The Mac Lawyer : Ben Stevens : Using Macs In The Practice Of Law

Apple's newest toy is for more than just games, books, and Internet browsing. It has the potential for greatness in law school as well. Law students can use the iPad to take notes, study, share multimedia, and more. These apps make the iPad a perfect companion for law school:

1. Black's Law Dictionary :: At $49.99, this app is an expensive one, but it's worth it. The app offers full access to Black's Law Dictionary, including a handy search interface, audio clip pronunciations, and citations linked to Westlaw pages. You may not be ready to ditch your leather-bound copy of this dictionary in favor of the iPad app, but it's certainly handier to cart around campus.
2. LawStack :: Would you like to be able to carry around the Constitution, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, and more, all in one handy place on your iPad? LegalStack makes it possible to have nearly an entire legal library in your pocket, with plenty of preloaded law books included, as well as state codes and more that you can add to your stack. You'll get offline access, search, bookmarks, and more. Best of all, this app is completely free.
3. LexisNexis :: Using the LexisNexis app, you can retrieve cases on the go. If you need a quick glance, you can just use the Case Brief to get an overview right away. This app has favorites and a search history, so you can go back and learn about important cases easily. You'll also be able to share what you've found with classmates, colleagues, and professors.
4. iStudiez Pro :: Use iStudiez Pro to reclaim your sanity while you're in law school. This app will allow you to get organized in a major way, keeping your assignments, dates, schedule, and more all in one place and easily accessible. You can also set up alarms, color coding, and a summarization of your day.
5. Legal Ease :: When it's time to take the Multistate Bar Exam, turn to this app that can make studying a little less painful. In Legal Ease, you'll find 800 attorney-authored questions that will help you review everything you need to know. They're offered in a flashcard style with detailed explanations for all answers. You'll be able to review questions, create practice tests, and see how well you do in particular subjects. This app is even helpful for current law students who want to study and be quizzed on a particular subject of law.

This is just the tip of the iceberg for law students with iPads. Check out the iTunes site or just search the app store on your iPad to find out what other goodies are available for you to take advantage of.

This guest post is contributed by Roger Elmore, who writes on the topics of hospitality management schools.  He welcomes your comments at his email Id: rogerelmore24@gmail.com.

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In April, when the iPad came out, I offered to conduct an experiment forBen Stevens’ The Mac Lawyer blog. The plan: read a traditional book, a second on a Kindle, and a third on an iPad, then write about it. Over the past year I’d been used to reading primarily on my Kindle and the occasional tree-based book, and was interested in figuring out the new publishing terrain once and for all.

Part 3: The iPad Book: The Given Day, by Dennis Lehane

A big thanks is in order to Dennis Lehane, who wrote one of the best and most compelling novels I’ve read in years, if not ever. The Given Day is a book so gripping and phenomenal, I was able to read it on an iPad without succumbing to sweet Internet temptations lurking just beyond the home button on the gorgeous device.

Pros: While the iPad does not leverage E-ink, a tough blow in my opinion as far as e-readers are concerned, it does have a high-resolution backlit screen which enables you to read it in dark places (i.e. while someone is asleep next to you) without a Snuggie® booklight or similar device. I combatted LCD screen eye strain by dimming its brightness and changing the font to a muted sepia-tone color, which Apple does a great job of facilitating.

The iPad reference tools are terrific: tapping a word looks it up in the dictionary, a huge improvement over the Kindle’s medieval cursor device. If Apple supported multiple language dictionaries (only Japanese and English are currently available), it would be a great teaching aid for foreign language study. Flipping through pages is elegant and quick. Much appreciated Apple-style flourishes like 3D page turning is a significant improvement over Next and Previous buttons on a Kindle.

Cons: Forget about reading on your iPad outside unless you carry a tent with you everywhere you go. The glare from the sun and reflective objects makes reading on an iPad an uncomfortable endeavor in bright light. The LCD screen does not feel like a book at all, unlike E-ink. The iPad is also much heavier than the Kindle 2, making it a challenge to read in bed. As you adjust your reading position, the screen rotates around like a whirling dervish, making reading on your side rather tricky. This flipping back and forth is eliminated by a tiny screen lock button, which took me a month to figure out.

If, like me, you struggle to focus on a single task and do not have an incredible book to read like The Given Day, good luck trying to read it on an iPad. You’ll instead find yourself enjoying any one of the amazing capabilities the device offers.

