iPad day

Sigh...I'm starting to get tempted to buy one - what's wrong with me?

Ha! You're such a consumer!

So am I .... I want one so much.

@Everyone remember when we had a big discussion about the iPad a couple of months ago and I said I was going to get one for the man.. well as his birthday approached he changed his mind and said he would rather wait until Apple irons out the glitches ..so I didnt order it and gave him something else . This afternoon he called and said that the iPad looks very cool and he wants to buy one..since we dont have time to order it online, I have been calling around the Manhattan stores to locate it so far none of them have the 32 Gig one which is what he wants sigh.. I believe 700,000 iPads sold all over the US on April 3rd alone. Apple has another hit on its hands-http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20001718-37.html

@uptowngirl I think he had the right idea the first time around - I'm sure that thing is full of glitches.

Yeah, I remember when the first iPod came out. I had to take mine back (DOA) and get a new one six times in the first year and a half. Such a pain in the butt.

Arrggghhhh I so want an iPad. I'm not expecting it to be the best thing ever...I just want to use it for surfing the web on the couch. I hate having to drag out my laptop every time I want to check out stuff on the web.

I just bought an iPhone 3GS and even that is glitchy... you would have thought they'd get it right by now, but no.

Really? I have a 3GS and it's perfect! What's so glitchy about it? Have you upgraded to the latest software version through itunes?

I saw the funniest joke on SNL last night in regards to the iPad. On weekend update, Seth Meyers said "Apple announced that 300,000 iPads were sold the first day they were released which sets up a huge new trend in consumer spending: it marks the year when people start buying a product in order to find out what the hell it is."

I died laughing because, honestly, what the hell is an iPad?

@JenMac That's a good question, actually.

For my two cents, the iPad represents the ultimate way to consume. Creation is another story entirely. Still, I love it with all my heart and it has very quickly become and integral part of my life, an extension of the way I approach media, and thus a large part of my daily existence. That it doesn't feel there makes all the difference. It's the perfect device for New York City.

One thing: I can't wait until multitasking drops in OS 4.0. Too bad it's autumn for the iPad.

@Everyone so the iPad arrived at my home too.. its sleek and sexy to look at but the husband found a glitch already .. seems he cant access a pdf manual stored on his Mac book from the iPad even when he connects the two with a network and uses good reader and iTunes. So we trotted off to the Apple Store on 5th Avenue where even the geniuses couldn't help with this particular problem.. just thought I would share the experience...

@jenmac the iPad will solve all your problems, you just don't know why or how until you buy one...or maybe two :)

@gtangjr soo jealous. We are still waiting for ours down here in Australia, hopefully in the next few weeks they will hit. I really only want it for a better browser experience while sitting on my couch watching tv. So many times my girlfriend is watching girly show, so I'll bust out the laptop and start surfing, but it's kinda clunky to do so - hence the ipad! Multitasking will be great, as will the unified mail box. Hate managing a few accounts on the iphone.

@uptowngirl so overall impressions? Do you love it?

AJ

@AJ got to admit its pretty cool ..and I am not an apple person. Its so light that you can take it to bed and read quite easily..love reading magazines in bed so I was worried it wouldn't be happy with it but read the digital version of a fashion glossy on the iPad and it was great..

@uptowngirl Oh my goodness, I didn't think it would happen to me of all people, but I am now covetous of one too...

@Everybody: I'm not sure what the big deal is with the iPad. It is smaller than a netbook. Is it the hype that people fall for? I never give in to hype. I only buy what I need.

@hhusted it's not supposed to replace a netbook. It's a device that's supposed to fill the gap between a phone and a laptop. I HATE using my laptop around the house. An iPad will solve that problem for me...and no I don't 'need' it, but I sure do 'want' it. Nothing wrong with buying things you want :)

@AJ: Not really. In reality, there is nothing in this world I want. I only buy what I need. I was trained that way by my parents. If I really bought what I wanted, I would live high on a hill somewhere on the West Coast with a Mercedes Benz parked in a garage, ready to be used when I want. I would be living in a mansion with a cook, maid, and butler. That won't happen, that is why I do not focus on what I want, but only on what I need. This way I am not disappointed or discouraged because I didn't get what I went for.

