After 15 minutes demonstrating the ipad, the charming young assistant in Glasgow's Apple Store convinced me I didn't need a laptop or a netbook. This seductive object allows me to write and blog from anywhere I please, while reading War and Peace and the Financial Times App at the same time. It fits in my handbag. The ipad itself told us the fishing village of Portsoy in Banffshire, where I will be writing my Scotsman column as of next Friday, has Orange Broadband coverage. Sold. But I reached for my credit card too soon. There is a waiting list for the 3G version. My Mac boy couldn't understand why I walked. He offered a place on the PREMIUM waiting list.
I am not the Mac slacker type. I need to sort my mobile connectivity IMMEDIATELY. The saddest thing about losing my job was losing the laptop. Tomorrow I do the ballet run to end all ballet runs - to Cupar - where my daughter sits the RAD Intermediate foundation exam. And you thought it was just wee coopers who lived in that corner of Fife. Life is full of surprises... Monday is meetings and column writing. Then I am away from home for three weeks. So the luxury of premium Apple waiting lists is not an option. It undoubtedly does wonders for the ipad's must-have status. Remember the Furbie craze of 2000? Shortages are engineered to create more demand.
So I went and bought the Orange dongle that Apple had usefully told me was essential for Portsoy. As for the machine, should it be laptop or netbook? The weight of my last laptop caused me fall under a train, so I plumped for the netbook. Having both legs is preferable to a built in DVD drive and a 4GB memory. There are already two powerful desktop computers at home.
Moving swiftly into Which consumer guide territory, John Lewis is the best place to buy because it gives you a 2 year guarantee. But it's so chocka there is a waiting system - like in kids' shoe shops and Argos. And the sales assistant was so dismissive of netbooks I felt embarrassed wanting to buy one.
Off to PC World and the speedy purchase of a Samsung netbook. A word of warning. The young salesman tried to flog a £3.99 package to cover repair and maintenance. But it can take up to 28 days to repair. To get a quicker service and a replacement, you need to pay £6.99 a month. It's only a netbook so I declined the offer. He puts through my transaction then points out that I have one month's complimentary £3.99 service. How generous. Except that it requires setting up a direct debit which must be cancelled when the month is up. Too old to fall for that one.
Still I am very happy with the dinkieness of the purchase. Even more happy with the cute little carry case...WHICH HAS HANDLES. Forget RAMS, gigs, and KHz thingies. Swinging it jauntily is so much more important. Most men I know would disagree. But I did buy my Mini Cooper because it was "pure silver" with leather seats...
I am going down the iPad route myself. I'm almost ready to pull the trigger.
Posted by: Israeli Women | June 25, 2010 at 01:48 AM
Netbooks are great for being on the go. They are small, light and are pretty low-powered, which is handy for those of us who do a bit of wordprocessing and browsing, and not much more. But surely the screen and keyboard are just too small for serious writing on deadline?
I reckon there's a gap in the market for a 13" screen with a proper keypad but with stripped down functionality (like a netbook) so that it would retail for less than £300. I'd buy it and so, I'm sure, would a lot of other journalists. My 13" notebook puts me in business computer territory, with power and pricetag to match.
Posted by: Rob Crilly | June 21, 2010 at 07:12 AM
I'm afraid I'm holding out for the 3G iPad, I'm a sucker for sexy fun stuff.
Enjoy Portsoy, I'm very jealous, the 'reaper' will be there for the festival and I'm in love with it!
http://www.scottishtraditionalboatfestival.org.uk/
Posted by: Wardog | June 21, 2010 at 12:49 AM
great news about the Scotsman column!
Posted by: helen stewart | June 20, 2010 at 09:49 PM
I am setting off soon to travel around villages in the mountains of Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia and Slovakia. My wee Samsung N140 netbook (9 hour battery) is coming along with me. With a rugged external hard-drive it's the bee's knees.
Posted by: Drumalban | June 20, 2010 at 06:50 PM
In the real world, one where people need a technology to be more than just "shiney", I'm sure you will be able to achieve most of what you need with your Samsung netbook. It may not be the fasionistas choice, but, with around 7 hours battery life, full Windows 7 (the best OS MS has ever produced) and if you need it full compatibility with the rest of the business world, I think you'll get on fine with your Samsung netbook. How do I know? Because I've got one. I love my iPhone to bits, but can't yet see the reason to buy an iPad.
Posted by: Andrew Sinclair | June 20, 2010 at 05:54 PM
If you can Joan hold on for the iPad. Borrow a laptop for the wee while. It'll be worth it.
I don't have one because I can't substantiate the cost but I have occasional access to one and I'm so very tempted after each 'go' to splash out. Then my sensible side says I have to pay bigger and bigger utility bills.
Posted by: Subrosa | June 20, 2010 at 02:20 PM
For my sins, I'm an owner of an iPad (as well as a laptop and iPhone). While I've only got the Wifi version, I certainly wouldn't tout it as a complete replacement for laptops, although it is a good, easy to use piece of hardware.
That said, I did buy my iPad for the primary purpose of not having to lug a laptop around but I don't think I'd want to rely on it for more then a matter of hours. So far, however, I've used it for casual reading and webbrowsing rather then anything productive.
I am, however, looking forward to watching movies and TV shows on it when I'm on the train/bus.
Posted by: Hythlodaeus | June 20, 2010 at 10:53 AM
I think circumstances may have benefited you this time. There was a very good review of the iPad in The Herald a few weeks ago which encouraged those thinking of buying one to ask themselves whether they need the device for input or output purposes. It's the right question... after all, would you really want to write a whole article on a touch screen keyboard?
The iPad looks fantastic and does what it does well beautifully but it's an indulgence. A film director I know bought one recently and boasted about it on Facebook... a mutual friend asked him what he was going to use it for since he already had every gadget known to man... his reply? "I don't know what I'm going to use it for but I love it."
Posted by: Jason Stone | June 20, 2010 at 09:04 AM