by Lachmi Khemlani

My Personal Take On the iPad

I am not the kind of person easily enamored by gadgets, the kind who simply must have the latest technological device that is introduced, even by a company such as Apple.

Prior to getting my iPad, I didn't even have an iPod or an iPhone, and I still don't. I didn't go out and buy an iPad the moment it was introduced — I waited till version 2 had been released earlier in 2011.

I already own both a desktop and a laptop computer, so I was definitely not looking for yet another computer. I didn't see the iPad replacing my laptop when I traveled.

My main reason for getting an iPad was actually to facilitate stopping the delivery of my daily paper newspaper and switching to reading the online version of it. That way, I wouldn't feel "obliged" to read the newspaper simply because it was there, but could read as much or as little as my time permitted.

And, of course, there was the "green" argument as well — I would be saving trees in the process! This reasoning made it easy to justify getting another gadget, even though it was not one that I badly needed or couldn't live without.

What I had not bargained for was falling in love with my iPad once it arrived and I started using it. Its interface is so slick and easy to use! I have even become used to its virtual keyboard and do a lot of my writing on it. It is quite a relief to be freed from my desk and be able to write anywhere. (A laptop is also supposed to be mobile, but mine has stayed on my desk for the most part.)   >>>

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SUBSCRIPTION SAMPLE The iPad 2 tablet, featuring a ten-inch (25-centimeter) touchscreen interface, runs a version of Apple's iOS mobile operating system tailored for its form factor. Image: Courtesy Apple Inc. Extra Large Image SUBSCRIPTION SAMPLE Compared to the iPhone and iPod Touch, which also run the iOS, the iPad — with its larger screen, more-robust hardware specifications, and expanded support for Apple's multifinger gestures — can support more-sophisticated productivity software, in some cases nearly equivalent to versions running on desktop or laptop computers. Image: Courtesy Apple Inc. Extra Large Image   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.