And then, though a grant from my special education department, I was given one for my personal use. Within a week it became my primary device. Sure, it wasn't going to replace my laptop for power or the iPod Touch for its mobility, but it was the device that I never knew that I always wanted. I was much more convenient to look up trivia that I wanted to know or to access my various email accounts than either of the other devices.
For a while, I tried to use it as a laptop replacement (for everything except PC games). I used it for writing notes, keeping track of some documents (especially D&D pdf's), almost all of my communication, and even for mobile gaming. I used it to take control of my home computer, to use it as a second screen for my computer, and even tried using it as a remote control. In the end, it wasn't quite a versatile as I had begun to hope, but it was still an impressive device nonetheless.
The tech grant that we got the iPad (and other Apple devices) from didn't quite pan out the way that we hoped (or , at least, the way that I hoped). Still, the iPad quickly became one of my most often used devices. Even as newer versions came out and competitors arrived on the scene, I was quite content. My aggravation has increased as the iPad has not responded as quickly to my inquiries as it had in the past, but when I discovered that it was going to be taken from me this summer, all concerns with its growing inadequacies faded to the background.
It seems that there needs to be an inventory of all of the tech purchased through the grant, even though those devices are now four to five years old and largely outdated. Cue my rant on ridiculous bureaucracy ...
I don't have the cash to buy one on my own (again, I'm not happy with the price), so this summer is going to take some readjustment on my part. At least I have my iPhone to help with the email load that the iPad usually handles. Still, I don't like being parted from the device that I never knew I always wanted.