The Apple iPad is not a laptop

A friend recently sent me an e-mail expressing interest in the new Apple iPad. She wanted my opinion on whether the iPad is like a laptop or "like the iPhone which I already have." Being that the iPad isn't out yet and I haven't experienced it first-hand, my opinions are based solely on information I have found online. Here's a list of things that I have learned so far:

Pros:

• Familiarity - If you know how to use an iPhone or iPod Touch, you already know how to use an iPad.
• Mobility - It's light, slim and portable. 3G is available as an option. Excellent battery life.
• App Store - As more and more apps are written for the iPad, it's functionality is bound to increase.
• Cost - The iPad starts at $499, less than half the price of a new MacBook.
• Coolness - It's the latest Apple gadget. If you've got one, you're cool. :-D

Cons:

• Disk Space - iPad tops at 64GB, whereas most laptops include 250+GB hard drives
• Keyboard - The iPad uses a virtual keyboard that takes up almost half the screen. A real keyboard will cost you extra.
• No multi-tasking - Like your iPhone or iPod Touch, you won't be able to run more than one app at a time.
• No 3rd party software - Unless you use web apps, you're forced to use apps exclusively from the App Store.
• No camera, no video recording, no Flash, no USB, no expansion, etc...
• Cost - For less than the price of an iPad, Henry purchased a new 10" Samsung netbook from Sam's Club that he's very happy with.

Would I buy an iPad? At this time, probably not... I simply can't justify the return on the expense. The iPad does not give me any additional features (short of the larger screen size) that my jail-broken iPhone can't offer me. For the time being, I am holding off for the upcoming refresh of MacBook Pros. Of course, all this may change as more apps are released exclusively for the iPad. :-D

It seems to me that, at this time, the iPad is essentially an updated iPod Touch with a larger screen. Like with the iPhone and iPod Touch, as more software is written for the device, it will undoubtably gain more functionality and praise.

My recommendation is this: If you have an Apple Store or Best Buy nearby, stop by next month when the new iPads hit the shelf. Make yourself a list of questions and hammer your "Apple Genious" or Best Buy rep for information. Try the device first-hand and make an assessment whether it or a notebook or laptop will best work for you. Remember, an informed buyer is a happy buyer. :-)

And then came facebook...

The day I got that first e-mail with an invitation to join the world-wide social interconnectedness known as Facebook, my life changed.

I find myself reverse-stalking lots of people... my mother Lulu in Miami, my brother Erik and his wife Christy, my sister Lydia and husband Eddie, my baby sister Lorena, my cousins Moy, Ana M, Paty, Leslie, Fab, and Chachi. Folks from Hidalgo High School. The troublemakers from the UT-PA Computer Science labs. The crazies from Rackspace and Northside ISD.

Then there's the friends of friends, the fan groups and alumni groups, the fan pages, etc...

Then there's Mafia Wars... First was just New York, then Cuba at level 35, now there's Moscow and Bangkok coming soon. Oh, and FarmVille... all the damn mouse-clicking required to plow, seed and harvest crops some fruit or to milk some animal.

Why, oh why, do I let myself get sucked into this?

Facebook

Sorry I haven't updated this blog in a while. I've recently started using Facebook and have neglected this blog. If you don't already have a Facebook account, SIGN UP!

Meats-a-ball

Today, the Christopher Columbus Italian Society of San Antonio hosted one of their infamous spaghetti and meatball dinners. Henry and I went to the last event in benefit of the fallen soldiers families of San Antonio. Today, however, due to the inclement weather left from Hurricane Ike, I decided to make meatballs at home instead.

I found a recipe online which worked with great success. The process was simple, actually. 1 pound of ground meat, 1/2 cup of italian bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, 1 egg and spices. I mixed all the ingredients together, then formed 1 1/2 - 2 inch balls. I carefully arranged the balls on a baking sheet coated with non-stick spray. They went into the broiler on high for 10 minutes, flipped them over and broiled for another 5 minutes. Then I dropped them into a simmering pot of Emeril's Kicked Up Tomato pasta sauce and left them there for about 20 minutes.

I doubled the recipe so the extras are going into the freezer. They turned out wonderful.