Finally, In Order of Preference

The clear take-home message to me from this overly-prolonged experiment in 21st century reading is that different book technologies serve very different purposes. All things being equal, my top choice is a paper book in my hands as long as the font is a comfortable size (anyone who’s picked up a copy of Atlas Shrugged recently understands my pain). The ability to leaf through pages, scribble in margins with an actual pencil, and dog-ear pages still trounce their simulated equivalents in e-readers.

After a book, I’d choose the Kindle. It’s lightweight, works in any lighting condition, and doesn’t have all the distractions the Internet brings to the table. It’s a dedicated reading device, and though it’s a little clumsy in places, it does its job exceedingly well.

Then there’s the iPad. It was a worthy contestent in a noble contest, and I wouldn’t live without mine. However, when it comes to evaluating the product strictly for reading, I don’t see myself reading another book on the iPad. You can’t take it outside, it’s heavier than the other reading technologies (though perhaps lighter than the hardcover edition of Atlas Shrugged), and uses an LCD screen instead of E-ink. Moreover, everything that makes the iPad an phenomenal media and Internet consumption device work against it when you require the deep concentration necessary for books.

But that’s just my take. We’re lucky to live in a world with such options, with three remarkable technologies.

About the Author

Larry Port is the Founding Partner of Rocket Matter, the leading web-based legal practice management product. A speaker and award-winning writer at the crossroads of the legal profession and cutting edge technology, Larry writes extensively for legal publications including Law Technology News, Law Practice Today, ILTA's Peer to Peer, FindLaw, Chicago Lawyer, and others.

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In April, when the iPad came out, I offered to conduct an experiment forBen Stevens’ The Mac Lawyer blog. The plan: read a traditional book, a second on a Kindle, and a third on an iPad, then write about it. Over the past year I’d been used to reading primarily on my Kindle and the occasional tree-based book, and was interested in figuring out the new publishing terrain once and for all.

Part 2 of 3: Failure and Redemption with an iPad and a Kindle.

In Part 1 of this series, I announced my intention to test all three reading technologies via Lian Hearn’s Tales of the Otori trilogy. I read the first volume as a paper-based library book, but I apologize in advance to Mr. Hearn. I just couldn’t get through the second book in the series, Grass For His Pillow, and I have a sneaking suspicion that it doesn’t have to do with his prose.

The iPad contains two great book-reading apps, iBooks from Apple and Kindle from Amazon. Unfortunately, the iPad also contains a zillion other apps that tug at your attention, including access to practically all of the information ever recorded by civilized man, email, news, streaming Netflix movies, and every social network imaginable.

If you’re like me, which is a stone’s throw away from an official ADD diagnosis, it may be difficult to finish book on an iPad unless it’s completely engrossing. The device is just so dang incredible. I finally found such a book, so stay tuned to Part 3 to find out the killer read which helped me overcome the allure of iPad amazingness. In the meantime, I switched back, bewildered and dispirited, to the Kindle.

The Kindle Book: Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life, by Steve Martin

If you like Steve Martin, appreciate the art of stand-up comedy, or ever wondered what it feels like to get very, very famous quickly, Born Standing Up is a book you should put on your list. I read the majority of it on my Kindle 2 and a small amount on my iPhone 3G.

Pros: The Kindle was my first electronic book reader, and for a technophile like myself it will forever occupy a special place in my heart, as do other fondly-recalled first-time experiences. Compared to an iPad or a book, the Kindle is much lighter at 10.2 ounces. Book shopping and delivery is quick and effortless, because in reality the Kindle is a portable spigot through which you pour dollars into Amazon. For example, I decided to purchase Mr. Martin’s book at an airport minutes from boarding my flight. Twelve dollars and sixty seconds later, the book arrived and so I could read it on the flight.

The Kindle screen, leveraging a proprietary technology known as E-ink, does not have a refresh-rate associated with LCD screens, which makes it easier on the eyes by eliminating strain and reducing glare. I happen to be partial to devices that do one thing really well as opposed to a device that performs multiple functions fairly well. The Kindle is definitely in the former category: aside from serving as a terrific reading device, the only other thing it excels at is sucking money from your pocket and sending it to Amazon. And you have to see the battery charge to believe it. I picked mine up after a month of idleness and it was still on.

An aside about e-readers in general, including both the Kindle and iPad...

E-readers are great traveling companions. I like to read different kinds of books depending on my current whimsy, and with an e-reader, I can keep a biography, spy thriller, historical fiction, and business book with me at all times without my carry-on weighing 100 pounds. I can also increase the font size for easier readability, critical as I head towards forty. I’ve noticed e-reader adoption among the elderly, incidentally, in my heavily retiree-laden town of Boca Raton, FL.

