What was pushing us in that direction was the cost of getting the Los Angeles Times everyday. Both of us still like to read the newspaper, but it was becoming cost prohibitive. So we talked about it and decided to get an iPad for us to share. We'll obviously be using it for more things than just reading the Times. I've already downloaded some apps that I either wanted to try out, or had on my iTouch.
If you're an Apple fan, going into an Apple Store is like a heroin addict going into a store that sells various grades of heroin. Our closest Apple store is over in Rancho Cucamonga at Victoria Gardens, which is an outdoor mall. Every time I've walked by this store, it's been literally packed to the gills with people and sales clerks. Amazingly, you could actually walk around the store this morning and I didn't have to wait too long to be helped.
My sales clerk was Jeff, who, coincidentally had the same last name as me. We commiserated about how people always mangle the spelling of our name, usually adding an extra "e" in there when none is needed. Sound it out, it's spelled the way it sounds. But I digress.As you can see, I came home with a new WiFi iPad. As my wife says, it's my new toy. I think she'll end up using it quite a bit, but she knows me all too well. I did not get the retina display on this one, since this is our first tablet/e-reader and we figured this would be a good test ride. If it works out well, we will probably end up getting a second one since I can see times where we'll both want to use it at the same time, especially in the mornings when we want to read the paper. At the moment we'll still be getting the paper, but sometime in early March, that will stop and we'll just get the digital version of it. That will be a new step for us.
This is actually quite humorous, and you know why. Sharon is in love with her iPad, now two years old, and I wouldn't mind having one, but it would probably be just another toy, useful for a few things, but mostly just another way for me to "waste time". Although, I don't think time is ever really "wasted"; it's just used for a less-than-optimal purpose. Anyway, I can certainly relate to your primary reason for getting one. We stopped taking a physical paper years ago. I used to get the e-edition of our local paper, but stopped that a year or so ago. If I want to see what's going on, there are lots of free news sources out there. And that's the great thing about digital ink: you don't have to pile it up or bag it until you can recycle it. Just delete the file and it's gone. The forests of the world will be a lot happier, now that so many folks eschew paper books, magazines, etc. I suspect that you will enjoy having the thing around, and if it has 3G or 4G capability (I think all the new iPads do), it will make it a lot easier to get Munzees ;-)
ReplyDeleteI am jealous. I want to eventually get an iPad, but I can't justify it now with my situation in life. One day, I hope. There are some great apps, without a doubt. Whether it be games, serious things or ones for doing practical things. I would encourage you to get the Kindle app as there are so many awesome books free on the Kindle! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the little bit of advice on the Kindle app. I shall look that up.
DeleteI would strongly agree about the Kindle app. I have a subscription to F&SF magazine on it: 99 cents an issue (six per year), delivered wirelessly to my iPod Touch. I've also d/led several books and a couple of novellas. It's great for standing in line at the bank or store, or in a doctor's office, and it keeps your place automatically. With an iPad, you can load dozens, probably hundreds of books. I believe that eBooks have finally arrived; the days of printing on paper are seriously numbered, except for afficionados, in the same way that vinyl records were affected by CDs. Speaking of which, you can load a ton of music on an iPad, and podcasts, and...
ReplyDeleteWell, I've downloaded the Kindle app. I'm still scratching the surface on this machine. It will not surprise me if we ended up with two of them somewhere down the road.
ReplyDeleteThe Kindle is a great way to read. Depending on what you like to read, I may have some lendable books you might like!
DeleteSharon has had her iPad for two years, and she occasionally discovers something new about it, or some app comes out that expands its capabilities in certain areas. Liann uses hers all the time for her work with "special" children; there are probably things that you can use with your hormonally-schizophrenic kids. And I believe that you are correct; you will likely each have one eventually. Computers and such are sort of like rabbits: they seem to breed without much effort. Not too many households that have one computing device can get by with just the one. Heck, even my parents, in their 80s, each have a computer.
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