On the other hand, I am not condemning those who do. If you like it and it works for you, go for it. As long as it makes you happy and helps better your world in some way, that is the reason for getting it.

@hhusted fair enough...that's what makes the world go round, everyone is different :)

Anyways, back to the point, iPad just got delayed internationally another 4 weeks. I'm completely devastated :(

I was surprised to see that an iPad starts at around $500 - I was expecting it to cost twice as much. But then, I'm sure if you want the best version of it you can expect to pay a few hundred more.

So I just discovered I have internet browsing access for free on my kindle that connects with wifi (at least in Croatia - let's hope it works elsewhere) Another reason I don't need an ipad!

Yeah, I still don't get it. If you have an iPhone and a Mac . . . isn't this thing kinda superfluous? It seems like the 500 dollars is because it's basically a bigger iPhone you can't make calls on.

@JenMac: Yeah, I don't get it either. And I don't think I am going to try.

You can't even make calls on it? Lame! I admit, I have this weird desire for it, because it's so shiny (mostly I just want an iphone. Actually, mostly I just want a phone with a plan that I specifically set up to work internationally only to leave me stranded when it fails internationally...gr...although "apps" look pretty darn cool)

@ajadedidealist let me know when you find that phone at the moment I use a ton of different sim cards for various different locations.


@JenMac we have Macs but dont have an iPhone so the iPad works for us as like AJ said it saves the effort of lugging a laptop around.

@AJ Yes my iPhone has some bugs - stupid ones like if I'm playing a playlist of music videos it will start the next video right in the middle of it. Also sometimes when I unlock the phone it shows my iPod player even if I wasn't even using it, and then it won't let me unlock the phone. The software is up to date, so I think I just need to take it in to the "geniuses" and have them look at it....

@everyone Is the iPad really just a big iPhone? At least it is a lot bigger, so you could actually get some work done on it, right?

@ajadedidealist How do people live without iPhones! Ha, I hardly know anyone who doesn't have one. I guess being all international is a problem when it comes to having just one cell phone plan...

@NeverfSleeps: I do not have an iPhone and do not want one. I saw someone use it and wondered what the big deal was. So he used his finger to move things around. Big deal. Plus, iPhones are expensive. I'll stay with my Motorola for now. It works.

I have a Blackberry and was an avid Pro-Blackberryer. Now, all I can think about is when I can upgrade and iPhone it. Now, that is a cool phone.

@JenMac I considered getting a Blackberry, and I was actually in opposition to the iPhone for a while. Don't know why I completely changed my mind, but that GPS is something else. And I love that it tells me when I have email messages without me having to check and see if I do about 200 times a day. But I'm guessing a Blackberry does that? Anyway, it does look cool.

Haha! Even my mail client does that, @BroadwayBK!

Emails on the Blackberry just pop up as if they were texts which is cool but can be annoying if it's junk mail. Texting is a lot easier and I love Blackberry Messenger; but, that's about where it ends. I just really want the iPhone and I have to wait til September which seems like eons from now.

What's a mail client? Is that like an app on a regular phone?

Here's an iPad versus Kindle article in the New Yorker:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/04/26/100426fa_fact_auletta?currentPage=all

@BroadwayBK even though I havent really got my paws on the iPad I have noticed that the husband is using it more and more as a replacement for his laptop so obviously you can get work done on it and its really light and extremely portable.

All i can say is if this new technology grabs you, use it in good health and happiness.

@uptowngirl Any complaints about that on-screen keyboard? It took me some time to adjust to the one on my phone.
I was thinking of getting a P Series from Sony Vaio, but I hear that those run incredibly slow. Do you know how the iPad is on the 3G network? Or what its processing speed is like in general?

@BroadwayBK I really find the on-screen keyboard weird .. i guess I will get used to it eventually but all that tapping is making me crazy now.. we got the wifi, 64 GB iPad the 3G version is launching only at the end of April I think..

@Uptowngirl: I've seen people with iPhones. They tap on the screens so hard that one day they may crack their screen. I was told you don't have to tap on the screen. Just take your finger and move it.

