Explaining iPad

Yeah, the new iPad is out, and of course, there are tons of guys(including me) who want to get their hands on the new gadget from Apple.  My father-in-law, who knows as much about technology as I know about fashion and style, remarked that he had heard about the new iPad.  He had not even seen an iPhone, nor an iPod and of course, none of the previous iPads.  But, looking at the way the Apple brand is gaining traction among the crowd, I was least surprised.

So, today, as the rains lashed Sunnyvale, we thought the best option would be to explore the malls.  Once we entered the mall, obviously, we entered the Apple store.  We wanted to introduce him to the iPad.  We compared the iPad 2 and the new iPad, and tried to ascertain differences other than the ones listed on the Apple website.  After he had the initial feel for the device, and impressed by the touch sensitivity of the screen, he set it aside.

I was still not finished with the introduction.

Oh, you don't even need to connect to the computer? Now, Apple has taken care so well that you can just activate the device without connecting to the computer.  Look at the form factor.  Isn't it wonderful?  No wonder people are so enamored by this gadget.  Apple has come up with the perfect tablet.  So easy to use!

If somebody was listening to me, they would have thought that I was an Apple salesperson.

I was pretty much happy with the way I had explained the various features of the iPad.  I was now waiting for the questions.

USB connect panlaama? So, can I connect my USB to this device? My father-in-law asked me.

adhu edhukku? ungalukku USB kavaleye irukkadhu.
I replied, "Oh, why would you want to do that? There is absolutely no need to worry about USB connectivity."

Appo, songsellam eppadi transfer panradhu? Engitta naraiya paatu irukkey.
Then, how will I transfer the songs? I have a collection of songs that I need to transfer.  How will I do that?

Adhu romba simple.  iTunesnu oru software irukku.  Adha vechchu use panlam.
"That's pretty simple.  You just connect it to iTunes on the computer." Now, iTunes is not the easiest way to transfer songs for a person who is not comfortable with computers.

Aana, ippodhan sonnel computer vendaamnu? (Just now you told me that you don't require a computer.)

"Yeah, for some things, you still need to connect the iPad to the computer."

What's the total storage? he asked.

Oh, don't worry.  This is 16 GB, but if you pay a couple hundred more, you can get 64 GB.

What if I want more? Can I connect an external hard disk?

I hesitated.  No, that's the maximum.  The idea of iPad is to be portable, I said sheepishly.

Not sure whether he was appeased.

Appo, naa eppadi padam paappen.  iTunes vechchu transfer panlaama?
Then, how will I see movies.  Can I transfer it through iTunes?

The word Netflix almost popped out of my mouth.  Then, I remembered the use case.  He is going to use it in India, and again, he needs to transfer the movies from hard disk to iPad.  So, Netflix is out of the question.

My friend's words were ringing in my ears.  "Maga, neenu ondhu movie transfer maado iPad ge." (Maga, try transferring one movie to the iPad.)

My wife and I looked at each other.  We had no answers.

Then, my mother-in-law who was listening to all this asked us,

Internetku easyaa connect panlaama? (Can we connect easily to the net?)

Aama mami, this is very simple.  Wifi option irukku.  (Sure, there is a Wifi option)

Appona, wifiku naamba enna pannanum?  Aathula DSL connection dhane irukku? (What should we do to enable Wifi? We just have a DSL connection.)

I told her that it can easily be done by connecting a router.

What about printing something from the iPad? Is there an option?

I was quick to retort.  Oh yes! I pulled up one of the pages on Safari and showed her how easy it is to print something.

Aana, printer connection enga? she asked.  (Where is the printer connection?)

Oh, Adhuvum Wifi printer (You need a Wifi printer).

Aana, aathula Wifi printer illaiye.  Normal printer dhane irukku.  USB port illaiya?
Oh, but at home, we don't have a Wifi printer.  We just have a normal printer.  Is there no USB port?

"Oh, appona adhu problem dhaan", I said.
(Then, that's a problem!)

Appona, computeray vaangalamay, she said.  In that case, we can buy a computer itself, right?

In the middle of all this, the Apple salesperson butt in, "Sir, we also have the new iPad with 4G connectivity which is a major improvement compared to the previous iPad."

I was muttering to myself, "Ada paavi, indha nerathula ippadi oru gunda podriyeda" (Why do you have to bring this up now?)

I think they realized that there was no use asking me tech questions anymore.

And, at the end, they added, "Maybe, we'll understand and be able to appreciate better when we start using the device."

And, I concluded, "Exactly."