iPad availability in Spain and buying one

I wanted to order a 32GB wifi only model this week and I called the local premium reseller to see what models that had in stock. I don’t really need the 3G because I am nearly always with WiFi and so is my wife who will also be using the iPad. I was not too surprised to hear that there were no iPads in stock at all in the shop. Although in the Apple Store online there are iPads and the delay time for getting sent out is only 1 day.

So there was only one thing to do and to order online. I did get a email to say it would be sent out in 24 hours and that is nearly up and no sign of it being on its way to me yet. I am so impatient!

I also ordered the camera connection kit and the VGA connector because my wife will be connecting it to the projectors in the school and I want to use the USB of the camera connector to attach a microphone. We went for the 32GB because I have a 16GB iPhone and it is getting full and we expect that there will be more media put on to be used on an iPad.

No case ordered for it yet, that could be something good to get from the local Apple Premium reseller in Girona. Not sure which case to lay out the cash for

How have you found it has worked out with the GB available on your iPad. Do you run out of space quickly?

Comments or questions are welcome.

Applications to get for the iPad

I have some iPad software already in iTunes. I have Flipboard and Inkling which are iPad only applications plus about 25 universal applications. I will be buying the Keynote application of course and I may well also get the Bento iPad version.

Of course I will have Evernote on the iPad, Dropbox will be loaded up straightaway, 1Password is ready to be used there too. Textexpander and SimpleNote are universal applications and in iTunes.

iBooks is ready and waiting and for games I have Beecells. I may get flight control for the iPad or Plants vs Zombies perhaps.

Convert the iPad into a NetBook hybrid

ipadlapdock

The iPad with its touch computer interface is not like a netbook, but Lapdock have had the bright idea to convert the iPad into a netbook with using a bluetooth keyboard in a special iPad case. The bluetooth keyboard side of things is not fully worked out yet but both Lapdock and Clamcase think it would be a good idea that with a hybrid Netbook iPad, the user will get the best of both worlds. What do you think is it a good idea for you and the way you expect to work with your iPad using a bluetooth keyboard with it. Or would you be better off with a docking station iPad.

I suppose there will be some dinosaurs that think it is vital to hang on to the past and the use of the keyboard rather than embrace the way of working with an Apple tablet on which it is designed for the fingers to do the walking. It may not be enough the get the Apple Keyboard dock and just use in certain occasions. Some people may prefer to have more to carry around with them. I personally don’t think it will be necessary.

The Hybrid Tablet Lives With Clamcase.png

I suppose one of the main factors will be the weight of the wrapper that is case and stand for the iPad. If it gets to be too heavy then you might well have a MacBook Pro in your computer bag. What you will have to ask yourself is “What problem does this iPad solution solve for me? You cold see this a middle ground while we are all in the process of adapting to the new world, game changing devices.

Tell me what you think

Comments or questions are welcome.

iPad a game changer

The hype is still there with many saying that the magical iPad is a game changer device. But is the iPad a computer or device. The way that it has been noted how people are using the iPad it certainly is in the realm of changing the landscape of the computing world. No one expected it to be so firmly presented as a device that is different from computers and mobile phone type devices, ending up in the space in between the two.

People are using the device in so many different ways, mainly as a way of consuming media, whether it be comics, newspapers, magazines, films, TV and video of the traditional media, to the new ways of presenting media as you find on web sites and also in some game changing iPad media applications. It seems that the advertisers and the web masters have already noticed that there has been a surge of traffic to their sites and their content by iPad users.

Steve Jobs and his attempts to squash Flash and bring in the rise of HTML5 to give the best viewing and computer using experience seems to be gaining ground. Programmers are clever people, surely they can easily made a change to newer more robust technologies rather than cling to the past. We will be able to see web sites that are still feature rich but work well with the touch interface. The Touch interface is the future and surely the great and the good of the computer business world will not want to be left behind by changing technologies

How are you going to react to the new wave of computing? Are you going to embrace the ingenious iPad and use one to devour online content and also the content that in the past was best in the traditional media outlets? What I would like to see is the demolition of the text book market so that kids can carry all of their text books in one device. Imagine how up to date the information will be and what that will mean to the education system and learning strategies in schools. It could almost make you want to go back to education again.

Comments or questions are welcome.

iPad HDMI adapter

Connecting up your iPad VGA to HD 1080p HDMI can be done with an special Upscaling Adapter, this is if you want to output your iPad to 1080p HDMI displays such as HDTV, projectors, and computer monitors? There is an after market accessory that can upscale VGA outputs to even above-HD resolution of 1920×1200. It can even merge the device sound into HDMI.

iPad VGA to HD 1080p HDMI Upscaling Adapter | Obama Pacman-1.png

The Atlona VGA to HDMI Scaler/Converter is a plug and play box that takes VGA signals from devices such as Apple’s iPad tablet, combines with audio, and outputs a HDMI signal.

