Two weeks to go

[wolfpackfan]

I've always been a gadget/tech freak. The difference now is that I have more time to play with my "toys" Yeah, I'm glad that I'm in the baby boomer group because we have seen technology change drastically in our lifetime.

Not to start an old fuddy, duddy club here - but does anyone remember the old Sinclair computer. I had one of those. It was my first computer. My second was an Atari 400 (which I still have) and my third was an Apple II. I've also had RS TRS-80's, Commodore 64's and an original IBM PC (which I also still have).

 

[AJsAWiz]

Wow, it's great to see that I'm not the only older person that is excited about the iPad. I spent 34 years supporting various platforms and networks during my working life and the older I got the more I tried to simplify things. Whenever someone would come to me looking for a solution, they would want all kinds of complicated, involved solutions. I would always come up with the easiest, simplest solutions. That is why I switched to Macs after I retired. Just for the simplicity and that is why I like the iPad (and iPhones). They are simple and easy to use. Yes, they may not have every bell and whistle that other devices might have, but I don't care. I want something the turns on fast, does what I want in an easy fashion and works like it is supposed to. And if it doesn't have Flash, multi-tasking or a camera, I really don't care. I have shopped around a lot and seriously thought about getting a Toshiba T135 laptop, but just as soon as I started playing with one and it had to download the latest virus updates before it would let me do anything; I said no way would I ever go back to Windows.

NO, you are, definitely not alone here
I think I'll arrange a bus trip to NYC so we can watch the crystal apple drop, on April 3rd, from Times Square.

 

[MatthewStorm]

The Fedex station is 5 minutes from my apt. I'm going down there at 3am when the truck arrives an bribe them to give it to me. I'm thinking a 5th of Jack should suffice.

 

[shujin]

The Fedex station is 5 minutes from my apt. I'm going down there at 3am when the truck arrives an bribe them to give it to me. I'm thinking a 5th of Jack should suffice.

You should get two fifths one for your self and one for the fedex guys. I have been counting down. I am getting sick of looking at wikipedia and macrumors forums. Hey two weeks away is better then it being Jan 27th and first seeing the thing.

 

[Matthew9559]

+1 for 6 weeks wait. It's going to be long!

 

[AJsAWiz]

The Fedex station is 5 minutes from my apt. I'm going down there at 3am when the truck arrives an bribe them to give it to me. I'm thinking a 5th of Jack should suffice.

Sounds like a plan . . . now, why didn't I think about that?

Apple said they would be emailing tracking numbers . . . I'll be waiting on the front porch with my iPhone tracking the package.

 

[MrAgileBeast]

how long before they do that? is it on april 3rd or earlier that they give tracking numbers?

 

[gwynne]

how long before they do that? is it on april 3rd or earlier that they give tracking numbers?

I think (from a friend who pre-ordered the 3GS and from some other posts), you get the tracking # ahead of time. This may initially show a date that is wrong/sooner than April 3rd, and you'll be all excited. Then the tracking info goes into some kind of blackout state (literally--it is blocked) and we all dance around the front porch like crazed monkeys waiting for the FedEx truck all day Saturday.

Or so I've heard.

Maybe someone who was actually in on the 3GS pre-order will jump in here.

 

[Clix Pix]

Another old fuddy-duddy here --- I'm having a birthday at the end of this month, and guess what my birthday present to myself will be? You got it -- an iPad! I've been a tech lover for years and years and getting a brand-new piece of technology for my 65th birthday seems very fitting somehow......

 

[gwynne]

I can't join you guys on the old bandwagon (*grin*) but my 63-year-old mother is the reason I've been playing with computers and taking things apart for 25 years. She bought us a 'personal computer' and a 300 baud modem in the early 80s, and it was all downhill from there.

 

[jasg49]

This is the first time I've jumped for a new device on Day 1 since original 128k Macintosh in 1984. In the years between, I've behaved like a grown-up and waited a year or two for the product to mature. Not this time.

My story exactly - I too am surprise to see so many of us 'vintage' folks so wound up about the iPad.

(gwynne - my 83 year old mother has not been the same since I gave her a Mac in 1997 - she spends more time in front of a monitor than I do as a software developer)

 

[DaBrain]

To that young 57 year old whipper snapper from an almost 59 year old senior citizen
I've always been a gadget/tech freak. The difference now is that I have more time to play with my "toys" Yeah, I'm glad that I'm in the baby boomer group because we have seen technology change drastically in our lifetime.

And yet another 57 year old that's excited! For all of us in this age bracket, what feature are you most excited and looking forward to on the iPad?

