From Apple.com

REVOLUTIONIZE IT!!!

Seriously though, no doubt you’ve heard about Apple’s newest product, the iPad. There’s no doubt that you’ve heard how it will “revolutionize” your life, how it will change the way you read books, watch movies, listen to music, interact with your computer, interact with others, how it will alter the attention you give you to your children, the attention you give while you are driving your freaking car. Flatly, the iPad will change your life whether you buy it or not. But, if you’re like me, you’re wondering how it will affect one thing and one thing only: travel.

So, in case you have been living under a rock for the past day (or if you just simply happened to not check the internet for one whole day- WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?) a short synopsis of the iPad: 10 inches tall. It’s a bigger iPhone, without the phone. A smaller laptop, without the keyboard. A better Kindle, because, well, it’s Apple’s version. You can use it to surf online (with 3G or Wi-Fi), you can use it to read digital books in an infinite digital library, you can use it to listen to music or you can just use it as a receptor for any of the iPhone’s 140,000 apps, all of which are directly compatible with the iPad. You can use it to find the meaning of life and you can use it to find true love. Basically, it’s half-computer, half-iPhone and, supposedly, the best of both worlds which then means that it’s the “greatest thing ever invented”.

First, how will the iPad affect you while you are in the process of getting somewhere? Whether you are on a plane, train, bus or car (assuming you’re not driving), you will have a choice of an extremely diverse collection of entertainment. Most likely, your ears first perked up at the thought of always having a choice of a near-endless digital book library, a 3G internet connection and screen built for specially for the optimization of web pages. It doesn’t hurt that you have the ability to play music, movies or games too (the sizes range from 16 GBs to 64). Seriously, the tablet is an entire mobile entertainment system, perfect for when you’ve got nothing to do but sit and wait to get to your destination. Those are reasons enough for why the iPad would be great for traveling, but there’s more….

One word: Camping. I know that it is far from traditional to bring a compact super computer/thing-with-all-of-the-knowledge-in-the-world on your camping trip and that that directly ruins the entire purpose of camping. But I also can’t ignore the fact that this invention is perfect for the average camper. Maybe not the backpacker but sure enough the family who is just going to relax for a weekend in Big Basin or Redwood National or the Sierras. Seriously. Bored from the hike? Buy a book online then read it all in one swoop. Don’t want to read? Watch a movie. Its uses are worth scoffing at but it’s also very much worth considering.

The iPad’s utilization of the Apps Store may still eclipse its uses as a movie/music/book medium. With 140,000 applications and still growing, the possibilities are near endless when it comes to uses for travel. Fresh out of ideas and you need a park to go to? Use the Tripit app, Yelp or, if you’re going worldwide, the National Geographic Atlas app. You don’t have to worry about the map fitting on the tiny iPhone screen anymore; the map/park info of your choosing will be easily visible on the 10″ screen. And, I think, in the next year we’re going to see thousands and thousands of applications built for the bigger iPad, and that undoubtedly  means products that will greatly help the traveler, whether he’s just wandering or if he’s got some place to go.