Is there any other news today?

It's been several weeks since I put up something new on this blog. Back then I was rambling about new ebooks not really being new, but new in e. Today there is no ramble. In fact, there's really no other news today. Other than the one story. Yes folks, it's all about Apple. The iPad finally went on sale here in Australia. At one point today the top 5 stories on the SMH website were all iPad related. Facebook friends are putting news of their iPad purchase in their status for all to see and comment. Industry colleagues have rung today to see if I had one and what did I think. And one of our sales representatives popped into my office and asked "big day today, where is it?". Lo and behold I will disappoint you all. I haven't got one. Mind you, I haven't got one on order either. I'm still reading on the plain old Sony e-reader. How dull it looks now in comparison. Look what else is out there. Colour, magic, Apple. It's a new world. So what's wrong with me? Does this mean I'm an alien? Afterall I'm still reading p-books. Yes, you remember. Books. Printed books. After a year of reading ebooks I've decided I actually prefer to read the physical book. Yes it's heavier, but the batteries don't die out, I can read it in direct sunlight, I can read it for the full time on a domestic flight, and of course I can read it in the bath without fear I'm going to drop it and waste hundreds (if not thousands!) of electronic purchases stored on the device. (OK, they are backed up, but let's not go there today). But then I haven't got an iPad. Would my world change dramatically if I had one? Or would it eventually be treated as yet another device. Another gadget. I don't know. But I do know one thing. Congratulations are in order to Apple for making the iPad a subject on most people's tongues. Regardless of age, just about everyone knows about the brand and their new product. Congrats to Apple for creating such extraordinary demand for their devices. The publicity, the promotion, the marketing, the commentary. Apple didn't really have to put a lot of materials out there. And I had to laugh when my email came through today that had the simple heading of "iPad is here". They really didn't need to do much more than that. So today was iPad day here in Australia. I expect it to dominate conversations for the foreseeable future. And I will think about my alien status and the changed world of today...