imagining how the church can reorient around mission

Cautionary note: 
If you are a “I love anything Steve Jobs produces and I worship him sycophant,” 
you will not like
this blog.  Stop reading now
.

I did it.  I
bought an iPad.  I heard both
cheers and jeers from my friends – depending on which side of the Mac great divide they stood on.


Ipad
To be honest, I am late to the Mac world.  I was a happy Windows user – really a
utilitarian user.  I was not addicted
to any computer world.  I was put
off by the weird Mac uppity-ness, but open.  At times I defended Windows even though I didn’t care just because of
the smug attitudes that the Mac elitist around me displayed.  Well, a couple of years ago I switched.
I drank the Steve Jobs Kool-Aid. 
I jumped in the deep end of the Mac swimming pool.  I…dang, I can’t think of another word
picture, but you get the idea. 
Seriously, maybe because of the “cool factor” (all the cool kids have em), but I haven’t really been
to a shrink to figure out why my "inner child" made me do it yet. 
Leave it to say, the Mac book, then iPhone – both were awesome.  The iPhone has actually changed my
life.  It works and does soooo
much.  If I didn’t have mine
I’d, I'd…well, I’d be unhappy.

So, I recently I went all the way by buying the iPad
thinking it would have a similar affect on my life.  True confession time – it didn’t.  Like I said, I am a utilitarian user and if it doesn't simplify my life, it has to go.  I
have a friend that switches Day-Planner systems almost weekly looking for the
perfect system.  I’m not like
that.  If it works, I roll.

The problem was, with addition of the iPad I just added more
crap to carry around.  I still
needed my iPhone for calls (the iPhone did what the iPad was supposed to
do, only with a smaller screen).  BTW – Jon Stewart does the funniest spoof on the iPad and it's inability to make calls – check it out here: http://www.theipadfan.com/evil-apple-jon-stewart-interesting-thoughts/  It's flippin hilarious.  I, also, still needed my computer because I need to do a ton of word processing.  The iPad does not meet that need.  I know, you’re saying that it does, it
has Pages.  Yeah, a watered down
version with a touch screen.  You
are saying, "You can get a wireless keyboard!"  Yeah, and then I have another thing to
carry.  I am not a highly technical
Word processor, but I am a high production one and the iPad just isn’t built
for that.

Let’s face it…it is very expensive big-boy toy.  And that’s ok!  I have a fondness for toys.  I love them.  I might be as guilty as anyone.  No judging from me. 
If you wanna spend $600 + bucks to surf the net while sitting on your
couch, more power to you.  I found
it fun to have too!

However, not fun enough.  I did it.  I
bought an iPad and one month later I (when I say “I” I mean my future
son-in-law) sold it on Craig’s List. 
Somebody needed it more than me and I needed my money back more than the
iPad.  

Mac world, please don’t hate
me.

One Response

  1. I am a Mac user: Macbook Pro and iPhone and .mac etc…but after I fiddled around with the iPad…I came to the same conclusions for now. We will see down the road when the prices drop.
    There are many times when I want to show people things on my iphone that just dont cut it on the small screen. Now I could lug around my computer but that isnt going to happen. So the intermediate size of the gadget appeals to me. So for teaching notes, showing people stuff in one on one counseling or sharing or leader mtgs appeals to me.
    The entertainment tool appeals too…watching shows on the iphone can be done…but barely. Im not a fan of the ‘glare’ issue.
    But…as a reader…Im very interested in the developing digital formats of more and more magazines. I love being able to go deep into an article with links and videos and quick jumps to related material. Print is so linear…the multi-deminsioanl aspect of publishing now…is expanding the world for teachers and communicators and consumers.
    So…I imagine I will purchase something that facilitates that in the future. iPad…maybe, not sure…we will see what develops.