The hammer and the iPad…

There is no way anyone could ever know, but my guess is that when an early caveman was showing off his new invention…the hammer…to his fellow Neanderthals, the first response he received from the vast majority of his friends was not, “This is going to change the world! Thank you SO much for this!”

Instead, they probably said, “What the hell do we need this hammer-thing for? You got something against rocks? Why can’t we just keep using them?”

And…I’ll bet the inventor of the hammer did not himself conceive all of its uses. The claw-end to pull OUT the very nails you’ve driven into a board probably came later, for example.

So, now we have a brand new tool at our disposal…the iPad.

Like the hammer, some are objecting, proclaiming a netbook or laptop will work just fine, making this new invention redundant. Others suggest that since it is e-book reader, computer, and other devices in one, it must therefore be inferior in specific tasks to a dedicated device.

And, you can even find a multitude who desire to wait on the “next generation,” so Apple can get the “bugs” out — and release a later version complete with camera or other upgrades. Many are making a point about “limited functionality” of the product, well before its potential is even scratched.

Here’s my suggestion — if you’ve got $500, get one. Now.

The iPad can change your life.

It brings everything you need — and much of what you want — to your fingertips. It doesn’t take time away from your life, like many “gadgets” do. Instead, it makes the time of your life more valuable and productive.

Got ten extra minutes? Start a new book, watch a video training podcast, listen to classical music, play an incredible video game, review the notes of your last meeting, create that presentation you have to deliver…even write a blog post, just like this one.

You can instantly stream a first-run, top-rate movie on Netflix…download your favorite TV show from iTunes…be reading the bestselling book on business you’ve been putting off…or, and here’s the biggest point of all…ANYTHING you want to learn about, experience — or share!

Don’t misunderstand…I have enjoyed my Kindle, for example. However, the iPad app for the Kindle puts the real Kindle to shame.

I can manage my budget, text my wife (yes, I know the iPad isn’t a phone, but there’s an app for texting…and Skype works on Wi-Fi, so I can even make and take calls on it), check my emails, stay posted on sports scores, watch news videos, peruse the Wall St. Journal and USA Today, and update my Twitter and Facebook status…all while sitting with a small device that weights just a little more than a pound.

(By the way, I chose not to wait on the 3G version — I have a Sprint Mi-Fi device, it works just great with the iPad, and doesn’t require me to pay any additional bills to AT&T. And, frankly, I’m a LOT happier with Sprint’s 3G service — and this device will give me 4G speeds in selected markets — than I am with AT&T’s.)

You’ve probably already read it — but, until you play/work with one for a while, it’s really impossible to understand how compelling the iPad is. And, while I’m writing this with my Bluetooth keyboard, actually typing on the iPad is similar to the iPhone — you start off thinking you’ll never get the hang of it, but in a couple of hours, you do.

I can imagine the rapidly approaching day when students will arrive on college campuses, and download their entire textbook collection on the iPad. Or, the conference where I’m speaking that provides everything from the agenda to seminar worksheets to your ticket to the gala annual banquet simply on your iPad.

It’s not IF you’re someday going to get one…it’s WHEN, just like the iPod.

And, remember when there were those who would proudly hold out and refuse to get a computer? For a while, they were in the majority…then they were seen as contrarians…now, it’s gotten to the point where they’re just sad relics.

However, perhaps the most important aspect is this one: If you spend your time resisting the new tools accelerating change…how can you develop innovation and distinction for your own career or company?

Why wait? Get going on the iPad now…if you don’t, relic-ness awaits.