iPad is like a BMW 7 Series: fat and excessive

A year ago or so I had a week with a friend's big, fat BMW. It was actually a 645i not a 7 series, but same point: I found it so fat and luxurious I actually felt nauseous when sitting down in the thing each the morning. I'm not trying to pull a Cayce Pollard here. I'm not thinking I've got some preternatural sensitivity. I really did find the steering wheel so meaty in my hands--which are not small themselves--and the sensation of being trapped inside the bathtub like interior of that car so constricting that it brought back childhood memories of delirium, when I had a fever of 104F and the world felt like the inside of a Dali painting. Also, there's such excess in a high end BMW, a level of perfection so far above where normal mortals live. Every stitch is in place. The leather is thick and heavy with wealth. All the switches click with a sublime feel that makes me think only of large quantities of delicious butter and steak and the morning after feeling of way too much expensive red wine. Nauseousness.

This afternoon I spent my first 15 minutes with an iPad and felt exactly the same way.

If you know me, you know I love technology. I just purchased a LiveScribe pen for example and am tickled with it. I have a BlackBerry filled with way too many apps. I use Twitter. I have to have the latest software version and am always trying new stuff. I buy almost all my books in electronic format. But I was surprised at how completely unsuited I am for the iPad. Here's why:

1. I do love keyboards. I love that tactile give of the keys. Hitting the glass of a virtual keyboard for even a short length of time makes my fingertips hurt.

2. The iPad is heavy. Really heavy. Let me say that more strongly: it feels like a brick, like you could use it in an exercise routine. My Kindle and the iPod touch in contrast are magically light, almost weightless. Holding the iPad made me feel again like I was in a childhood delirium.

3. I don't play games. My laptop is fine for the occasional movie. So all that functionality is wasted on me.

4. I find Flipboard frightening. That's the app that pulls content from everywhere and creates your own magazine. I am not a strong person. I am too easily seduced. Flipboard feels like being trapped in a doctor's office with an infinite number of the latest magazines and no appointment in sight. Get me out of here! But no, even though the door is unlocked I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE!

It makes sense that the iPad is devouring netbooks and consumer level cheap notebooks. It's the same price and incomparably more beautiful. It's like a taste of BMW for the price of a used Honda Super Cub. But the only use I've got for it is to show someone a presentation across the conference room table. For the most part, as Cory Doctorow says, it's just a consumption device.

Kindle 3 initial impressions

I've now owned my Kindle 3 for a few days. Some initial impressions.

Dislikes:

1. It doesn't feel as well made as the Kindle 2. The back is plastic rather than metal. The smaller size makes Kindle 3 less easy to hold in my (relatively large) hands than Kindle 2.

2. The page turn buttons are not as good. They're small and I more frequently fumble clicking the next page.

3. The new five way navigation device is not as good as Kindle 2. The other buttons are too close and it's easy to slip and click a button above or below the navigation device.

4. I do miss the row of dedicated number keys. These are now accessible by the Kindle function. I frequently use the numbers keys to navigate to places in a book. These were eliminated as dedicated keys to reduce the size of the device.

Likes:

1. The higher contrast screen is wonderful. Finally comes close to matching a printed page for contrast. The Kindle 2 screen has too much grey in the background. Kindle 3 isn't pure black and white but it's close enough.

2. Kindle 2 was lightweight. Kindle 3 is even more so. Three Kindles = One iPad. And despite my criticism above, the smaller size with no reduction in screen size is nice.

3. The new operating system adds various tweaks that are positive but none significant enough to note here. I have no use for the function that lets you see what sections of books were highlighted by other people who own the same book.

4. Twice the memory is nice.

5. Page turns are marginally and noticeably faster. But I never had problems with the Kindle 2 speed.

6. The new carbon color is nice but I liked the white and silver of Kindle 2.

Conclusion? Very worthwhile purchase. $140 for the Wifi only version. Should you spend $50 extra to add 3G wireless? It is unlimited, forever but it's not essential--perhaps useful if you're going to be using the Kindle as a backup browser in places where you need to find some critical piece of info.

Waiting for my Waterfield Designs slipcase. Not going to buy one of those Amazon leather cases that make the Kindle look like a Moleskine when the case is closed.

Waterfield case for Kindle

I never realized until yesterday why Waterfield Designs--the San Francisco briefcase and bag company that sews everything right in San Fran, where the "labor and rents are high"--was called "Waterfield". It's named for Gary Waterfield, the founder. If you have a Kindle (or really any other electronic device) you should take a look at their offerings. Here's their slipcase for Kindle 2 in brown. Just a simple thing, really, but beautifully made.

Kindle and brewing coffee

I've had my Kindle now for about 10 days. For someone who likes multi-tasking, who likes capturing those tiny moments--like waiting for the coffee to brew, 10 minutes on the subway, 5 minutes waiting for a meeting to start--the Kindle is an amazing device. Instead of flipping through e-mail on a BlackBerry, reading a free newspaper, or staring into space, you can be picking up where you left off with Thomas Friedman, Thomas Hardy or whoever is top on your list.

For those who don't like using up little slices of time, ignore this note! But for those who do, the Kindle allows great thoughts, great language to insert themselves into your life in a way that I think significantly improves the flow of your thoughts and the firing of brain synapses that make life pleasurable.