Please welcome Chris Bowler, he was kind enough to participate in this weeks iPad Life.
Tell me a little about yourself, what do you do, where do you live?
My name is Chris Bowler and I am a Christian and a father of 6. I run a little boutique company called Fusion Ads and an online store called the Idea Cafe. I’m a novice front end web developer and have a passion for many things, software and coffee chief among them.
My family and I live amidst the forests of northern British Columbia (Canada) and enjoy the blend of modern convenience in a small town.
What was your reaction when the iPad was launched?
Mostly, meh. I mean, it was gorgeous and such a well designed piece of hardware, but it was clear from the start that I was not the target audience. I do very little consuming of media (TV, movies, magazines, games etc.), so a lot of the focus of the iPad did not apply to me. I didn’t have much need for another toy or satellite device.
Of course, we all knew that creating content would be possible on the iPad (as Chairman Gruber keeps harping on), but for the first while, it would be much harder to do my creating on an iPad than on my Macbook.
In the end, I did get one since Fusion Ads were going to be included in iPad apps. I wanted to be able to see the ads in beta apps before they hit the public.
Which model did you order and why?
The low end 16GB wifi version. It cost the least and I have no need to use the iPad in any location. If I do work from outside my home office, it’s always at a cafe with free wifi.
How are you using the iPad on a daily basis?
Even though I don’t consume a lot of media, I do read a lot. So my iPad is usually where I thin out my feeds — it’s like a filter where I dismiss the articles that don’t interest me or read shorter, less intensive posts.
And thanks to OmniFocus, my iPad is now a key part of my work day. I keep an eye on my tasks there and do all of my weekly reviews with the iPad. It’s the first app where using the iPad version is easier and has less friction than the desktop counterpart. I give the biggest kudos to the OmniGroup team for creating an interface that just … flows.
As well, I foresee myself using it in face to face meetings with clients. It’s an ideal way to show and discuss content with others.
Can you give me a quick run down of the apps that you use the most?
Mail, OmniFocus, Reeder, Twitter for iPad, Simplenote, Dropbox, Instapaper, YouVersion and most recently, Yojimbo.
Which app is your favorite?
OmniFocus, by far. Obviously Instapaper is great, seeing as the iPad is a great device for reading. But I had been perfectly happy consuming news before the iPad. OmniFocus changed the game for me.
Do you have any bag/stand/case recommendations for people?
I only use a stand and I’m very happy with it. It’s the Loop from Griffin. Although it looks a little large, it’s a pleasure to use. It’s sturdy and will not worry you about falling etc.
What features do you want to see in a future iPad?
Just two: iOS multitasking and the Reeder feature from Safari on the desktop. I have a few sites I read regularly that would be a pleasure to be able to block out all the noise (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl). And I believe multitasking is self-explanatory.
Thanks again to Chris for taking the time to give us a little insight into his iPad life. Be sure to follow him on Twitter.
More iPad Life
To see more people’s iPad Lives take a look here.
Note: This site makes use of affiliate links, which may earn the site money when you buy using those links.