This is just a quick update, and then I’ll do my next iPad piece in John DeNardo’s Mind Meld on the topic next week, returning this blog to it’s regularly scheduled programming.
I still love the iPad.Â
Promised experiment on reading: Not as good as the Kindle, but it is readable. Hint: turn down the screen brightness to save your eyes. I have one book I’m reading on both the iPad and as a physical book (don’t ask) and I am going to the physical book when I can. I don’t have the same preference with the Kindle (which is a better way to read a novel). But I am liking the news reading more and more, and I bet I cancel my Times sub for the physical paper soon and ditch the guilt over the ads.
Promised experiment on writing. I did write a story on it. It got easier as I went, and I’m pretty sure it will be fine. Don’t know if the story is any good. But that’s a different porblem.  It’s actually nice to work in a word processor that isn’t loaded with stuff I don’t need, and which can’t be interrupted by email. Maybe I don’t want the multi-tasking after all.  Verdict? It won’t become my favorite thing to write on, but it may become my mobile writing platform. Maybe I’ll switch all my computing to Apple. It’s a better user experience. I knew that, but stuck to Wintel since I use that at work and I am the CIO, after all. I should the food I feed the organization. But mobile is becoming the driving force in my life, and Apple is so much better there.Â
Question for the group mind: Anyone using Mobile Me? I could get files ONTO the Mobile Me from my wintel desktop – no problem. I could see them on the ipad. But I couldn’t move them to the iPad. It’s like Apple just doesn’t want me to actually put content on it that isn’t inside an app. I would have been happy to just copy them from MobileMe into Pages, but that didn’t work, or I didn’t know how. Not sure which. How are the rest of y’all doing that? Google Docs?
I’m still waiting for the 3G option before deciding on my purchase, and now I’ll probably wait for os 4 as well. I am told that the apple bluetooth keyboard works with the iPad. Have you tried that as an option for writing? I know it would be one more thing to carry around with you, but as an IT worker myself I feel that i’ll need my home row to type at speed. Maybe I could put a little epoxy bump where the F and J keys are.
I have avoided using .mac and now Mobile Me. I just don’t like the idea of paying some crazy amount every month for something that I can do for free and better with a little extra effort.
Update. Apparently USB keyboards work as well if you buy the $20 iPad camera adapter.