On the iPad

[coraa]

I've had a few people ask me whether I want an iPad, and I've generally said 'no' without thinking too hard about it. Having now thought about it, I've figured out why.

(Note: This has no bearing on whether you should want, or get, an iPad. If you want one, get one! And I hope you enjoy it very much! I just don't. But people are different, you know, and that's okay. You can want one and get one even if I don't want one.)

1. E-ink. Having read on e-ink devices, I'm not going back to reading books on a non-e-ink screen. I get more eyestrain reading on my iPhone or laptop, especially in strong light, than I do with my e-ink ereader. (The iPhone, being a touchscreen, is particularly bad because fingerprints show up with astonishing clarity in strong light.) So there's that: the iPad is not a replacement ebook reader for me, becuase I want an e-ink screen on my ereader.

But more importantly....

2. I'm not getting a larger-than-a-phone multifunction device that doesn't have a real keyboard. Probably three-quarters of what I do on a computer relies on typing, often a lot of words, often very fast, via touch-typing, and for that I want a "real" keyboard. Otherwise I'll spend a lot of time going, "Well, I could do that, but it'd be easier to wait until I have my laptop with me...." Which defeats the point.

Which raises the question: what are your non-negotiables for portable electronics?

Comments

[ckd]

I'm not quite sure I'd consider that one small enough to qualify as something I'd want to haul around on a regular basis, though anything smaller is unlikely to be very good for touch typing. Tough call.

[coraa.livejournal.com]

If there was one that was hinged and foldable, it'd be tempting.