@broadwaybk - it's like an "app" but on a computer, not a phone. It's a software I use (Mozilla Thunderbird on my netbook, MacMail on my mac) that means I get my email without logging into a website. See also microsoft outlook...

@uptowngirl The 3G version is being shipped on May 7 I believe.... I was actually toying with the idea of preordering one today. I was a bit dismayed to see that Microsoft is holding off on making a version of Office for the iPad, though. What am I supposed to do with out that?

@ajadedidealist Ah. I guess I just never heard the term before. I had an LG Shine before I bought my iPhone, and it had a mail client on it, I guess. But it didn't update automatically - I had to launch it and sign in and whatnot before I could find out just what was in my inbox. And, sadly, I have never mastered Microsoft Outlook. I think that program is nothing but a plot against me personally.

@BroadwayBK ah-ha trust Microsoft to try and stall the Apple march but I am sure Apple will develop some software which is like Office.. wait dont they have iworks which is compatible with office?

@uptowngirl Hmmmm... that could work. Though I must admit I am pretty attached to Word. And you are right, there is an iWork for iPad.

@Everyone the sales of the iPad have passed the 1 million mark as the device is proving even more popular than the iPhone..

How is it more popular than the iPhone? I just don't get this thing. . . why do so many people like it?

@JenMac I asked my husband the very same question last night.. and his answer corroborates with A.J's view .. basically if you are lounging on your couch and need to check your mail or anything else on the internet its easier to have your iPad close by rather than your laptop.. I know you will probably say your iPhone can do that as well but somehow the visuals on the iPad are better.. to give you an example today we had a walk through with our rental agent at our rental in HK,when we had finalized the deal the apartment had been set up as a show flat which was kitted out with top notch appliances. Luckily we had photographed all this because subsequently the managing agents have replaced the new appliances with old stuff.. because we had clear pics on the iPad we were able to show these to the agent who is now going to ask the management company to replace the appliances.

Oh I forgot you dont need a data package to use the iPad since its wi-fi enabled it can access any open internet connection quite seamlessly..and HK is a hugely connected city much more so than NYC..

More talk about the iPhone. Well, the way I see it, if that is what you like and you want it, and can afford it, go get it and be happy with it. I personally do not care about them. All I want is a phone that works and I can get email.

It's probably more popular than the iPhone for the simple reason that anyone - no matter what cell phone contract they are locked into or how much they can afford to spend on a monthly phone bill - can buy one and use it. Unlimited 3G access for the iPad is a mere $30 a month, such a better deal than an iPhone even if you can't make phone calls on it. And, as uptowngirl says, you don't even need to spend the money on it if you just want to connect to your own wifi.

@BroadwayBK: Whatever. I think I will save my money and put it on something I truly love.

@BroadwayBK I am currently on a gorgeous beach resort in Thailand and while I have lugged along my laptop ,the husband has traveled with his iPad ..you cant beat the convenience that thing offers ..as we both have logged into the hotel's Wi-Fi .. I have to sit on a table and chair and contribute to this forum while he is lounging on the bed and reading the world news on his iPad...

Ok guys - I caved. I now have a Samsung Galaxy Portal running Google Android. To be fair, I got it free with a new plan - and it's 5 GBP a month more expensive than my old (cheapo) plan, which gave me a phone so basic it didn't even have a camera.So I am very pleased

@uptowngirl That's pretty awesome... is all that convenience worth that strange on-screen keyboard? I am a bit nervous about that in general.

@uptowngirl I am so. jealous. !!!!!

@neversleeps - I'm having a bit of trouble dealing with my touchscreen on my Android, but that's more due to size than it is to the touchscreen itself...I imagine an Ipad would be fine

@Neversleeps ajadedidealist is right , since the iPad screen is quite large its not all that awkward.

But can you still, say, type 90 wpm?

@NeverSleeps I definitely can't .. the best I can manage on the iPad is one finger typing..

@NeverSleeps the touch screen definitely takes some getting used to..

@Ajadedidealist: What can I say. If you are happy with it that is the important thing. Now comes a learning curve.

