long time coming

i: ipad

i'm not the guy who stands in line waiting for the new apple device on day of release. but, i've been intrigued by the ipad since it came out (actually, since seeing a similar device on some TV sci-fi movie)...mainly because i spend several hours each day online, and the portability of blog reading is very appealing. it's why i got the iphone, though that device doesn't quite deliver on that promise of "it's the real internet".

so, the husband and i decided to get each other an ipad for our birthdays (which are a couple of weeks apart). they arrived last week, and it's been quite the honeymoon since it arrived.

the ipad makes up for most of the iphone's shortcomings: the screen is significantly larger, a big benefit for my old eyes. the keyboard is also larger, so i can actually type on it. i wouldn't attempt a novel on the ipad (not that i've ever attempted a novel ANYWHERE), but i can get through a blog post or email message with little bother. and it doesn't replace the phone or camera aspects of the iphone -- too big to carry for a camera, and no phone or text messaging on the ipad.

updating this alien's blog can be a tad cumbersome, mainly because i can't add music files to my divshare account using the ipad...this is the sort of activity for which i have to go back to my PC laptop. (photos aren't a problem, as long as the pic is already stored on the ipad, or available via URL link on the web.)


finally, a longtime complaint i have with itunes on these devices: we need the option to delete an itunes track directly from the iphone or ipad, and not be forced to wait until we get home and cable up to the laptop itunes. for what it's worth, my little adaptation for this task: if i come across a tune i want to delete, i'll "rate" it with a single star. next time i update my iphone, i sort all tunes by rating, and delete those with a single star.