Anticipation

A small announcement: I have ordered an ipad. After a considerable amount of research (basically hanging around the Apple Store and asking a lot of questions from very knowledgeable salespeople), I decided to take the plunge.

I ordered the Wi-Fi, 3 G version, 32 gigs, and the keyboard dock (as well as the wireless keyboard with the intention of returning one) and a case. The problem is that all of my local Apple stores are sold out of the ipads as well as most of the accessories so you really don't have a chance to play with anything more than the demo models--which is fine but its hard to judge if I will like the keyboard with a dock or the wireless one until I see it in action.

Plus the whole case thing is a bit confusing since I truly do want a case that will hold the keyboard but also one that supports the ipad on an angle. I think I need to have it in my hands before I commit to anything but I ordered the Apple case just to have something and also knowing I can return it to the store if I don't like it.

Now of course, I want it instantly which may be a bit of a problem. 7-10 business days is the current delivery but we will see. I have heard 2 weeks but am of course hoping for 2 days!

I will admit that what sealed the deal for me was the opportunity to sign up for the 3-G service month by month. I was having a terrible time rationalizing $30/month for something I might not use. We have Wi-Fi at home so the 3-G seemed a bit like overkill. But when I heard you can sign up month by month, as well as for an abbreviated plan ($14.99), I took the plunge. That way you can order the 3-G when you know you will be traveling to places where Wi-Fi might be spotty.

The keyboard was a no-brainer. I am hoping that this gizmo serves as a mid-level laptop for me--truly mid-level--but I was impressed with the word processing App and the fact that you can export documents as Word which means you can email them to yourself and they will at home on the desktop when you return.

I don't intend to write the great American novel on this but it may be very useful for short pieces on the road.

Stay tuned. I am officially excited.