NYC Apple Store: 3/18/11

On Friday, I dropped by the Apple Store on the Upper West Side of NYC near Lincoln Center to touch the feathery light iPad 2.

As I approached and looked through the plate glass storefront, the interior was less than crowded, practically empty by Apple standards.

Then I noticed a sign taped to the door, which said that the iPad 2s had sold out for the day and that customers should come back tomorrow.

It just meant that I wouldn’t have to wait in line to try out this thinner, faster, and dual-camera-ed  iPad.

The iPad 2 was a lot of fun. It’s completely familiar but still exciting, like an old friend with some new stories to tell. I didn’t have a chance to use the Facetime video conferencing app, which takes advantage of the front camera, but the icon was there.

I also got a kick out of gesturing through a few of the newspaper and magazine apps. The Financial Times was completely engaging, and it’s fascinating to dig into their interactive charts.

MacBook Air

The iPad 2 definitely tempts me.

The real surprise, though, was the new MacBook Air. It is a thing of beauty, and as someone who needs a keyboard, it fits the bill in terms of a thin,usable gadget.

The iPad 2 is a seductress, but the MacBook Air is sleek, powerful, and practical.

They will sell a lot of these.