How to justify buying an iPad

The question

When Apple launched the iPad 2, Tim Butler asked:

Can anyone come up with a good way for me to justify a new iPad?

The answers

• My wife and I carry our iPad wherever we go. She uses is as much or more than the laptop. I probably use the laptop more, but just because I need it for programming. For meetings, out and about, or anything else, I always grab the iPad. I don't take my Bible to church any more. I take the iPad with several Bibles. And Internet to check commentaries during men's Bible study.

• I plan to have work days where I am extremely mobile, just my iPad, my very nice premium paper notebook and a few gorgeous fountain pens! Will leave my printed bibles at home and cut back significantly on the weight that I'm carrying around.
  I'm looking forward to putting lots of books and reference material on the iPad and also video lessons and presentations.
  I need to move about whenever I teach or preach. It seems that's the only way my brain can actually function when I stand up in front of people and speak. So having something that allows all my notes to be in my hands instead of having to run back to see my printed notes would be great.
  Plus I want to be able to carry 1 device and many books instead of carrying many books around with me whenever I am on the go and need to break out my stuff for a spot of studying and writing. I am doubtful that I can touch type on this device and that was the one thing that held me back and left me hankering for a MacBook Air instead.
  Personally I see the iPad as an excellent reference tool rather than a document creation tool, but I believe this is slowly changing also.
  What I'm waiting for is for the iPad release of OmniOutliner. With that plus a good bluetooth keyboard, I might be able to turn the iPad into a document creation device also.

• With an app like iTeleport, you can have access to your Mac back home (well, as long as it is turned on and has the desktop ITeleport Connect also running). So in a pinch, if you need to email a file you don't have with you, or any number of other uses, you can do it right on your iPad.
  The iPad2 has the new feature of HDMI out with video mirroring so a great tool for teachers as you can now mirror exactly what is on your iPad to your audience.

• I have an iMac at home and an iMac at church. The iPad fills the gap between the two. I can use it for teaching (especially with the cool HD out), for preaching, in meetings, and out on visits.
  With Logos I can have access to all my Bibles, Luther's Works, and copies of the Lutheran Confessions. With my Kindle app I can access all my digital books. With dropbox I can get to all my files. This truly is a game changer (just as the iPad 1 was... but I wasn't in a position to buy last year).

• They are very handy for looking up Hebrew words fast.

• ...can I really do any work on it? ProPresenter or Powerpoint?
  • Yes, you can do keynote on it (like Powerpoint).
    That is the main reason I intend to buy one.
  • Oh, you need to watch the video from today. Garage Band now has instruments included. Piano, Organ, Guitar, Drums. Also iMovie with full editing. Pages. Numbers. Keynote. My niece is a graphics art student and does most of her drawings and designs now on her iPad.

• I use my iPad a lot. I see it as sitting somewhere between a smartphone and a laptop. It will do some jobs well, and others not so well. It's great for note taking and shortish emails, especially with an external keyboard. I wouldn't particularly write an essay on it. I like Kindle on it, looking things up on the web and reading emails. It's a tool for looking in the main, but with an ease of interactivity when you need it. But if you are putting a lot of stuff in, you will probaly want a laptop or a desktop.

Credits

Contributed by many people on Mac Ministry List on March 2-3, 2011