While I haven’t been as daring as some to try and work exclusively on the iPad, I have integrated into my daily routine to a degree that I can’t imagine not having it by my side every day. It brings me back to the days when I would carry a Day Runner.

Let me first start by laying out my iNventory (ya see what I did there). I have an iPhone, iPod touch and iPad 3G. Some may say that’s too many devices, but a key to stable work flow is redundancy, redundancy, redundancy. Especially when you use the iPhone as a phone you quickly being to realize the benefit of having both an iPhone and iPod. I also have the added benefit of using the MobileMe service. There are a couple of good reasons to have this $99 a year service (rumors of it going free). First is the find my iPhone/iPod/iPad service. Should you forget, loose or have stolen the device and if it can get a signal, it can tell you approximately where your iDevice is. There is even the added benefit of sending it a message to display and if all hope is lost you can remote wipe it for security. The second and most important feature is the auto syncing. When I add a contact to my iPhone, it’s sent up to the MobileMe servers and then pushed to my other iDevices and even my MacBooks and Desktop Windows PC. Redundancy at it’s finest. Also included is web access to your webmail, contacts, iDisk, calendar and MobileMe Galleries.

While my original thought process was to replace my iPod touch with the iPad, it still has it’s place in my arsenal. Because of it’s size, I’ve kept the habit of carrying it. Also knowing the next version will finally have a camera has me excited. But for the gaming and surfing I was doing on my iPod has moved to the iPad and is exponentially better.

I am hearing of lawyers, senators, and doctors all testing out the iPad and how it can integrate into their workflows. For the first time I can envision moving to a paperless environment. I recently had to file some paperwork for some clients, and they sent me PDFs. I opened them up in my TakeNotes App on the iPad and was able to create text boxes and fill out the forms and place the text perfectly into the boxes of the forms. I was able to use my PoGo stylus to actually sign the document then saved and sent the PDF back. Viola, paperwork filled out and processed all digitally and no need to print or waste ink and paper. Not to mention in a much cleaner format than if I were to have filled out the paperwork by hand.

Recently, I had a conversation with a friend of mine who is pulling together a sales team. I told him that instead of buying them cheap laptops, his best bet was to buy them iPads 3G, get the Square App and have MobileMe. This way the sale people could have all the paper work and presentations safely stored on the device and even process the clients payment right there on the spot. Leads could even be loaded on the devices remotely for the sales person to follow up with. With the proper training sales people using the iPad can be more productive, better protected and all around happier with their work environment compared to the hassles of a full PC. Less maintenance for the IT manager as well. No need to worry about infected files or spyware getting installed from inappropriate sites. The iPad also makes for great eye candy when you are doing a presentation.

And while I have my love for my iPad not all is is happy in my iWorld. Currently I am waiting with anticipation for my Camera Kit so I can check out pulling photos and videos off my Sony Camera. Though I am still confused why there isn’t an iWeb App, it just seems so perfect an environment for it. I am just plan annoyed by the WordPress app. It doesn’t allow me the same access to the post options as the web interface does, and of course the web interface doesn’t let me upload images from the iPad. This is the same gripe I have with accessing Facebook on my iPad, I end up having to use the iPhone app to upload the photo and then go thought the web interface to fix any rotation issues. The good news is these are all software fixes. The hardware is incredible and in the hands of someone with the write programming skills anything is possible. Now more than ever, I am itching to get back into programming.

Still the iPad has integrated tightly into my daily routine. From catching up on news, to reading and responding to emails. Also back are the days where I watch C-Net TV during my morning routine, something I use to do with the old ZDTv, then TechTV until it turned into G4tv. I am also reading again and more than before, it’s great to have over 1000 comics, 24 books in iBooks, and all of my Kindle purchases available. Recently I loaded up the Zinio app and now I’ve got a virtual magazine rack right in the privacy of my own iPad. Add in the 10 movies and several CDs worth of music makes my iPad a media power house of entertainment and I haven’t even mentioned the games.

Smart businesses will be looking at how the iPad can be integrated into their daily routines, to either help optimize or cut costs of doing work. The 10 hour battery life is incredible and makes the device at the very least a true Digital Assistant that help co-pilot you though the busiest of days.

They say that the iPad could save newspapers and magazines, and I can see that happening, if they don’t charge too much. I haven’t bit the bullet to check out Popular Science or the Elements interactive book, but I am interested. Just can’t justify the $4.99 or $13.99 price tags. Once I am tired of waiting or they go on sale will determine when I finally pick up these Apps. I am hoping maybe the iPad will bring back interactive TV. Back in 99 I would watch the football game on TV and play this online game that went along with the football game. You would guess the next play and win points and trivia during commercial breaks. I believe they even had a game show that let you play online at the same time. The iPad just begs to be touched while your watching TV. Just think if during the series finally of Lost if you had millions of viewers all watching and interacting with each other, it’s a convincing way to get people to watch live instead of via DVR. Imagine the possible tie-ins during American Idol, Biggest Loser, or even Celebrity Apprentice. No longer are shows going to be tied to just text message interactivity. Sure all this could have been done on a laptop, but that still puts a keyboard and screen between you and the TV, where the form factor of the iPad makes it feel like it could be an extent ion of your TV. A good example is Yahoo! entertainment. It has a great TV schedule that is fun to poke and spin around, if it was setup to talk to my TiVo HD that would be awesome (tap, tap, that means you Yahoo!).

The iPad is incredible and has even more potential with a capital P. I can see why the reports out there are saying that it’s hard to get a hold of a new iPad and even harder to get the 3G version.