The estimated reading time for this post is 5 minutes
Yesterday I bought an iPad 2 to replace my original iPad, which I love and was only nine months old. Why did I replace my iPad which was so young and beloved? I replaced my iPad due to a combination of three events:
- Next week is my birthday. My husband was stumped about what to get me. I love tech.
- My husband’s wonderful company pays his bonus next week. All companies should time their bonus payments with their workers’ spouses birthdays. Brilliant.
- Steve Jobs sold me on getting an iPad 2.
My husband was one of the readers of The Wonder of Tech who asked what the best way was to buy an iPad (surprising me with my birthday present wasn’t an option). I advised him to order online to make sure he would get exactly the model he (I) wanted. I figured the iPad would arrive in plenty of time for my birthday so ordering online would be ideal.
Wrong. I woke up at 4am yesterday (no, I didn’t set my alarm, I just happened to wake up at the exact moment iPads went on sale at store.apple.com). I reached over for my iPhone and went on Twitter to see the reports of iPhone sales.
Reports on Twitter, which were confirmed on Apple’s website, said that the iPad 2 would ship in three to five business days, not in time for my birthday. So much for speedy shipping! (By 10am yesterday, the Apple store online was showing two to three weeks for shipping the iPad 2.)
I realized that I couldn’t let my husband down. After all, I was the one who advised him to order online so he could give me my iPad on my birthday. So I decided to go on a mission to buy my iPad at a store. That’s right. Wait in line. A scary prospect, but for a good cause. I knew sales in stores started at 5pm, but I didn’t want to stand in line all day. I needed to find a place with maximum inventory and minimum lines.
I wasn’t sure where to go, so I checked out my favorite tech blog, The Wonder of Tech, which recommended the AT&T store for anyone wanting an AT&T 3G iPad. Perfect! That’s me! At about 1 pm I called my local AT&T store to see how long the line was. “No line,” the AT&T clerk said when I called. I smiled. I had figured it out. Score one for The Wonder of Tech, I wouldn’t have to wait in line! “We don’t have any iPads,” he continued.
Uh oh. What next? Checking back with The Wonder of Tech, I decided to call the local Best Buy store. They wouldn’t tell me how much inventory they had but they said there was a line already. Not good.
I again checked The Wonder of Tech. I knew the line at the nearest Apple Store would be extremely long (it was, 400-500 people at 4pm, according to reports on Twitter) and I really wanted to avoid a long line.
I called Target. A kind woman at Target informed me there was no line but that a lot of people had been calling about the iPad so I should probably get there around 4pm. She wouldn’t tell me how much inventory they had, but I figured they had to have a good amount or she would have told me to head to Target pronto.
I got to Target at 3pm and found a line of about 15 people. A wrinkle in my plan was that I had my three girls with me. Could they find enough to keep themselves busy in Target for two hours? “No problem,” they assured me with big smiles and off they went.
If you have never stood in line for a product before, well, you have missed out on a treat. A certain comradery develops among the people near you in line. You share stories about whether this is your first iPad, who you’re buying it for, and other tidbits about your life. My iPad comrades delighted with me at the glimpses of my daughters filling their shopping cart with Target treasures.
The employees at Target were friendly, helpful and organized. They told us ahead of time that there were 120 iPads in stock and at 3:45 they began handing out tickets for each particular model. When one customer realized he had asked for the wrong ticket (after consulting with his wife on the phone), a Target worker asked others in line if they would like to trade tickets with the man. A woman behind me in line was delighted to trade tickets with him and suddenly everyone had their first choice ticket.
At 5pm, Target workers sped through the process, taking tickets and ringing up sales. After about ten minutes, shoppers from Best Buy, disappointed when iPad’s sold out there, came rushing into Target. When I left Target soon after that, Target still had some 64GB 3G iPads left to sell and everyone in line had a ticket.
Unfortunately, Target did not have any iPad 2 accessories in stock yet, so I still want to get a cover and a cord to hook the iPad up to the tv. But other than that, buying my iPad at Target was delightful.
After we left Target, I was thrilled, my daughters were happy with their Target goodies (they didn’t go too crazy) and I tweeted about my successful mission. You can only imagine how delighted my husband was when he learned about the sacrifices I was willing to make so he could give me my birthday present on time!
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Tech Tip
If you have an iPad, whether it’s new or old, grab the app AppStart from the iTunes App Store. It’s free this weekend and loaded with great recommendations about apps for your iPad!
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Was It Worth It To Upgrade?
My favorite feature so far is the speed of the new iPad. It’s not quite the same difference as between dial up and high-speed Internet, but the increased speed is definitely noticeable. My iPad 2 is so much faster that going back to my original iPad would be frustrating. It’s that different.
Here is a video from one of my favorite websites, TiPb.com, showing the difference in speed between the original iPad and the iPad 2:
*Photo by Sujal Shah
Have you seen this?
http://gizmodo.com/#!5780541/how-to-activate-the-best-secret-feature-in-your-ipad
I’ve downloaded the Mac app but have not proceeded further yet. Waiting to see if you think this is a good idea!
Hi KathyF, Thanks for posting that cool video. I had heard about the multi-gesture feature for developers but had never seen it in action. There was a rumor that Apple was going to use this feature to eliminate the Home button on the iPad 2, but I’m happy to report the Home button is still on the iPad 2.
