Poll: iPad

[Snowreap]

the only thing I need from a cell phone is the ability to make phone calls. for me, prepaid works fine for this purpose (I use Tracfone). it's not a primary communication method for me, I only use it when I need to make a call and no other phone is nearby or convenient (like in the car, for example).

but if I'm at home, then VoIP (Vonage) is my primary choice. but being a VoIP user gives me a secondary reason to have a cell phone -- I need to be able to call the power company if my power goes out (technically I can still do this over VoIP since I have all that stuff on UPS power, the only thing stopping me is the cordless phone base station isn't also on UPS, and it's too much trouble to keep a line-powered phone hooked up for this very rare situation), and I need to be able to call my ISP if my Internet connection goes down (technically I can do this too since I have a DSL line as a backup in case the cable goes out).

but if you don't have your Internet/VoIP hardware on a UPS, and you don't have redundant Internet connections, it's probably a good idea to have a cell phone so you can still make calls even if your VoIP isn't working. the cost to maintain a prepaid cell phone that you rarely use is very low.

back on topic: the iBoard looks pretty interesting, actually. but I think it would be better if they made it two to three times as big, and gave it feet so you could use it like an interactive coffee table. wouldn't that be a novel idea? although in my house it would never work because it would (like all horizontal surfaces) be covered with other stuff.

-ken