I’m posting this from my new iPad 3G from the train back to New York from Baltimore/Washington, where Elina ran her first 5K this morning. I’m on a standard Amtrak train, not one of the faster Acela trains which now have wifi, so if I hadn’t picked up this 3G on my way to the train station, I wouldn’t be able to post anything from my iPad.
Sure, I could have picked up a MiFi portable WWAN hotspot from Sprint or Verizon, but the service plans for those cost at least $50 a month, and generally more. As frustrated as I am with AT&T — their phone and data service is atrocious in Manhattan, and where the hell is tethering? — the data plans that they’re offering for the iPad are attractive and even a little innovative. $15 a month for occasional usage and $30 a month for unlimited are both very reasonable prices for the convenience and utility that this service (hopefully/usually) provides.
So, why did I upgrade from the wifi-only iPad to the 3G model?
First and foremost, it’s because I love using the iPad — it’s the future of computing! — and it was very frustrating and disappointing to not have the ubiquitous networking which has been key to the transformative nature of the iPhone. Carrying around this thing from the future and having to think about when, whether, and where it could use the network, the backbone of the future, was so dissonant it was almost silly. And it definitely led me to take my tablet out and about with me less than I would have otherwise.
Now that my tablet does have ubiquitous network, I’ll have it with me more often, and I’ll be able to use it in many more situations. And that’s exciting, because you know what? I really love using this thing. I also have a MacBook Pro and an iPhone 3G, but right now the iPad is my computing device of choice. It doesn’t fit every use case, but whenever I want to do something, if it can be done on the iPad, that’s what I opt to use. Its touch interface and its form factor are just so much more engaging, rewarding, and relaxing than a laptop or desktop, and the larger screen and faster brain make it much more powerful, useful, and relaxing than an iPhone. Sure, I could have written and posted something this long with my phone, and I have, but it’s a bit of a pain on that little screen.
(I know I wrote “relaxing” twice in the previous paragraph. Trust me, it was intentional. That’s a theme I’ve been thinking about, and if I can find the time to write it, it’ll be another post.)
Other reasons that I upgraded:
- A MiFi would be one more thing for me to carry around, have to keep track of, charge, and at some point lose.
- The MiFi data plans cost ~$60, and that’s way too much to pay for occasional usage. I’m usually around a wifi network I can use; I only need WWAN every once in a while, and AT&T’s iPad plans are perfect for that. Not only are they affordable, they’re month-to-month plans with no contract — I can always cancel at any time if I don’t need or want the service.
- My previous iPad already has a new home at my company. That’s fortunate; not everyone who might like to upgrade has such a convenient and affordable avenue to do so.
I’ll be arriving in New York soon, so it’s time to wrap this up and post.
Good night, and good luck — from the future!
