Thirty Days With An iPad

It has been a little over a month since I got my iPad. The first day that I got the device, it wasn’t apparent to me what I’d use it for. It looked really cool and was great for showing off, but beyond that I didn’t know what I’ll use it for. Over time the device has grown on me. It is a great multi-purpose device and in this post I’ll describe the various uses that of the device.

An Expensive Toy

One of the main uses that my iPad found is that it is an amazing toy for my 3-year-old. And the great thing about it is that it is not one toy, but many toys. She can use it for playing jigsaw puzzles, pattern matching, learning her ABCs, learning to read, write, count, as a sketch pad, for finger painting and the list goes on. Whatever you can think of, there is an app for that, often times many more than one. Moreover she has learned to navigate the iPad all by herself. The interface is so intuitive that it doesn’t need any teaching – a simple demonstration suffices. Now she can start whichever app she wants, and if she gets bored with that one, then move to another one. Most of the apps are just a few bucks to purchase, cheaper than traditional toys and moreover they save a ton of paper.

Book reader

While the iPad is no Kindle, it serves as a great book reader. There are a number of places where you could buy ebooks from such as the iBookStore or Amazon.com. While I haven’t actually purchased any books from these stores, I have a number of kids books that are available through the appstore. There are quite a few of great books available for purchase and sometimes even free downloads – such as interactive Dr. Seuss books which are cheaper than their print versions. While it seems to be great for kids books, I am doubtful how effective it is for reading adult books. You can’t really use the iPad to read in bed – it is actually quite heavy to hold in one hand for longer than a few minutes.

Movie player

iPad + Netflix has the potential to get rid of our DVD player. While Netflix is available on many platforms, it is very easy to connect the iPad to your TV and watch movies sitting on the couch. The only drawback being there is no remote. You can also use the iPad as a portable movie player, say in an airplane or car, if you buy movies from iTunes. This can be handy when trying to entertain your kid while going on a vacation.

Portable Internet Device

While the iPad is no substitute for a laptop, its form factor makes it a handy device if you just want to browse the web, check email or read documents or pdfs. Being larger than a smart phone, many of these tasks are actually much easier. Of course the lack of a real keyboard makes certain things such as writing long emails or blog posts much harder, but you can always use your laptop for those tasks. Now one may wonder, that why is there a need for a device other than your laptop – can’t you just open a laptop and do all the things that I just mentioned. While that statement maybe true, there is definitely something to be said about sitting on the couch and using a multi-touch device for these tasks. It is something that needs to be experienced to believe that it is actually better than using a laptop.

A GPS Unit

An iPad + 3G is a great device for having in your car. You can use it as GPS unit to get directions, find the closest restaurants or other services, or get any information that you need from the web while on the move. The device comes with a free Google Maps app that you can use for directions or buy more sophisticated ones from the appstore. It was definitely indispensable on our recent trip down to the bay area. The only drawback is that the data plans with AT&T are limited data plans. It is very easy to run out of the limit on the cheapest plan. So you need to keep making sure that you are using wi-fi when it is available. The good thing about these plans is that they are contract free. So you can just sign up when you know you are travelling and terminate the plan after you are done.

Gaming

While the iPad is not a dedicated gaming device, it is definitely handy for casual games. The interface is not as conducive to gaming as say my Nintendo DS, but there are certain types of games that work well on the iPad due to the larger screen. Notably puzzle games and point and click games. In fact, the interface is ideal for point and click (now touchscreen) adventure games. The adventure game genre has been largely ignored in the past decade, but seeing that Sam & Max and The Secret of Monkey Island are some of bestselling games on the iPad, hopefully we’ll see a lot more adventure games for the iPad and maybe some more of the Lucas Arts or Sierra goodness.

Other Uses

As I mentioned that the iPad is a multipurpose device – new apps are constantly available through the appstore. So what wasn’t a use case today, could be a great use case tomorrow. A few things that I have found the iPad useful for other than what was already mentioned are things like note-taking (both handwritten & typed), or managing recipes (though I haven’t found a good app for that yet).

Accessories

The one issue with the iPad is that it requires a bunch of accessories to make it work. The most important one is a case or a stand. The iPad is heavy and slippery and a bit fragile – so it is best to put in a case to protect your investment. Another important accessory is a stylus. Yes Steve Jobs hates them, but if you want to do any sketching, drawing or writing on the iPad you’ll need one. The styluses for the iPad aren’t as good as what I have on the DS, but you can get a decent one for $10. You may also need additional cables if you want to connect it to a TV and of course you’ll need a headphone. The good thing is that the battery life for the iPad is remarkably long and mine goes on for days without needing a recharge.