When I fell on Saturday, I had my right hand turned with my index finger on the left side of the Garmin Edge 500 with my thumb on the right side. The abrupt fall caused my right hand to “punch” the iBike computer with my hand. It would appear that it was the aforementioned fingers that took the brunt of the punch.

This is the hard plastic strap used to affix the iBike wireless mount

Still, it was the iBike that got the worse of it. The small hard plastic strap that screws into the wireless mount base broke in two. This didn’t surprise me at all. This wasn’t the first time I’ve had this mount break. At least it was the strap only this time and not the base itself as I have had happen before.

It got me to thinking of an alternative to the mount. I really like the new Garmin mount. It uses large rubber O-rings to mount the base to the bike. This makes is much more versatile and less likely to break. I wondered if I might be able to take a similar approach with the iBike.

A possible alternative mounting system for the iBike?

The iBike mount has two “knobs” that stick out on either side of the base. These contain the threads into which the strap (seen above in the first picture) is attached with screws. I’ve had one of these knobs break off before.

So, I decided to see if I could loop one of my extra Garmin O-rings around one of the knobs, run it under the stem, and then around the second knob. I also placed some two-sided tape on the bottom of the mount to help keep it in place. Right off the bat, I saw some potential.

I still didn’t feel overly confident with the setup. The potential that the O-ring could pop off of the rounded edges of the knobs was real. If I could just find a way to hold the rubber in place, I couldn’t see any reason why this wouldn’t work.

A second O-ring solved my problem. It worked by running a second O-ring over the first one around one knob, routing it over the stem, and then over the bottom O-ring and around the second knob. You can see the demonstration in the photo above.

Now, I realize that one reason iBike has such a rigid mounting system is because the consistency of its placement is important to the proper function of the unit. While it is possible that this method for mounting the computer might not work, I am willing to give it a try. My first experience was positive.

During my ride, I made sure I went over some rough sections of road. I tested various efforts. In every case the unit stayed in place and the wattage registered was consistent with my expectations. The only thing I had to be careful about was putting the unit on and taking it off.

It takes a bit of torque to snap the computer to the mount. It could be possible that I could twist the mount a bit in the process. That would weaken the tape as the O-rings flex. This is easily countered by holding the base with my left hand while I attach/detach the computer with my right.

So, why did I do this instead of ordering a new base strap? I will order a replacement, but I needed it last night. Plus, I’ve never been a fan of that system. It is awkward and prone to breaking because of the stresses caused by the rigidity. IF this method works, I may not replace it.

I’m open to reasons why this isn’t a good idea. I will keep testing the concept to see if I experience any long-term issues. I’ll let you know!

It was after one of those late evening sessions that I noticed something odd. Normally, when I am done spinning, there is a good amount of fluid beneath my bike. It’s my fluid — as in I sweat a lot. It will sometimes pool on the linoleum beneath the front wheel stand. I clean up the bike and the floor before heading back upstairs. This time, I noticed some fluid back along the rear wheel.

No biggie, I guessed somehow some sweat got back there during a time when I was sitting upright or some water from my bottle got spilled. I wiped it up and went about my business. The next morning I came down to get something for work and noticed that the patch of fluid was back. This time I stuck my finger in it and realized it wasn’t water. It was oil from my trainer.

The "fluid" part of the Fluid 2 trainer

Turning the trainer over, I could see that fluid was all over the bottom of the resistance unit. It was one more thing to add to a growing list of things I had to work on, so I just kept riding it for a few more sessions. Finally, I got it in to Sunshine Cycle Shop where I purchased it.

I have been pleased with the service of Saris. When I first got their CycleOps Fluid 2, the tension handle broke. Sunshine gave me a handle from another product and Saris replaced it. In this case, Mike called Saris and they said to send in the resistance unit and they would send out a replacement. It would have been nice to have gotten the replacement part before shipping off the unit.

As it is, I have learned to appreciate my Cycleops Fluid 2! I was given a basic resistance trainer to use while waiting for my replacement. Wow, what a difference!

The Fluid 2 really does give me a near road experience. My power files from trainer sessions compared to the road are very comparable. Now that I am on this piece of junk, I am all the more impressed with the Cycleops product.

Yesterday, I was supposed to do a session that included my short “race winning efforts.” These are ones where I come out of the saddle and sprint for about 14 seconds before settling in to hold a steady wattage of 400+ watts for 2 minutes. Ha! I tried this on this new trainer… at 180 rpm I was hitting 500 watts. That was my sprint! Then I attempted to  “settle down” to 400 watts. I couldn’t do it. I was spinning at 128 rpm just to hold 300 watts!

Needless to say, I didn’t complete the workout properly. I also won’t be attempting any more sessions on the trainer other than easy spins at 150 watts or so. That session was doable on the Fluid 2. In some ways it was more effective on the trainer than on the road.

The good news is that the temperatures are improving and the days are beginning to last a bit longer. It would be nice to have my Cycleops. Still, trainer season should be about over anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2uFsFs5_Kc

Sorry I didn’t have more time to get some extended video of the bike. It really is a pretty neat contraption. Because it is electric assist and not a motorized bicycle, you can even use it on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. It would make a neat urban ride.

Now, don’t get on it thinking that it is a moped or something like that. It does take some effort to pedal – just not as much as you normally would need. You must keep pressure on the crank in order to engage the motor. If you stop pedaling the motor will disengage. Also if you start rolling faster than 15 mph the motor will stop. You’re on your own at that point!

The Giant Bicycles Twist is intended for the urban commuter who needs a little assist getting up to the top of that hill without breaking out into a sweat. It doesn’t try to take the pedaling out of cycling. I would have no problem riding this thing to work in my suit.

Want to check it out? There is one for you to throw your leg over at Sunshine Cycle Shop. Give it a try. What I want to do it give it a try up Paris Mountain. If I could average 15 mph up Altamont Road…

Click to see map in Google

We ended up covering around 50 miles in just under 4 hours. It was crossing my mind that any folks watching my progress on the computer would think I was going pretty slow. That is one thing about the app, it can’t give any indication of how hard I am working. It just provides a location. So, when you are doing lots of climbing, your average speeds are going to show up low — but you’re actually working harder than when you have the high averages on the flats and downhills!

Still, the purpose of this app (for me) is to show my location. I’m happy to announce that it worked great and I’ll be using the Cyclemeter when I head out on my 700 miles in 7 days ride in mid-September. You’ll be able to track me in near real-time as I make my way from Memphis to Raleigh.

These tweets were read to me by Cyclemeter

You’ll even get to talk to me, if you like. A fun if not entirely practical component of the app is the ability it has to read tweets to you as you ride. The way it works is that Cyclemeter announces that a rider has started a route. During the time that cyclist is on the bike the app is checking his tweeter feed. You can set it up to read your time-line or just the replies. As a new tweet comes in, the app “reads” it to you in a computer voice.

That is where it loses some of its practicality. First, there is no way this will work unless you are wearing headphones. Second, even if you are the computer voice is hard to understand. Add all that to the ambient noises of a bike ride and you may hear the tweet being read, but you won’t be able to understand it.  Even so, I think this is a cool idea and hope that later updates might provide some clearer voice packages.

Screen capture of Cyclemeter on iPhone 4

Overall, I am pleased with the app. At first, I planned NOT to use the app on regular rides. However, after my accident, my wife has been very supportive, but also a little nervous. The Cyclemeter app emails her when I start and she can bring up the map on her iPhone to see where I am along the route. My Garmin Edge 500 can’t do that. Looks like Cyclemeter will be going along with me more often — though don’t look for me to announce all my rides on Twitter!

Don’t expect the program to give you extremely accurate information. I pulled up at the house at the end of the ride to find that my wife was gone. I asked the Things Three where she was and was informed, “She went out to look for you.” The beautiful redhead had been watching my progress and could tell I was heading home. Well, I spent the last 10 minutes of my ride in a downpour. Turns out she could see the storm (which ended up being quite an electrical storm) and decided to go out to meet me using the Cyclemeter map.

The problem is, the application only updates the information every five minutes. Also, it appears that if the phone loses signal it will store up the data and keep polling until it reconnects. It then updates the map with the backed up data. This is a very good thing. Problem is that means the location could be almost 10 minutes later than what you see on the map.

Finally, another fear I had was with battery life. Turns out I think things are going to work out. I left with about 80% battery life. I rode nearly 4 hours and ended up with about 50% of my juice remaining.

Thanks to those of you who tested out the system while I was out riding. I enjoyed hearing your tweets…. even if they sounded like “Wah wah wah waaaaah wah wah wah.”

I’m not that excited about adding one more piece of technology to my bike. I find my Quarq CinQo powermeter and Garmin Edge 500 to be enough. Sure, I haul my cell phone around with me for that just in case need. However, that doesn’t have to do so much with my ride as it does with if I suddenly stop riding!

While making my plans for the 2010 Ride for Mike, I always intended it to be an interactive affair. That phone back there would play more of a role in that trip. The plan is to stop along the way and use my iPhone to send tweets out about my progress. With the iPhone 4, I’ll also able to take some HD video… if I happen to have anything worth catching on video.

Then I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if I could use the iPhone to allow people to follow me on my route in real time.  I started looking an application that could do it. Right now, the closest I have come is the Cyclemeter by Abvio. At least I know that it will track my route… whether it will allow people to follow me as I ride or if it will only allow them to see after I’ve finished is the question.

The application sends out a tweet when you start with a link to a map. I’m told that it updates my position every 5 minutes. So, my assumption is that if you click on the link during the time of my ride, you will see my progress within five minutes or less of that time. I’ve yet to test that part of it.

Of course, my greatest concern is with the AT&T network. The iPhone application might do a great job collecting the positioning data, but that doesn’t do me any good if I can get it up to the Web! My understanding is that the Cyclemeter software compensates for this by buffering until if finds a connection.

Then I wonder about the GPS accuracy. This isn’t as big of a deal, but consider these two maps from my Monday night right. The first is the one generated by my Garmin Edge 500. The second one is from the Cyclemeter software.

Garmin Edge 500 route from Monday

At first glance, the Cyclemeter route looks identical.

iPhone 4 Cyclemeter from Monday

Look closer and you will see that the Garmin GPS read a much tighter route than the iPhone one. Now, neither of them stayed dead on during the ride, but the iPhone one was a bit more wacky at times.

Close up of iPhone 4 GPS route

The Garmin data is much prettier…

Close up of Garmin Edge 500

It looks like this is the approach I’m going to have to take. I wish there was an ANT+ connection to the iPhone so that I could port the Garmin data through my iPhone to a server on the internet and display even more information from my ride. Still, this is about the investment I’ll need to make considering how many people will (or, more to the point won’t) be following my progress.

Do you use the Cyclemeter? Can you give me some advise? What type of battery life do you find you get? I’d also like to connect with some folks who would be willing to check in with me on my next ride. I’ll let you know when I plan the test and you can click on the link of the tweet that is sent out. We can figure out how it works together!

By the way, here are the links to the actual Google Maps routes that were generated Monday evening.

• Cyclemeter
• Garmin

Finally, if you want to see what I would REALLY like to have for the 2010 Ride for Mike, check this out! Maybe The Worthwhile Company could do something like this for me next year!

I got started by heading out on my lunch break to deliver some Low Cadence kits. One of the first places I stopped was Eastside Chiropractic to deliver a kit to one of my strongest supporters toward my return to the bike and for the 2010 Ride for Mike. Thankfully, the kit fit the 6′ 4″  David Mruz. Better yet for me, he wouldn’t let me out the door without me getting an adjustment.

Later in the day, I arrived at the St. Francis location out on Innovation Drive. Here I was to meet Lucy Allen. She is a massage therapist that I have known for a year or so. We had always talked of connecting, but I just never got around to it. Well, yesterday we did and I am glad.

A big thanks to Lucy Allen for the great work

For my February birthday the beautiful redhead gave me a gift certificate for an hour session with Lucy. My initial plan was to use the gift about a week before the French Broad River road race — one of my A events for the year. Well, I never made it.

First, Lucy sat me down and showed me a group of exercises to help loosen up and strengthen my neck muscles. They hurt, but I could tell they were zeroing in on some of the spots that have been the most problematic for me. Since my neurosurgeon hasn’t given me any physical therapy to do, Lucy’s instructions are most appreciated.

Then it was time for what I came for. Of course, being the journalist I am I was peppering Lucy with questions about why she did certain things. What was she looking for in the texture of the muscles? Were there pressure points that she focused on for a certain effect? Why were there the various oils? My guess is she wished I would just shut up so she could do her job!

Well, turns out she did shut me up. When I moved over for my upper back to be worked on, I had nothing else to say. It hurt so wonderfully! She found all of those “calcium deposits” that cause those rolling sensations. Slowly but surely I felt her work them out. Before long I was totally relaxed. I. Felt. Soooo. Good!

It isn’t a science with Lucy. “I just go to the spots that my hands tell me I need to work on,” she told me. Well, her hands must have been telling her the right things! Speaking of her hands. Wow, I would not want to get in an arm wrestling match with her! When you shake her hand for the first time, you immediately notice two contradictory sensations… 1) the strength of her grip, 2) the softness of her touch. I’d say those are great assets for a masseuse!

Thanks so much, Lucy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SADcqH8YmcE

The video above shows the same Tour Tracker that you would access on your computer. Until recently, Versus used Flash for showing their video. With the Tour Tracker that has changed and they are using a streaming tool that allows the iPad to process the feed… and it is quite impressive.

Now if UStream and other streaming services would do the same thing, cyclists would have more options for accessing the professional peloton on the Web. For now, I’m just happy with the step Versus has taken.

The below posting of a comment from John does cover most of the comments I have heard over and again. Again, I have not compared the two, so if there are any SRM defenders who wish to counter — have at it. Thanks John for the comment.

I’ve used an SRM for the past 9 years and just 1 month ago moved to a Quark + Garmin 500.  I did this mainly because the SRM I have is a wired system, and the software is really Windows only (SRM software and CyclingPeaks are both Windows-only, and Golden Cheetah is a piece of crap).  Using a Mac, I really wanted to use some nice software, e.g. rubiTrack, and using a Garmin 500 as a head unit gives me that option.  I can also analyze the data in CyclingPeaks in a VM until they update it.

So that said, I’ll say that after using the SRM for 9+ years, I really don’t notice a lag in moving to the Quark + Garmin.  Is there a 1 revolution lag?  Probably.  But I don’t really understand what “instantaneous” power would measure anyway?  Power is force*distance (torque * rpm) so you need to get a rotation or two to measure it anyway.  The SRM may be marginally quicker but not appreciably so.

Also, note that the default of the SRM is to average power over 3-4 seconds, continuously.  You can set this in the SRM software.  I actually changed my Garmin to show “Power 3 seconds” instead of “Power” to more accurately reflect this, because otherwise it jumps around a little too much to give a reading that’s sufficiently consistent to gauge your pace.  If I’m accelerating, I don’t want to see 750w 400w 800w 350w 600w because it’s really more useful to know if it’s closer to 500-550w on average… I know how many seconds I can go at that pace before I’m going to exceed my LT.

One other thing, and a big advantage to me:  As an SRM user for 9 years, I’ve sent units back to SRM 4 times over that time period.  The batteries in the crank are claimed to last about 2 years, but if you ride 200 miles/week year-round it’s actually more like 1.5 years.  So you pack it up, ship it off to CO Springs (used to be to Germany!) and have them change the battery.  So $100 and 1.5-2 weeks later you’re back going again.  What do you do in that 2 weeks you have no cranks?  OK, so you buy a spare set of Dura-Ace cranks at $400 so you can train while you swap out your battery… ugh.  Replaceable batteries = win.

I’d also like to say “Thanks” to Jim and Mieke at Quarq for their help over the last year. The Quarq logo has shown in our sponsors area since last April. Tomorrow there will be a space for another sponsor as Quarq comes down. Still, I’m a big fan of Quarq and the CinQo.

I had ordered my iBike back on April 5th. By the 13th it hadn’t yet arrived. So, I called down to the iBike HQ in Florida to check to see if I could get a tracking number. It was then I learned that the order had been misplaced. “We’re sorry,” the pleasant voice on the other end said. “We’ll get it out to you right away. You should have it be Wednesday.”

That was okay because I was looking to get the iAero in order to review it here on LowCadence.com as I have the Garmin 500 paired with my Quarq CinQo. Another purpose for it was to mount it on the black Giant TCR Advanced. When I have ridden that bike my coach has had to estimate my workout. An iBike would be a simple way to capture the power readings when I ride that bike as well as to get measurements when I start to train on the time trial rig.

Late Thursday the iBike arrived. I decided to not worry with it because I had several things to deal with and it was a race weekend. Better to wait until I had more time.

Then Friday went crazy! I was supposed to drive down to Charleston Friday evening for the Pivotal Fitness Race Weekend. Before leaving, I was to pick up my Boyd Bikes wheels. There had been a delay in getting the wheels built because of a shipment problem with the spokes. Turns out I didn’t have the wheels put together until close to 5 PM. It was too late to get in a ride and I didn’t want to race the wheels without getting some miles on them first. At the same time, being they were carbon wheels with the cork brakes and new cassette, I didn’t want to go changing things out.

My bright idea was to load both bikes up on the car. I would setup the black Giant with the iBike and race it on Saturday. After the race, I would get some miles in on the white Giant and race it Sunday afternoon. It seemed a perfect plan.

Late Friday, I was in the garage of my teammate’s in-laws connecting the sensors to the bike. There are five parts to connect to your bike with the iBike. The speed sensor and its magnet are placed either on the front fork/front wheel or on the right chainstay/rear wheel. The cadence sensor goes on the left chainstay with its magnet on the left crank. Finally, you mount the wireless base on the stem.

This setup was relatively simple. Though I do wish they would put some sort of two-sided tape on the crank magnet. I’m not confident that the cable tie is going to keep it from slipping on the crank arm. Also, for someone just experiencing iBike, I was really concerned about the placement of the wireless base on the stem. The instructions have the impression that its placement was very important.

After getting it all on there, I tried to get some sleep before making the drive from Kiawah Island to the I’On Village in Mount Pleasant. Coming across the draw bridge we got turned around a little bit and lost about ten minutes. Time was starting to get tight.

I unloaded the bike and got ready. Then I planned to set up my iBike during my warm up. This was stupid.

People familiar with the iBike are aware of the iBike Hokey Pokey. It is a dance you have to do when setting up the device. When you look at the instructions it looks rather daunting with declarations such as “Hold the bike VERY still.” You are left thinking that it is VERY easy to mess up the setup. In the pressure of that moment, I just couldn’t get it right and finally decided to race sans power meter.

I took the computer unit off and staring up at me was the huge wireless base. It looked like something into which I would not want to do a face plant. I put the unit back on and went to the line with it turned off.

I’ll be honest, I think the problems I had getting things set up had a big bearing on my performance in the race. 1) I did not get a good warm up because I was playing with the iBike, 2) I was questioning whether or not the iBike would be worth it, and 3) frankly, my mind wasn’t on the race. After finishing 19th, I just ignored the iBike and got out my tried and true white Giant with the new Boyd Wheels and Quarq power meter.

That brings us to Tuesday night. This time I took more time to carefully read the instructions. Without the pressure of an impending race, they made more sense. I started the iBike dance and found that really it wasn’t that hard and the unit walked you through the process. However, you would NEVER be able to set up your iBike for the first time without the printed instructions. There were a couple of times I wasn’t entirely sure of the next step and went forward by faith — to find that taking the instructions as face value lead me to the correct steps.

After several minutes turning the bike this way and that and clicking here and there on the unit, I was able to throw my leg over the bike and start turning the pedals. It was time to do the “out and back” to calibrate the device. It also began to rain. Did I mention it was cool?

The iBike uses the forces acting against the rider to measure the power being produced rather than measuring the power being applied to the resistance by the rider. This makes the speed sensor, environmental sensors, and wind sensor very important. All of these variables enter a formula that also includes the build of the rider, his position on the bike, and the weight of the rider and bike. This calibrating ride would set the stage for the formula to start spitting out the results.

The iBike screen instructed me to ride in one direction for one mile. As I did so it counted up to the necessary distance. After completing the required distance I turned around it it recognized that I was now on the “back” portion of the calibration ride. At one point, I thought the device was locked up because when I looked down at the screen it showed .2 miles even though I was nearing the end. Ahhhhh, it was counting down!

My experience with the setup was tainted by my Saturday morning mess. To be honest, after riding with a power meter that uses physical strain gauges to measure forces, I was a little skeptical of the mathematical magic that drives the iBike. However, the bottom line is that the iBike did everything it was supposed to do during the setup. Despite my skepticism and lack of confidence, after about 30 minutes I was done and ready to ride.

Taking the bike along one of my normal routes, I kept my eye on the power read out. I’ve come to know what to expect on the various sections. Once again, the iBike was shooting down my skepticism. It will take some closer inspection of the data to find how close the readings are to my CinQo, but my initial impression is that the numbers were very close.

Then I started to think about all the positives of having the unit. For starters, here I was riding my black Giant and getting the data I would need to upload for my coach to see. Also, it was giving me some numbers I don’t see with my CinQo — the forces of the wind. Being the data weenie that I am, that is going to be fun to play with!

