nlbarber

My first-generation iPad, that is. It slipped out of my hands and landed face-down on the tile floor--the glass is in pieces. It does still turn on, so I did a sync: data should be preserved.

Now I have to make a decision--I was planning to replace it once Apple made the expected announcement about a fifth generation iPad this fall, maybe with the current one, or if the new one sounds like a big improvement I'd go with that. I am not, however, willing to be without an iPad.

So: replace with a 4th gen equivalent to the dead one (64 GB, WiFi+ATT cellular), and try to resell it if I want an iPad 5?
Dump a bunch of stuff off it for now and get a 16 GB iPad 2, under the assumption I'll get that iPad 5 when it comes out?
Look at a iPad mini as a bridge purchase?

And I have to decide fast--I've got a trip starting Wednesday, and I want my iPad back for travel!

Order of setup is driven by the age of my old system, not by desire. iPad reports it can't be used with Tiger (OSX 10.4.x), so will set up the iMac, then hook the iPad to it. I've decided to move the account on the work laptop and the personal external drive I use with it as it's been used more than the G4 iMac which tends to drop off the Internet when it gets warm.

Once that's set up, it will be iPad time.

iMac: has arrived at the FedEx sorting center in Atlanta after its cross-country drive from California. Delivery is on for tomorrow.
iPad: order status shows "Prepared for shipment". According to the rumors, that means it will also be delivered tomorrow. Sometime tonight (they say) the status will go to shipped, with overnight delivery. [fingers crossed]
[added at 9:15 pm] I have a shipping notice! "Estimated delivery Apr 30, 2010 by 3:00 PM"

1. My iPad fever has been growing with the constant reviews, comments, and links I get in a newsfeed from TUAW. I knew I was going to get one, and realistically I wasn't going to wait for a second generation of hardware...though I am holding out for 3G.

Came in from the tax-mailing excursion, opened the mail, and found the Apple gift cards from the broker's promotion. That did it. My 64 GB iPad 3G is ordered, so I should get one in the first round of 3Gs at the end of the month.

2. My work laptop (a PowerBook G4, not with an Intel chip) was due for replacement, and I kept delaying in hopes Apple would announce a refresh of the MacBook Pro line. Finally gave up in the face of severely tightening budgets at work, and ordered one lest I get nothing. It arrived Monday, and Tuesday Apple announced the MBP updates. But the laptop was still in its shipping box in the computer section chief's office, so I got her to check if it could be returned. Yep! We pay the shipping, but I'll get one of the new models...cheaper than the other model even considering the return shipping.

3. Next up will be an iMac to replace my old home desktop--a "lamp" iMac. Must finalize what I want and all the peripherals: a new Airport Extreme, a network printer, maybe a network drive to share the music and photos between devices. It's the peripherals that need the research...I'm mostly set on the iMac itself.