Since everyone is talking out of their a** about the iPad they’ve never seen or used (excluding Press/Pundits who made it to the actual iPad event to fondle it for a whole… 10 minutes?!), I figure I can pretend I know what I’m talking about too, right? After a couple days of discussions with my tech-savvy and totally clueless friends, I’ve hobbled together my own idea of how I would use an iPad, complete with things it will and won’t do in this first generation.
A Day In The Life Of… The iPad: An Ultimate Use Case Scenario (Complete with real and imagined functionality. And footnotes. Because I’m a nerd.)
11: 50 PM, last night: I fell asleep, iPad in hand, listening to an audiobook while following along with the eBook version (1), because that’s the kind of learning style that works best for me. Sometime during the night, half, asleep, I managed to place it on it’s dock/charger. (sometimes I tuck it under my pillow, because it’s half an inch thin!) (2).
6:04 AM: This morning I woke up and reached for my iPad off the nightstand. Overnight, headlines and stills from my chosen publications, podcasts, and RSS feeds have been updated and show up on my home screen (3). The content is not actually on the iPad, but on my desktop in the computer room, 40 feet away (4). I clicked on “Managing The Gray“, an audio podcast, and it started playing not through the iPad, but over my home stereo/media center/entertainment center (5).
6:10 AM: I walked to the bathroom, made faces in the mirror, and began thinking about my day.
6:14 AM: I grabbed my iPad and went into the kitchen, pouring a cup of coffee. I sat at the kitchen and launched Safari while C.C. Chapman resonated throughout the house. In the NY Times I saw an interesting episode of The Frugal Traveler video series. I clicked on the clip and it began playing on the iPad (6). A few seconds in, I decided I would rather watch this video on my giant flat screen TV in the living room, so I select the “Show on TV” option (7).
My TV woke up from standby and my iPad interface was now mirrored onto my giant ass TV, where I could watch videos, scroll the web, and everything else I can do on the iPad, I can do on the TV, using the iPad as a giant, $500, full-screen touch-sensitive remote control device (8). “Managing The Gray” stopped playing through the house, and the audio from The Frugal Traveler switched to my Entertainment Center Audio, which has been set to play “anything that shows on the TV” thanks to the Ultimate Media Center Controller (“UMC”) app (9).
6:26 AM: After getting schooled on finding the best Ramen restaurants in Japan, I launched the Yahoo News website in Safari and went the to “Top Stories Video” section. As video clips played one after another I sat the iPad down and cooked up some eggs and toast. I served myself and plopped on the couch. Eggs, Toast, Coffee, iPad. Not a bad start for a Tuesday!
6:40 AM: I launched the email app and skimmed through some work emails just to get an idea of what to expect that day. A few minutes later I realized I was about to be late for work if I didn’t get off my butt and get ready! I stopped the videos. I went back to my RSS reader and activated the Text-to-Speech option (10), and routed the audio back to my audio receiver in the bedroom. I listened to a few articles from TechCrunch as read by “Vicky”, while ironing some slacks.
6:55 AM: Before stepping into the shower I hit the MobileMe icon, which instantly began syncing up all my content to all registered devices including my home and work computers, my iPhone, the “cloud”, and of course, the iPad.
7:25 AM: As I got dressed I activated the Voice-Memo app and created an audio to-do list, which automatically saved as an MP3 into my iTunes player. I re-synced everything via MobileMe because I’m still getting used to this new iPad-centric work flow.
7:35 AM: Now officially late for work, I launched the Brinks Home Security app and set it to “Active” (11). I had five minutes to leave the house and open and close my garage door. I threw the iPad on the bed and ran out of the house, headed to work, careful to obey all posted speed limits.
(Note: I don’t take the iPad out of the house by choice. It’s a home “appliance” in the most basic terms. I also don’t have a second iPad at my office because who’s got the budget for that!? Although, if I did, imagine the possibilities!)
4:58 PM: After a long day’s work, I grabbed my gym gear and hit the “shutdown” icon on my work computer, which runs MobileMe sync as part of the shutdown sequence.
7:40 PM: After the gym I sat in the parking lot and logged my workout using my iPhone and the RunKeeper app because I’m a nerd like that. I drove home, sweaty and tired as usual.
