Apple of my eye?

It's been close to two decades since I've used Apple products on a regular basis. Until the mid-1990s the office I worked in had Macintosh computers, but then converted to PCs. Since then, all of the computers and the music devices I've used have been PC-based. It's not that I'm a warrior in the Mac vs. PC battles; that's just the way it worked out.

Suddenly, that all has changed. In November I received in iPad as a gift, and last week I received an iPod (32G iTouch model) as a gift (there's a story behind these gifts, but now is not the time to tell it). Suddenly, I'm awash in Apples.

Let's start with the iPad. Above all, I would have to say that it is a great toy, and I don't intend for that to be an insult. If nothing else, it's gotten me back into Twitter, because the Twitter app makes the interface easy to follow. The key to any successful iPad is in the apps that you select, and so far I've found some great ones and haven't yet shelled out a penny. I can follow NFL scores, NBA scores, golf scores, check my Facebook page, read the Bible (I'm not what you would call the most religious guy in the world, but the app allows you to read the Bible over the course of a year), downloaded some free classic books (Dickens, Joyce, some others), as well as some work-related documents. I've also been pleasantly surprised by how handy it can be with work, especially when teamed with a laptop.

I'm still getting used to the iPod, but so far no major complaints. Well, one. I can't say that I'm a fan of how iTunes manages a music library; Windows Media Player is much simpler to use and manage. And I think I will probably continue to use my 8G Sansa for running, because I'd be too damn scared that I'd drop or somehow otherwise ruin the iPod.

But you know, since these were gifts, it's probably churlish of me to complain at all.