[REVIEW] Meet iPad

Back in March, Ron Merrell submitted a post to the first-ever Guest Blogger Derby here on Stc. Since his post generated the most discussion on Twitter, Facebook and Disqus, he won a brand-spankin’ new iPad. Of course it wasn’t totally free — we made him write a review of it for your reading pleasure. You can read his iPad-winning post here and the review below.

Meet iPad.  He’s definitely the coolest thing I’ve ever owned.  He’s a brilliant picture of where cool technology is headed.  He’s a slim, cool, social media hipster.  He’s a good-looking, cool, digital reader.  He’s a cool, lean-mean-app machine.

Did I mention he’s cool?  Because iPad is really, really cool.

With that said, I’m still trying to figure out the iPad’s real purpose in my week.  Between my iPhone and my MacBook is the iPad, and while it’s definitely the coolest of the trio, you can tell it’s still trying to find itself.

My two-year-old son, Brody, has dubbed the iPad the “big phone.”

Actor, Rainn Wilson, tweeted about his iPad back in April saying,  “I wish my iPad were smaller and made calls, or that it folded up and had a keyboard.”

I’ve started referring to the iPad as the El Camino.  Chevrolet once released a vehicle that was half sedan, half pickup truck.  In trying to do both things well, it ended up doing neither very well – although lots of people thought the El Camino was cool.  Especially if you were a middle-aged, heavy-set, white guy who smoked.

I’m fast approaching both middle-agedness and heaviness, and with the El Camino thankfully no longer in existence, I’m magnetically drawn to the iPad.

So after a month of playing with it, here’s what I really like about the iPad and here’s what’s a little weird about it:

What I Really Like:

• The Interface of the Apps. The base apps for photos, music, mail, calendar, etc. are all incredibly clean, beautifully designed, and easy to use.  Way better than on the iPhone or Macbook.

• The Movie-Watching Capability. So far we’ve got the most actual use of the iPad in portable-movie-screen mode with our boys.  Plane flights and car rides have been awesome with our movies on the HD screen.

• Certain Additional Apps. There’s a Dictation app by Dragon that is really cool for transcribing sermons as you preach – although its accuracy is a little dodgy so far.  I like the USA Today newspaper app.  I never read the newspaper until now.  Tweetdeck for iPad makes me feel like Tom Cruise in Minority Report diving into Twitter World.  A free Logos Bible Software app for iPad is really, really cool – although mildly cumbersome and hard to navigate.  A pretty sweet IndyCar app has kept me up to date with live timing and scoring for races – and there are similar ones that seem really amazing for NBA, MLB, and NFL.  If you’ve got little kids, Disney makes a few interactive books for iPad.  The one for Toy Story has been heavily used by Braddock and Brody so far.

• Battery Life. This thing is the Energizer bunny of iThings.  I took a 24-hour trip out of state with it.  For a whole day, I tweeted, checked email, surfed the web, watched FOUR movies, and only used 70% of its battery life.

What’s a Little Weird:

• Typing On It. I’ve yet to master it.  Originally, I set out to actually write this article on it.  But after 3 days had passed and I was still on the second sentence, I switched over to my laptop.  If you’re going to do a lot of typing on it, definitely opt for the external keyboard.

• Angle of View. If you’re just reading on it, you’re probably fine.  Just pick which orientation you like best, horizontal or vertical, and you’re set.  If you need to interact with the screen AND read, it’s a different story.  I’ve found myself hunching over it a lot or trying to figure a way to prop it up at an angle without it sliding off my lap or my desk.  I think the optional stand for it would be helpful as well.

• Pretty Easy to Fill Up. Between all the apps you can load up – and especially media like music and movies – the iPad fills up pretty quickly.  Keep the movies off and you’ve got room for days.  A couple good HD flicks on it and you’ll be maxed out quickly.  It’s more like your iPhone in this regard.

• There’s No Cover. It’s not like your iPhone that you typically carry in a pocket – or purse.  You’re either going to be carrying it like a little book or throwing it in a backpack or bag – often up against books or your laptop – and you’ll feel like it’s going to get scratched easily.  Even if it won’t get scratched easily you’ll feel like it’s going to.  Splurge for one of the sleeves or notebook-style covers for it.

I’m sure I’ll continue to get a handle on all the amazing stuff this thing can do.  The iPad is assuredly a sign of things to come. In about 3 years, I can see the iPad setting the stage for all sorts of ministry applications – like a simple, powerful way to consolidate Planning Center cues, sermon notes, ProPres slides, Bible verses, audio recordings, and countdown apps all from an iPulpit.

Right now, though, it’s best application for me has been for my family’s own personal enjoyment as an entertainment center and learning tool for my boys.  I’m sure it won’t be long before every home with kids has a “big phone” in it.  Better than having an El Camino, that’s for sure!

P.S.  I’ve got a new friend who may benefit from the iPad even more than I.  The best ministry value for it right now may be giving it away – either for someone else’s pleasure or financial benefit.  The heart of SHRINKthechurch is to see the church get back to embracing the connectedness of its people. Giving this sucker away, like they gave it me, might be the next article on the journey of this particular iPad.  And it might be the best ministry application for it in my life.  I’ll keep you posted.