iPad review: Making life so easy

I recently finished a short term blog writing job where I was able to research topics and provide personal reviews of the iPhone and iPad. I love my job!

Winning the bid for that job, I decided it was time for a new business investment: I went out and bought an iPad. I had been wanting one for a while anyway (thanks a lot to the Modern Family episode where Phil desperately wants one for his birthday), so finding myself tasked with reviewing them was like a cosmic sign that it was time for me to become the proud new owner of my very own Apple iPad.

My husband and I spontaneously took the kids to Best Buy on a Saturday afternoon (Him: “Hey, do you want to go check out iPads at Best Buy?” Me: “Sure”). Of course, during the 30-minute drive there, we went from arguing just looking at the iPads to trying to figure out if I should get 3G or Wi-Fi. This is not a minor debate since the price difference is about $150. However, when we got to Best Buy and found that all the store had in stock were 16GB Wifi iPads, that pretty much ended the discussion.

One of the main discussions about the iPad is where it really fits in the world of computing. It’s almost like an old-fashioned joke: “What’s bigger than an iPhone, smaller than an iMac, and still has great apps?” I must say that the iPad has become almost a late-development appendage. I have him with me almost constantly, even (to my husband’s alternate amusement and, I think, jealousy) to the point where I frequently fall asleep in bed snuggling with him at night.

Why am I so weirdly obsessed with my new toy? Because every day I discover another way iPad makes my life so much easier than it used to be. On this perfectly sized portable computing device, I can read a book (iBooks, Kindle), listen to music (iTunes, Pandora), play a game (watch Angry Birds or Plants vs. Zombies), write an article for work (iWorks Pages, Google Docs), surf the web, read and write email, watch a movie (Netflix, iTunes Store), and even help my preschoolers learn to read (see the Preschool app).

Now, if you don’t have an iPad, you’re probably thinking, “So what? I can do most of that on my PC or iPhone.” To some extent, yes, you can. But you can’t do it as easy, seamless and simply as with my little iPad.

The screen is large enough to make excellent use of the touchscreen capabilities of Apple portable devices. The onscreen keyboard is especially impressive: I can even use two hands to do my own “iPad peck” version of typing on a full-size keyboard. I will add, however, that I made the $70 investment in the keyboard dock when I bought the iPad, an investment I absolutely recommend to anyone looking to buy their own iPad.

The true value and use of the iPad revolves around its convenient size, shape, and weight. It’s not too big or small, it’s perfectly shaped to hold or rest on your knees, and it’s definitely not too heavy to carry around. iPhones are great, but the smaller screen causes a lot of “big toe” errors. Laptops are more convenient than a desktop on the go, but they’re still too cumbersome to easily travel with or curl up in bed to watch a movie. No, only the iPad provides the absolutely perfect size machine for multitasking use.

I have been in love with my iPad since the day I brought it home. However, as we prepare to go on vacation, my love has suddenly deepened and strengthened. As a mother of three, you can imagine the number of extra things needed to keep the little ones entertained while on the go. Today, when I was packing our carry-on luggage, it suddenly dawned on me that now that I have the iPad, I won’t have to lug around a backpack full of odd items.

Gone are the books, puzzles, games, art supplies, etc. which normally weigh me down like a bipedal pachyderm. My iPad will be able to provide all the normal entertainment of air travel on its own. There are children’s books on my iBooks shelf, the Doodle Buddy app for my budding artists, iTunes movies loaded and ready to go, and dozens of games to play. It’s a complete travel entertainment system on a stylish portable 7.5 x 9.5 screen. Fantastic!

If you are thinking of getting your own iPad, my recommendation is HURRY UP! Dont wait! The iPad will truly revolutionize your life.