The adapter detects native resolution of the display and scales the source output to match it. The VGA to HDMI converter is powered by an USB port. You should be able to use one of Apple’s wall power adapters for iPod, iPhone, and iPad, which has a usb port, for power.

There are alternative ways to get HDTV Connectivity such as Apple iPad, Component / Composite Output cables

Besides VGA output at native resolution of 1024×768, which is the standard resolution of projectors, Apple’s iPad tablet can also connect to HDTV at 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable. I expect there will be numerous ways of connecting our iPads to various devices and peripherals, it is early days yet for the HDMI adapters.

Next thing to look at is the iPad 2 HDMI adapter. The iPad hdmi’ adapter is an easy iPad adapter to get your hands on. I think there is a specific iPad 2 adapter to connect up with HDMI.

Apple Component AV Cable – iPhone / iPod audio / video / data cable with power adapter – component video / audio / USB – Apple Dock connector – 4 pin USB Type A, RCA (M)

Apple Composite AV Cable (MB129LL/B)

iPad Docking Station

The iPad docking station is such a good idea because it allows iPad users to stand up the iPad in front of an iPad Keyboard and have it as a proper iPad computer workstation. You will have the joy of using a full keyboard and the Apple keyboard is such a joy to use also. You get the ability to set up in places where you would not have been able to do so before without the iPad station or iPad dock station..

iPad Docking station

Although it is great to be able to take one of these keyboard docking stations away with you, the real benefit comes when you are in the home or your workplace and you want to have the ability to type something longer than you would otherwise. You will get better accuracy and productivity with using the iPad docking station.

Bluetooth iPad docking station

Another possibility for making use of a portable keyboard is to use the Apple Bluetooth keyboard. possibly a more tidy option, although you would have to find some way to stand up the iPad. Most people will still be using the iPad without a docking station, they will have the device sitting on the lap. Not totally comfortable but workable, a good decision would be to buy a dock station iPad or an i Dock..

The iPad is going to go from strength to strength because of its capabilities and the iPad docking station is just one of the tools in the arsenal. I have the iPhone for when I am out and about also and I always thought it would be a great addition to have a keyboard that would work with the iPhone or even the iPod Touch too.

There are the standard iPad docking stations and also the iPad docking station with keyboard, but you do have to look to see that you are getting the iPad 2 dock station if it is that model of iPad you have.

Apple iPad Keyboard Dock - Apple Store (U.S.).png

iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter

Using the iPad to do business presentations seems like it could be the perfect device. Easy to put on a stand in front of you and utilising the iPad Dock Connector to iPad VGA Adapter from Apple ($29 US), which is a fairly unassuming device with the classic Apple 30 pin connector on one end of a short cable and a small white box housing a female VGA connector on the other.

Use the iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter to connect an iPad to your television, projector, or VGA display. Then see your videos and slideshows on the big screen.
The iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter connects to your iPad or iPad Dock via the dock connector and to your projector or display using the iPad to vga adapter.

The vga adapter iPad accessory, does exactly as you would expect, to do, more or less, allowing you to show pictures, slideshows, videos, movies and Keynote presentations to an external display. Most likely in this arena would be one of those screens that you use in business meeting to project on to.
You have to keep in mind that this Apple adapter only outputs images and video……not sound. If you want to watch that video with it’s accompanying soundtrack you will need to either listen to the sound from the iPad speaker, pull the audio out via the headphone jack or use a different cable.
It seems that Keynote on the iPad is not the full ticket as per the application on the Mac and it may be better to keep the presentations simple. The best thing of course in any case is to have a bit of a dry run at home before you go and make a fool of yourself in the business meeting.
What would be nice, would be to have a HDMI out from the iPad, maybe we will get that one of the days in a future incarnation of the iPad.

Any limitations?
Well it seems that not all applications will work using the connector including some movies, although that problem could be due to the DRM limitations that don’t allow those purchased movies to go through some VGA connections. YouTube videos play though it. DRM protected videos do NOT, but videos that I added myself (i.e. ripped via HandBrake and added to iTunes) play beautifully.

It also seems that it doesn’t enable mirroring and some buyers of this accessory have asked for their money back. Not being able to project the desktop, email, spreadsheet, websites, etc is a real limitation in order to use in meeting. Doesn’t Apple realise that in real meetings people project data in other ways rather than just a PowerPoint presentations. There are people looking for a vga to vga adapter, maybe it is necessary to change from male to female connections?

Belkin pleated Sleeve for the iPad

We have to start with looking after the iPad and Belkin always make good products and they have iPad sleeves and iPad 2 sleeves. Here is their Pleated sleeve type case which is available in black. The iPad slides into the case really easy and keeps your iPad safe Belkin F8N277tt Pleated Sleeve for iPad – Black

As we know the iPad has the glass on the front of it so needs to have some protection. The good thing about this case is that the pleated design expands to fit you iPad and your accessories too. So it will still be fairly compact once you have put some extras in there.

The iPad 2 sleeve is made of the wet suit material neoprene and can be kept clean with mild soap and water. It has a soft lining and a secure closure.