Anyone who has been keeping up with this blog knows that I really… really… REALLY want an iPad.

Apple is great at coming up with the unexpected. Who would have thought they would design a computer that is more like a giant iPod or iTouch, and that millions and millions of people would flood retailers the world over for it?

Here are some of the things that make the iPad oh so very cool:

Gaming.
If you have been stuck in the world of the small handheld gaming devices, step on over to the iPad. The iPad will take your gaming to a new level. Perfect for the coach potato in all of us.

eReader.
Move over Kindle, the iPad has an enormous selection of reading material for your eyes to devour. The amount of books and other reading material is nearly unrivaled.

Texting and Tweeting.
You’ll be able to watch your favorite television shows right on the bright clear iPad screen while texting a tweeting. There’s also IMBD– an iPad app that’ll do something pretty cool. It lets you look up an actor’s name when you spot a familiar face on television.

Cooking Guide
Can you image how cool it would be to use the iPad as the biggest cook book ever? If you love your time in the kitchen as much as I do you’ll find this particular use of the iPad very a”peeling”.

Where to watching the big game?
Answer? Wherever you feel like it. The iPad, through the use of one of several app’s available, can become the coolest portable television you’ve ever seen. Imagine stealing a little “Me Time” away from the hubby and kids with your favorite beverage and your favorite team crushing the competition on your iPad.

So, here I was… teetering on the edge of making the leap to the iPhone 4 from my beloved Apple Empire. Yes, there are some pretty cool changes to the latest edition to the family. And I’ll agree there is something a little George Jettsonish about video conferencing from a cell phone while I am sitting in rush hour traffic.

But in the end, I decided against it. Here’s my reasoning, in case you’re contemplating whether to make the jump or wait a while:

After all the glitz and glamour wears off this is still an iPhone.
The changes revealed in the iPhone 4 are nice and all but do they really demand the upgrade? Unless you are planning to sell the compact camera you got for Christmas and break Aunt Judy’s heart, I think you may want to rethink this. Screen resolution is much better huh? Yeah, I’ll give you that, but you really need to see the roots of the hairs on the gnats’ bottom?

Video Conferencing, Really?
Yes, yes Virginia while the idea of being able to teleconference with Santa Claus will be really awesome on Christmas Eve, have you investigated the possibility that Santa may not have an iPhone 4? Are a bunch of your friends and family taking this dive with you? Because if they aren’t, you’ll be video conferencing in the mirror with yourself. So if you are thinking you’ll be able to see your soldier halfway around the world on the phone, think again. Oh, and do you really want people to see you on their phone first thing in the morning?

Money, money, and more (or less) money.
If you are currently in contract with your cell carrier and without an available upgrade you’re going to pay a pretty steep price. If you aren’t in contract you’ll need to consider if you want to remain with your current carrier or wait until the first of next year and have another option. If you do it now you’re locked in probably for two years.

iPhones are such sweet candy to those of us who love our apple toys and Mac gadgets. Just make sure you’re getting a new phone for the right reasons and not becoming a serial upgrader. For me, this wasn’t the right time.

The folks over at Apple sure know how to roll out a new product don’t they? It’s like they are unveiling a newer stronger version of some Marvel Comic hero each time. The world swallows up each and every morsel of the marketing build up, tantalizing the cyber taste buds of all who crave technology. I’ll admit, I’m just as guilty of loving all things Apple and Mac.

The iPad created a huge buzz with its recent release (and heaven knows I still want one so very bad!), but the iPhone has created a bit of its own with the release of the next generation iPhone.

Pre-release sales began June 15th in the U.S. and those sales have done so well that when the phone was actually released for retail sale in late June many retailers had no stock. If you are looking to join the stampede here are a few things to consider.

The cost of the new iPhone 4 for those of you who’ve saved your upgrade just for this is somewhere in the $200 range for the 16G version and $300 for the 32G version. Keep in mind that’s roughly and extra $100 over the iPhone 3GS.

You’ll get some pretty cool things with this new phone. The camera is high definition so it may just replace your compact camera. The phone also offers HD video. If you love to take pictures and make videos you’ll enjoy the upgrades. You can also add iMovie.

The antenna is also much improved over previous versions, battery life is estimated to be somewhere between 36-38 hours (which is a significant improvement) and there is a little more muscle in the processor than in previous releases. The phone is a little smaller, has a much improved display and even includes iChat video teleconferencing capabilities.

I think the most rabid iPhone follower will find these features as nice additions. The real question behind all of this is, is extending your cell phone contract and shelling out the cash worth it? I’d love to hear from anyone who’s made the switch.

By now you should have read the pros of jailbreaking your iPhone. I only gave you three reasons why you might want to do it. Now I am going to give you some reasons you may not want to jailbreak your sleek little phone. So for all you rebels out there … here we go!

First and foremost … You’ll invalidate your warranty.
The rebel in you may not really care if you void your warranty because you think it’ll be easy to get around. Truth is, companies that spend the time and money making these phones can always tell when the average user has cracked the preverbal seal. If you run into any problems with your jail broken phone don’t expect Apple or AT&T to help you out. Considering all the money you’ve spent and the time you’ve invested in your phone would you really want to ruin the whole thing just for some pretty icons?

Bricking your iPhone.
I love the use of the word brick here. Bricking your phone is exactly what it sounds like—turning it into a brick. (Or paperweight) If your foray into the rebel realm doesn’t go so well, you may just have just ruined the coolest phone you’ve ever had. If you have an extra couple of hundred backs (or more) lying around and you love Vegas you might enjoy the rush of risking it all. But remember, the house always ends up winning.

Creating an unstable phone.
The iPhone has had to work out a lot of kinks and bugs in the operating system over the years. Jailbreak your iPhone and you’ll run the risk of turning it into a great Smartphone, when it works. You could very well end up suffering through a whole lot of iPhone crashes. I don’t know about you, but I hate any time my computer crashes let alone my phone.

These are just the three scariest scenarios. There are several other potential downsides to jailbreaking. Don’t make a big fat iMistake.

Ever see something really awesome and think to yourself how it could be even better? For the purposes of this blog we’ll consider you one of those people. Not that you’re never satisfied with anything, mind you. It’s just that you want a little more bang for your buck, right?

If you are one of those folks, then chances are good that you might be contemplating jailbreaking your iPhone. For those of you that haven’t heard of it, jailbreaking is basically installing software that frees your phone from any and all limitations implemented by either AT&T or Apple. So is it worth it?

Let’s take a look at the pros of making the break. (Next blog, we’ll investigate the flipside)

Tethering to get all 3G’s.
What a drag. They couldn’t make an iPhone that tethered and now you’re ready to go on the lamb for it. There are place you can go on the net to download software enabling your iPhone to become the internet modem for your laptop or desktop. I suppose I can see the utility value here.

Being a rebel is always fun.
As long as the powers that be aren’t willing to make any serious attempt to start dishing out long prison sentences for violating Apples copyrights, rebels can take their iPhone to the next level without looking over their shoulders. No more being constrained by “The Man” for you. You’ll put the control of your device back into your own hands and be a lap dog no more.

App’s App’s and More App’s.
As it currently stands iPhone users can download all the app’s they want, as long as they come from Apple. Jailbreaking your iPhone opens up another world of applications to really super-size your phone. If you look around the net you’ll find several places ready to open a treasure trove just for you. You’ll be able to customize your iPhone like you’ve never been able to before.

There you have the pros. Be sure to come back to see the cons. Hmm… iPhone and cons. If I were a guy, I think I’d be thinking I need to use shower gel and sleep on my back.