Mike Flacy

I’ve had a Wi-Fi iPad for nearly two months now, certainly long enough to gauge how its been integrated into my life.  It’s become my go-to email device at home and at work; primarily for quick responses, quick mass deletion or targeting the important messages for viewing later.  It’s also the first device in my hand when I wake up in the morning, a position formally held by the iPhone.  I can digest all my email, Facebook updates and daily news much quicker than shuffling over to my laptop and booting it up in the morning.  Pulse News for the iPad has streamlined my RSS consumption as well, specifically due to a slick UI and excellent speed.   (I even gave it a coveted spot on my 6-slot taskbar)

It’s become my first stop for portable gaming.  I have no need to pick up my Nintendo DS, PSP or even my iPhone.  The large screen is ideal for casual games and the iPad follows me around to spots when I want an entertaining distraction; meals, commercial breaks, even the bathroom.  ;)  I can fire up a quick game of golf or play through a few rounds of Tower defense over 10 minute bursts in my day.  The library of games is enormous and frankly makes the handheld platforms from Nintendo and Sony look weak.

The iPad has become the device I use to show people information or video on the web.  I can whip out my iPad, search for the video I want and have it load up for playback faster than it takes to boot up my laptop from a cold start.  It’s also much simpler to transport the iPad around the house than my 15″ laptop.  In fact, when paired with a keyboard, it’s very difficult to see the use in lugging my laptop around if all I need it for is word processing or web surfing.

It’s modified my organizational methods, specifically due to Things.  I’m really not that big on to-do lists, mostly because I can remember the tasks and priority levels I’ve assigned them in my head.  What it’s really assisted me on is keeping track of when something has been completed and branching out a giant project into several different tasks (ideal for work projects).  For something I need to remember for home, I typically use Penultimate, a fantastic writing app that uses your finger for quick notes.

It’s changed when I consume entertainment, such as movies and television shows.  I don’t feel compelled to fire up the DVR to record a TV show when I can watch it the next day through an network app or Netflix.   I can connect to my laptop through VNC to watch Hulu if needed as well.  There’s really no reason for me to be at the television at a certain time to catch a movie or show.

Overall, the iPad has improved how I spend my day, both when directly interacting with the web and increasing my productivity.  I may give it the trade show test at E3 this year (if I attend) and see how well it holds up as a mobile reporting tool.