Can you believe it, the iPad has been around only two years, two! Yet it feels like there was never a time before we had them.
I was one of those who pre-ordered the original iPad on launch (and the iPad 2 on its launch). I also wrote three blog posts back then, and it seems my usage patterns have not changed that much:
- Apr 4, 2010 iPad First Impressions - written after 24 hours of use
- Apr 12,2010 It’s Been One Week Since You Looked at Me - after 1 week of use
- May 15, 2010 iPad Update - After Almost a Month Traveling With It - in Eastern Europe as my only computing device.
Back then, email, news, and twitter were primarily consumed on the iPad using the built-in mail app, using NetNewsWire and Twitterrific. Today, still the same, just using Reeder and the amazing Tweetbot instead.
Back then I migrated to ePub and iBooks, and I still read everything on iBooks today. I still run iWork.
My daily routine now revolves around the iPad. I enjoy my morning coffee with the iPad reading news and catching up on Twitter and email before the programming day starts. I try not to look at Twitter and News while programming (keeping distractions to a minimum). But I do take regular breaks, where I reach for the iPad for updates instead of just flipping to the desktop that has these products running. After work, I’m again to be found on the sofa with the iPad, finishing off emails, tweets and news, then reading more via Instapaper and Zite. Later, I’ll facetime with the family in Australia and then end up playing games or more likely reading whatever book is on at the time.
The iPad comes to life in when away from my desk. I do most of my presentations on it, take all my notes on it and demo my software using it. I’m always opening it up to check something online, jot a note in Elements or add a todo in OmniFocus for iPad.
I never use the iPad for a few things though. I never use the camera for photos or video recording, its just too big. I never use it for programming. I have never used the 3G as WiFi is everywhere I need it. And I still prefer to watch movies on the 24 inch Apple Cinema Display.
In the two years I have had iPads, I read more, I take more breaks from the computer, communicate better and travel lighter. Current iPad 2 - still serving well. New iPad 3 - ordered.