Around the world with the iPad!

My good friend Karen just returned from a trip across the pond. She took her 3-day-old iPad with her, leaving her MacBook at home (a very bold move that was not without apprehension for her). She just returned and I asked if she would pen a guest blog entry about her thoughts on traveling with her iPad. Here is what she had to say:

OK, so I only went as far as the England and Wales, but it was a thrillingly different experience than last summer when I hauled my laptop and Kindle along. This time, I left my wheely (it may not be in the dictionary yet, but just wait) carry-on home and took one 13”x12”x4” soft-pack bag in which my purse, camera, sweater, toiletries kit and iPad fit perfectly. Not having to schlep an extra carry-on was just the first of many conveniences.

The Kindle app allowed me to share all the books on my Kindle with my iPad and order more along the way. The backlit screen is easier to view in many situations than the Kindle, which requires a light source; when everyone on the plane is snoozing or viewing a movie, there is no need to turn on a reading light. In its protective case, the iPad props up comfortably either vertically or horizontally, making reading as comfy as it gets. (The only drawback, which applies to the Kindle as well, is the necessity to turn off your book during take off and landing.)

My personal and business email, which follows me everywhere, was easy to access and reply to in any wireless zone. (The roaming services are quite expensive overseas and best reserved for use in the U.S.) I did come across a hotel with Ethernet cables, which don’t plug into the iPad (no USB port), but there is almost always a wireless area in the lobby of such hotels.

Bottom line: No regrets about adding an iPad to my IT armamentarium, especially for its ability to streamline the travel experience.