In case you don't remember, after returning the Galaxy Tab last November because of my disappointment with its development, I was determined to wait for the release of the next iPad. Well the day has come and gone. I ordered my iPad 2 and began waiting ever so patiently for the box to arrive from Apple.

After finally receiving my white, 16 GB, 3G iPad 2, I am ecstatic about its potential. Apple has created an entirely new genre of computing, and then a year later, found a way to improve it.
As I write this blog post, I am evaluating Blogpress. Blogpress is an iPad app that is used to create media rich posts and allow compatibility with the the most popular blog sites. So far, I have found it to be lean and simple, but I have yet to delve into its more complicated feature set.
I feel that the most important reason, for me, to stick with an Apple device, is the ability to retain all of my previously purchased apps as well as the ability to use some apps from my iPhone. Say whatever you want about Apple's totalitarian control of its App Store, but the fact remains that it is one of the most successful business models around today. The 3G feature, I felt was worth having for the times when a WiFi connection is not available. I've attempted to use my wife's old iPad a few times with patients and been frustrated with the limitations because of the lack of net access. And that brings me to my story:
I was working in a long term acute setting not so long ago, and had a patient who was dying, although I didn't know it at the time. He was on a vent and could not tolerate a PMV, so he could not communicate with his wife. I was having a very difficult time gaining a rapport with the man so I could treat him, and his wife was very demanding. Many of my sessions just consisted of listening to her and educating her. What she really wanted was her husband to speak to her. He could not write because of poor fine motor coordination from an earlier stroke. So, I had the idea of bringing in my wife's iPad to see if he could type to her. I purchased Pages, an Apple word processing app, and made the typeface into a large font so that it would be easy for the patient to read. He had some difficulty with typing due to motor deficits related to the stroke. So, we tried a children's drawing program that allowed him to spell words by drawing with his finger. I asked him if he had anything that he would like to say to his wife, who was standing on the other side of the bed. Agonizingly slow, he was able to trace the words "love you" and give voice to his thoughts. Success! It was probably the most emotional session I have ever been privileged to participate in. We went on to my wife's music collection of mp3's. The patient had found one of his favorite songs "Bad Company" and figured out how to play it. It was truly awesome to see this couple reconnect after over 18 months of one-sided conversations. This is but one example of how my iPad has been used in practice. It was fascinating watching this patient who, despite having severe cognitive deficits, was still able to figure out how to use this device because of its innovative and intuitive design features.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad