pre-iPad

I've pre-ordered my iPad; I chose the 16GB WiFi-only version. Even though I love the idea of 3G access, I really don't think I'd use it enough to warrant the extra $130 (much less the $15-$30 monthly data charge). That, and hearing the WiFi-only iPad was shipping a month sooner sealed the deal. I plan on using it primarily on the couch and around the house anyway.

I chose the 16GB version for several reasons…

1. I'm not afraid of media management. Having one or two movies and a dozen or so of my favorite albums is sufficient for me.
2. SSD storage is damn expensive. Spending an extra $200 for an extra 48GB of space just seems crazy to me. It's not like I could fit all of my photos, movies, and music on the 64GB version anyway. If I'm going to have to manage my media anyway I don't see the point.
3. This product is built for STREAMING content. Apple is already moving towards a cloud-based iTunes, and many other third-party streaming services will be coming to the iPad as well. The need for large amounts of local storage on mobile devices is going to disappear.
4. The money I save this year will be put to good use next year on an iPad 2.0.

The thing that makes me most excited is knowing that my "low-end" iPad is going to run just as fast as the $830 version because they have the exact same CPU. It won't be that way for a lot of the PC tablets.

I'm sure I will miss the GPS capability sooner or later—I know it would come in handy for road trips. I'm just hoping the next version of the iPod Touch will have the same 3G data plan available as the iPad (and a camera). I'll buy one of those in a heartbeat.

17 more days…