During a two week period in April passed in the shadow of a nasty exploratory operation I had something of a damascene revelation. I was sitting in a court hearing at the time, feverishly manipulating my various technological tropes – Mac Book Pro, Iphone4, Dongle when I had the cold realization that I might be about to die without ever owning an Ipad. The problem was that my techie orchard is envied for its utility – I am able to find information on a client’s case in seconds and accomplish a par less level of industry at court but that does not include the ability to play Angry Birds in HD.
Yes I have finally fallen prey to Apps that are not simply work aids and have annoyed young and old alike with Infinity Blade indeed I had to explain to my wife why buying a conceptual suit of magic armour for £20 and nothing else could lead me to fulfillment. But £400 plus squid on a glorified Game boy? I had picked up and put down Ipads in Currys and in court but felt like my 18 year old self trying to love my then girlfriend because I felt the empty need for it. But to lie on that operating table on the 28th April without every owning that really big shiny thing that I saw from every angle but my own lap on the tube train, never to have experienced that sense of technological congress – impossible.
So I walked into Currys in Oxford Street, located the least suicidally unhelpful sales assistant I could identify and ended up buying a WiFi only Ipad 2 which I claimed (I know not why) was a present for my wife. I got the Ipad synced and brought it home. Almost immediately I was disappointed. Was this device better for Angry Birds than angry words? However as soon as we connected it to our WiFi the machine came into its own – downloading Apps has become foolishly easy and addictive and soon I was sitting at home and contemplating Star Walk in HD rather than the impending approach of the surgeon’s hands.
Is this yet another implement (read impediment if I have to carry many more bets of tech in my bag)? Will I be sitting in a hearing tapping at my Ipad with my I phone and beloved Mac book as backups? Will I be downloading documents and case papers onto the Ipad rather than the Mac Book. Worse of all – will I be composing music on the Ipad rather than the Mac. Well no – hardly. Unless I want to hack my fingers down to stubs typing on the Ipad for hours at a time is not an option. Yes I can view documents and yes I can upload Pages as an App but I value my sanity and my eyesight (what I have left of it) and the tendency of the Ipad to flip the screen round would probably cause me to Frisbee it out of a window.
I can see myself taking the Ipad to court for a trial lasting several days as an additional and very helpful tool but unless you want to break the bank on 3G and a £25 per month contract for eternity (and why would you?) this is a quite gorgeous games machine, a fabulous tool for the home but I am yet to be convinced it is anything more.
As a footnote however my wife does love it and it is unlikely to join the Wii Fit as the most expensive place mat in the world in the corner of our lounge