About two weeks ago, just prior to our move to the new house, I was issued a new 32GB WiFi iPad at work. I’ve wanted an iPad since they were first announced and was extremely pleased when my request for one was granted.
Due to our move, and to being off the last week of the year I haven’t really had a chance to use it at work. My hope is that I’ll carry only it to meetings, and that it will serve as my communications device, hosting my email, chat, and Twitter clients.
At home I’ve made great use of it on the couch and at the breakfast table. I find that I can type reasonably well on the touch keyboard, although I do find the auto-correct feature pesky at times.
However as wonderful a little device as it is, I think I would prefer an 11 or 13 inch MacBook Air if I were spending my own money. I miss the tactile feedback of a real keyboard, and the numerous keyboard shortcuts that I’m used to employing.
Just as I don’t want (nor could I stand) having a screen as small as the iPad’s as my primary screen, I don’t think I’d want a screen as small as 11 or 13 inches either. The primary use for an Air would be as a portable, take anywhere computer. I’d want to have a beefy laptop or iMac at home as my principle computer. Of course that would open up the whole synchronization can of worms - how do you keep your digital life in sync when you have multiple devices?
A rather nice first-world problem to have.