I would love to get one, but it's only WIFI. Not every place is wired to allow this, so you could end up with a useless tablet.

@eva91709 the iPad has a 3G version which is connected to AT&T so you can be connected anywhere with their data pack.

Hey, I didn't know that. Thanks for informing me. Do you how much the monthly charge is?
Thanks.

@eva91709 I dont know but I think it should be similar to the $30 Data package that they have for the iPhone.

@uptowngirl Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I want one... but I wonder how much work I will actually get done before I give up because of the snail's pace the iPad forces me to work at!

@eva91709 Yeah, uptowngirl is right - $30 a month will get you unlimited data. If you aren't going to use that much data, I think there is a plan that limits your data and costs a little less.

@Everybody: I saw the iPad in a phone store at a mall recently. It looks like the size or nearly the size of a netbook. I really don't see the need to have one. Even my girlfriend doesn't understand the hype. I guess it is according to taste.

I can type pretty quickly nowadays on my iPhone...I text/email with two thumbs. But it took some getting used to... a lot of it, really.

BroadwayBk -- way to rub it in when I want one so very very badly!!! I just look at my Blackberry nowadays with utter disdain.

@JenMac: Don't get swallowed up by the hype. I have a friend, who has a Blackberry, and he loves it. Wouldn't trade it for anything. So enjoy what you have.

@JenMac and I want a Blackberry just for its Blackberry Messenger otherwise I am quite happy with my old fashioned Nokia E51.

It's not the hype -- my whole family has iPhones but me; that phone is way cooler than mine. Fact.

@JenMac: Just because they have one doesn't mean you need to. Think out of the box. Instead of going along with the crowd, think differently.

@Everyone just got a note from a friend , her iPhone fell into the washing machine and its kaput. I think if you buy your phone on an Amex card you get insurance for it but if not it means shelling out again for a new phone.

actually before the above mentioned incident another friend of mine had her iPhone stolen from her handbag when she was trying on shoes at a shoe store on the UWS. She didnt have insurance and was reluctant to spend another $600 on a new iPhone ,apparently if she had taken out a renter's insurance policy her iPhone would have been covered and then she would have been covered worth thinking about no?

@Uptowngirl: It sounds to me the iPhone has been cursed. :) Just another incident to further impress in our minds not to get an iPhone. But, I'll bet the diehard iPhone fans out there will not care about the negative and go get one anyway.

@JenMac The only thing that I wish was different about the iPhone is the whole you can only run one app at a time thing... boring! I want to be one of those people who is always on G Talk via their phone. Dorky, I know...but.

@uptowngirl That's depressing... What's a renter's insurance policy as pertaining to a phone?

@BroadwayBk apparently the renter's insurance which covers all your belongings will also cover your phone if you lose it or it gets stolen. My friend was absolutely gutted when she lost her iPhone, I guess I would be as well..your contacts list is almost invaluable isn't it ? and how many of us back up our phones on our laptops?

@hhusted the appeal of Apple has extended worldwide.. yesterday i was talking to an electronics vendor here in HK who was telling me that the iPad is a really 'hot' item right now as it has not been released in Asia as yet and people are willing to pay top dollar for smuggled pieces..he in fact said that I should go back to NY and bring some back for him and he would pay me a premium of $300 a piece!!!!

I pay for a MobileMe account - it keeps all my contacts online, and transfers photos and contacts and whatnot from my online account to my phone automatically. If I ever lost my phone, I could wipe all the saved info on it away via my online account, and it can also locate the lost phone via GPS. It's $100 a year for the subscription, but I think worth it in the case of the phone going missing. After all, my phone has banking info (though my pw isn't saved on the phone or anything) and whatnot on it. Anyone who stole my phone also could read my email, so having the option to delete info remotely is ideal. And if I got a new phone, I could automatically transfer all my contacts to it through the website. Good stuff! I know you also have the option of backing up your iPhone on your iTunes - which is free, obviously, but the phone has to be connected to your comp in order to transfer info...

Oh, and you can also lock your phone remotely through your MobileMe account!

@NeverSleeps MobileMe sounds like a fantastic service and its reasonable too...thanks for the info!