Because of the mobile Kindle and iBook apps, and the mechanism Amazon and Apple use to maintain your bookmarks, you can always be with your book. For example, I read my book at night on my e-reader and the following morning use the corresponding iPhone app to flick through some more pages at the exact place I left off the night before while, say, waiting in line for coffee. At night, I pick up exactly where I left off at Starbucks on my e-reader. Now that’s cool, although, my inner civil-libertarian bristles at the thought that Amazon and Apple now know exactly what I’m reading, when, and where.

...Back to the Kindle...

Cons: The biggest con I see with the Kindle or other book readers is the following conversation:

Husband: This book I’m reading is incredible! I can’t put it down.

Wife: Wow. I can’t wait to read it. Can I have it when you’re done?

Husband: Sorry, it’s on the Kindle. And I’m reading something else next.

Wife: That’s so typical. You’re always so damn selfish.

Some headway has been made into sharing books on e-readers, but any features are buried deep enough so that I haven’t stumbled across it. Another general strike against e-readers is their limited portability. I still feel uncomfortable taking a pricey e-reader to a beach or pool, since water and sand wreak havoc on electronic devices.

Compared to other modern electronic machines, the Kindle 2 feels glacially slow. At the risk of sounding like a plump, lazy cruise-ship passenger, moving the little cursor around is an arduous task. Page turns are inelegant: the entire text flashes black before it’s replaced by the next page. Flipping through pages to reread a passage is time consuming and laborious, especially compare to a paper book. The Kindle 2 very much feels like a first generation device.

In the next installment, I’ll return to the iPad. Perhaps I’ll fare better the second time around.

About the Author

Larry Port is the Founding Partner of Rocket Matter, the leading web-based legal practice management product. A speaker and award-winning writer at the crossroads of the legal profession and cutting edge technology, Larry writes extensively for legal publications including Law Technology News, Law Practice Today, ILTA's Peer to Peer, FindLaw, Chicago Lawyer, and others.

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Part 1 of 3: Adventures in Reading a Library Book.

Are you like me? Do you like to read books, travel a fair amount, and like to justify expenditures on technology in whatever pathetic, desperate way you can?

In April, when the iPad came out, I offered to conduct an experiment for Ben Stevens’ The Mac Lawyer blog. The plan: read a traditional book, a second on a Kindle, and a third on an iPad, then write about it. Over the past year I’d been used to reading primarily on my Kindle and the occasional tree-based book, and was interested in figuring out the new publishing terrain once and for all.

The Library Book: Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn.

My intention, initially, was to read three volumes of Lian Hearn’s Tales of the Otori trilogy on each of the three different technologies (yes, a book is a technology). If you think you’d like Shogun with a dash of 100 Years of Solitude sprinkled in, you’ll like Mr. Hearn’s books.

Pros: I paid nothing for Across the Nightingale Floor, since I borrowed it from the public library and importantly, returned it on time, which is something you shouldn’t take for granted. I took this book on a plane with me, and since it’s not electronic, I could actually do something without getting yelled at during takeoff and landing.

I enjoyed the volume’s delightful “library book smell” which I believe originates from a combination of binding glue, paper, card catalog stickers, and the librarians themselves. I could theoretically spill water or sand on the book and it would still function fine, though librarians typically frown upon such behavior. Moreover, after using an electronic device all day long, curling up with a paper, analog device was more refreshing than I recalled.

Cons: I finished the book shortly after my arrival, meaning I had to lug dead weight around on my trip. Since I was obligated to return it, I couldn’t just dump it in the hotel’s book rack. In addition, when you read a library book, there’s a little voice in the back of your head whispering bad thoughts. It tells you someone could possibly have been reading the very book in your hands in less-than-delicate locations. Unlike an e-book, a library book requires an extra piece of equipment (some folks call this a “bookmark”) to identify my last read page, which I seem to always misplace.

In the next installment, I’ll attempt to read a book on an iPad. And we’ll see how successful I am.

About the Author

Larry Port is the Founding Partner of Rocket Matter, the leading web-based legal practice management product. A speaker and award-winning writer at the crossroads of the legal profession and cutting edge technology, Larry writes extensively for legal publications including Law Technology News, Law Practice Today, ILTA's Peer to Peer, FindLaw, Chicago Lawyer, and others.

