Laura is taking a much needed girls-night-out with her best friends. So she asked me to fill in for her. For those of you who don’t know me, I am Laura’s husband Brian.
Like Laura, I am a graphic designer/creative director and a devoted parent. But, unlike her, I do not possess the skill for telling stories from the heart the way she does. So I suppose it seems appropriate for me to fill in tonight by talking about the iPad we got for Simon today.
In the past three years the number of Apple devices has expanded quite a lot. Since we got married we have gone from one iMac that we shared to an iMac, an iBook, an Airport Express wireless network, an iPod, two iPhones, and now an iPad. In our field, the Apple platform is industry standard, and to say we are loyal customers is an understatement. So, adding the iPad today was pretty easy since we already use iTunes and have our Wi-Fi network set up. For those who don't use Macs, iPods and the like, I can imagine the experience might be a bit more daunting.
Thanks to the generous gift from Simon’s caring grandparents, we made a trip to the local Apple Store today. Olivia and Simon enjoy visiting it from time to time to check out the new kids games. There are a few options for the iPad to choose from and the top of the line model is not cheap. They start at $499 for the 16GB model which uses Wi-Fi to connect to the internet, and goes up to the top-of-the-line $829, 64GB model using Wi-Fi + 3G.
Considering what and who this was for… we went with the basic model.
Since the iPad is an elegant and fairly fragile device, we also needed a protective case. The Apple Store has many nice cases and accessories for the iPad, none of which are appropriate for the wear and tear a 4-year-old would put it through. Fortunately, we found the perfect solution at Best Buy. The OtterBox, Defender Series case for the iPad, $89.99. It comes with a very sturdy rubber outer case, an integrated display stand and a protective film for the glass. Well worth the higher pricetag, because God knows this thing will eventually get dropped. And when it does, it will survive!
So far, so good. The iPad set up was pretty easy. I was able to load up a bunch of the aps Laura had researched and even a few videos that Simon likes. He tried them out before bed tonight and seemed to be pretty interested. Some of the aps on this thing are pretty cool.
I walked him through a flashcard ap we found—free by the way. Simon rattled off a lot of the objects and letters without trouble. It was a fun way to engage him in learning and really helps him to utilize those fingers.
I can't wait to see what he can do when he has the use of his good hand.
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