Me: Firstly, Im looking forward for reading e-books. Then it's running all my Internet Radio Apps as IM a Talk show junkie. My Favorite Internet Radio App is Reciva. A little over a year ago I got a Grace Internet radio that uses the Reciva chip set and I Love it. Then just recently, they came out with a Reciva App for $4.99 that works like my radio and gets the same 17,000 stations. It's a great deal and as I wanted a Internet Radio for work and already had the touch, this little app saved me about $169! So I just ordered a small Dock/speaker with an LCD clock and IM good to go. My iTouch hasn't seen so much usage like now!

Any who, IM really looking forward to getting my iPad and will have to wait until Monday 4/5 as we have no saturday delivery here in Podunk, PA--)))

 

[ugp]

The Fedex station is 5 minutes from my apt. I'm going down there at 3am when the truck arrives an bribe them to give it to me. I'm thinking a 5th of Jack should suffice.

Very good idea. My station is only 15 minutes from me... I know a few of the Express drivers... maybe I can get it early in the morning as well.

 

[125037]

I won't be able to purchase until the 1st of April and there's no Apple Store near me, so hopefully they can get iPads shipped pretty quickly to those late to the dance.

You can preorder now and I've heard you don't get charged until it ships, which would probably be around April 1st.

They held my money for about a day and now there is absolutely no hold or anything on my account.

 

[Alchematron]

My reality

SlashGear iPad Demo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JPTaoDwOz4

Until reality

 

[Arnieaz]

Well, another "Old Guy" here. I'm 68 (the oldest so far, I think). My first computer was a SWTP 6800 16K. I built it from a kit, while on temporary assignment in South Africa in 1976. Drooling for the iPad. I've ordered a WIFI 32GB AND a 32GB 3G. What did we do before the internet and e-books?

I also had the first IBM PC, but being an employee, we had to wait forever to get one I think it was $3500 with our discount

 

[Clix Pix]

Small world here! First: I was born in Meadville, PA, which isn't all that far from Erie! Second: my (now deceased) husband was an IBMer....he became ill and died at just the very beginning of the personal computer revolution. My first home computer was an IBM PS/1. It didn't take me long to realize how limiting that particular machine was! I shoulda bought an IBM PS/2 from the get-go......

 

[rtabdo]

haha, lots of excited people here! I pre-ordered mine as soon as I could and will have it shipped here on the 3rd.

I'm def excited to see what these developers have done in the past couple of months.

I still think it's going to take more time before we really see the iPad shine as far as Apps. I think the companies who've actually had the opportunity to have a functioning iPad are going to have the best apps at first, then a few months down the line we'll really see some amazing stuff with the iPad from the independent developers.

 

[Clix Pix]

Yes, in my opinion the iPad is truly a launching pad for some exciting new apps coming from creative developers! More than anything else this is what is going to make the iPad a resounding success.

 

[Tinknock71]

+1

I am so excited about the iPad. I haven't gone so far as to cut out a mock iPad to hold, but I've thought about it. I check this forum many times a day to see if there are any new postings. I go to Amazon to see if any new cases have appeared. Basically I have no life right now, while I wait until I get my iPad . Pretty pathetic for a 59 year old man.

There is nothing pathetic about it, I always check the forums every few hours to see if anything is new, we just like new toys. I am just thinking to myself its going to be a long two weeks, Its like counting the days till Christmas like a little kid and I'm 39.

 

[wyneken]

And yet another 57 year old that's excited! For all of us in this age bracket, what feature are you most excited and looking forward to on the iPad?

iWork, specifically Pages. I'm a writer, teacher and blogger, so I've got a constant need to turn out modest word processing documents (as well as the occasional book-length one). The iPad seems like it will be an ideal blog-writing platform as you can work comfortably wherever inspiration strikes, and instantly post from anywhere with an internet connection. In theory you can do this with a laptop, but in practice it's uncomfortable to work with a laptop unless you're sitting at a desk or a table. School handouts and the like will be easy, too, since Pages is pretty much built around the idea of templates.

Apart from that, I'm looking forward to doing all the stuff I presently do on my iPod touch without having to squint at the screen or struggle with that tiny virtual keyboard. Which is also very cool, in its way, but no one would call it middle-age-friendly.

Lastly there is the whole e-book thing. I've done a bit of this on the touch with Stanza -- once in class I searched for and downloaded a translation of The Odyssey to compare with the translation my students were reading, and the whole process took about 90 seconds. The iPad will make this a much more practical and usable proposition with its larger form-factor and (I hope) more capable software.

 

[macduke]

Unfortunately for me, I have several design projects due, some tests, a paper, a portfolio review, work, some honey-do list items, and jury duty standing between me and two weeks from now when I pick up my iPad. It seems like an eternity until then, but hopefully time will fly by! My life is crazy right now. Time to go to bed. Weird it's 7:44am? Huh.