Digital Rider Blog: iPad. You want?
Monday February 1, 2010
If you haven't heard of it yet, you may be a squirrel or bear hibernating for the winter - seek professional help when you wake up in the Spring. I'm talking about the Apple iPad of course, and like any new Apple product it has the fanboys and haters drawing battle lines. Hype and buzz aside, could this slab of innovation find its way into a Digital Rider's pannier?
On the plus side, it's smaller and thinner than just about any netbook and is likely to have a wonderful screen. Battery life is supposed to be good at 10 hours, and can connect to the digital world with either WiFi or AT&T 3G. And because it's based on the iPhone, it will be dead simple to use and can be loaded with a number of apps ranging from the fun to frivolous. Slip it into a small case and in the space of a folded t-shirt you've got a powerful digital companion.
On the minus side, it doesn't have a keyboard, so if you need to catch up with a couple dozen emails back at the hotel, you'll have to hunt and peck your way through them. Nor does it have a card reader for the Compact Flash or SD card in your digital camera, so unless an adapter is made, you can't use it to upload your trip photos. And since it hasn't been released yet, it's impossible to tell if it will hold up to the rigors of the road.
So is iPad the best thing since heated handgrips? Or will it flop like a fork with weepy seals? Let us know what you think!
John Flores
Editor
RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel
www.RoadRUNNER.travel
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