@NeverSleeps MobileMe sounds like a fantastic service and its reasonable too...thanks for the info!

@hhusted: what's with the Apple hate? Iphones are really cool and there's nothing wrong with wanting to keep up technologically. It's actually quite smart to do so.

@neversleeps: I second that on the MobileMe account. 90 bucks is so worth that thing!

What a neat idea, @neversleeps! I'll certainly check it out for my new Google Android

@Everyone I know we all love our Apple stuff but here in HK today there's a call for a citywide ban on iPhones ..the reason being that the Taiwanese company Foxconn which manufactures iPhones and iPads for Apple has recently been plagued by a whole host of suicides by young workers. Apparently the company's working conditions are to blame and people here want Apple to play a greater part in regulating these conditions given the popularity of its devices in Hong Kong.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/21/foxconn-suffers-ninth-sui_n_585325.html

@JenMac: I just don't see spending money on a phone for all that sophistication. All I want is a phone that I can send and receive calls, check my email, and look up stuff on the Internet. I'm simple that way. I'm not against you or others in getting one. As I said before, if you know you absolutely need one or your life as you know it will die, than get one. Otherwise, ignore the hype and keep what you got.

@hhusted news reports today state that Apple has overtaken Microsoft as the world's largest technology company.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64P5PE20100526
Though I am not an Apple user I am now craving the iPad only because I get my magazines in digital form now through zinio.com and though I can just as easily read them on my laptop , I would love to have a light device which I could take to bed with me ..for I love to read before I go to bed...I am going to save up for one and probably buy one next year when the prices are lowered..

Australia (and of course, other non-us countries) had their launch yesterday :) :) It was great to have a play with it. i can't wait to buy one!

@Uptowngirl: The choice is yours. This is a free country. If you like it, purchase it. As long as you are happy with it, that is what counts.

@PureKrome: Whatever floats your boat. Don't break your bank account getting one. The last I saw, the cheapest one was nearly $300.

I'd love to play with one - but I definitely can't afford it! I wish I had something that let me use internet/calling for the same rates no matter where I was in the world; I travel so often than a plan not tied to an individual country would be great

@uptowngirl That's crazy about all the suicides... And you never hear about stuff like that over here in the US.

@hhusted I thought the iPad was actually really reasonably priced....

@ajadedidealist try Vonage world.. I have taken it with me overseas and have transferred my US number onto it ..it works with my broadband connection and I can call back to the US and a host of other countries for free.. I pay around $25 a month which is very reasonable..http://www.vonage.com/residential_calling_plans/vonage_world/ or what about skype calling, have a cousin who lives in the Turks and Caicos Islands who uses it because cell phone and land line rates in the islands are astronomical..

@NeverSleeps: I checked them out on Amazon and found one to be about $259. You may find them cheaper on eBay, but you need to win the auction first, unless they have a "buy it now" option.

@hhusted I agree with NeverSleeps - they are reasonably priced. $259 is less than what I paid for my iPhone!

@uptowngirl Does that plan give you unlimited data? In any country?!

I was all excited and ready to ask about the 4G launch (supposedly next week) . . . and, then I read about all the suicides. I feel a little sheepish . . .

@BroadwayBK: With all due respect, any cell phone that is over $200 is not reasonably priced to me.

@BroadwayBK Vonage is voice not data..an ipad for $259 unbelievable that's below Apple's list price of $499..

@Everyone one place in NYC where you cant take along your iPad-Yankee Stadium which has banned the device by saying it is a mini laptop and since laptops are banned at the stadium so are iPads..
http://dnainfo.com/20100524/manhattan/ipads-prohibited-at-yankee-stadium

A computer for even 500 dollars is reasonably priced. Isn't price relative to what is being sold? You can't say that any car over 200 bucks is expensive . . . or any appliance . . . or a computer.

@JenMac Seriously.

@uptowngirl I don't blame them.

@uptowngirl Oh... I can't live without data. I use so much more data than voice. Maybe even more than texting? Maybe.

@hhusted Do you own a computer? And you paid less than $200 for it? Have to agree with JenMac that you have to think about what is being sold.

