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With the addition of iPad, there is one more iDevice on my desk. I can’t increase my desk space, so I had to look for alternative use the space. I thought the best solution is to get a stand for the iPad, problem was, as an early adopter of iPad in Singapore, most accessories were not made available here yet. Ordering from overseas will not cut it as I would have to pay high shipping fee. With that, I started to explore the option of making my own.

This was how my desk look with iDevices lying around.

Quick research led me to couple of web pages showcasing DIY iPad stands. The more impressive ones were those made with Lego. That reminded me of my Lego Fork Lift that was sitting on the shelve collecting dust. I figure I could finally put that into better use!

My Lego Fork Lift, in it original form

Initially I wanted to make something really simple and minimalist, however, being inspired by the fork lift, I thought I could make something with adjustable tilt angle. Also, making room for the sync cable was also one of the criteria. Most importantly, it should hold my iPad even with the case on.

So, four hours later…

Air Display — On my next meeting with client, I’ll bring the iPad along, set it up to work as extended screen, turn it to face the client, and start my presentation.

Earlier on, I mentioned iMockups as my reason #2 for getting the iPad (while reason #1 is using it as e-book reader), then I saw OmniGraffle.

I have been using the Mac version of this application for as long as I have been using Mac, mainly for creating wireframes and visual notes. It costs five times more compared to iMockups, but consider the additional features and more importantly — the seamless integration with Mac version of the app, I will not hesitate to grab a copy of this too!

Additional note: Apples has announced on May 7, that iPad will be made available in nine more countries, namely Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK, starting from May 28. And what do you know, I’ll be visiting Vancouver for a month-long holiday with my wife, and my sister-in-law (who lives there) was sweet to have helped me placed a pre-order. It is scheduled to be shipped by June 7. Now I can only hope there will be no delay.

MindMeister — I think visually, and I have problem thinking straight. Then someone taught me how to use mind map, and I have loved the method ever since. I started by using MindManager by Mindjet, which has worked well for me in the start, but as I eventually ditched Windows, the Mac version of MindManager did not work as well as I liked it before, moreover, portability of information became an issue. Unless I lugged my laptop around, otherwise it was difficult for me to bring my maps around, or add in new ideas as they became available. Then I found MindMeister, that offers Mind Mapping software that runs on the web, as well as on my iPhone. Now I just hope its iPad version will be made available when iPad launches in Singapore.

Pages – Create, edit, send quotations on the go, at 1.8kg lighter (Macbook Pro vs iPad).

So quickly I have found reason #3 for me to get the iPad — Evernote

I’m bad at remembering things; I’m even worse in remembering where I kept my notes. So keeping digital notes is the answer to my dilemma. By keeping my notes in digital format, I am able to access the information from multiple locations, and I’m able to search, tag, and modify them on the go! I have been using the Mac and iPhone versions of Evernote for several months now and I’m pretty happy with it. The iPad addition will make a happy family!

There is no information on when will iPad be launched in Singapore. I sort of read from a source saying it may be as early as mid May, 2010. That simply means — not a long wait.

I have mixed feelings about getting one, mainly because I think it’s merely an oversized iPod. But if it makes a good e-book reader as advertised, that may give me a good reason to look forward to own one. At present I have close to two dozens of web design/development reference books, which I have no time to read. And when I do manage to read them, I hate it that I couldn’t “search” or “bookmark” important/useful information for later use. Where as with the iPad, instead of buying physical books, I can start buying e-books and carry them where ever I go. How fabulous is that?

To give myself more reason, I’m going to start adding them here as and when I come across one. For today, apart from reason #1 – E-book Reader, here’s another one – iMockups