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Following up on my post earlier this week about how some attorneys are using iPads in their practices, I received an email from one of my readers, Ron Elkins, explaining how his firm has done just that.  In fact, Ron has written an article (complete with screenshots) that explains how his office:

• accesses its case management system
• views all documents inside its system
• uses GoodReader to access DropBox
• accesses Court records, its state Code, & research in Safari
• handles presentations in Keynote
• dictates with Dragon Dictate

It's always interesting to me to see "real world" implementations of technology that are so well-rounded.  I urge you to visit Mr. Elkins' post and see for yourself how his office operates and then consider whether any of these processes would benefit your office.

Source:  "iPad Interface and Court Records" by Ron Elkins, published at the Digital Office Blog.

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A little over a week ago, Lawyers USA published an article which discussed the various ways that attorneys are already using iPads in their practices.  The three primary ways are: (1) content reader, (2) yellow pad in Court, and (3) trial presentation tool.

I was interviewed for this article regarding these trends and discussing my thoughts on the iPad's future in law offices. I said “The processor, memory and hard drive all work very well together, and very quickly.”  However, I pointed out that the clunky file transfer system and the inability to run multiple apps simultaneously are major drawbacks at this time.  

However, I predict that they will be resolved as early as this summer with the OS update, and once that happens, I hope to only bring my iPad to court.  I said, “I’d like to eventually be standing in court with a one and a-half pound piece of glass and not have to lug paper files around. That’s where I want to be.”

Source:  "Lawyers Audition the iPad In and Out of the Courtroom" by Sylvia Hsieh, published at Lawyers USA.

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I am now officially a "happy camper" – let me to explain.  I had reached the conclusion (and been complaining) that I couldn't really fully use my iPad for work until DropBox released its iPad app. As I discuss in one of my more popular seminars, my office workflow relies heavily on DropBox (along with Evernote and Rocket Matter) because I "run my law office in the cloud."

DropBox is one of the integral parts of the workflow system I have developed and implemented, as it serves three specific functions in my office:

1. All paper that comes into my office is scanned into DropBox into an "Incoming Mail" folder;
2. All documents that are drafted (whether by me or by my assistant) are placed into a "Docs to Review" folder; and
3. Once documents in these two folders are reviewed, they are moved into the individual client's folder stored inside our main "Clients" folder.

Because each of these folders is located inside DropBox, it is fully accessible by my assistant and by me – on my iMac, MacBook Pro, online at DropBox.com, iPhone, and now my iPad.  As a result, I am able to access all of my client data all of the time – no matter where I am.

The DropBox iPad app is as visually beautiful as it is functional.  I installed it tonight, and it appears to work seamlessly.  I can view all of my documents inside DropBox in full screen on the iPad, both vertically and horizontally.  What's even better, I can open the documents inside my "Docs to Review" folder in the Pages app and work with them right on my iPad.

If you want to learn more about DropBox's iPad app, you can read the review here.  If you want to learn more about how to "run your law office in the cloud" come see one of my upcoming seminars.

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It’s the news that’s making the headlines today, the fact that Apple and Adobe are at loggerheads and that this is the reason why the latest product from the Apple stable does not support Flash, that magic button that supports video and other animated content on your computers. But even though the iPad is priced at a premium, even though it is basically a bigger version of your iPhone, and even though you don’t really need it, here are a few reasons to go out and treat yourself to this new delight from Apple:

• It’s big: So what if it’s just a bigger version of the iPhone and your iPod? The bottom line is that it’s big. A screen of nearly 10 inches is nothing to sneeze at, and let’s face it – size does matter even though we say it doesn’t. With the flashy screen (pun unintended) and the large viewing platform, the iPad is pretty impressive once you get your hands on it and start using it. It’s like a big touchscreen tablet that is extremely responsive and easy to use, so why complain about the size?
• It makes a statement: It’s the new fashion statement, so if you own an iPad, you can safely say that you’re counted among those who own status symbols. Admit it, you’re definitely going to feel good when you pull out your iPad and feel all those admiring glances coming at you from every direction. And best of all, it’s new and the in thing to own right now.
• It’s loaded with features: The iPad is not just a pretty thing with a great outer shell; it’s inside is loaded with bells and whistles too. It’s feature-rich – you not only get to browse the Internet on the large screen, you can also read your books in color and on a larger platform, you can play games in a fabulous environment, and download a host of new apps that promise to make life more interesting and convenient.
• It’s Apple: And finally, (and the most compelling reason to buy an iPad), it’s an Apple product. Now they may be expensive, but you have to admit that when it comes to quality, they’re the best. Also, with the pricing fixed the way it is, not many people are going to make a beeline to own one, so you could just be one of the few exclusive people who can lay claim to your very own iPad.