As cool as this feature is, I can’t recommend it for The Wonder of Tech readers. This feature is intended for developers and is a trial feature. By re-coding your iPad (whether iPad 1 or 2) for developers, you are making significant changes to your iPad. Is this something that could cause you problems in the future? Perhaps, and developers are much better at solving these problems than non-developers. I hate problems so I tend to stay away from going rogue with my Apple devices.
If you try this, please let us know how it goes!
I love this post! It really helped me understand how the iPad 2 is faster. I didn’t really understand the difference between the two but that TiPB video cleared things up! Thanks for sharing!
P.S. I had a lot of fun at Target. It’s amazing how Target can keep you entertained for hours!
Hi Arielle, I’m so glad you liked the video from TiPb. It’s a great demonstration of how much faster the iPad 2 is.
omg!! I can totally relate! Great post.
Glad you got your iPad2. Happy birthday!
You go girl!!
Hi Anna, Welcome back to The Wonder of Tech! Thanks very much for the kind words and birthday wishes. Here’s a link to a great unboxing video of the iPad 2 you might enjoy: iPad 2 Unboxing Video.
Hi Carolyn, I’m so glad I found your blog! My husband just gave me an Ipad as an anniversary present and I’m so excited! This is my first apple thing and I can’t wait to get started with it.
I’m really basic so I have some basic questions. I know to get into an app I just tap on the picture. But how do I get out of an app? Do I have to close out of it? Can I switch between apps quickly or do I have to move between the pages?
Thanks for all your help. Im probably going to have a lot more questions later. KC
Hi KC, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech and Happy Anniversary! How exciting to get your first Apple product, especially an iPad!
Once you’re in an app, just click on the Home button (the physical button at the bottom of the screen) to leave the app. To switch between apps, double click that Home button and a list of open apps appears at the bottom. If you swipe to the left, you continue seeing which apps are open. To totally close out of an app, press down on one of the icons at the bottom of the screen. The icons will start to jiggle and a red circle with a minus sign will appear in the top left corner of the icon. Press that circle and the app will totally close.
You didn’t mention whether you have an iPad 1 or an iPad 2. If you have an iPad 1, it’s really important to keep track of which icons you have open. If you have too many open you may have problems with apps crashing (closing without notice) and lagging performance. I haven’t noticed that problem with my iPad 2, but I still try to keep open only the apps I need.
To switch between apps, double tap the Home button and find the icon of the app you want to switch to and press it. The new app will open without you having to close out of the other app.
A quick tip: To get back to the first page of icons on your iPad (the Home Screen), just click the Home button and you will be taken to the Home Screen. If you are already on the Home Screen, clicking the Home button will take you to the search page (called Spotlight). A keyboard will pop up. You can type in the name of an app, contact, song, etc. you want to find. I use the search page often to quickly move to an app.
Enjoy your new iPad and please feel free to ask as many questions as you want to!
Ewh. I want one! Of course, I live with a tech addict who happens to be in the US this week so it may not be long . . I need a new Ipad case. Hear there are all kinds of new stuff like built in key boards and rotating stands. What should I get?
Hell Stephanie, Welcome back to The Wonder of Tech! If you are considering a new case for your original iPad, you’re in luck. A lot of these cases are on sale because of the launch of the iPad 2 in the US. What I like in a case is: 1) it protects the iPad front and back, 2) it can be used as a stand, 3) it is slightly cushioned to protect against drops (I can be a bit clumsy), and 4) it’s not a sleeve. I tend to take my gadgets out of sleeves and then neglect to put them back in the sleeves. Here is a case from amazon.com that meets my criteria, is highly reviewed and on sale: Bear Motion Leather iPad case.
I’m not big on the idea of a case with a keyboard unless you are going to be typing on your iPad a lot. Even then, a wireless keyboard like this Kensington Bluetooth keyboard might be a better choice because you could continue using it if you upgraded to an iPad 2 in the future. A keyboard in a case would add weight and bulk to your iPad, somewhat defeating the purpose of the slim, trim device.
Just went to buy it online at apple. Do you rec. getting the cover and/or stand?
Hi Leigh, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I understand the wait for an iPad 2 from the Apple Store is 4-5 weeks now, so you will have to be patient! The cover is very cool. I love that it folds up to be a stand or to prop the iPad up for typing. I also love how it wakes up the iPad when you open the cover and puts it back to sleep when you close the cover. But remember that it’s only a cover for the front screen, not a case. Some people have reported getting bad scratches on the back of their iPad 2 devices because the back was unprotected. Case manufacturers should be coming out soon with protective cases to protect the back of your iPad 2. Hoprefully they will be selling them before you receive your iPad 2 so you can protect your device as soon as you receive it!
any “must have”‘ ipad apps?
Hi JP, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! You asked a great and timely question. App Start for iPad by AppAdvice.com is free through today and has a top ten list of starter apps for your iPad. Download it today while it’s free, even if you haven’t had a chance to grab an iPad yet. You can always add it to your iPad later.
App Start’s top ten list is excellent, but I would add the Kindle App to their list. The Kindle app is free and can turn your iPad into a useful eReader.