Top 10 Ways I’ll Be Using My Apple iPad

There’s a fair bit of mixed sentiment for Apple’s new iPad mobile device, from love to indifference to outright hate. If you’re in the latter category but want to be convinced otherwise, you might like to read this post. The ways I plan to use or am already using the iPad may not be the way you would use it, but you might find a way to use the device that hadn’t previously occurred to you.

Fact: I already have a love/ hate relationship with the iPad, with a lot of mixed impressions:

• Yeah it feels heavy, but the touch screen is beautiful and responsive and the heaviness tends to be forgotten quickly.
• Yeah it’s too akward to hold, but the Apple case ($39) is relatively versatile and almost makes up for the awkwardness. It’s relatively easy for me to moderate spam on my websites between TV commercials, via the Safari web browser or through the WordPress for iPad app.
• Yeah it’s not cheap — but it satisfies a niche, and I honestly feel that my usage of the iPad is such that the $599 I spent for a 32GB WiFi-only model is warranted.
• Yeah it doesn’t support Adobe Flash-based websites.
• Yeah it doesn’t have even a simple USB port when the smallest of netbooks have at least one, sometimes three. It doesn’t function as a flash drive, and it’s a pain to store files. Hey but it does amazing things and the user experience is actually addictive. (Go read up on acupuncture points in the human hand and you’ll know what I mean.)
• Yeah it doesn’t have a flash card reader — but the camera connection kit shipping soon has one dongle that lets you read SD cards. Unfortunately, you can’t use these dongles AND charge your iPad simultaneously, though with a reputed 10-hour battery life (under minimum use), that’s probably not an issue for most people.
• Yeah my hands barely fit on the virtual keyboard and it slows me down some because I’m a touch typist. The keyboard’s way too small and some keys are missing, but it’s beautifully responsive and, for the most part, sufficient. I do have an Apple mini aluminum Bluetooth keyboard for when I have a lot of text to enter. (However, because this keyboard disables the virtual keyboard on the iPad, you have to go through the hassle of “forget this device” with the Bluetooth keyboard if you want to use the iPad while lounging on a couch or in bed.)
• Yeah finger grease gets all over the screen and I’m constantly having to wipe them down. Apple did ban transparent protection films for their devices, but Zagg has a variety of Invisible Shield options for the iPad and other devices.
• Yeah there are charging issues that people are reporting, but despite seeing a “not charging” message on the iPad when you plug the USB cable into an older or lower-powered USB port, the device IS in fact charging.
• Yeah there are WiFi connection issues, though there are ways to minimize the problem, including switching your WiFi router from WEP to WPA encryption.

But…. there are several reasons I bought the iPad and several ways I’m either already using it or will be, and most of which are work-related. (I work almost entirely online, not including any conferences and tech meetups or networking gathers.)

1. To develop apps for it. In fact, this is actually the main reason I bought the iPad. I have several apps in mind that can take advantage of the form factor, and I’m really gunning for some of that VC fund money for iPad development. I’ll be working particularly on utilities, as well as some in very specific niches (more to come, as I’m working out some deals with a few great mobile app development studios).
2. Moderating spam – It’s so much less of a chore to moderate spam on sites when you can do it during a TV commercial or other slow moment, instead in one big, boring, draining session.
3. Browsing news for the day’s highlights, for writing articles. I have WSJ, NYT and USA Today all downloaded. I also sometimes use the iPad as a dedicated Tweetdeck monitor to scan for breaking news on Twitter, or rotate up and watch Techmeme, Alltop or other “portals” when scanning for article ideas for my other work.
4. Checking on and composing emails on the go. The iPad native email client beats the one on the iPhone hands down, particularly when you rotate the iPad into landscape mode. I’ve also purchased an Apple mini aluminum Bluetooth keyboard.
5. Mobile WordPress blogging – Nice. You can actually see what you’re typing. Or you can monitoring for spam (see #1 above), publish an earlier draft, check on traffic, etc. Sure, you could do this on an iPhone but would you want to?
6. Checking on social media profiles, namely Facebook and Twitter streams and messages.
7. Reading all the business PDF ebooks (and some free classic literature) that I’ve never had time to read before. (Personally, I still love print, but reading on the iPad isn’t that bad.
8. Viewing iTunes University material, which has been a boon (and free to boot) for learning iPhone and iPad development. If you have the Apple case for it, the iPad is fine for lounging in a comfy chair or on a couch and watching some educational videos.
9. Watching videos on YouTube, Daily Motion, ABC Player, or TV show content I’ve bought from iTunes — such as the first two seasons of Breaking Bad. Can’t wait for something Hulu-like to be available, though.
10. Just for a bit of relaxing, playing games. Even iPhone-only games are more fun on the iPad, but not if they require a lot of physical manipulation, such as tilting, shifting, rotating.

Have a mobile device, platform, application, service, accessory or related news or tips you want to share? Email info/ press releases to callstyleblog at gmail.com.

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