I got an iPad or, Why I waited to get an iPad.

I'm happy with my new little iPad - I really am. I enjoy Apple's products and think highly of the end result of the integrated software/hardware approach they have.

Part of me craved the newest stuff they offer too - and I know I need to control that internal fan-boy. I'm not an Apple fanatic - I swear. You probably don't believe me, but as they promise to deliver so much, I hold them to extremely high standards, and am quite unimpressed when they fall short. I'm much less forgiving of Apple than other computer manufacturers, which is I suppose a key reason I give them my money - they usually impress me and exceed my expectations.

But I hadn't bought an iPad yet, and that's not because it was lacking features, rather it was lacking benefits for me. I couldn't see a role for it in my life, and being somewhat attached to my hard earned money, I elected to keep it rather than have yet another set of white patch cords to manage.

I decided though to move forward as the key ingredient for me was the UI - as compared to the standard laptop/keyboard or handheld device approach. I wanted to explore what it would be like to have a mid size screen to read, write and such, and to view the world through. I haven't been disappointed at all. The user experience is indeed one of the high points of the device - I encourage you to play with one yourself to 'learn the touch'.

This one aspect - the U/I - became more and more important to me as I'm egotistical enough to think I know where the world is going in tech, and the growth I see in certain sectors (and shrinkage in others) tells me we're moving towards a mobility enabled world - to the detriment of having land locked devices. Accordingly, learning to work and interact in this world became increasingly important to me.

Here's my hypothesis by the way: There needed to be three prerequisites for mobility enablement to take hold in my opinion - battery life had to be possible for prolonged usage without re-fueling; there had to be widespread and strong bandwidth capabilities, such that the devices themselves were never constrained by connection ability; and lastly, we had to see some breakthrough devices that re-defined the way we interact with the technology. The iPad has come along at the right time.

So I bought one finally. And I love it - but frankly I had a pretty strong inkling that I would.