Interlude - $125 a Pound

Interlude - $125 a Pound

Continuing with the guest blog theme, Sharon Ritchey muses on how the iPad came into her life and how she has been using it.

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I just bought an iPad and I lost 6 pounds. The machine was so expensive I can’t afford to buy food.  O.k., seriously it’s all true, except I can still afford to buy food.

When news of the iPad first hit the technology streets I didn’t think much of it. I knew that we’d own at least one because the techie in the family is an early adopter of all new gadgets. But for me, eh- just another gizmo, or so I thought.

Fast forward to March of this year. I broke down and upgraded my phone. I purchased my first smart phone, an Android. To say I hate it is a bit harsh. But I don’t love it. Part of the problem is that I was convinced by the ever helpful sales dude that I needed a screen protector to keep it from scratching. Well that scratch protection also prevents my small fingers from properly contacting the screen. I could never answer the phone before it hit voice mail. I would jab the screen furiously trying  to access applications only to scream in frustration as the phone  went into sleep mode. Cool techie apps are great but they weren’t fitting into my world.

Enter Denis

Our friend’s arrival in April was soon followed by the arrival of his new iPad. The machine had just been released and there was a mad scramble in Apple stores across the country to get one. The techie in the family had pre-ordered the 3G machine months earlier but its arrival was not scheduled until the end of May – almost a month away. Techie and Denis went to check the madness out.

Two days later we were all hooked. Denis, the Techie, my two girls, and anyone who had stopped by to say hi. If Denis was lucky he got to steal it back for a few minutes here and there to use it himself. 

I admit I didn’t know what to expect other than a large smart phone. But as applications were loaded I started to make connections to how this new technology could improve my life. It’s not a laptop and doesn’t pretend to be one. But for an on-the-go business owner I could see the productivity power. 

Now I have one. I bring it to meetings and run through presentations, I track the hours I put in on various jobs. I track my mileage, answer email and have enough room to type real responses. One application allows me to draw, type, and record my voice. Then there are the fun apps: news, games, weather, information resources, photos, and music. It also has a rock-star quality to it. I recently took it to a meeting at the local university where I consult and the Dean in charge of the school’s technology programs grabbed it and with a quick “would you mind?” started to play with it. I enjoy the coolness.

It’s not a perfect machine. It constantly needs to be cleaned, the keyboard is incomplete, you can’t print from it, and I now have a new data charge to my monthly bills. But that’s part of business. The machine is limited by the applications I can find and use. It has two e-readers loaded but I have found reading online occasionally gives me motion sickness. I also have to fight with my children but I can solve that by deleting their games. 

As for the 6 pound. The iPad’s arrival coincided with a push to lose some weight that had crept on with Denis’  arrival and a month of good food and wine. I’ve got an amazing little application called MyNetDiary that easily tracks the calories I consume along with my exercise and vitals. It’s a fun way to stay on the diet and it is a motivating tool, something all dieters need. 

So let’s see... cost of the iPad divided by the amount of weight I’ve lost equal about $125 US a pound. 

Perhaps if I continue to cut back on food I’ll be able to bring the cost of ownership down.