Today, Flatland and I took our first trip. To Las Vegas (whoopee – not) for the National Hardware Show (I like this show).

Worked on the flight down, played a few games, listened to music a read a bit. Worked great. Love it. You know what I think about Flatland.

But Flatland also changed two important things. First, no more airline seat laptop dance. That one where you hope the person in front of you doesn’t recline because then you’ll never see your laptop screen. (After all, there’s not much room back in 23D on an Alaska flight.) And, with a laptop, I remain in constant fear that if he does recline, it will catch the screen under the seat overhang and cause severe damage to it.

The iPad merely lays on the tray looking up. Easy to use. No laptop threat. And I got work done.

Then at the trade show I noticed all the strange things people do to make their laptops work. First, flip up the screen in a meeting and you disappear behind it. Not good body language. Something i don’t allow my students to do in class. But the iPad lays flat, so you can use it while remaining part of the group. Good group karma.

Then walking the trade show, I see people everywhere struggling with their laptops to open them up, to balance them on their bellies, on their arms, on the trash cans, on chair backs — anywhere — just to do some quick or long thing.

So of course, I feel quite studly having the iPad. Easy, out of the way, and -of course- cool.

Copyright 2010, Doug Garnett.