Apparently we already know how to use it?

It was in between an intense episode of 'Dancing With the Stars' (Yes, I'm forced to watch it with the parental unit now that I have landed home for summer...) when an ipad commercial appeared before me on the television screen. At first, I was slightly perturbed with this commercial because it was trying to sell me this magnified itouch for those who may be technologically challenged, not to mention they threw Winnie the Pooh in there to make it seem kid/user friendly-er which slightly ruined my childhood bliss! The most insulting thing about the commercial was the slogan of "you already know how to use it." I DO?! Well Mr. Mac, I must have been sick that day when the entire world found out how to use an ipad, because I'm still trying to catch up with how to use the itouch! I'm not great with change...

Alas, I immediately decided to vent some of my frustration and anxiety of this "device" to Miss. Cait Smith, with whom I was simultaneously skype-ing. Panic stricken with the foreseen future and master plan of the ipad to take over real books, close down book stores, ignore the accomplishment of highlighting, and ultimately change literature as we know it, Miss. Smith had but one thing to say.

"Yeah, but look at how important technology plays into our sphere of communication and being able to stay in touch! I mean we're talking to each other and we're on two sides of the country!"


Miss. Smith has a very, very good point. Not only has communication amongst individuals transformed so greatly over the past few years, but it has allowed us to come into contact with other parts of the world more realistically via web cams, video chats etc., (chatroulette anyone?) 

Sometimes when I have just finished a book and am looking for a new one to read I think about finding a story that makes me feel more connected, as an individual, to a community, a country, a world or perhaps simply just another individual in another world. Anything that helps me to feel connected. I started to think of the ipad slogan of already knowing how as meaning to present the ipad as a device not terribly complex. So, maybe a lot of other people around the world know how to use it to? And maybe with this 'simple,' more compact, digital way of sharing a lot of things, books being one of them, we will be able to more freely connect with other readers, authors and casual writers around the world? I like that...


When I think about it in terms of Miss. Smith's phrase-ology, I wouldn't trade in skype for the first version of AIM just like I would never like to permanently delete e-mail to go back to snail mail. In some way all these technological advances, that we have seen develop throughout our culture in the past decade, have allowed us opportunities for connection with others everywhere, for better or worse.  Could the ipad help me feel more easily connected when searching for that next book to read? I'm sure it would be more time efficient (I tend to get lost in bookstores - literally). Having millions of books at one touch of our fingertips is a little exciting! Being able to see others 'virtual' bookshelves is an interesting thought too, and I think experiencing electronic reading is something that has to be done in order to be genuinely critiqued. 

If I haven't tried it yet, I guess I don't really have much of a reason to hate it...yet.