Well, after thinking about the possibilities that come with the new device, I’ve gone from believing it is a pointless toy to the piece of technology that could single-handedly change the way people live.

The iPad still has a boatload of hurdles to overcome. It’s slippery to hold, a tad heavy and super fragile. The keyboard is hard to get used to and doesn’t feel very natural. The iPad doesn’t have any USB ports to connect it to other gadgets or a larger computer. The Internet browser can’t play Adobe Flash. With all of these shortcomings and the fact most of us have other gadgets ­— smart phones, iPods and computers — that already fill the same duties as the iPad, there’s still no reason to buy one.

Right now, the only thing the newest Apple “iNoun” does well is entertain me with applications that are meant for recreation, and it cuddles better than a computer. However, given a few fixes here and there and a few versions down the road, the iPad might just be the all-in-one gadget that can reshape the way people use technology. It also can do a fair share in helping people be environmentally friendly.

The iPad effectively can remove paper from everyday life. Digital readers were going to do this no matter how people felt about the subject. Reading on computers is not fun and hurts the eyes, but perfecting a digital reader, whether it’s an iPad or an Amazon Kindle, will do so much for the world. Moving away from paper is fantastic, and this is a way to do so with books, newspapers and notes.

As a journalist, all I hear is how newspapers are dying and my career is pointless. But journalism always will be here in a way. However, the way we know it now, as a physical paper, will be saved with a digital reader as comprehensive as the iPad. It will allow for the same Internet advertising while saving on printing costs and giving readers the same portable version as would have been delivered on paper. I’m not a fan of mobile versions of newspapers, but if it’s a digital paper, I’m okay with it — especially if they let you see the page turn.

Hopefully, Apple builds on the user-friendliness of its iPad. Apple computers have long been much easier to operate than PCs, and the iPad is no different. It might be the easiest gadget to use yet. Pick it up once, and you’re good to go. The baby boomers aren’t the only ones who hate learning how to use technology; even many tech-savvy teens find learning a new computer or gadget every few years annoying.

Make the next version of the iPad more sturdy, scratch resistant and durable, and the fear of carrying it around becomes a little less prominent. Fix the few problems — a more realistic keyboard and Flash compatibility — and it can replace a computer. The changes would give a user a computer and an iPod — albeit a giant iPod — and the user no longer carries or owns any extra technology.

But the main thing that would turn the iPad into a must-have for me would be the addition of a stylus and the ability to write on the screen as if it were a pad of paper. Give it the power of a computer, some durability and the ability of a paper notebook, and I’m sold.

Again, this is just the beginning. With improvements, the iPad can be an entity that everyone wants, needs and can’t live without. The improvements aren’t solely on the shoulders of Apple. The population at large has the ability to change the way the iPad is used. Apple provides the platform, and people can dream up and create just about anything they want to fit into this gadget.

I’m not fully on the bandwagon yet, but I could be there very soon. With a few adjustments, the iPad can be an all-in-one gadget.

The iPad likely will change the way we all live in the future. And the future is — almost — now.

Pat Evans is the State News opinion writer. Reach him at evanspa7@msu.edu.