I have to admit I wasn’t on the iPad bandwagon for quite some time. All the mainstream bloggers were talking about its issues: no Flash support or camera. So like any reasonable consumer would do, I said I’ll wait until the next generation comes out, then it will have a camera, Flash support, and likely a nicer screen. But, at the nth hour, I caught the Apple Fever and stood in line from 6:30 AM to 9:50 AM to pick one up at the Reston, VA Apple Store. And boy am I glad I did!

Standing In Line

My line buddies were early adopter techies, one an assistant producer for National Geographic and the other a Federal government worker who was a closet Fanboy. We debated for hours about storage size (16, 32, 64 GB). And it boiled down to this, “if you’ve got a 32 GB iPhone or iPod you’re likely going to get a 32 GB iPad.” Then, it happened. Apple employees started pouring out of the storefront with coffee, Easter cookies, and bottled water. So the excitement began building. Later, they teased us all by bringing the actual device out in the wild to show off its performance and slick form factor. But there was no need to tease us, the anticipation in the line equaled immediate purchase.

And then the doors opened, and one by one we were escorted in by a friendly Apple store employee who immediately walked us to the back of the store to pick up our iPad and accessories. The store was filled with a buzz of excitement as if we were all witness to a new revolution. One of the genius folks registered my iPad (yep you gotta register it via iTunes before you can access it) and helped me setup my email. It took about four minutes to do all of those things. Yep, it’s fast, real fast!

The Experience

Jobs hit the nail on the head with this one. If you can use an iPod Touch or iPhone you will need zero training to use the iPad. My six year old went right to the Marvel Comics app, downloaded the latest Hulk, and began reading before I finished telling him it wasn’t a toy. And while you won’t miss a camera or Flash plug-in you’ll marvel at how heavy it is. It’s a good weight in your hands that makes you feel that this device is not a toy but rather a sturdy piece of hardware.

My wife picked it up, sat back in the big chair in our living room and began browsing the Web. No tutorial, just quick access to a really fast browsing experience.

Apps

So far, my favorites are Pandora, ABC Player (Modern Family and V goodness), Marvel Comics reader, and USA Today for iPad. I tell you, you’ll love the increased screen real estate. USA Today particularly made the news more local and easy to browse. It was a job well done.

Mags & Pubs

Magazines and newspaper producers will love the iPad. Advertisers can run engaging, interactive ads in a format that combines personalized, interactive content with relevant messages that will make you the consumer subscribe to these pubs all over again. It will invigorate an entire industry.

The Wrap Up

I’ll leave with a quote from one of my line buddies who said, “You don’t buy an iPad because you think its in the same category as a Netbook. You buy it for the experience. You could have bought a Nissan to get you back and forth to work but instead you choose to buy an Audi. It’s the brand man- the experience.”

Well said my good man. Well said…

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