The Battle Heats UP?

By Lonnie Cruse

The new Ipad was recently released, with updated versions already scheduled, or so I hear. Customers are beating down the doors of stores selling this latest techno-gadget, despite the fact that it's a bit expensive. No, it's a lot expensive. Still I was sorry to see a note on the door at our local Best Buy that this particular store does NOT carry the Ipad. I was soooo hoping to get my hands on one, just to try it out. Rumors circulate that more gizmos/gadgets are coming from other companies, with various capabilities and various prices. Whew!

I confess, I'm a gizmo/gadget freak. Not always able to operate them as easily as others, but willing to learn. Not necessarily willing or able to cough up the purchase price either, but hey, I got married once and gave birth three times, which gives me access to one anniversary and three Mother's Day gifts along with birthday and Christmas. I KNOW how to work the system! I have two words for you, people . . . GIFT CARDS!

Back to the Ipad. There are lots of discussions going on at Amazon (on the Kindle boards) about which current electronic gadget is better, and believe me, the lines of loyalty drawn during the Civil War could NOT have been much wider or longer or more difficult to cross than the lines drawn in this new electronic war. People are willing to die for or kill for their gadget of choice. Companies constantly fire shots at their competition with new improved applications. One must be careful where one stands in this battle of the electronics.

I own a Kindle, (birthday, Christmas gift cards) and an Itouch, (gift cards for birthday, Christmas, and Valentine's day, and did I mention I know how to work the system?) and am drooling over the new Ipad. Larger than the Itouch, which does wonderful things, smaller than a netbook, but no lid to shut and WAAAAY more expensive. Sigh, what to do, what to do?

If any of you have an Ipad or have actually gotten your hands on one, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Also, I'd love to hear your thoughts on these electronic gizzmos in general. You own any? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Secretly keeping an eye out for the newest? Wondering which to buy? Which to avoid like the plague?

Personally, while I'd love to at least try an Ipad, I'm mostly keeping an eye out. I think this year, and this decade, will bring out a ton of new stuff, stuff that out dates stuff that just came out last year, last month, sigh, last week. I don't want to jump in too fast. I want to stick my toes in at the edge of the water and see what happens. You???