7:51 PM: I jumped in the shower, changed into something comfortable, grabbed the iPad off the bed, and headed off to the kitchen to make some dinner.
8:15 PM: I decided I was too lazy/tired to cook that night so I launched the Papa Johns® App and ordered a pizza. (A made up app- PJ’s is slacking apparently.) I chose what size and toppings I wanted and clicked the order button. Since I already have an account with them, I didn’t have to enter a credit card because or address since my info is on file.
8:20 PM: Two minutes later I got a call from Papa Johns to confirm my order. I forgot my iPhone in the bathroom, but since calls show up on my iPad *and* my iPad works as a Bluetooth speaker phone, I hit “Answer” and confirmed my order (12).
8:25 PM: With pizza on the way, I launched the AppleTV controller (13). I browsed through my list of saved shows, and launched a classic episode of the Simpsons which began playing on the living room TV (see “7″). I still laugh everytime that kid says, “ha-hah!”. A few episodes later, I decided I’d rather watch a movie.
9:04 PM: I launched the iTunes Store on the iPad, scrolled through some offerings and chose District 9 for rent at $3.99. While the video downloaded onto my AppleTV (not onto the iPad!), I switched over to email. My niece sent me some photos from her recent South African Safari. I chose the “Show on TV” option and flipped through some photos on the big screen. I did the “click-and-hold” on the iPad screen and saved a copies of a few photos onto my Network Attached Storage device (14). I wrote her a quick reply using the on-screen keyboard and sent it off.
9:18 PM: I switched back to AppleTV to play the movie, even though it wasn’t finished downloading. As the movie started to play, I launched the Home Energy Controller™ (“HEC”) app and used the “Movie Time” preset to shut off all the other lights in the house, and dim the lights in the living room (15).
9:28 PM: Ten minutes into the movie, the door bell rang. I hit pause on the movie and used the HEC to turn on the porch light and the hallway light. I walked to the door, greeting the pimply-faced youth. He presented his wireless UPS-like POS device where I simply had to sign my name. No credit card needed! He asked if I wanted some coupons. I said yes and he checked the “coupons” box on the POS. Next time I launch the Papa Johns App I will have some coupon codes! I thanked him and grabbed the pie. Ah, the smell of hot, tomato-scented cardboard!
9:33 PM: I brought the pizza into the kitchen and had to manually turn the kitchen lights on, because I haven’t made a setting for that in my HEC yet. I served myself up a few slices, poured a cold one, and headed back to the sofa. I used the “Movie Time” preset again and hit “Resume” on the iPad’s AppleTV controller app.
11:08 PM: After the movie (a pretty good one I might add), I had to get some real work done, so I headed to my Desktop computer for a couple hours. Next thing I knew, it was time for bed.
12:28 PM: I grabbed my iPad and headed to the bedroom. I used the “Bedtime” preset on the HEC app to shut off all the lights in the house, turn on the lights in the bedroom, and turn down the thermostat. Nestled in my PJs and warm bed, I opened up the Brinks Home Security app to double check all my points of entry, and to set the alarm.
12:38 AM: I opened up an eBook+Audio (16), listening and reading along until I fell asleep.
Not a bad day!
As a point of interest, some of these functions I already do on my iPhone. With an iPad, my iPhone use would dwindle down to, well, making phone calls! If these features ever appear on the iPad, I will have to buy one no matter the cost!
Notes/Links:
1. Multi-tasking, hello?
2. Did anyone say “half an inch thin” before Steve-o?
3. An app as a home screen? Talk about functional!
4. Wireless Networking
5. Apple “Remote” App
6. No Flash. 
7. No wireless video mirroring
8. Not a giant, full-screen, touch sensitive remote control device!
9. I made up the “Ultimate Media Center Controller” app. It might actually exist.
10. Text to Speech
11. Brinks? Hello? Anyone there Brinks?
12. Speakerphone via Bluetooth! Please someone make this!
13. An AppleTV controller- would sell more AppleTVs!
14. NAS? Mountable Hard Drives? Yes please!
15. I made up the “Home Energy Controller” app, but this one is close.
16. eBook+Audio. Now there’s an awesome idea!
