Introduction: Tom and Tina are two professionals in their late 20s. They have been dating since they were in college. Tom has a law degree and works for one of the largest law firms in New York City. Tina worked for a consulting firm for a few years after she graduated from college. She just earned her MBA degree last year, and now she works as a financial analyst for an investment bank on Wall Street. Both Tom and Tina are tech-savvy and love new gadgets. Here is their dialogue about the iPad that just came on the market.

Tina: Hi, Tom, did you get your iPad? I heard on the radio that more than 700 people lined up Saturday morning at Apple’s flagship Fifth Avenue store in New York City.

Tom: Of course! How about you?

Tina: Not yet. You are lucky to get one. Many stores sold out of this new product even before noon. Did you get up early to get in line in front of the store?

Tom: Yes and no. Do you remember my office assistant John? He volunteered to line up for me. He waited in line all night.

Tina: I know he is a diehard fan of Apple products.

Tom: It has become a tradition for some hardcore fans to stand in line, sometimes even days in advance in order to be one of the first to get the latest product.

Tina: Well, I think they are crazy.

Tom: I don’t think so. This new touchscreen tablet is worth it.

Tina: I know a lot people were intrigued by the iPad’s novelty.

Tom: No question about it. Well, are you going to get one? I just checked the Apple’s flagship store a while ago. The store has only the 64 GB model in stock. The other two models were totally sold out.

Tina: No, I am not sure I want to get one. It’s kind of expensive. Which model did you get—the $499, the $599, or the $699 model?

Tom: I got the $699 64 GB model. I am not sure 16GB or 32 GB flash memory is adequate for me. I heard that a different model, which has Wi-Fi and 3G access, was already available in late April this year.

Tina: Is that so? How expensive?

Tom: It’s not too bad. It’s said that buying the 3G version tacks $129 on to each model. I think at least you should get a 32 GB model.

Tina: I am not so sure. I love Apple products, but I don’t think I can justify buying this device. It seems to me it’s just another novelty from Apple.

Tom: I think you will love it! The iPad works like a walking encyclopedia—it has everything. It’s your library, your music store, your mailbox, your video arcade, your photo shop, your everything.

Tina: Well, I’ve read some negative remarks about the new product.

Tom: Like what?

Tina: Some reviewers said that the more they read about the iPad, the more it angered them. They said the new device is soooo useless, and the netbook can do multitudes more, and it’s cheaper.

Tom: Are you referring to multitasking? iPad can do even more! It has many usual trappings of a computer or smartphone such as email, calendars, maps, and access to your iTunes. It can also perform work-related tasks such as creating presentations and spreadsheets.

Tina: It sounds great. But, hey, let’s be honest. One of the functions that the iPad lacks is that it cannot take photos.

Tom: Well, that’s true.

Tina: Besides, you cannot edit Microsoft Word documents or watch flash videos.

Tom: Who wants to watch those irritating flash-based ads on websites?

Tina: Well, I think the iPad is just a big iPhone that can’t make calls, and my Kindle is good enough for my reading.

Tom: The iPhone is too small, and note-taking on the Kindle is way too limited.

Tina: I know you are a brand loyalist who would buy anything that Steve Jobs puts in front of your face!

Tom: I think the iPad is a must have. It’s the latest, greatest and smartest thing.

Vocabulary

financial analyst 財務分析師

gadget 〈口〉小巧的器械，精巧的裝置

tech-savvy 精通科技的人，科技通

flagship store 旗艦店，也就是公司的總店

diehard fan 鐵桿粉絲。后文出現的hardcore fans與diehard fan意思相同，也可以譯作“鐵桿粉絲”

touchscreen tablet 觸摸屏薄板，這里指的是iPad

be intrigued by 被……迷住或吸引住

novelty 新穎，新奇

flash memory 閃電內存，閃存

tack 附加

justify 證明……正當（或正確、有理）

walking encyclopedia 活百科全書

arcade （內設許多電動娛樂器材的）娛樂中心

multitude 許多

spreadsheet 空白表格程序

way 〈口〉大大地，非常

soooo 正常應作so，這里拉長讀音，帶有強調的意味

netbook 是一種比筆記本型電腦還要小的一種多功能小筆記本電腦，即“上網本”

multitasking 表示一個人能同時作好幾件事

usual trappings 一般的配件

Kindle 美國亞馬孫網購物公司最近出品的一種電子書閱讀器

brand loyalist 忠于某種品牌的購物者

Steve Jobs 史蒂夫?喬布斯，蘋果電腦的創創始人之一

a must have 非有不可的東西， have 在這里作名詞

（來源：英語學習雜志）