And if these are not compelling reasons to buy an iPad, well, buy one just because you want to!

By-line:  This guest post is contributed by Anna Miller, who writes on the topic of online degrees. She welcomes your comments at anna.miller009@gmail.com.

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The cloud of ash spewing from Iceland's volcanic eruption has shut down trans-Atlantic travel, stranding thousands of people, including Jens Stoltenberg, the prime minister of Norway.  He was in New York for President Obama's nuclear summit, and it is unclear at this time when he will be able to fly home.  However, Norway's citizens need not fear, as Mr. Stoltenberg's press secretary told CNN that he was running the Norwegian government from the United States via his new iPad.  Pretty cool indeed (no pun intended).

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The iPad has only been out for a little over a week, but there are already several excellent blogs for attorneys using this wonderful device:

• iPad Notebook by Justin Kahn
• Legal iPad by Niki Black
• Tablet Legal by Josh Barrett

Each of these blogs is excellent.  I have them in my newsreader and follow them regularly – and you should too.  If you know of any other iPad blogs aimed at attorneys, please let me know.

Shhhhh... Rumor has it that another iPad blog aimed at lawyers will be announced in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more information and visit the above-referenced blogs in the meantime...

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No, it's not an April Fool's Joke and yes, It's almost too good to be true – two episodes of MILO Chat Weekly in one week.  Yes, right on the heels of the other episode, Episode 16, “Apple iPad Special – Part 2”, has been released.  On this episode, Victor Medina, Finis Price, and I again discuss the Apple iPad, this time shortly after orders were allowed.

Subscribe to this podcast using iTunes by clicking HERE.

Download the podcast directly by right-clicking and saving HERE.

Comments? Send them to milochat@miloweekly.com

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Episode 15 of MILO Chat Weekly, “Apple iPad Special – Part 1”, has been released.  On this episode, Victor Medina, Finis Price, and I (along with special guest Adam Greivell) discuss the Apple iPad shortly after its announcement.

Subscribe to this podcast using iTunes by clicking HERE.

Download the podcast directly by right-clicking and saving HERE.

Comments? Send them to milochat@miloweekly.com

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I posted earlier this week that I decided on the 64gb wi-fi iPad.  However, that may not be the best iPad for other attorneys.  Josh Barrett of Tablet Legal posted an excellent article giving its opinion as to which model of iPad is best for attorneys.

Mr. Barrett suggested that lawyers consider the following two questions when facing this decision:

1. Where will you typically use the device?  Is wi-fi easily available at those locations?
2. What will you be doing on your iPad – reading quick emails or heavy writing?

Spoiler – he ended up choosing the 32gb wi-fi model.  I believe that his insight will be helpful to other attorneys trying to decide which iPad is best for them.  His blog has become one of my new favorites, and I highly recommend his article.

Source: "Which Model of iPad is Best for Lawyers?" by Josh Barrett, published at Tablet Legal.

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Shortly after Steve Jobs' announcement, I knew without a doubt that I was getting an iPad.  The question though was just which one.  For weeks, I agonized over whether to go with the 3g model or wi-fi only, and I vacillated many times.  In the end, I opted for the 64gb wi-fi only model, and I am confident that I made the right decision – at least the right one for me. 

Initially, I wanted the wi-fi model simply because it was available 30 days sooner than the 3g model.  However, the more I thought about it, that became less of a factor for me.  You see, I've had a Verizon wireless 3g USB card for several years that I use with my MacBook Pro when I am away from my office or my home.  It costs me approximately $60 per month, and it provides fast speed with good coverage.  Of course, the iPad's data plan will be provided by AT&T and will cost $30 per month.

I began to realize that even with the 3g iPad, I would still need to have portable 3g access for my MacBook Pro.  Therefore, did it make sense pay $30 per month for the iPad data plan in addition to the $60 I would continue paying Verizon?  I think not.  I then realized that the Verizon MiFi 2200 would be the perfect solution for my situation.  The MiFi provides a wireless 3g hub for up to five wi-fi devices, which could include both my iPad and MacBook Pro, and that it could do so while measuring only 3.5" x 2.5" and weighing 2 oz.

