Lessons learned

I've discovered that iPads are great for consuming, not so good for creating

Now, before I get going - I'm NOT dissing Apple. OK? NOT dissing Apple.

But, I recently discovered that the iPad is not the all singing, all dancing device that I need in my job as a journalist.

Some journalist fanboys may disagree with me and that's fine, but this is my opinion.

I treated myself to an iPad the other week, because I'm an avid iPhone user and think the device is the mutts' n***.

But I mistakenly thought I could avoid bringing a laptop with me and use my new iPad to create content for ChannelWeb while on a trip to Berlin with Lenovo this week.

I was wrong.

For a start I needed access to the Firefox browser. Fail.

Then I needed access to a decent word processing app. Fail.

However on a positive note, accessing Facebook, email and Twitter was a much more pleasant experience on the Pad.

And I could open documents and attachments and view them with ease. Great stuff.

But it didn't let me do everything I needed, and that is why I feel a little let down.

Speaking to a few fellow journalists at the event, apparently I'm not the only one who feels this, but may be one of the few who will say so, admit defeat and not doggedly keep trying to use the device and pretend all is well with the world.

I'm not keen on carrying two devices to every event I go to - so I guess the laptop gets a stay of execution.

And the iPad will be a great device to use when I need to consume data, test apps, engage in social media activities, watch videos, films/TV etc.

Plus it looks damn good on the coffee table.