I’ve never pre-ordered an Apple product before, especially if I haven’t touched it before.\u00c2\u00a0 I’m just a very nervous person about electronics.\u00c2\u00a0 I worry about the investment and of course my wife’s approval process is just as tight as Apple’s app review process.\u00c2\u00a0 So it was no shock to anyone who knows me how stressed and freaked I was.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/p>\n
I could not out down the iPhone UPS app, tracking every non-movement.\u00c2\u00a0 I should have known better, Apple wasn’t about to ship these out just to sit in a UPS warehouse.\u00c2\u00a0 After all, I was plotting to extract it from one of the local warehouses by any means necessary!<\/p>\n
So there I sat Saturday, impatiently waiting for the big brown truck to deliver my source of heartache.\u00c2\u00a0 Then it came, the knock on the door – totally interrupting my rerun marathon of “The Office” (yes, the US version and Steve IS the best boss!).\u00c2\u00a0 I was suddenly a ninja; I was at the door in the blink of an eye.\u00c2\u00a0 It couldn’t have been anyone else, I told all my friends to bugger off for the day.\u00c2\u00a0 I singed and rudely shove the UPS guy out of my way and slammed the door.<\/p>\n
With rabid eyes I destroyed the packaging, annihilated tape bounds and pulverized cardboard prison walls to free my beloved device of the gods.\u00c2\u00a0 My iPad had finally arrived.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
I’m not sure if my wife had added her input or reaction, I wasn’t paying attention.\u00c2\u00a0 I switched off the fierce, “destroy any and all obstructions mode” and took my time carefully unwrapping the plastic.\u00c2\u00a0 As if we were a young couple with a camera, I took some very sexy pictures of the un-boxing with my iPhone (what, thought I had a Android phone?!).\u00c2\u00a0 And it was hot.\u00c2\u00a0 Totally hot.<\/p>\n
The box was deeper than I expected, especially after discovering the contents.\u00c2\u00a0 Inside the box, a small manual much like the iPhones, a power unit, USB cable, and of course the infamous Apple stickers – this time, I actually need them!\u00c2\u00a0 I was really surprised that Apple didn’t include a wipe cloth for a product of this size.\u00c2\u00a0 I am fortunate to still have this microfiber cloth from one of iClear kits.\u00c2\u00a0 I suspect that cost was the only factor for the lack of this, however I am still really confused as to why this box was so deep.\u00c2\u00a0 I will bet we see a reduction to the box size if the iPad popularity increases.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n Once I carefully unsheathed my iPad, I immediately went to my iMac and began the initial setup process of cable and iTunes.\u00c2\u00a0 The whole process was really quick and I was up and running in about 15 minutes.\u00c2\u00a0 This without a doubt will vary for those of you who have pre-ordered the 3G version.\u00c2\u00a0 I will suspect that there will be an additional step or two for the cellular side, though not as painful as the iPhone.<\/p>\n My unit came with a full charge so off I went to download all the new apps I could.\u00c2\u00a0 The night before, I had loaded up my iTunes account with some phat cash in preparation for my hungry app-etite (patten pending!).\u00c2\u00a0 Right off the bat, a Twitter client of course.\u00c2\u00a0 On launch day, there were a few to choose from that were redesigned for the iPad.\u00c2\u00a0 Of those, TweetDeck, Twitteriffic, and Twittelator were the biggest standouts so I picked those up.\u00c2\u00a0 Next on my plate was the iWork suite of apps, and woah, those are a killer bunch!\u00c2\u00a0 These were one of the biggest selling points for me.\u00c2\u00a0 Without even launching an app, I moved onto task management apps.\u00c2\u00a0 The first I downloaded was Taska, a gorgeous GTD style todo list app, courtesy of AlphaBit.\u00c2\u00a0 I picked up a few apps I had on the iPhone which I couldn’t live without like iMExchange, Osfoora, and Beejive IM.\u00c2\u00a0 Finally, I wanted to launch iBooks and actually see this for myself.\u00c2\u00a0 After the download finished, I launched the app and saw the a nice little Winnie the Poo book awaiting my eyes.\u00c2\u00a0 It was all true, this thing was just as awesome as Steve Jobs said it was!<\/p>\n After reading a chapter to my daughter (she really thought that the page thing was so cool, she even flipped a few), I started to launch a few apps and configure them for my various accounts.\u00c2\u00a0 Everything looked so crisp and vibrant!\u00c2\u00a0 The onscreen keyboard was comfortable in the portrait mode but in landscape, this thing SCREAMS!\u00c2\u00a0 I couldn’t believe how easy it was to type on the landscape keyboard.\u00c2\u00a0 I will even go as far as to say it is more comfortable than my MacBook Air.\u00c2\u00a0 Even while at the desk in my home office, it feels so natural.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The transitions between screens both within an app and while closing apps, completely took me by surprise.\u00c2\u00a0 Apple has beefed up the processing horsepower so much, it literally feels like the pages stick to your fingers and apps launch at the speed of lightening!\u00c2\u00a0 Even the screen rotation is seamless, as quick as you turn it.\u00c2\u00a0 There isn’t a lag what so ever!\u00c2\u00a0 I only encountered performance issues with TweetDeck; it’s speed is suffering a bit, perhaps due to the amount of accounts I have configured, because it sure ain’t the iPad<\/p>\n Finally, I got most of my mandatory apps loaded and configured including email, notes, etc.\u00c2\u00a0 I needed to put some music on this, right?\u00c2\u00a0 First the must haves: Meshuggah, Porcupine Tree, and of course Rome Apart!\u00c2\u00a0 In addition to those, I had to add a few albums am reviewing.\u00c2\u00a0 I bring this up because I didn’t want to have an identical music library to my iPhone, it just didn’t make sense.\u00c2\u00a0 I wanted to only have the music I needed so that I can focus on keeping the iPad a productivity beast.\u00c2\u00a0 When I launched the iPod player boy was I surprised!\u00c2\u00a0 The whole player is very much like iTunes on the iMac or MacBook!\u00c2\u00a0 You can even create new playlists on the iPad!\u00c2\u00a0 This is great in those times that you need a break from the shuffle mode – like a rainy day mix of sad songs or a ridiculously chipper mix of happy kids music for long drives with the little ones.\u00c2\u00a0 Yeah, while I drive, my wife is likely to use the iPad to reminisce with photos of our honeymoon and what not.<\/p>\n Speaking of photos, the Photos app is amazingly slick.\u00c2\u00a0 Not much is offered in the way of editing but they just look stunning on the iPads gorgeous display.\u00c2\u00a0 Even compromising photos of, never mind lol.\u00c2\u00a0 Let’s just keep it to, “man, this thing looks killer!”\u00c2\u00a0 The slideshow function is great way to make the iPad a desk companion when you are forced to use machines of lesser style.\u00c2\u00a0 My coworkers will likely stare endlessly at photos of my kids as they bend, fold and fade one after another.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The iPad’s a dream to hold, especially on the couch, which is one of the most frequently used locations for my casual browsing and social networking.\u00c2\u00a0 The weight is comfortable when used on your lap, however I did get a bit tired of the one handed approach.\u00c2\u00a0 Considering the portrait keyboard was pretty manageable with thumbs, I still prefer the landscape one for most to nearly all of my writing.\u00c2\u00a0 So far, I haven’t really felt any eye strain or headaches from the LCD, perhaps because of my conservative use of the brightness levels.\u00c2\u00a0 That may change when I start to read more at night – especially Twitter!\u00c2\u00a0 You UK friends are killing my sleep quality!\u00c2\u00a0 Of course thats just a joke!<\/p>\n So far I haven’t experienced any bugs yet, as a passer by just asked me.\u00c2\u00a0 I am confused about the “free wifi at AT&T locations” part though.\u00c2\u00a0 My vocalist, Kieron, couldn’t log into the Starbucks wifi which is AT&T.\u00c2\u00a0 I’m sure a quick search on this will reveal some tips or solutions but hey, he is on his own with that.\u00c2\u00a0 He has an iPhone after all.<\/p>\n 24+ hours of iPad use and I am extremely excited to turn it on again.\u00c2\u00a0 The applications developers are creating will defining the success and function of the iPad.\u00c2\u00a0 right now, some developers are just creating “bigger” versions of their popular apps, completely missing the opportunity to capitalize on the vast screen size.\u00c2\u00a0 Over time, more creative layouts are bound to arise.\u00c2\u00a0 There is no doubt in my mind as to whether or not my purchase was justified.\u00c2\u00a0 The iPad is here, things will change.<\/p>\n Be sure to check out our 30 second un-boxing<\/a> and 3 minute overview<\/a> videos.<\/p>\n
