The new iPad makes a formidable promise. Its screen is “as good as printed paper”. It can out-resolution the glossiest magazine. At this point, its apps can help it replace almost every dead tree in your briefcase or manbag, but until now for this iPad-owner at least, it has remained subservient to a traditional pen and paper. That’s all about to change.
For the next two weeks I’ll swap my notepad for an iPad. All magazines will be consumed on-screen, and every written piece of correspondence will be replaced by the iPad. Even the ones that are pushed through my letterbox must be dutifully transferred to Apple’s tablet.
Is it possible? Is it pleasurable and, ultimately is it preferable to pack an iPad in place of modern-day papyrus?
UPDATE: We’ve published our list of predictions: what do you think Apple is going to announce?
Apple’s recent run of successes has made it very, very rich. By some accounts, the company now has more money in the bank than most countries. Including the USA. Tomorrow, CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer will announce what they’re going to do with it.
Amazon’s movie streaming and rental service Lovefilm has come out fighting. Today might see the launch of American rival Netflix on British shores, but the UK’s most famous film provider isn’t shrinking away from the competition. It’s just unleashed its final stats for 2011, announcing two million subscribers driven by a record number of sign-ups. Your move, Netflix.
The BBC has made your Christmas telly-watching dreams come true, assuming you own an iPhone or iPod touch. It’s just released an app, very similar to its iPad version, which lets you watch telly shows and listen to radio programmes via 3G on all mobile networks. No more huffing and puffing around the family gogglebox for you this December!
Thinking about ditching your iPhone? Now you can take the competition for a spin before binning your Apple device. Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 7 demo is an interactive treat, designed specifically to work on an iPhone, it seems. Want to take it for a test drive? Just point your iPhone’s browser at the link after the jump.
Virgin Media customers, rejoice! Spotify is arriving on TiVo boxes today. It’s exclusive to Virgin and lets Spotify Premium subscribers tap into all their favourite tracks and playlists through their Virgin Media TiVo-enabled telly. Best of all, Virgin says you don’t need to do anything to enable it: Spotify will automatically appear in the Apps and Games section of your TiVo box. Call it an early Christmas present.
