It's been really fun using the iPad!
It's great to hear all the ohhh's and awwwh's from students, faculty and staff, over the ease of use, terrific graphics and all the fun apps.
I have not read any of the books we purchased, and would like to see if it's as easy to read several chapters on the iPad as it is with the Kindle without eye strain.
Hopefully this weekend, time will permit spending some quality time with the iPad.
We loaded 3 books for a variety; Stones in Schools by Greg Mortenson, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, and a little sci-fi by Jim Butcher, Storm Front.
Some have noticed quite a glare from the glass, and that's the only complaint. The Wi-Fi card is not as strong as our laptops, so we don't find a quick connection at every area of the library. If we go outside to get connected, and walk back inside, it usually stays. Our next set will have at least one 3G unit.
Only problem we have run into is loading iTunes on our PC's. Why? We have Deep Freeze on our PC's, which prevents us from downloading new software. We used our MacBook Pro, but it had an older version of iTunes, and we needed Ver. 9.1. IT came to our rescue and loaded the new version on the MacBook Pro and within minutes we had our update, iPads connected, configured and up and running with 3 books purchased. I would also suggest charging up the iPad for at least 1 hour before you get started, using the power cable, not the USB cable, as the USB takes longer to charge.
Good News for libraries: To purchase a book, we have to use a password, not a '1-click' to buy, like the Kindle. Once you're in the store and purchase one book with a password, you can keep ordering books for that session. This process will help us keep track of our inventory. Patrons can browse the store for books and download samples, but they can't purchase.
It was a crazy morning getting the equipment set up, for our raffle, before the first patrons could borrow the iPads. If you are about to set out on this journey or purchasing any other digital e-readers, please give yourself plenty of time to set these up without being in a rush.
We hope in the very near future, Apple will have more news about the 5 major publishing companies and e-textbooks to help students defray the cost of books for their college education.
