So I ventured to the local Best Buy to test pilot the iPad. Luckily they only had display models so I wouldn’t be tempted to take one home, that and those security cords are too thick to chew through while being subtle.
Typing on the iPad is as awkward as most people are saying. But somehow I think people are forgetting the old days of typing on a typewriter. The iPad is a computer, but you have to type like you did on a typewriter. High arched fingers coming straight down on the keys, you can’t touch type on it. You might be able to get used to it enough to touch type, you know if you’re a relatively normal person, not that guy who set a world record on the iPad.
The display model also had the Marvel app on it. Holy shit. Comics look awesome on the iPad screen. I don’t know how other apps will display comics, but the Marvel app fit the height of the page to the screen in portrait mode. That added even more black to the edge of the screen. Not good, but not that big of a deal really.
While at the Best Buy I have the misfortune of being near a few rather smelly people who were also trying the iPad. I don’t mean “haven’t washed in weeks” or “hair so greasy it’d catch fire” kind of dirty / smelly. I’m talking just smoked a cigarette they stubbed out and relit hours later, years long smoker stank, haven’t washed their ‘smoking clothes’ in days, and just put out the cigarette right before walking up to me. Ignore that the iPad display was at the back of the store. These people were still breathing out smoke as they walked through the store.
Also, GoodReader is only $0.99. It reads PDFs and you can transfer them via the USB instead of being forced to go wireless. Big bonus yes, but… unless you’re going to convert your library of comic files it’s still worth it to drop the $15 for one of the comic apps.
