While the bloggers and tech fans still debate the worthiness of the Apple iPad, some — like 99-year-old Virginia Campbell — have taken the plunge. This tablet is the senior citizen’s first computing device ever.
What’s most touching about her story is that, despite being an avid reader, she had to forsake her love of books due to glaucoma. Large-print books weren’t working for her. But her new tablet does, since she can change the brightness and font size with a few simple taps.
These days, it’s so easy to fall into the trap of nitpicking or hyping a product based on specs, and give into loaded debates like “Whose platform is better?” or “Why did they skip all these features?! What a rip off!” Sometimes, I think we all lose sight of the most important thing: What these gadgets can ultimately bring to people in the real world. That goes for Droids, Nexus Ones, BlackBerry 9650s, Palm Pres or other tablet devices.
When it comes to this one, obviously not everyone is interested in it. And that’s completely understandable, as it lacks several things that spec geeks or mobile power users crave. But whether you’re an iPad fan or not, Virginia’s story is touching. And a great reminder of why technology in general exists in the first place.
Via: Today’s iPhone, TUAW, Oregon Live
