Moleskine vs iPad

My Moleskine--the A5 one that I carry around with me for making notes, keeping important information and creative writing on the fly--is almost full and normally, I look forward to buying a new one and I was planning to switch from squared paper back to lines. I haven't been using my Moleskine much lately but while the "keeping important information" function has mostly been delegated to my iPhone, the "creative writing on the fly" role cannot efficiently be subsumed by my phone.

However, just before Christmas, I won an iPad because I filled in a survey for my university's alumni office and was picked out of their hat. I'm even getting the 32 Gig model. Lucky me! Despite Papa's constant encouragement, I hadn't planned to consider getting an iPad until at least the second model came out. It's a pretty pricey gadget and Apple's kit is almost always better second (or third) time around.

I didn't need an iPad but then I didn't need an iPhone either and am now much enamoured with my dear phone. I suspect that once my iPad arrives, it will soon become not just useful but a necessity: competent web browsing in bed without having to go and fetch my laptop; competent web browsing while I am watching a TV show on my laptop; a way of having some kind of IT kit with me on holiday without having to lug my laptop around.

And, of course, creative writing on the fly. The iPad has a much longer battery life than my laptop and is also smaller and lighter. With the purchase of the Pages app (or a cheaper/free app that has similar functionality), I could potentially write and edit sections of my novel on the go without having to type them up afterwards. Sorry, Moleskine; I love writing in you but it is a pain in the arse having to transcribe everything onto my computer afterwards.

I will still get a new Moleskine, of course, (it's an addiction) because I really like the feel of a quality fountain pen on the lovely Moleskine paper. I just fear that the iPad might antiquate it somewhat. Luckily, for people like me, there are iPad covers that include a Moleskine notepad. I don't know whether this would make the device too bulky but they look damn cool.


UPDATE: And here is the gorgeous little thing. Now I just need the iPad; I hope I haven't been sucked in by some phishing scam from the alumni office.