My friend got one of the first ipads in the country we're in. I saw it a couple of weeks ago and was impressed. He's using it for business, carries it around to make notes and show videos during business meetings.

I like it, but am not one for 'wasting' my money on gadgets. I chatted with my wife like I wanted one, and was shut down (which was fine, I wasn't up to spending $700 on a toy). That was until she saw one at the local electronics store. Then it was all 'can we afford NOT to buy one', which quite frankly is my signature line she was using. So, we got one.

We actually justified it because we're on vacation for a week shortly in a remote location and needed webmail. Our choices were drive into a location with very sporadic free wifi coverage, get a stick which would cost us $300-$400 by the time the contracts were done, or get an Ipad for $750+$40 for one month of coverage (I asked about tethering my 'unlimited data plan' blackberry and was told $8/meg). So the ipad's real cost was only $300-$400 since I had to buy something for remote access anyway. (for those that know what country I'm in, you know that data plans are normally only available on stupid 3 year contracts. Apple's put the ipad out there with wireless coverage that they're making the cellular providers offer on a no contract, month by month basis. You can buy one month of coverage!).

Two screaming reasons in retrospect I'm glad I bought this. 1) Galaga. 2) There's a national paper I like to read. They call me every 6 months for a delivery subscription and I remind them they don't deliver in the area I live. They assure me they now do, take my money, then in a week refund it when they realize they don't deliver here still. This morning, I got to read that paper on my ipad. Cost me $1 or so, bout the same as at the convenience store if I could buy it, and didn't have to leave the kitchen. Awesome!

Anyone got any other great uses for it?