@BroadwayBK same here but I like to call my parents and actually do have some friends in NYC who are not email/facebook people and only ever respond to voice /text so its convenient for that and calling 1-800 numbers which you cannot call from an overseas phone.

@BroadwayBK: Yes I own two: A laptop and a netbook.

I got my netbook for £250 (say, $400) and it's absolutely fantastic and well worth the price! I have the netbook and a desktop Mac and the two go well together!

I really want a netbook... But I am afraid that it will be so slow compared to my usual laptop that I will bash it into a wall out of frustration. Everyone always complains about the snail's pace of those things.

Maybe someone with an iPad can tell me how they feel about the thing being flat? It seems like it would be a bit awkward at times, unlike a laptop with a screen that sits up and a keyboard that lies flat. You know what I mean? If you put it on a tabletop you have to lean over to look into it... the shape of it doesn't seem as convenient as the shape of a laptop or netbook.

@NeverSleeps We just bought a stylus with which you can actually write on the iPad and dont need to use the keyboard and it works great. Actually I dont think an iPad can totally replace your laptop/ desktop the beauty is in its portability.I am now seriously craving one but can't afford to shell out the big bucks for it just yet as I also am craving a Longchamps handbag which is about $600. sigh!

@uptowngirl That's surely the coolest thing I've heard all day!

@NeverSleeps: My netbook is actually faster than my notebook. It also has more GB on the hard drive.

@hhusted really? I thought netbooks had a limited capacity that's why they largely run Windows XP as they dont have the capacity of Windows 7 .. what brand is it? interesting for sure..

I have a new Acer. It has a 200GB hard drive and a Pent 4 processor. It also have XP on it. It runs at 2.5GHz. And it has 2GB memory. My laptop is an older Acer. It only has an 80GB hard drive and has an Intel Celeron processor in it. It runs at 2 GHZ with a 1MB L2 cache and 1GB memory.

Indeed, my netbook is much faster. But I bought it to use for travel purposes only, since my laptop is heavy to carry.

@hhusted thanks for the info.. I love Acers for some reason ..they are like work horses..sturdy and reliable, I have had two and have not yet been disappointed.. can I ask how much you paid for it?

My laptop has 3 gigs of memory, which is expandable to 4. I bought it almost specifically for this reason, because my previous dinosaur of a laptop was so maddeningly slow. I love it; it's lightening fast - at least when there is a decent internet connection.

So I recently got a check for my birthday with which I am expected to buy the iPad..however I seem to have distracted by a new Cole Haan bag sigh!! just for the record I havent bought either though I came across this article that states that iPads are now being incorporated into the curriculum of New York City schools albeit the tony private schools on the UES.
http://dnainfo.com/20100913/upper-east-side/ipads-make-classroom-debut-at-upper-east-side-schools

@uptowngirl Ha! I say go for the bag, there will be a new trendy gadget out soon enough, for your next birthday...

@Uraniumfish thanks for the vote

Oh man, I know what I would do with that check: buy me some boots. At the moment there are about $1000 worth of boots that I NEED this fall! I say go for the bag, too, @uptowngirl!

@BroadwayBk LOL

I need boots too and I'm willing to pay a good amount for a high quality pair. What to do, where to go looking? Guys? I checked out DSW the other day and they mostly had low-grade pairs for around $100 and I do NOT want some cheap pair with glued-on plastic soles!

I need a new pair of snow shoes. It's between the standard LL Bean fare and the standard Hunter fare (I am thinking the red ones). Can you guys give me any feedback on these? It seems like most people have at least one pair of either brand. Then again, maybe I am thinking too far in advance...

@Uraniumfish I haven't checked out their boot collection - I haven't been in there in a while to be honest - but there is a store in Park Slope called Soula that sells some quality handmade shoes. You should check it out. Looks like there's one in Boreum Hill as well: http://www.soulashoes.com/

@Uraniumfish I just got a flier from Piperlime.com in my inbox and they seem to have a whole bunch of boots..
http://www.piperlime.com/ though I know you would probably want to try them on instead of ordering them online.

