In reply to Ellen Wilkin.

Everything looks terrific on that screen. Looking at anything is like looking at a bright, printed photograph. No pixels. So this means everything you do benefits. Text is very precise and clear. That's nice while reading email and the like, but it really shines when reading a book or a magazine or a comic book. Comic books are especially nice. Then there are games, which I don't actually play that much, but the experience is enhanced for a game (internet-enabled or not) that takes advantage of the screen. Maps show incredible detail. Video of any kind is terrific -- the screen is higher resolution than a 1080p HD TV, so even top-resolution video can't fill it without being scaled up. Doing any kind of photography stuff is a real treat. It's like looking at an 8x10 print in your hand. Some people have surprised themselves and discovered they love using the iPad as a camera (which is typically scoffed at) because it's sort of like using an old 8x10 view camera to compose your picture. I could go on and on.

To me it's about the same jump as going from old SD TV to the HD TV of today. I can't get enough of looking at this screen for anything. But, just as it was with the SD -> HD TV jump, some people are not that attuned to the details. Terry, for example, is less exuberant about her new iPad. She admits it's clearer and sharper, but it's not the same immersive experience as it is for me. So each person soaks things up differently. I think part of the reason I'm so thrilled with it is because my eyes are so bad. Without my glasses I can get up close and see details and no pixels, which is great. I first experienced this when I got my iPhone 4S with it's Retina Display and I was shocked at what a difference it made for me. Totally unexpected.

So that's the screen. The fast connection is another matter. I didn't get an iPad with cell data last time, thinking wifi was good enough. And it was, generally, but there were more times than I thought when I wanted to use my iPad (with data connection) and there was no wifi around. So this time I sprung for the feature. And, like the screen change, is more of a pleasant surprise than I expected. Now I can use my iPad anywhere without even thinking about it. The wifi to cell data change happens automatically as needed. And since LTE seems to be as fast as most wifi connections I can't even tell the difference if I don't look up in the corner of the screen to see what icon is there. It's liberating. I have yet to really soak in the full brunt of this for my usage, I think. If I didn't already have an iPhone it would be an even bigger deal. I fear I am going to go down the path of paying Verizon $20/month to keep the cell connection always available, which I thought might end up happening, but I wasn't sure. I don't generally stream much video on the iPad in the first place, and I know better than to do it over the cell data connection, so I expect to not have a problem eating up my data allotment. It'll just be a device I can always reliably use, anywhere I go, just like my phone. But better because of that huge, gorgeous screen which makes so many apps a delight to use. I really wish I could finish this reply and go read a book or comic or magazine on my iPad instead of getting back to work. Hey, I think I have a work book I'm in the middle of…