iLuv It

This year for my birthday Dawn (and her co-conspirators) got me an iPad.

I've talking about them for months (apparently we stopped to look at them on our way home before the accident), but in the way I talk about maybe someday I'll get a Corvette. This time I was actually looking into it though. I checked out the specs, even surfed the App store periodically to see what I'd do with one if the planets aligned just right. I had about 12 apps added to my wish list, just in case...

So, now I have one (32GB wi-fi, no 3G service) and it is awesome! The iBooks reader is cool, although there isn't much content yet compared with readers like Kindle. That's okay because I also have the Kindle app. The default calendar and contacts programs will sync with Outlook or Google, and email syncs with several different services. I transferred my movies from the iPod so now I can watch them on a large screen (and toggle between full and widescreen modes). The Safari browser is pretty good and works with most of my favorite sites without many issues. It doesn't like the animations on the Lego site, sadly.

Some of the cool apps I've found so far:
-Dropbox, filesharing app which let's you access your files from various computers and devices. I can update a file at home and it will be automatically updated when I access it from work, or now my iPad.
-LCARS clock, a Star Trek themed clock with an alarm. It looks like the computer screens on Next Gen. Dawn was so happy she was speechless when she saw it. I think she may even have had a tear in her eye...
-Chronicle, a password protected journal app which also lets you add photos and export to your computer.
-Google Earth, a stripped-down version of the desktop app. Still fun.
-Planets, shows the position of the sun, moon, and stars relative to your location. I'm lucky to find the big dipper, so this is a great app for me.
-DocumentsToGo, allows viewing and editing of Microsoft Office documents.
-MormonChannel, audio streaming of various radio programs. Also includes audio for the Church magazines, scriptures, and conference sessions.
-GospelLibrary, can read the scriptures, conference talks, curriculum manuals, etc. as well as making your own notes and cross-references.
-The Weather Channel, cool forecasting app where you can get weather updates on your favorite locations.
-iFitness, has a very comprehensive section on various exercises based on equipment, or no equipment at all, and let's you set up your own workouts. It also tracks progress and stats. Hopefully this will help get me off my flabby backside.
-Mythbusters, this is too much fun. A few video clips and three little games based on experiments done on the show. Awesome.
-AirAttack, a fun arcade-style flight game where you can control the plane by tilting the iPad. Somewhat addictive.

I'm still scouring iTunes for more cool apps. I'm even thinking of doing my lesson on Sunday just from my iPad instead of printing off 4-5 pages every time. The screen is easy to read and it has a ridiculously long battery life. This is one of the coolest gadgets ever. And somewhat depressing to think that the first computer we bought after Dawn & I got married didn't even come close to any of the capabilities.

I wasn't a fan of the screen protector, it showed fingerprints and smears more than the regular screen. I would recommend the Apple case though. The cover folds back and makes a handy stand for using on your lap or desk.

As you can see, I'm having a lot of fun with my new toy. To give you an idea of how much fun I'm having, I didn't even put my two new Lego sets together until Saturday because I was playing with the iPad on Thursday night and Friday.

Oh, and I wrote this entry entirely on my iPad...