@NeverSleeps I have been using my Timberland snowshoes for a few years now and they are still going strong, I think I bought them in the shoe section of Century 21 years ago.

@uptowngirl Some of those boots look good but you're right that I would have to try them on in person. I'm actually thinking a bit higher-end than the brands they have. I'm totally okay with spending $600 on a pair of boots that are so well made that I'll have them for years.

@NeverSleeps Hah! Great minds think alike. I have a pair of sandals from Soula that are a real joy because they're really good quality and stylin'. I was actually in there over the weekend and they said they're expecting their boot collection to start arriving in another couple of weeks.

@Everybody I'm due for a trip to Berlin this fall and considering waiting till then to buy my boots abroad. But that won't be for another couple of months yet--Ach.

@Uraniumfish aha ..though do have a look at one of my favorite brands-Cole Haan as well.

@Uraniumfish Coool. I am sure I saw some Hunters in there last time I strolled by. I'll be sure to check out the rest of their boot collection, though.

Was just watching Gossip Girl yesterday and my consumerist tendencies have been cranked up to 10! I don't usually go gaga over clothes, but the red ball dress that Blair Waldorf/Leighton Meister was wearing in the last scene - oh, why can't I afford to buy thousands of dollars' worth of formalwear? Sigh sigh. Then again, I bought a £20 russet taffeta off-the-shoulder cocktail dress at a charity shop in Edinburgh, my friend took it in for free to fit me exactly, and it looks like a gorgeous tailored couture item for all of $34!

@NeverSleeps I think Hunter boots were standard English country attire much like Barbour Jackets until Kate Moss wore them to the Glastonbury festival and made them fashionable.
http://www.glamour.com/fashion/blogs/slaves-to-fashion/2009/07/wellies-and-cutoffs-at-glaston.html

@uptowngirl That is kind of why I want them... they are sort of romantic, except for that stupid label on the front.

Any wearables with a name on them are an automatic NO for me, I don't like being made into a walking ad for someone's line, thanks.

But they're classic...like Ray Bans.

@NeverSleeps yes they are...

@Uraniumfish I am with you on that one that's why I would never buy a Louis Vuitton/Fendi/ Gucci monogram handbag.. the designer makes that I tend to buy have fairly subtle labels. Moreover I don't even like those which have excessive hardware and baubles , maybe I am boring but my tastes tend to veer towards the classic and I like to buy stuff that I can wear/carry for years. Even when I buy jeans, I rather they have no embellishments on the back pockets .. I like them plain and unadorned.

I think monograms tend to be pretty ugly, and they really are nothing but a status symbol. Fine, these Wellies that I covet have a label - but it's not like they cost millions of dollars and are only sported by banker's wives and celebs.

They seem like big, neon arrow signs that say, "Look, I spent a lot of money" whereas something truly beautiful and well made just looks beautiful and well made. No neon sign bauble necessary. I', with you on this, uptowngirl.

@Everyone Have been following the launches of android tablets which are now available for less than $300 so maybe there is an alternative to the iPad after all.
http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/2010/09/02/archos-4-7-and-10-inch-android-tablets-offer-what-you-need-for-under-300/

@uptowngirl Didn't even know there was such a thing... But now that I do, I have to say that it looks really awesome. But I have to wonder about the 4in. one - why not just buy a smart phone?

@NeverSleeps True but I am thinking of getting the 10inch one..

I thought about getting an iPad, but it doesn't really seem like that effective of a tool for what I want it for. I just want a small computer to tote around the city and do my writing where ever I please. But, it seems like most netbooks are not built for the kind of internet use I am used to dishing out. Maybe I should just get a tiny laptop?

@BroadwayBK Isn't a tiny laptop a Netbook?the iPads and such are basically for reading not for working that's why I have hesitated before investing in one seems quite a hefty tag to pay for a simple reader.

@Uptowngirl: I paid nearly $300 for my netbook. It was discounted.

@Everybody: if I received a check for any amount over $500, I know one thing I would not buy, and that is a computer, since I have three of them. Instead, I would buy some new summer clothes. The rest I would put in the bank and let it collect interest. I am a saver, not a spender.