I just received my iPad 3G today after selling my Wifi a few weeks back. It has been a hard time and I missed the iPad very much, but after playing with it today, it was well worth the wait. Since I ordered the iPad before June 7th, I was able to get the unlimited data plan. Once you quit the unlimited data plan though and opt for one of the lesser plans, you never have the option to go unlimited again. So for the summer at least while I travel, I will be using the unlimited.
I have already done a few videos on the iPad like the iPad Unboxing and the iPad Breakdown where I breakdown various apps I love. This video is all about the 3G and the practicle uses of the 3G. Specifically I take it and stream video from multiple sources like CNN.com, Airvideo from my house, and Netflix. Airvideo is a brilliant piece of software consisting of a process running on your home computer that serves up videos to your iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad over the interent. With this and Netflix, we will be able to have the hundreds of kids videos I have one our home machine available for the kids while on the road.
I also show you how I can use VPN (virtual private networking) to connect to a Windows system at my office and how I can support network equipment from anywhere I can get a GSM signal. Enjoy the video.
Well, 45 days have pasted since I got the iPad WiFi and I still have not written a review. That is not entirely true. See, I wrote a nice 1200 word review 30 days in and then it came time to put pictures with the blog post. Since everyone and their brother had already written reviews, and the pictures seemed like a pain in the butt, I decided to write a simple review on my iPad and back it up with video.
To put it simply, the iPad is awesome. I can use it to read books, watch movies, get any information I need at my fingertips, and use it to do actual work. Since getting it, I find I have used my work laptop at home just twice, and that was when I needed to put in about three hours of hardcore work. See I am a network engineer and I have to remotely support routers, switches, and firewalls. To log in and make simile changes, the iPad works like a champ and there is no boot up time or connection time. So I can many times have simple changes made before I would even get my laptop connected. Typing in the iPad works well, and it is simple to use.
When it comes to the price justification, I think it is well worth it. I wanted an eBook reader because Lisa and I were fighting over the Kindle. Personally I think it is a better reader than the Kindle as long as you don't try to read in direct sunlight. The screen is the same size as the Kindle DX which runs $459 so for $40 more you get a much better device.
The web browser (Safari) is wicked fast and displays pages beautifully, as long as you are not viewing Flash.Video is very pretty and the speaker is surprisingly loud. In fact, last weekend we took a lengthy drive in my truck which has nothing in the way of video to keep the kids occupied. Lisa brought up Horton Hears a Who and wedged the iPad between the driver and passenger seats and the girls were pacified for a while. If you hold the iPad about two feet from your face and use a good pair of wired or bluetooth headphones, it's like watching a 50" TV from 10 feet away. Games are great on the device and there are a ton of useful free or cheap apps. News is an incredible on the iPad and it may be the savior of the newspaper industry.
My only regret is that I didn't get the 3G version. At the time I bought the WiFi iPad, I thought you would have to sign a two year contract for the 3G. Turns out, the 3G is month by month and you can order it in the fly when you need it. So I'm selling a 64GB 3G for less than retail price if anyone is interested.
All in all, I don't want to sound like a drank the Cool-Aid, but I have. I think the iPad is an incredible device and worth the money. A disclaimer to that statement is that I am a true gadget fiend and I spend a lot of time figuring out every possible use for the devices I buy. Watch the video for my rundown of my favorite apps.
OK, I told friends and family I was not interested in the iPad, and I wasn't. But last week, we were in Vegas and I took my laptop with me which was a pain in the butt. Pretty much the only thing I used it for was Netflix. When I saw that a Netflix streaming app came out for the iPad, I decided to go look at it. Then, I decided to buy it. Check out the unboxing below. A full review will be coming out at the end of the week.
If you are looking for your own personal assistant but don't want to pay a lot (or anything) Siri is right for you. Siri is a great free application for your iPhone that can give you quick directions, find a resturant nearby and book reservations, look up information on a flight, check the weather, get a taxi, or even send you email reminders.
Siri uses voice recognition to help fulfil your needs. The voice recognition works very well too. I would say that it tends to get me right about 90% of the time. Need to know where the nearest Starbucks is? Just open up Siri and say "Find Starbucks near me". Want to check the weather near your office, open up Siri and say "Check weather for Monday near my office" and it will find it for you.
The search criteria is limited, so do not make the mistake in thinking it is a full search engine. It's primary focus is on finding businesses and entertainment so it's good for the traveler in a strange city. Overall Siri works well at what it is supposed to do, make finding services in your area easier.
Go to Siri's website to check it out in action. Or you go straight to the iTunes store here to download it for free and try it.
Monday, June 14, 2010 at 11:33PM | 
the iPad very much, but after playing with it today, it was well worth the wait. Since I ordered the iPad before June 7th, I was able to get the unlimited data plan. Once you quit the unlimited data plan though and opt for one of the lesser plans, you never have the option to go unlimited again. So for the summer at least while I travel, I will be using the unlimited.
