Hero is … um

Even before buying an iPad, I’m thankful to Apple for rolling it out, because it gave me the idea for this week’s strip, which I submitted to MacSurfer.com, and in turn quintupled my highest-ever traffic day. And how uncanny is my depiction of the size and appearance of the iPad? OK, it wasn’t much of a stretch to imagine it looking like a giant iPod Touch, but still … .

Now, as it’s the duty of all tech nerds to weigh in on the device, here’s my take: It’s exactly what I expected and hoped for. It’s a big iPod Touch, with extra attention paid to books and periodicals. I want a nicely portable device that will serve up anything I want to read, save me the trouble of having paper copies of any of them, allow me to surf the web, play music, fire off an email, tweet, and watch video (plenty of others will want games, but I personally hate almost all games of any kind). That’s what the iPad will do. Great. Just what I wanted. And I’ll never have to worry about a broken H key like I do with the laptop I’m typing on right now.

One thing I’m really expecting to see and enjoy is a way to never have to buy a print comic book again. I don’t live terribly close to a comic shop and frankly no longer care to have to store all those dead trees. Now I know some comic book fetishists are going to think that’s sacrilege, but I’m already past that argument. I’m a former newspaper journalist who knew it was time to get out of the business before it forced me out because of declining economics, mostly due to people moving to the internet for their information. For a long time, I resented that. I love newspapers and think there are few more noble professions that journalism. But I finally realized there was no point in fighting technological progress: The medium does not make the message. I haven’t subscribed to a daily newspaper for more than a year, and even though it still bothers me to say this, I don’t really miss newsprint. I’ll gladly embrace that same paradigm shift for my magazine subscriptions and comic books.

As for ease of use as pertains to the iPad, especially versus the laptop, I think that will prove to be a no-brainer. Think of how you sit, recline, lie, roll over, and repeat that process for an extended period of time on your couch while reading. Most of us change to all kinds of positions. Can our laptops adjust with us? Not all the time. But the iPad will. And the coup de grace, of course, is the ability to sit on the toilet with it. Guys, especially, know I’m right. Admitting it may not be our proudest moment, but we cannot deny this truth. Our iPhones broke that ground, and now the iPad will help us avoid eye strain (so we can focus on other kinds of straining, of course). Sorry. Had to say it.

Back to more socially acceptable uses, though, I have to think one of the biggest cash cows Steve Jobs is expecting to milk is the education market. Say goodbye to textbooks and the one, lonely, eight-year-old PC in the classroom, and say hello to a 30-unit charging station/cubby — which will free up lots of room in every class, too.

Is this iteration perfect? No. But, typical of Jobs-ware, it has room built in for “great new add-on features” to make everyone gasp at each of the next several semi-annual Apple events. Upcoming versions will get what was purposely left off this version so more people will buy and/or replace their old ones: a webcam for Skype, USB connectivity, a kickstand, an OLED screen, an even lower price, and probably most important of all — less weight. You know it’ll happen (just don’t expect removable memory or batteries); it’s part of the long-term, pre-planned product cycle.

And it’s why I’ll likely wait until iPad 2.0 to buy mine.

One more thing: I’m sick of hearing the tech press whine, whine, whine about AT&T. Here in Colorado, I hardly notice a difference in AT&T coverage versus what I used to have with Verizon. And Verizon is staffed 98 percent by jerks. Can’t say the same for AT&T, with its adequate customer service. I’m going to guess I’m not alone in this view, judging by the numbers of iPhones continually being sold. AT&T just needs to upgrade its service in San Francisco and New York, and all these pack-minded, echo-chamber dwelling tech journalists will stop 90 percent of the whining that’s going on about Ma Bell.

Great work, Apple. You had me at hello.

A HUGE thank-you to everyone who reads this or any of the other 80-plus webcomics that were part of the Comic Creator’s Alliance fundraiser to battle human trafficking! According to organizer Lora Innes, you contributed more than $10,000 to be split between two charities that deal directly with that scourge. Please check out the above-linked site and consider further assistance if you can. Every little bit helps a great deal.

And also please stop by Ms. Innes’ site to check out her comic, The Dreamer. She put that fantastic work on hold for a month to run the CCA fundraiser. Let’s give her a hand by helping expand her fanbase!

Thanks to all, and God bless.

- Jason

My younger daughter created this wonderful bit of artwork today and asked if I could put it on my website. She forgets nothing, especially the fact that her older sister got to have a comic strip of hers posted here several months ago. And, of course, I can’t say no to either of them — particularly when they’re creating! I’m sure there will be more to come.