One iPad, Please!

Okay you guys, I'm not going to beat around the bush here. I want an iPad. No, scratch that. I really want a freaking iPad, and I'm ready for it now.

Yesterday, I went to the dentist. I absolutely loathe going to the dentist and, this time, for good reason: Looks like someone has to get their wisdom teeth pulled. However, this is not a blog of medical updates, so I won't get into that right now. What I will get into is my waiting-room companion, a young girl of no more than 9 or 10 years. As I sat there staring at the wall and nervously chewing my bottom lip (note to self: talk to Dr. Gamboa about livening up the magazine selection), that little lady (presumably left waiting while some sort of guardian was under the dreaded tooth-polisher) was happily reading stories and playing games...on her iPad. Excuse me? Could I borrow that please?

Later, having survived my own ill-fated appointment, I arrived at BK HQ, only to find this article being widely circulated. Congratulations, Stanford Medical Students, you really have a lot going for you. On top of being poised to take the medical world by storm after receiving the highest-possible caliber education, you'll each be getting your own iPad! What? Will you also be lucky in love and spend the rest of your lives unintentionally happening upon amazing designer jeans sales?

I'm kidding, really. I promise that I'm not actually that bitter, and I very much support the school's initiative to enhance learning experience and curtail the wasteful use of paper. I simply want in on the action! Just picture it: Me and my iPad. I've already started calling it MyPad. Clever, I know. But really, it just makes sense. As an integral member of the Berrett-Koehler digital team, should I not have firsthand access to our rapidly growing library on the iBookstore? How will I follow the changing face of online journalism in a way that will eventually lead me to success as an acquiring editor? On a more immediate note, how can I help to develop brilliant book-related iPad apps without regularly taking a visual stroll through the App Store?

As if this were not reason enough to set me wanting, I was recently introduced to Flipboard. Have you guys seen this? Take a few moments to watch that video and allow it to really blow your mind. This personalized magazine of personal social network updates was clearly created for someone I know personally: Me. I spend hours upon hours scrolling through Tweets, Facebook posts, and the like. With Flipboard on my iPad, I could take them all with me and read them as I would a newspaper. I don't know, say, in the waiting room at my dentist's office? Full circle.

So, I don't care what the scientists say: I'm ready for my iPad now. And wouldn't it make a nice oral surgery recovery gift?