Happy Birthday to Me

Too many years ago (67 actually), another screaming, starving little child was brought into this world.

That kid was me. I grew up to become a semi-spoiled child, usually getting what I wanted, but under the guiding hand of a couple of terrific parents.

But enough of the self-aggrandizement. That's not what I wanted to talk about today.

See, I bought myself a birthday present yesterday -- an Apple iPad2. Having been a PC person since I bought my first computer 'way back in 1986, and having used an Apple when I worked for an ad/PR agency (and hating it and making fun of it), I wavered in commiting to actually buying an Apple product.

I was a little wary of the on-screen keyboard as well, and since I do a lot of writing, wasn't sure it would meet my needs. So I went to the Apple Store at Kahala Mall and gave their demos a good workout. Hey, I thought, this could work.

Then, I wanted to know if I could download pictures from my Sony Cybershot DSC TXT camera. No problem, I was told. Although Sony has its own proprietary downloading connection, an Apple cable gizmo just connects to that, and then to the computer. Voila! Concern abated.

But what sold me was the portability of the iPad2. It's so thin and so darned light, which will make it a delight to take with me on trips. Plus, I don't need a flat surface to set it up; I can hold it in my left hand and one-finger type with my right if I have to.

Gimme one, I told the nice man helping me.

They advertised their iPad2s start at $499. Did I get mine for that? Not on your life. I wanted a 32 GB hard disk, not the 16 GB one. And I wanted to connect with Verizon, which has my mobile phone account. So I ended up paying a couple of hundred dollars more. Oh, and the data plan I chose will cost $30 a month.

No problem, really.

Then, just to make sure I could input lots of copy, I bought the wireless keyboard as well. Oh, and don't forget, I needed the camera-photo download cord gizmo, so he added in that as well. Finish it all off with a nifty flop-fold leather screen cover and a case for the keyboard that folds back on itself to accommodate an upright iPad2, and there you go.

The screen cover attaches with a special magnet, and when you close it, it sticks firmly to the screen with another magnet. A special magnet, the guy told me. I took his word for it, hoping the magnetic field doesn't affect the data inside. After all, isn't that what they warned us about 'way back when?

And that's what I was doing all afternoon yesterday - setting up my iPad2. Jeeze, it was like Christmas. Or a birthday!