Wii likey

So today in a sheer moment of impulsiveness, Henry and I got a new Nintendo Wii game console from our local Target superstore. Suffice to say that 30 minutes after we bought the thing, we were at Best Buy buying a second Wii Remote and a Wii Fit. Yes, we liked it that much. :-)

Scooter trip to Lake Medina

So this past weekend Henry and I took a spontaneous trip to Lake Medina up near Mico, Texas, about 30 miles north of Leon Valley. We visited the Lake Medina Dam, stopped by the marina and zipped into Lake Hills. It was a lovely afternoon ride on a cool summer day amidst the Texas Hill Country.

Floor my Decor

Henry and I decided that our existing carpet has reached its end-of-life as far as we're concerned. It was obvious that, like in the computer room, the carpet had become worn way worse than we had expected. So after much debate, we decided to rip out the carpet and put new flooring. We went back and forth between hardwood, engineered wood and laminate. We finally settled for Cherry Spice laminate made by Bruce available at our local Floor and Decor.

We've had the new flooring now for about... two weeks? All I know is that it took a while for me to adjust to the "WOW" factor. From our front door, the laminate looks amazing. And stepping out from our bedroom door and into the hallway, especially when there's light from our sky lights, the floor looks stunning.

This Bud is for you

So today we head back to San Antonio. Jay and Linda suggested we stop by and visit the Budweiser brewery in St. Louis before we make it to the airport. Here are some photos from the brewery.

Doctor of Gynecology

This summer, Henry and I took a trip up north to visit his folks. Linda and Jay took us to the Lemp Mansion near downtown St. Louis for a Mystery Dinner Theatre. We had a lovely time with Cindy, Sherlain and Henry's dad, Virgil, in Pinckneyville, Ill.

Class M: Motorcycle

Last weekend I took a Basic Motorcycle Safety Course at The Motorcycle School on Fredericksburg Road. The 15 hour course covered a written exam as well as a four-part driving exam which we were to successfully pass upon completion.

I've Gone Mac!

So last year Henry got fed up with his Windows / Dell Optiplex computer and bought himself a new Apple iMac computer. Since then, I've been hearing lots of "oohs" and "aahs" over his new machine. Whenever something When I scramble looking for drivers for a new USB peripheral, I get a, "Hmm... it worked on my Mac". When I have to reinstall my PC and restore my data, I hear, "Time machine has worked flawlessly." While reinstalling applications, I'm reminded, "That's just drag and drop files on a Mac".

I toyed with the idea of getting a Mac, I couldn't seem to justify the migration. Could I really move to Mac? Is it really feasible that this long-time Windows user can adapt to a new platform? After much deliberation, I finally decided to take the plunge.

Henry and I made our way to the Apple store (for the fifth time, mind you) to pick out my future Mac product. Wanting to replace my Dell Latitude D620 laptop, we checked out the MacBooks and MacBook Pros. I decided on the base level model; the 2.4GHz, 200 GiB computer with 256MB of video memory. I included the mandatory AppleCare and an Apple Airport Express. Happily, I accepted my School Employee discount and made my purchase on credit. I was so excited we stopped to celebrate my purchase with a Shake's shake. :-)

When we got home, I was eager to open the box. What a surprise! Even the packaging is beautiful! The styrofoam was molded into round geometric shapes. Wow! I acquainted myself with the different cables and made my way to the computer. As I pulled the shipping sleeve off the computer, I was amazed at the beauty of the MacBook Pro. Sleek. Shiny. Very Mac.

I turned it on and promptly I was welcomed by my new Mac. Expecting to configure the machine for hours (as I did with my Dell Latitude), I found myself in awe; amazed at the sheer brilliance of the OS. I thought it would take days--perhaps even weeks--to be comfortable enough with the new Mac before I would decommission my Latitude. Within minutes, I knew that resistance was futile. All those years of adapting to Windows, the MacBook now adapts to me. Everything just works. And it works well.

UPDATE: I was given 14 days to decide whether to keep my current MacBook Pro model or upgrade to the 2.5 or 2.6GHz. Being the non-conformist that I am, I decided to upgrade to the 2.5Ghz model with 250 GiB HD and 512 MB of video memory. To my demise, I went through three different laptops; each returned to the Apple Store for having stuck pixels. Lucky number four has been flawless and has been working well since.