With some trepidation, I made the switch to an Apple MacBook Pro laptop in January of this year. (if you can call a computer with a dazzlingly-clear 17-inch screen a laptop). There was a bit of a learning curve – but I was amazed by two things: How intuitive the Mac was, and how terrific the Apple One-On-One trainers were.

As I spend my sixth decade roaming this earth, I wondered how difficult it would be to learn a whole new language, and way to use programs on a Mac. The answer – incredibly easy. First off those Apple trainers made it very comfortable to learn the Mac way. We met at the Starbuck’s Store near the Apple Store in the mall – the relaxed atmosphere matched the trainer’s demeanor. They had me up and running with confidence after just a few sessions.

But the most amazing experience in my switch to a Mac was how intuitive it is compared to my old PC’s. The programs make sense, using them is very easy, and the computer “learns” email names and actions that I tend to use the most often and creates shortcuts to make my life easier. It was a very smart move to a Mac.

So, last week I get an iPad. Here we go again – another new device to learn. What a piece of cake. Once again I am highly impressed with the Apple geniuses who designed and built this wonderful device.

It starts with registering for 3G Wi-Fi service. It is as easy as turning on the iPad, answering some questions, giving them a credit card online – and BAM! (to quote John Madden) – I was in business.

They don’t give you any other instructions – or a manual – which is kinda scary for a guy who is used to relying on printed advice when learning something new. I guess they want you to explore and customize the iPad for yourself. (Truthfully, this week I found a manual online and it has helped answer some questions as I try to dig deeper into the nuances of the iPad).

The App store is a magical place. It has something like 20,000 apps to choose from – many of them absolutely FREE. I explored the site, and downloaded about a dozen of them in an hour or so this week. I was most impressed with a new free app from The Weather Channel. It has a wealth of local weather info, radar and maps that will challenge every local TV station website for information and customization.

I guess, as I think about it, I have had a little slice of Apple for quite a few years – with about 16,000 songs on my iPod. But that is an antiquated device compared to the MacBook Pro and the iPad.

So – go ahead take a big bite out of the Apple. It’s a darn satisfying experience.

Jim

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 29th, 2010 at 8:50 pm and is filed under Willi. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.