption id="attachment_496" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Too small, too lightweight, wrong orientation, too expensive at $29."][/caption]

That better solution will not, however, be the Apple case.  I had the chance to check one of these out before buying and I wasn't about to drop the cash for it.  It just didn't feel sturdy or even, well, finished.  It had rough edges and a weird textured surface which reminded me that I have two dogs and a cat at home.  This thing would be a magnet for hair and fluff inevitably found in such a home.  Despite the fact you can flip the case into various configurations to prop up the iPad, once you put the device in, there's no getting it out without risk of tearing the damn case apart.  At $39, it's not worth money.  Again, wait for something better to come along.

Early adoption of such a thing as the iPad has such inevitable problems as those I have described above.  However, they have not been insurmountable nor have they detracted from my enjoyment of the device.  Until products hit the market which satisfy my needs, I am content to carry the iPad in my padded messenger bag (which I carry everywhere anyway), along with its companion keyboard.

[caption id="attachment_497" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Rough draft product, at best, for $39."][/caption]

I don't carry the charger because there's really no point unless I plan to be gone from home for a couple of days.  I have yet to run the battery completely down.  Bear in mind, I use the iPad nearly all day, whether it's checking and writing email, browsing news stories, downloading apps, or harvesting zombies.  Along the way, I will check out whatever latest Netflix movies have been added, listen to NPR as I browse their stories, and watch YouTube viral videos.  All that and I have never seen the battery level go below 30%.  The iPad is, in short, awesome.  Play with one in a store and then buy one.  The basic model is $499.