Rolling thoughts...

I’m impressed with the cover topic of the Oct issue of deliver magazine. Nice to see QR codes get more play and exposure.

This makes up for their cropping issue I noted a few years ago. Somewhat.

Another good friend, and another iPad owner, Josh Rensch (gmwithadd.com) is the latest interviewee in my iPad owner-a-palooza. Read on to see how he gets his game on with his iPad, and not in ways you might think.

Why did you get an iPad?

I bought it as a PDF viewer for my various gaming books.

Do you like it/love it?

Yeah, it’s very convenient as a reader as well as being able to surf the web.

What need did it fill, or was it a want?

I could have done without it, but it is saving me space since I buy books in PDF now as well as money since the books are cheaper.

How has the iPad changed your “normal” computer habits?

Not that I know.

What are you doing with the iPad that has made your life easier or has surprised you?

Just the form factor has made it possible to take it to the gym and read while I am running on an elliptical.

Do you use it for personal use or have you been able to integrate its use into business?

Just personal. I am getting into game design, so it’s letting me read more games which helps me understand different game mechanics.

How often do you use your iPad?

Daily.

Is that use more that you’d expected?

Nope, I wanted it as a reader.

Do you still use other computers as much?

No.

What apps do you use or have you purchased?

Dude, I have a ton. I am still searching for a decent writing app though.

What would you change about it or what features would you add/take away?

Flash, add it.

How are you using the portability of the iPad to your advantage? Is it allowing you to write more blog posts or at least start ideas because of its mobility?

I use it at the gym. As for the blog posts question, I start my blog posts in my notebook/journal. I like the tactile feel of writing things out before typing them.

Have you found any drawbacks in using the iPad? Size, power, weight, software limitations?

Just searching for a decent writing app. Also some companies render the PDF differently and Good Reader has trouble reading them.

Are you using the iPad in any non-conventional ways? If so, how?

I use it as a boom box for my gaming sessions. It’s speakers are good enough for people to hear the music but not be overpowered by it.

You sold your laptop and replaced it with your iPad, how has that trade-off affected you?

Not much. I never used my laptop for writing as much as I would have liked. The other thing is that it started to get bogged down and slow, so I wanted something that I could surf the web and my daughter wouldn’t break.

Are you able to do more than what you’d executed, or are you seeing limitations?

It’s pretty much what I expected. Granted, I am typing up my answers on my computer not my iPad is somewhat a limitation.

Would you recommend the iPad to anyone looking for an ultra-portable device?

Depended on what they were looking for.

I’m warning out to you right now, the following post is going to turn into a love letter. It’ll get real mushy, real fast. It’s designer/geek-love for an Web 2.0 service. Why I can’t get enough of Evernote.

Since I picked up the blogging bug a few months ago (and can’t seem to shake it) my go-to tool has been Evernote. Even before the post writing began, I’ve relied on Evernote to keep me sane and keep my thoughts semi-organized. It’s become a combination of a junk drawer for thoughts, a book shelf for projects, and a personal assistant that knows where everything’s been placed.

A place for every thought.
One of the killer features in Evernote is also one of the most basic; Notebooks. Whether you want to keep your personal notes in different “stacks” or need a way to keep business projects organized, setting up Notebooks is one of the easist ways to get this done. I use more notebooks than I can count, but they help keep me organized and that’s half the battle. Something for everyone.
There’s no telling when inspiration will hit or in what form it will come and for that, Evernote has you covered. Besides written notes, you can upload photos or snap them from your phone or computer for those that are visually-inclined. If you’d rather talk things through, their apps support audio notes as well, so you could use it to record podcast audio or brief meeting notes if you’d want. On top of all of that, you can also clip Web pages and Web content into a note for later reading or inspiration.

The apps…the apps!
Another killer feature of Evernote is the portability and mobility it has. They’ve got apps for Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android, and Blackberry, plus you can even go platform independent by emailing or tweeting (via a Twitter DM) a note to your account. A just-released feature for bloggers and Website owners, the Site Memory button, allows site readers the ability to clip individual posts and save them to their Evernote accounts. A one more useful tool for an already-useful service.