5 Ways the iPad Could Change Our Lives

It has been called a supersize iPhone, the Moses Tablet and even, in a flurry of Twitter posts Wednesday, the iTampon. Apple calls its lightweight new tablet computer the iPad.

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It will sell for $499 to $829, plus optional monthly Internet service on the higher-end models. CEO Steve Jobs says, "We think we have the goods" in the new device. Julie Smith David, director of ASU's Center for Advancing Business through Information Technology, followed Wednesday's unveiling and gives it an early thumbs up.

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"They're going to try to do to books what they've done to music. Kindle has done a great job, but the graphic quality is not that good. This could be the first digital book that really allows you to read books you need for work, whether you're a student or reading for business."

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With the larger screen, it will be easier to read stories on the iPad than the iPhone and other smartphones, Smith David said. "You'll be able to read through articles, see the photographs, zoom in. I can see how getting The Arizona Republic on that device would actually be OK."

TRAVEL

"I can see using it as a travel machine (instead of a laptop). I think it's a great travel device. I could do my e-mail, keep up with the news and read." She called the 10-hour battery life "fantastic" for frequent fliers. "While you're on the plane, you're not worried about running out of juice. You're not having to carry all of the power cables everywhere you're going."

PLAY GAMES

"For the multiperson games, I think it's going to be a great device. The gaming crew is going to have a bigger screen so you can get an even bigger graphics."