Conclusion: iPad wins. As an experiment the MacBook was left behind; lid closed and shutdown for an entire week. The objective was to lighten and reduce the shear number of devices and peripherals loading my computer bag. The test was to determine whether there would be withdrawal symptoms. There were none. As far as media usage is concerned the iPad holds its own. The iPad can be my new go-with device.

List of pleasant surprises: No more range anxiety. The battery in the MacBook was good for 3 hours tops. At times I would have to carry a spare battery to hot swap. The iPad can go all day on a charge. No more searching for an unused wall plug-in socket which can be scarce in older hotel rooms and many airport terminals. Easier, faster scan in the TSA line. Laptops have to come out of the bag to ride the conveyor belt. The iPad is exempt. Once on the airline, the iPad is less obtrusive. Try using a laptop within the cramped confines of a coach class seat especially after the passenger in the row forward reclines his/her seat-back. The iPad is quiet. No whirring fans and does not get hot. Boot time is instantaneous. No waiting. Nice form factor, very portable, less geeky.

Disclaimer: This post was typed on a full size keyboard and a Mac. Correct; the iPad keyboard is not useful for anything beyond a short email burst. It is a two finger hunt and peck. Don’t plan on using the device for creating Spreadsheets or anything. The iPad is designed for consumption and at that it excels.

The iPad may seem like a “tweener” but in many respects it shares the characteristics and functionality of the iPhone and the MacBook and is therefore not a necessary addition. However, after using it for extended duration I can report that the laptop has been eclipsed.

If you’d have asked me if people would actually read (and enjoy) books on a 2 X 3 inch screen, I would have ____________.?! Well, it is not as horrible as one might think. Of course, if I have deep and permanent squint marks afterward then you’ll know better. (Font Aa size adjustable) The jurors are still out.Media delivery to the device is nearly instantaneous. Convenience: A+ as it’s in my shirt pocket, I can whip it out, wherever. A page here a chapter there, this may be the new way to save trees. Like Apple’s excellent iTunes Store however, it’s way to easy to charge the (typical) $9.99 per to the CC.

There are many social sharing web applications: dipity, Goodrec, tumblr, FeedFlix, FriendFeed, Fuelly, Socialthing… There is not enough time in a day to login, configure, maintain and visit them all. So, I’ve rolled-my-own. I can add / remove RSS feeds as necessary and from a practical standpoint – view from a single bookmark.

WordPress is a great CMS apparatus which can be further enhanced with Plugins. A Routes extension, just installed, solved a need for a way to display a collection of jog tracks that I’ve built upon over the years. This plugin features an aggregate function which displays them all on a central map index. Routes has several methods for entering geographical information on a Google Map post but it is the ability to import GPS tracks from a GPX XML file that beats all. 5 Stars!

hotel WiFi
Netflix Instant View
laptop w/ S Video dongle
audio out cable
LG HD TV
Ratatouille

Left the NJ Turnpike an exit too soon and was deposited in a ghetto of Elizabeth Port with no easy way out. Mean streets. Felt a bit like Chevy Chase in his Vacation movie about to ask for directions as he tries to get on with gangsters in Harlem. Lucky the Maps Google app on my smartphone was my rescue.

Didn’t want to brave the lines so popped into the Apple Store a day late (hoping that they’d have exhausted inventory and thus my CC would be safe) for a hands on demo. Surprise! Not only did they have several on the display table (w/finger prints and smudge marks) to handle but the cashier was happy to pull a shiny shrink wrapped 4G or 8G box from under the register and sell it to me!