I would like to welcome one of my best friends and fellow Mac lover Derek Lunde to my iPad Life interview series. You can find out a more about Derek on his Tumblr.
Tell me a little about yourself, what do you do, where do you live?
My name is Derek Lunde, and I am a husband slash April Fools Baby. I have a cat who is addicted to carbohydrates, and she is a good reminder for me to go to the gym (another hobby I’ve learned to enjoy in lieu of caffeine in the morning). By day, I run the Visual Communication and Strategy practice at one of Washington state’s largest design firms, BCRA. My time is commonly split between advising our clients on marketing strategies and managing our team of designers, copywriters and project managers.
I live in a cozy flat overlooking downtown Seattle.
What was your reaction when the iPad was launched?
My first reaction when the iPad was announced (we’ll get to the launch in a second), was “OMG, the name’s a joke, right?” It wasn’t until peripheral items like the iMaxi were announced that I came to grips with this less-than-appetizing moniker.
When the iPad was launched, I kicked myself for not pre-ordering one. Mostly this was because my wait outside the Apple Store in Bellevue Square Mall on launch day was about five hours (need I mention I was surrounded by Microsofties the whole time). As a marketing person, I was in complete amazement over the perfectly synchronized efforts in promotion and sales with strategic product placement, media reviews and articles published locally and internationally. What also amazed me was the skepticism that existed among many “expert analysts” on Wall Street (for example…).
As I look back on the launch, I never could’ve imagined the new micro-economies that have evolved out of the release of the iPad.
Which model did you order and why?
16GB WiFi. It was the cheapest model, which helped me get approval from wifey. But, looking back, I wished I would’ve researched the 3G plan details a bit more. The convenience of signing up month-to-month for service just didn’t click with me at the time, and in hind sight I probably would’ve waited to get a 3G model instead. I do prefer the look of the WiFi only model over the 3G and its black antenna bar. Obviously, impatience also had a lot to do with it.
How are you using the iPad on a daily basis?
In the morning, the iPad is my excuse to take a quick couch break in between the gym and heading into the office. I check twitter, weather, and feature stories through Pulse.
In the office, I like to use the iPad to check in on personal projects and follow the social networks. Of course, it has replaced a paper notepad in meetings and was used as a guinea pig for our firm’s adoption of the iPad as a portfolio marketing tool. I also use it as a quasi-second workstation when necessary for simple multi-tasking or research.
At night, I’m checking emails, FB, and twitter with it. Most importantly…Sim City. Lunde Metropolis, run by Mayor Adam West, is growing quickly. It has plenty of utility capacity, is still lacking a museum, and can respond to fire emergencies in 2 minutes.
Can you give me a quick run down of the apps that you use the most?
Pulse: still a great news feed summary tool. I check this once per day in the morning.
Twitter: love the interface. I check this a lot.
Flipboard: nice way to display social network and news feeds. I check this once per day at night.
Keynote: much of my work involves pitch-decks, and the functionality would leave PowerPoint with two black eyes in a cage match.
Looptastic HD: as one who wants to reincarnate as a DJ, this is a fun app to get lost in for way too long.
Which app is your favorite?
iBooks: it’s an old skool choice, but it’s simple, clean, and yet robust enough to do the little things. BBC News and Twitter are a close second in terms of usability.
Do you have any bag/stand/case recommendations for people?
The Roots I-Sleeve leather case is great for people who like to use the iPad naked, but want a soft, stylish, simple case. And, it fits super snugly (a top concern of mine). I just bought the Tumi T-Tech Empire Freedom bag (aka murse) to carry my stuff around, and coincidentally the bag has a perfectly sized pouch the iPad can slip into. I haven’t purchased a stand yet, but would love a few suggestions.
What features do you want to see in a future iPad?
SD or MicroSD card slot: It’s lame to have to carry around an adapter for that – especially on vacation and taking pics.
Retina display: Why not? Might as well go for the gusto.
Backing that doesn’t make my hand sweat, picks up scratches less easily, and can be gripped a little bit better than the aluminum: I like the look right now, but it’s less functional than it could be.
I want to thank Derek again for taking the time to do this, and you all should be following him on Twitter where he is @derekjlunde. Lastly I think we can all agree that he should be writing a regular blog — so once you follow him be sure to let him know that you want to see more of his writing.
More iPad Life
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