![<\/a><\/p>\nOnce I carefully unsheathed my iPad, I immediately went to my iMac and began the initial setup process of cable and iTunes.\u00c2\u00a0 The whole process was really quick and I was up and running in about 15 minutes.\u00c2\u00a0 This without a doubt will vary for those of you who have pre-ordered the 3G version.\u00c2\u00a0 I will suspect that there will be an additional step or two for the cellular side, though not as painful as the iPhone.<\/p>\nMy unit came with a full charge so off I went to download all the new apps I could.\u00c2\u00a0 The night before, I had loaded up my iTunes account with some phat cash in preparation for my hungry app-etite (patten pending!).\u00c2\u00a0 Right off the bat, a Twitter client of course.\u00c2\u00a0 On launch day, there were a few to choose from that were redesigned for the iPad.\u00c2\u00a0 Of those, TweetDeck, Twitteriffic, and Twittelator were the biggest standouts so I picked those up.\u00c2\u00a0 Next on my plate was the iWork suite of apps, and woah, those are a killer bunch!\u00c2\u00a0 These were one of the biggest selling points for me.\u00c2\u00a0 Without even launching an app, I moved onto task management apps.\u00c2\u00a0 The first I downloaded was Taska, a gorgeous GTD style todo list app, courtesy of AlphaBit.\u00c2\u00a0 I picked up a few apps I had on the iPhone which I couldn’t live without like iMExchange, Osfoora, and Beejive IM.\u00c2\u00a0 Finally, I wanted to launch iBooks and actually see this for myself.\u00c2\u00a0 After the download finished, I launched the app and saw the a nice little Winnie the Poo book awaiting my eyes.\u00c2\u00a0 It was all true, this thing was just as awesome as Steve Jobs said it was!<\/p>\nAfter reading a chapter to my daughter (she really thought that the page thing was so cool, she even flipped a few), I started to launch a few apps and configure them for my various accounts.\u00c2\u00a0 Everything looked so crisp and vibrant!\u00c2\u00a0 The onscreen keyboard was comfortable in the portrait mode but in landscape, this thing SCREAMS!\u00c2\u00a0 I couldn’t believe how easy it was to type on the landscape keyboard.\u00c2\u00a0 I will even go as far as to say it is more comfortable than my MacBook Air.\u00c2\u00a0 Even while at the desk in my home office, it feels so natural.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nThe transitions between screens both within an app and while closing apps, completely took me by surprise.\u00c2\u00a0 Apple has beefed up the processing horsepower so much, it literally feels like the pages stick to your fingers and apps launch at the speed of lightening!\u00c2\u00a0 Even the screen rotation is seamless, as quick as you turn it.\u00c2\u00a0 There isn’t a lag what so ever!\u00c2\u00a0 I only encountered performance issues with TweetDeck; it’s speed is suffering a bit, perhaps due to the amount of accounts I have configured, because it sure ain’t the iPad<\/p>\nFinally, I got most of my mandatory apps loaded and configured including email, notes, etc.\u00c2\u00a0 I needed to put some music on this, right?\u00c2\u00a0 First the must haves: Meshuggah, Porcupine Tree, and of course Rome Apart!\u00c2\u00a0 In addition to those, I had to add a few albums am reviewing.\u00c2\u00a0 I bring this up because I didn’t want to have an identical music library to my iPhone, it just didn’t make sense.\u00c2\u00a0 I wanted to only have the music I needed so that I can focus on keeping the iPad a productivity beast.\u00c2\u00a0 When I launched the iPod player boy was I surprised!\u00c2\u00a0 The whole player is very much like iTunes on the iMac or MacBook!\u00c2\u00a0 You can even create new playlists on the iPad!\u00c2\u00a0 This is great in those times that you need a break from the shuffle mode – like a rainy day mix of sad songs or a ridiculously chipper mix of happy kids music for long drives with the little ones.\u00c2\u00a0 Yeah, while I drive, my wife is likely to use the iPad to reminisce with photos of our honeymoon and what not.