Okay I’ve been using the iPad for a week now. And I’m adjusting quite well to the on screen keyboard much like I adjusted to the iPhone keyboard. In fact I’m typing this update using the on screen keyboard. I’m also using Pages instead of Notepad. I like it’s interface. The biggest adjustment I need to make deals with words with an ‘ like I’m, we’ll, we’ve. I just need to remember that if I let the auto correct happen, I’ll be good.

I can not stop raving about the battery life. I’ve gotten 10 to 12 hours on each charge and doing my best to drain it down to 1% before plugging it back in for a charge. For now I’m strictly using the mini power brick to charge it back up.

On top of the incredible battery life, the screen is absolutely stunning. I had on my Motorola 820 bluetooth headsets and was checking out Star Trek HD which I purchased specifically to check out on the iPad. I had only planned on checking out a couple of scenes to see the quality and about 1/2 way thru I realized that all that detail just sucked me into the movie.

I have mostly tried to stick with iPad apps, just because I want to see how different developers take advantage of the larger screen. Skype doesn’t have an app so I was stuck using the iPhone version. Using the screen doubler is a little weird with text heavy apps because it gets all pixelated. I prefer to keep some in 1x mode, but then it begs to have four more apps on the screen too . If your looking for a great all in one IM client check out IM+ it gets you into Skype, Facebook, and most other IM systems.

I love that the iPhone 4 system will add multi-tasking, there are times where it will be nice to be able to be in Skype while I’m surfing or reading email. I love how Skype can work just like a Phone should on iPhone 4. Can’t wait for the update this fall.

The biggest complaint I have is there was no heads up that you can’t use the dock while the case is on. Which after having the case on for a few days I see why you won’t need both. The case surprising works well for what appears to just convert the iPad into a cheese wedge. It actually makes it easy to hold in landscape by use my hand into the wedge. It’s also nice to be able to have the case sit the screen up right. It made watching Dune on Netflix incredible. Luckily Apple was understanding and issued me a refund, I wanted to trade up for another case so we have two, but they were out of stock so I’ll either have to order one from the store or check out the other alternatives.

I picked up a copy of Layers and after I got past the annoying in app purchase to get the full version I love this App almost as much as I love the Netflix app. This is just the basic things I’ve wanted from Photoshop, some nice brushes, a smudge tool, layers and the ability to send it to Photoshop on the desktop. This App just made the iPad my new digital sketch book. Now I just need to pick up a Pogo stylus because while drawing with my finger is fun, it feels more like finger painting than drawing

So all in all the iPad is at least for me a net book killer. I loved the portability of the net book but that was about it, their wasn’t enough horse power and it’s odd screen made reading documents difficult. The iPad is much better at not just consuming websites and media but also documents. It’s so nice to have this dynamic form factor that can provide the onscreen keyboard or a full screen experience if you use a Bluetooth keyboard. And I recommend that you get a Bluetooth one over the keyboard dock. That gives you more flexibility of having the screen landscape or portrait where having the dock restricts you. I also like that the keyboard and screen are apart to make it comfortable based on where I’m at.

But don’t get me wrong, even with the on screen keyboard this is very usable. I mean I did type this whole thing on here . It won’t replace my MacBook obviously because I can not work on webpages, or write apps but this is sure one heck of a way to keep up on news, information, entertainment, comics, games, ect. This is really is a whole new step forward in interfacing with the computer. I’ve always said I’m a pixel pusher, now I’m literally pushing pixels with the iPad. If you’ve got an Apple store or Best Buy near you, check out the iPad. You really aren’t going to understand until you get your hands on one and really start to work with it.

A friend asked me the other day, is the iPad a computer? Well the short answer is yes, but not like any other computer out there. This computer won’t run your off the shelf software in that sense. But that’s because you don’t have to go anywhere to get software, you don’t have to worry about if it will work or not you just have to tap a few icons type in your password and the software you requested gets installed. No need to deal with serial numbers, no worry about loosing the cd, and no limits on the devices you can install them on. At the same time it’s almost a reset to the playing field. Example the top app I’m using for drawing isn’t by Adobe, it’s by a small developer. Microsoft Word is $79 where Pages is $9 (I know it’s not an Apples to Apples comparison) but even on the Mac all of iWorks is $79 and iWorks is much nicer than Microsoft Office.

Here is a another way to think of it, the iPad is the EPCOT of Apple’s version of a digital mega resort with iPod Park, Laptop Land, and Desktop Heaven. Apple keeps it locked down to keep you in the “experience” just like Disney wants to make sure you have a great day at their park, Apple wants to keep you the end user happy with the way you interact with the system and they don’t want anyone else to ruin it for you. Where other devices that are going to try and take on the iPad are going to be like Universal Studios which is full of shops of brands from all over the spectrum. But everything funneling through Apple helps them maintain a level of Quality Control. While I don’t always agree with such a locked down system, there are times when I do need that freedom and that’s why it won’t completely replace a laptop.

But I digress the only complaint that I hope Apple will resolve one day is needing a computer to set it up. I think it would be great to someday be able to order an iPad for someone and have that be their sole system for interface the web and connecting with family and have is be a simple set of basic steps of taking it out of the box to start using it. Until then, it’s a great device that’s just going to keep getting better. Starting with an upgrade this fall that I just can’t wait to get my hands on.