iPad…finally
To quote a Morrissey song, 'You Knew I Couldn't Last.'
I finally gave in and purchased an iPad this week. I'm normally first in line with anything new Steve Jobs gives us but for this particular device I'd held back.
Why do I need one?
I was unsure where an iPad would fit in my life and whether I could justify it alongside my MacBook Pro and iPhone. The one thing that really stood out when I asked myself the question was the ability for me to do development on the device and it would be pretty difficult if I just used the iPad Simulator in Xcode. The Simulator is very different to running on real hardware in my experience, with some particular issues I've encountered including;
- Different locations for file storage between simulator and device
- Different project binaries to compile for the differing CPU architecture that the simulator uses to the actual iPad/iPhone
- Memory issues that don't occur in a simulated environment but do occur on a real device.
But once I'd convinced myself of the requirement, getting a hold of one in the UK proved difficult.
Scarce to find
Struggling to find any in the Apple retail stores and up to 10 day lead times online, I (reluctantly) resorted to eBay but was pleasantly surprised to get in touch with a great guy who had a 16Gb WiFi going for sale which he'd purchased over in the US only a few weeks prior. Alongside this, the iPad will replace my Wife's NetBook too and she will enjoy the browsing experience so much more. Just a few hours play with it has already made me realise what a fantastic device the iPad really is and I am so looking forward to using and developing for it in the months ahead.
Have I justified the purchase yet?
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