This won’t be even remotely comprehensive, but after 24 hours, I wanted to capture my first impression of the iPad2.

This thing is really light.  Could it be too light?  And slippery.  Yes, it’s every bit as slippery as the original iPad. And I can’t find a case that I’m satisfied to use yet, either.

I could easily load my Amazon library.  I’m sure nook will do the same when I log in.  iBooks?  Why not?  Must I sync the iPad with my primary iTunes machine, the Mini (currently 150 miles away), before I can get my iBooks library?  That’s not at all what the iPhone commercial indicates.  It offered to sync this library (empty) when I first started it, but I was afraid it would wipe out my iBooks library wherever it may be stored, so I said “no.”  Now, it hasn’t made the offer again.  I may have to check the iPad manual this, but I do NOT like iTunes preference for controlling everything from the main computer and treating iPads, iPhones, and iPods as one-way subsidiary devices with mother Mac controlling what goes onto it.  The iPad and iPhone as less that way, but it seems that’s the default.

My budget data was the easiest to deal with.  I did a back up to email, emailed it to the account I have set up on the iPad2, opened the budget app, pressed restore, and approved the process.  Everything right where I expected it.  HomeBudget is a great app.

I’d wanted a black iPad2, but I’d decided I wouldn’t be picky, and when white was the only model available in 64G WiFi yesterday, I didn’t hesitate to take it.  They offered free activation, and, since my primary iTunes machine was 150 miles away (which would have made activation and data loading easy), I accepted an abbreviated session.

I feel I should mention something about my experience leading up to getting the iPad2.  I went to the mall under the impression that I’d get in line and wait until they opened the store at ten.  Here’s what really happened.

I got to the mall at 8:30 am.  One lady was already in line.  We chatted.  Shortly after I arrived a couple more people showed up.  Around 8:40, an Apple Store employee came out and briefed us on what would happen.  He said they did have iPads, but they didn’t know what kind yet.  He said they’d be out at 9:00 with what they had and would begin working with people in line.  When they came out at 9:00, they had a handful of paper clipped slips — it looked like they had about six to nine different piles with at least six to ten slips in most piles.  The lady in front of me (retired Navy!) wanted a 32G ATT3G.  She got her choice of colors.  I got my 64G WiFi in white.  There were about ten of us in line when they came out, so hopefully, everyone got what they wanted.  After I got my slip, I was to wait until someone escorted me in.  He processed the order and we chatted while waiting for another employee to bring the iPad out.  Once I paid the bill, he handed me off to the lady who was performing the activation process.  I was on my way out to the truck with my activated iPad2 by 9:15 am.  Everything went smoothly and painlessly (my credit card might beg to differ about the painlessly, but really, it didn’t hurt my credit card either — just my bank balance when I pay the balance next month.).  As a side note, the employee processing my order asked how many times I’d tried to get the iPad.  I told him technically two — once by stopping in to the store on Saturday afternoon and that morning.  He said I was lucky — some people had made at least ten attempts.