By the time Steve Jobs took the stage for his keynote address at WWDC 2010, the tech world had already seen dozens of leaked photos of iPhone 4 prototypes, and might be forgiven for dismissing the announcement as old news. Of course Apple still had plenty of surprises in store: more details about the iPhone 4's unique design and hardware, its dual-camera system, and the flash FaceTime feature and iMovie app. Apple hadn't started taking preorders as we went to press, but we were lucky enough to get hands-on time with iPhone 4 immediately after the keynote--and walked out with our credit cards burning rectangular-shaped holes in our wallets.

The day after the iPad was announced, the joke went something like this: Hold up your iPhone and innocently exclaim, “Hey, check out my iPad nano!”

Good one. But now that we’ve gotten our hands on the iPad and seen how easy and fun it is to use, the joke’s basic truth shines brighter. The iPhone OS and its multi-touch input are so at home on a bigger screen that it feels like this was how it was meant to be all along. Recall what it’s like to go from a small TV to a big, high-def one--while it’s pretty much the same thing on paper, it’s still a vastly better experience when you sit down to watch a movie.

But if the iPad represents the way the iPhone OS was meant to be experienced, it still isn’t totally clear exactly what it’s meant to be used for. A lot of people we’ve spoken to are having trouble wrapping their heads around that. If I have a MacBook and an iPhone, they wonder, why do I need this? Short answer: the apps.

The wife and I have become those irritating cyclists that constantly check our local Bicycle Coalition’s map for the quickest and flattest route to our destination. You know the ones: They’re always pouring over maps and elevations. God forbid you go out to dinner with these low-level Magellans. It’s a dark world filled with bicycle pumps, arguments about the quickest routes, and discussions about bike-seat comfort.