Love it, hate it — it doesn’t matter. The iPad is here to stay. The more I use mine the more I love it, because you actually have to use it to understand where it fits into your life. It’s not a computer so much as it is an interactive book, mixed with a personal TV, and — as it turns out — a decent sounding radio.

One of the apps that I’ve come to enjoy using on a daily basis is Today In History by Down-Shift Interactive. The History Channel is what originally made me a fan of history, but since I’ve stopped watching TV this is one of the things I’ve missed. Now, right here on my iPad, I have all of history in concise Twitter-sized spoonfuls. I actually look forward to my new daily ritual of sitting in my big comfy chair, cracking open the iPad like I would a book, and touching the icon for this program.

Up pops the historic events that happened on this day. Not just a few, and not just recent ones, but notable events in all of history are at your fingertips. Also are lists of who was born today, who died, and what significant calendar events — including holidays — are happening around the globe.

You don’t have to be online to enjoy it, as all the data is cached locally, but if you do happen to be online — and an item of interest compels you to share — you can, directly from the app, via email, Facebook, or Twitter. That in itself is pretty cool, but add to that, this app has it’s own built in social network where you can actually comment on each historic event and read what others have commented. You can friend these other commenters and have entire discussions with them.

All right there in the app. Seriously, this is something I never would have thought of, and never would have thought I’d enjoy — but I do. I mean, really, talk about “history coming alive…”

– Post From My iPad