By the time I reached home shivering and wet in the 55 degree evening, I was grinning on the inside. The iBike works. There is a lot more for me to learn about the device and I know that I can dial it in even further. I’ll be letting you know how it goes. Until then…

I like what I see with the iBike.

First, I have to explain how I came to get an iPad. It wasn’t because I was standing in line waiting for the latest gift to come down to the masses from Apple. While I love a new gadget just as much as the next guy, I didn’t see myself getting one. So, why am I typing on one now?

My two business partners were on a trip to Denver when I saw a tweet from one of them, “I just pre-ordered an iPad. Let the mocking begin.” I knew he was interested in one. I replied, “So, did DW get one?” He then sent a direct message saying, “Yes, and we got one for you too.” Guess you can chalk up my iPad to a good first quarter.

Once I had it, I decided to give it a try. I had some visions for how I would incorporate it into everyday life. Here are my first impressions of how well the device fulfills them.

Live Versus streaming from eyeTV to the iPad

The first thing my kids said when they saw it was, “Wow, that is a big iPhone!” Sure enough your first experience is just like that… using an extra large iPhone.

That is both good and bad. Bad because some of the things you have become used to with your phone are not there — camera, cell data connection, and… well… phone service (several times I went looking for the SMS app!)

At the same time some of the annoying things about the iPhone as more than just a phone are overcome with the iPad. First thing you notice is the beautiful screen. It is very pleasant to look at and the colors are crisp and easily viewed. It gives you that extra real-estate that makes apps into what you knew they could be.

The keyboard is also a major improvement. Still, for my hands it is a little small making this attempt at typing a blog entry quite laborious. I would have to point out that my office intern with her smaller hands found it comfortable.

I know, I know, it isn’t supposed to be a phone. It is supposed to be a laptop killer. Unfortunately, while I believe the device has the potential, I would have to say that either Apple is going to have to change its ways… or the computer and software industry will have to in order to make it happen.

As a cyclist there are certain things for which I use my laptop. There are things that I cannot do on my iPhone… or at least not comfortably. How do these things fit with my iPad use?

1. Keeping up with the cycling community and races.

Here the iPad shines – for the most part. I find myself drawn to the iPad over the computer or the iPhone for reading blogs, reading my favorite cycling news sites, and following my Twitter pals. The iPad is fast! It is also a comforting device. The way it fits in your hands like a book with direct interaction from your finger tips makes the experience more intimate.

Where it fails miserably is in an area where it should excel. It would be so cool to be able to watch European races on the device. However, Apple’s war against Flash and lack of incorporating Microsoft SilverLight into the browser basically takes away your options. I’m not a fan of injudicious use of Flash, but when so many sites use Flash for live streaming players…

2. Keeping up with my training.

Once again the Flash deal comes to bite me. I use TrainingPeaks on the web when I don’t have access to my WKO+ on my laptop. Here I think the problem lies with TrainingPeaks. Flash is not the best option for that type of application, in my humble opinion. Fact is, that is what was used to code it and therefore I can’t use it on my iPad.

Even if there were apps written for the various devices I use to collect my data, I would have a hard time getting it on the device. There is only the 32 pin connector to work with. Plus, Apple hasn’t shown much love to 3rd party developers using ANT+ technologies. In my mind there are some incredible applications for a device like this in the sports arena only it would require Apple to be a little more open.

3. Blogging about it all.

I saw one tech journalist who said that the iPad was great for consuming information. The unsaid point was that it isn’t the best for inputting information. This is true. First, it is just harder to use than a traditional keyboard. Second, many of the web based applications for blogging, etc. have minor hiccups on the iPad browser. You end up using apps that have limited functionality — based on an iPhone world.

I had a friend who left for a business trip to the West Coast. He left his laptop at home and took only his iPad! Not a good idea. The business world it not ready… yet. I heard just a few moments ago of a student who sold his laptop to buy an iPad. Closer… but if he plans to use it for anything other than just school, good luck. It should be noted that the iPad is set up pretty well for a classroom environment.

The iPad is a cool entertainment device that falls somewhere in usefulness between the iPhone and a laptop. It isn’t going to replace either one any time soon. Is it the precursor of what portable machines will be like? Yes. Is it currently a laptop killer? No.