Stop Telling Me What I Want Is Stupid

[neadods]

It doesn't even exist yet, and I'm already pissed off at the number of guys who are blowing off the notion of a 7" iPad as stupid. And they're all guys so far, because it takes someone who doesn't carry a purse to bitch that something that's roughly 7 x 5 inches "is too big because it can't fit in a pocket." (As opposed to the current iPad, which at 9.7 x 7.5 is too big to fit into pockets and most purses. Bigger is not automatically better, gentlemen, no matter what they told you in the locker room.)

I've got a friend with an iPad, and it looks like a very nifty gadget, and I have to confess, I'd rather like one. But it's way too damned big and heavy to stick in my car to play music and podcasts while I drive or drop in a purse and schlep around while I travel. If I'm taking something that size, I'm taking my netbook.

On the other hand, I've got an iPod Touch, and while it's portable and convenient as hell, the screen's terribly small and the keyboard is ridiculously tiny. I could read my email and LJ and ebooks while I traveled, but it is a complete and utter bugger to type URLs, shopping lists, and blog entries. (C'mon, Apple, I had a fold-out full-sized keyboard for my palm pilot 10 years ago. I'm just sayin'.)

A 7 x 5 inch machine would be the perfect compromise of portability, adaptability, readability, and type-ability for a daily general-use and travel companion. It was what I started dreaming of the third time I corrected a typo because only 3-year-olds have fingers that will fit that Touch screen. And now I keep being blown off because what I want -- what I think is specifically tailored to my technical specs -- is "dumb."

But what do I know? I'm just a well-heeled customer willing to pay out hundreds for the right technotoy girl, after all. Naturally, only misogynistic morons think I won't buy anything that beeps unless it's pink and explained to me in Very Small Words, because it's not like Apple's all about the ease of use or I work in a technical field or anything.

Seriously... a paperback book is "too big" to be portable? Because dudes, that's the size you're bitching about!

Comments

[neadods.livejournal.com]

What I want is a short-term computer substitute, but it still strikes me as having a lot of sheer face space -- good for watching movies and reading ebooks, but not so good for dropping in your bag and going. Nor could you hold it in one hand and turn pages with the same hand (I assume; correct me if I'm wrong, but that's how I'm often reading on the Touch - entirely one-handed while I do something else with the other.)

[nonelvis]

I must admit, I bought a slightly larger bag just for those days when I want to carry it around. But you can definitely hold it in one hand and turn pages with the same one, at least in one direction at a time. Mind you, I'm not walking around and reading with it, as I might with my iPhone -- it would be a bit too heavy to hold it up for a long period of time -- so if that's something you do with your Touch, you'll definitely want to wait for a smaller iPad.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I've got a big shopping purse... but by the time I put a full-sized iPad in it and my knitting, there isn't room for shopping. :)