The iPad (2)

My colleague Dave Keller noted that slipping a case on it makes the iPad a different proposition from the product on its own. I agree. It feels more like a notebook that you'd naturally tote along - more resilient, less "precious," and perhaps less vulnerable to theft. I thought of getting one to take to Europe, but ruled it out, thinking it would just get stolen. In this configuration, it might survive. It's also easier to use, provided you keep it in horizontal mode. That may be a drawback of the case. The keyboard is idiosyncratic for a touch-typist like me, split vertically in a way that feels odd, although i got used to it fairly quickly. I wasn't able to touch-type. There are keyboards that pair with it, although none fold up quite as elegantly and compactly as the Palm accessory. I'd have to do a field test to see what it would be like to navigate a city with an iPad. The iPhone or iPod Touch may be the better choice, as you can keep it in a pocket.