Is this the perfect solution for everyone?  Well, Verizon certainly seems to think so, as seen here.  If someone were to only need 3g access occasionally and that person had no other devices to connect too, then perhaps the 3g iPad would make sense.  Otherwise, I believe that my solution is the way to go.

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A superb new blog, Tablet Legal, was launched just under a month ago, and Josh Barrett has already published several excellent articles about iPads and the attorneys who will use them.  For instance, consider the following topics:

• iPad as Personal Assistant for Lawyers: Siri
• iPad: Easy Enough for a Lawyer to Use
• iPad = Flexibility for Lawyers
• iPad and Storytelling for Lawyers
• iPad Missing Features? A Lawyer’s View
• iPad Specs from a Lawyer’s Perspective

If you intend to purchase an iPad or want to consider the reasons that you should, then you owe it to yourself to subscribe to this excellent blog.  Keep up the excellent work, Josh, I'll be reading...

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This week marked the much awaited announcement of the Apple iPad. Considering that people’s mouths were watering over the non-event of the iPhone 3G S launch last year, the arrival of the tablet is garnering, as many have observed, the type of interest reserved only for other tablets delivered to the masses several millenia ago (though made out of stone).

Money is tight in 2010, so with a sense of sadness and impatience, we must often wait to own our beloved new gadget. Or we dip into college or retirement savings. The Onion hilariously captured our lemming-like excitement over new gadgets in this piece from December ‘09.

But consider this: you can add life to your existing gadget for little money, and have a sense of a new machine. I recommend the Gadget Spa Day, having done this recently with my iPhone. For instance:

1. Put a new screen protector in place. I prefer a matte finish so my fingerprints and face don’t muck up an otherwise beautiful machine. Learn how to place the screen on correctly and avoid trapping dust and making bubbles. It requires a little dexterity, and perhaps the technique is worthy of its own post. But if you get frustrated, take a deep breath, and say to yourself, “Yes we can!”.
2. Get a new protective case. Let’s face it. iPhone cases get scratched up easily and look nasty quickly. And that zebra pattern your using? SO 2009. I love the new iFrogz case I purchased, which is mostly hard plastic with a small rubberish section to keep it from sliding off smooth surfaces.
3. Clean up your apps. When’s the last time you played the bubble wrap or toilet paper game? If you or the kids haven’t used an app in a month, kill it, even if you paid for it. The Rocket Matter iPhone version is the only exception to this rule. Once you’re done, apply all the updates so you don’t have to stare at the annoying red number on the App Store icon.

Computer Spa Day

When you’re working on your actual systems, you can give them a performance boost just by turning off the amount of programs that run on startup. You’ll boot faster and run faster. Just be careful you don’t turn off anything important, like printer drivers or something. But c’mon, do you really need Quicktime and Java scanning for updates? Do Skype and Scansnap Manager really need to launch when your system does?

• Windows users can go to Start–>Run…, then type “msconfig” and type on the “Startup” tab. Don’t turn off anything important. When in doubt, leave it.
• Mac users can go to System Preferences -> Accounts, highlight an account, click Login Items, then remove the items you don’t want on the list.

Another way to revamp on Spa Day? Clean up your destkop. Remove icon clutter safely by reading this post. Get some cool new wallpaper. There are plenty of free sites, including Desktopography, Simple Desktops, or Interface Lift.

It’s like a fresh coat of paint for your trusted machine. You don’t have to waste time migrating data, you don’t get stuck with version one of the latest gadget, and you save a little dough as well.

Would love to hear your Gadget Spa Day tips! Leave a comment so we can hear your rejuvenation tips and tricks.

Source:  "iPad Envy? Save Money with Gadget Spa Day" by Larry Port, published at Rocket Matter's blog.

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I missed Steve Jobs' keynote address yesterday announcing the iPad, but I have watched Apple's video about the it (admittedly several times) in the last 24 hours.  Wow.  I was anxiously waiting to see what Steve had up the sleeve of his black turtleneck with regard to a table computer, but the iPad far surpasses my expectations.  I mean, I was expecting to pay $1,500 or more, but the prices start at $499?  How could you not get one?

I am prone to justifying seemingly needless expenditures on new Apple hardware, but with that being said, I can think of so many legitimate situations in which attorneys can use the iPad, and I expect it to be a huge sucess, perhaps even more so than the iPhone.  I don't have time to go into all its many features, but you can read them for yourself here, or take six minutes and watch the video.  I showed it to my nine year old son last night, and his mouth was open in awe the whole time.  Like father, like son.

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