Dad’s iPad

On my brother’s last visit, he bought a new iPad for my father.  It sat unused until I showed up six months later in Taichung. Some ten years earlier, I had done the opposite. I first diagnosed that my father needed a new computer. My brother then paid for a replacement PC.

Dad and his iPad in March 2013

I acquired an iPad in early 2012. It changed the way I operated. I no longer needed to sit at my desk and switch on the computer. It was more portable and faster to access than a laptop. Before I bought my iPhone, it was the perfect companion, through which I’d communicate with the rest of the world.

To see a brand new gift sit untouched was like seeing a potential untapped. I made it my mission to teach my father how to use the iPad in March 2013.

There were some setbacks, however.

The wireless signal was weak in the room where he preferred to sit and read. The room with the highest dose of natural light was also one with our photos under glass on the table top and a big sofa pressed against the window.

The room with the modem had the strongest signal and two desktop computers. The chairs were not comfortable. The lighting was poor.

Dad had difficulty mastering the art of the iPad touch. Tap. Squeeze. Stretch. Press and slide. Even holding the naked iPad was a slippery operation.

After daily practice, he learned how to contact me on Face Time. He enjoyed interrupting me at work, in a meeting in Honolulu, in my piano class, and in other situations. Initially I answered his calls and introduced him to the people I was with. It was a new toy that offered endless possibilities. He was able to glimpse into my life at all hours in a day, a big departure from e-mails and photos.

Before long, the FaceTime calls stopped. His e-mails had also become shorter and infrequent.

On my last visit in March 2014, I arranged for him to FaceTime with my sister in Maui.

It was through the iPad that my father and my sister managed to speak to each other for the final time.

On the day I was leaving, I insisted on getting him a proper holder and cover for the iPad. The soft black case was just an envelope, not one to hold the iPad firmly for use at the same time. The Apple store was closed when we walked out of his condo for lunch. For some reason, I thought getting a proper iPad cover would encourage him to use the iPad.

I don’t think he ever used the iPad again.