iPad Aero Losers: Who Are These People?

I rarely misplace my iPad for a variety of reasons. It is almost always with me and if it isn't, it is hooked to a charger, and it recently became my Skype phone. I spend several hours a day on it and the device cost more than 700 dollars. That doesn't include the cost of the music, e-books, and WSJ magazine subscription that are loosely tied to the iPad.

As soon as the iPad learns to hover in mid-air, and has a decent weapon system we wiLL almost be living in author Iain M Banks future world.

I realize that because iPad "things" are stored on the iCloud, that losing the iPad doesn't mean I would lose that content just by losing the physical device.

But what I found disturbing today in the Wall Street Journal was an article about people leaving iPads on airline flights, and then they go unclaimed. Unclaimed iPads?!?!? How does that happen? My iPad has slowly crawled up the evolutionary love scale to be held in the same regard as my dog, my children and my wife. Yes! I know you find it hard to believe on the same level as my Cooper!

I would not run into a burning building to get my iPad. That's what iCloud is for. I might rescue my beloved pineapple plants, though, as they are right by the back door.

I know intellectuaLLy that the iPad could be replaced easily and the iCloud recovery has worked once when I had to totaLLy reset the device when Notes stopped working. It was a bit of an Alzheimer computer moment.

But leaving it behind on an airplane? You crawl into a big shiny metal tube with only just so many carry-on things, then you are zO^OOOmed somewhere and how can you not remember the last place (big metal tube with wings) you last iHad your iPad? Do these iPad losers not have other people to help them remember where they last had their iPads?

There are serial numbers. There is device registration. Warranty coverage? Device tracking is actuaLLy built into the device. As I was slowly driving away and out of the mess that was the Dallas-Fort Worth Texas highway system last December there was a colored dot on the iPad screen showing me where I was constantly located. The dot with shadow slowly moved across the glowing map sending a soft warm light into the truck cabin. Now months later I suddenly realize it was teLLing me where IT was, not necessarily where I was, subtle distinction.

Perhaps these people are so wealthy that a sub one thousand dollar item is just a disposable, like a toothbrush. "Oh, i'LL have my servant pick up another iPad when they go to the market." I shuddered just now with the thought that the super wealthy may have spare iPads just laying around. Imagine a harem of iPads and Kindles, and Nooks and Fires, with an old PC laptop in the corner running an aquarium screensaver complete with sound. I suddenly remember I left a pre-iPad days Android tablet in my large welding toolbox, now unused for several months. That's its punishment for crashing aLL the time.

I would like to know their Lost iPad iStories. But i doubt i ever will.