<\/p>\nSpeaking of photos, the Photos app is amazingly slick.\u00c2\u00a0 Not much is offered in the way of editing but they just look stunning on the iPads gorgeous display.\u00c2\u00a0 Even compromising photos of, never mind lol.\u00c2\u00a0 Let’s just keep it to, “man, this thing looks killer!”\u00c2\u00a0 The slideshow function is great way to make the iPad a desk companion when you are forced to use machines of lesser style.\u00c2\u00a0 My coworkers will likely stare endlessly at photos of my kids as they bend, fold and fade one after another.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nThe iPad’s a dream to hold, especially on the couch, which is one of the most frequently used locations for my casual browsing and social networking.\u00c2\u00a0 The weight is comfortable when used on your lap, however I did get a bit tired of the one handed approach.\u00c2\u00a0 Considering the portrait keyboard was pretty manageable with thumbs, I still prefer the landscape one for most to nearly all of my writing.\u00c2\u00a0 So far, I haven’t really felt any eye strain or headaches from the LCD, perhaps because of my conservative use of the brightness levels.\u00c2\u00a0 That may change when I start to read more at night – especially Twitter!\u00c2\u00a0 You UK friends are killing my sleep quality!\u00c2\u00a0 Of course thats just a joke!<\/p>\nSo far I haven’t experienced any bugs yet, as a passer by just asked me.\u00c2\u00a0 I am confused about the “free wifi at AT&T locations” part though.\u00c2\u00a0 My vocalist, Kieron, couldn’t log into the Starbucks wifi which is AT&T.\u00c2\u00a0 I’m sure a quick search on this will reveal some tips or solutions but hey, he is on his own with that.\u00c2\u00a0 He has an iPhone after all.<\/p>\n24+ hours of iPad use and I am extremely excited to turn it on again.\u00c2\u00a0 The applications developers are creating will defining the success and function of the iPad.\u00c2\u00a0 right now, some developers are just creating “bigger” versions of their popular apps, completely missing the opportunity to capitalize on the vast screen size.\u00c2\u00a0 Over time, more creative layouts are bound to arise.\u00c2\u00a0 There is no doubt in my mind as to whether or not my purchase was justified.\u00c2\u00a0 The iPad is here, things will change.<\/p>\nBe sure to check out our 30 second un-boxing<\/a> and 3 minute overview<\/a> videos.<\/p>\n<\/a>\n](\"https:\/\/www.arronhirst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo-2.jpg\"){kind=link}
![<\/a><\/p>\nThe transitions between screens both within an app and while closing apps, completely took me by surprise.\u00c2\u00a0 Apple has beefed up the processing horsepower so much, it literally feels like the pages stick to your fingers and apps launch at the speed of lightening!\u00c2\u00a0 Even the screen rotation is seamless, as quick as you turn it.\u00c2\u00a0 There isn’t a lag what so ever!\u00c2\u00a0 I only encountered performance issues with TweetDeck; it’s speed is suffering a bit, perhaps due to the amount of accounts I have configured, because it sure ain’t the iPad<\/p>\nFinally, I got most of my mandatory apps loaded and configured including email, notes, etc.\u00c2\u00a0 I needed to put some music on this, right?\u00c2\u00a0 First the must haves: Meshuggah, Porcupine Tree, and of course Rome Apart!\u00c2\u00a0 In addition to those, I had to add a few albums am reviewing.\u00c2\u00a0 I bring this up because I didn’t want to have an identical music library to my iPhone, it just didn’t make sense.\u00c2\u00a0 I wanted to only have the music I needed so that I can focus on keeping the iPad a productivity beast.\u00c2\u00a0 When I launched the iPod player boy was I surprised!\u00c2\u00a0 The whole player is very much like iTunes on the iMac or MacBook!\u00c2\u00a0 You can even create new playlists on the iPad!\u00c2\u00a0 This is great in those times that you need a break from the shuffle mode – like a rainy day mix of sad songs or a ridiculously chipper mix of happy kids music for long drives with the little ones.\u00c2\u00a0 Yeah, while I drive, my wife is likely to use the iPad to reminisce with photos of our honeymoon and what not.<\/p>\nSpeaking of photos, the Photos app is amazingly slick.