ijonas.com

I bought an iPad on Saturday, reluctantly. I had a horrendous week and
felt like rewarding myself. Full of hope and joy I skipped to the
"iPad shop" for a very tactile first five minutes, hoping to get blown
away like I was with the iPhone when I first held it.

I wasn't. In fact I was disappointed. I though it was too heavy to
hold by just my left harm, whilst my right hand pinched and zoomed,
tapped and dragged. The shop environment didn't offer a relaxed
environment to first experience the iPad, nor did it offer wifi -
which is a complete failure.

Several hours later I went back to the shop and bought it anyway...
And I'm glad I did.

The iPad doesn't do the "5 minute" demo well, or at least not the way
the iPhone does. So at first feels like just a big iPhone.

After several hours you realise that Instead you get a device that
allows you to consume and share content such as news, comics, mail and
videos in a manner simply not possible until now. And I have to say
it's an amazing experience. Classic Apple. Beautiful.

The ability to touch and manipulate the content is a landmark step
forward in computing.

Anyone who says they can get similar or better value for money from a
£300 net book is missing the point. You're comparing apples with
oranges. Yes you can read stuff and watch video on a net book. Hell,
you can even consume Flash content.
Big deal! So can my desktop.

The advancement is touch computing. My son Izaak will grow up in world
where keyboards and mice are as alien to him as punch cards are to me.
That's the magical part. The next step forward.

Well done, Apple.

Yes there are things missing. The lack of Flash is one thing - but not
a showstopper. Drag and drop gestures on websites is another. The iPad
app store is a mess and it lacks the wealth of choice the iPhone
enjoys. But that's about it. Those apps will come, just like they did
for the iPhone or PS3 or XBox.

There will be Android tablets, but they're probably 12 months away on
delivering experience the iPad delivers today. Nonetheless I look
forward to then, because as the current smartphone battles between
Google and Apple have shown. Competition is good for all of us.

I'm glad I have one.