That Blozzz

I have done a lot of reading about the new Apple iPad. There are many who love it and several people who do not.

One of the biggest arguments is the price. I can not disagree with this argument. However, I am sure that this kind of technology is expensive to create for the first time. I also say that if you afford and want it, buy it. If you do not want it or can’t afford it do not buy it.

I drove to the Apple store today to see all the hype for myself. I have to admit, I love my iPod touch. With that said, I tried to keep an open mind.

I was amazed from the moment I picked up the iPad. It is an amazing device. The quality was great and the apps and videos were crisp and easy on the eyes. It was so cool when I checked out a book and it was clear and the pages even turned like a real book. I watched a YouTube video and it played larger and clearer than on my desk top computer.

I found as an iPod touch user, there was not much of a learning curb. Yes, this is like a big iPod Touch but offers a lot more features. I was hooked right away and was ready to buy. That was when I found out that they did not have any in stock. They had sold out quickly and the only way to get one was to order from the Apple website. That brought up another decision.

If I bought today at the store, I would have bought the Wi-Fi only model since the one with 3G capacity will not be available until the end of April. At&T offers a data plan that is $14.95 for 250 mg of Internet usage or $30 for unlimited access over their mobile network. The problem was, to get the upgraded model, it was an additional $130. I also needed to decide if I wanted the 16gig, 32 gig, or 64 gig memory. This too became a cost issue.

OK, you have figured out by the title, I ordered one. I ended up going with the 3G and 32 gig memory. I added on a case and an adapter for a SD card or digital camera. All total with tax, it came to $858. I know it is a lot but as I said before,  I love my iPod touch and this is just too cool to pass up. I do not spend easily and it took a little nudge from my wife but I hit the order button and placed the order. I will return to write a full review as soon as I get the iPad and use it for a few days. Until then, if you have one of the iPads, please share you likes and dislikes by leaving a comment or two.

This is the first time I decided to use my iPod touch to update my blog. I am excited because I love using iPod.

The Word Press app is cool and seems easy to use. Most people hate typing on the touch screen but I love it. I will start updating my blog more often (hopefull) by using my iPod.

Anyone else use the iPod touch to update their blogs?

This has to be one of the best things so far in the terms of cell phone plans. Tracfone and Walmart has come up with a great cell phone plan that will save hundreds for many cell phone users.

Straight Talk is a new plan that offers two prepaid plans with no contracts to sign and no extra hidden fees. You can choose from a $30 for 30 days plan or an unlimited 30 day plan.

The $30 plan offers 1000 minutes and 1000 texts for 30 days along with 30 meg of Internet usage. The only additional fee is sales tax unlike most regular cell plans that have all kinds of hidden fees and taxes that add another $16-$20. If you run out of anything before the 30 days, the rest of the stuff still works. You also can add a new card at anytime. This is normally more than enough for the average person.

If limits are not your thing, they offer the $45 unlimited plan. This plan offers unlimited texting, talk, and Internet usage. This is great for those who talk a lot or loves to text. The Internet leaves something to be desired and many of the applications from other carriers do not work because the phone does not have Java capability. If you are buying a cell phone to use tons of Internet features, this may not be the phone for you. However, you can search the Internet, surf most pages, and check email.

Straight Talk offers a few different phones and the prices range from $39.95-$328.88. We purchased the Samsung R451C for $99.98. This has a slider with a keyboard for easy texting. We bought it for my wife and she seems to like it quite well. If you add a micro SD card, it also becomes a full MP3 player. It also comes with a camera, that takes some descent pictures.

Overall, for the price, I see very little downside to the Straight Talk. We were on the NET10 phone for two years and it is from the same company so we know the coverage is good. The only negative was having to buy the phone for $100. I figure we will recover that over a traditional plan in very short time.

If anyone else has any experience with Straight Talk, please share by leaving a comment.