\u00c2\u00a0 Not much is offered in the way of editing but they just look stunning on the iPads gorgeous display.\u00c2\u00a0 Even compromising photos of, never mind lol.\u00c2\u00a0 Let’s just keep it to, “man, this thing looks killer!”\u00c2\u00a0 The slideshow function is great way to make the iPad a desk companion when you are forced to use machines of lesser style.\u00c2\u00a0 My coworkers will likely stare endlessly at photos of my kids as they bend, fold and fade one after another.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nThe iPad’s a dream to hold, especially on the couch, which is one of the most frequently used locations for my casual browsing and social networking.\u00c2\u00a0 The weight is comfortable when used on your lap, however I did get a bit tired of the one handed approach.\u00c2\u00a0 Considering the portrait keyboard was pretty manageable with thumbs, I still prefer the landscape one for most to nearly all of my writing.\u00c2\u00a0 So far, I haven’t really felt any eye strain or headaches from the LCD, perhaps because of my conservative use of the brightness levels.\u00c2\u00a0 That may change when I start to read more at night – especially Twitter!\u00c2\u00a0 You UK friends are killing my sleep quality!\u00c2\u00a0 Of course thats just a joke!<\/p>\nSo far I haven’t experienced any bugs yet, as a passer by just asked me.\u00c2\u00a0 I am confused about the “free wifi at AT&T locations” part though.\u00c2\u00a0 My vocalist, Kieron, couldn’t log into the Starbucks wifi which is AT&T.\u00c2\u00a0 I’m sure a quick search on this will reveal some tips or solutions but hey, he is on his own with that.\u00c2\u00a0 He has an iPhone after all.<\/p>\n24+ hours of iPad use and I am extremely excited to turn it on again.\u00c2\u00a0 The applications developers are creating will defining the success and function of the iPad.\u00c2\u00a0 right now, some developers are just creating “bigger” versions of their popular apps, completely missing the opportunity to capitalize on the vast screen size.\u00c2\u00a0 Over time, more creative layouts are bound to arise.\u00c2\u00a0 There is no doubt in my mind as to whether or not my purchase was justified.\u00c2\u00a0 The iPad is here, things will change.<\/p>\nBe sure to check out our 30 second un-boxing<\/a> and 3 minute overview<\/a> videos.<\/p>\n<\/a>\n](\"https:\/\/www.arronhirst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo-21.jpg\"){kind=link}
![<\/a><\/p>\nThe iPad’s a dream to hold, especially on the couch, which is one of the most frequently used locations for my casual browsing and social networking.\u00c2\u00a0 The weight is comfortable when used on your lap, however I did get a bit tired of the one handed approach.\u00c2\u00a0 Considering the portrait keyboard was pretty manageable with thumbs, I still prefer the landscape one for most to nearly all of my writing.\u00c2\u00a0 So far, I haven’t really felt any eye strain or headaches from the LCD, perhaps because of my conservative use of the brightness levels.\u00c2\u00a0 That may change when I start to read more at night – especially Twitter!\u00c2\u00a0 You UK friends are killing my sleep quality!\u00c2\u00a0 Of course thats just a joke!<\/p>\nSo far I haven’t experienced any bugs yet, as a passer by just asked me.\u00c2\u00a0 I am confused about the “free wifi at AT&T locations” part though.\u00c2\u00a0 My vocalist, Kieron, couldn’t log into the Starbucks wifi which is AT&T.\u00c2\u00a0 I’m sure a quick search on this will reveal some tips or solutions but hey, he is on his own with that.\u00c2\u00a0 He has an iPhone after all.<\/p>\n24+ hours of iPad use and I am extremely excited to turn it on again.\u00c2\u00a0 The applications developers are creating will defining the success and function of the iPad.\u00c2\u00a0 right now, some developers are just creating “bigger” versions of their popular apps, completely missing the opportunity to capitalize on the vast screen size.\u00c2\u00a0 Over time, more creative layouts are bound to arise.\u00c2\u00a0 There is no doubt in my mind as to whether or not my purchase was justified.\u00c2\u00a0 The iPad is here, things will change.<\/p>\nBe sure to check out our 30 second un-boxing<\/a> and 3 minute overview<\/a> videos.<\/p>\n<\/a>\n](\"https:\/\/www.arronhirst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo-4.jpg\"){kind=link}