So I must admit, I have never been an ardent admirer of the iPad. Don't get me wrong, I'm a pseudo-hipster, so I am genetically predisposed to love Apple products. I remember asking my Dad for an iPod for Christmas the year when the very first generation came out, and they were like, $700. I have at various points had 3 iPods to my name. I'm on my second MacBook (upgraded to the pro - his name is Vincent Van Go). I am surgically attached to my iPhone. But I never really went crazy for the iPad. Sure, they were cool. But I couldn't think of a reason why I needed one. I still can't, really. But last week something came over me, and I put my name on the wait list for an iPad 2. And today - success! And - I love it. So much. I can't figure out how I lived without it.

"But it's just your iPhone - only bigger," protested my cousin Sal this afternoon.

"I know," I exclaimed, drunkenly scrolling through all my recently purchased apps. "IT'S BRILLIANT!"

And it is. Seriously, people, this thing is awesome. I'm typing this on my wireless keyboard - poor ol' Vincent Van Go is sitting charging forlornly in the bedroom. TwistyPad - well, he has everything I need, really. Music, apps, I downloaded Pages so I could word process - ZestyKobo is very upset that I might start using TwistyPad to read e-books, and you know what? ZestyKobo should be worried! Why hit a button and wait 2 seconds for the next page to load, when I can flick through pages, and even read in the dark, thanks to TwistyPad's beautiful backlight? I'm in love with a machine that I had absolutely no need for. BUT I LOVE IT!

OK, off to FaceTime my brother. He picked up HIS iPad 2 today as well...

Stay tuned for my next exclamation of techno-joy: iPhone 5, coming this fall...