iPad's a Cracken' Good Computer
Tech writer Harry McCracken isn't known for making outrageous statements just to get clicks. This is one smart dude. So when he said that he uses the iPad as his main PC, I took notice.
My take is that the iPad, while built like a computer (OS, memory, display, input, apps), is no PC. Having bought one only reinforced that take -- it's superb for what it does and is one heckuva oversized camera, but I can't get any real work done with the thing. It's a fine e-mail machine for traveling, but so is a BlackBerry.
McCracken does real work on his and the former editor-in-chief of PC World claims it is his "favorite computer."
To Harry the iPad is a PC replacement. The key, and this is a big key, is having an accessory keyboard. The touch pad is the main stumbling block to real use. In fact, Harry has me intrigued enough to consider buying one. But then I'll have buy some productivity software, figure out where to store my files that is as good as my PC hard drive and divine some way to print. Seems like a lot of effort and expense to duplicate what I already have.
Do you use the iPad for real work? How does a real keyboard change things? What do you use for software and how the heck do you print?
Answers to any and all welcome at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 11/26/2012 at 1:19 PM