But after following the lead of his 15-year-old nephew, Mr Baker is now a firm convert to the iPad and after using one for just over a month, he is hard-pressed to remember life without the Apple device.
Mr Baker uses Telecom's XT network for the iPad and Telecom has now started issuing the mini-SD cards which fit the device without need of an adaptor.
"The T3G network is great for the iPad.
"It has a really fast data speed and instant connection."
The Otago Daily Times was curious about how people were using the iPad.
The device had been marketed for entertainment, particularly videos, music and photos.
Social networking was considered a breeze on the device and apps were being launched so quickly many people struggled to keep up.
But was it a business tool? Sitting in Strictly Coffee, Mr Baker was keen to demonstrate that it was.
He had downloaded some apps that turned his iPad into a useful device for business.
He also wanted to be able to share documents between four devices: his iPad, iPhone, work PC and his home computer.
He was unlikely to use the iPad to create a document but he wanted the ability to edit documents already created during client meetings or when he was away from the office.
QuickOffice gave him that ability.
He could open a Word document, click on it and start editing.
When he finished, he would drag the document into Dropbox, online storage to sync or share files.
Whenever he wanted to edit the document, on any of his devices, he could open Dropbox and the document would have been automatically updated.
Because the document was not stored on the device, security was tight, Mr Baker said.
The iPad was linked to his email inbox for the calendar and the ability to edit the emails while on the road.
However, he did not recommend downloading every business app available and suggested people should choose two or three they really needed.
"The fact it doesn't run Microsoft doesn't have to be a bad thing.
"You can link them to the PC in the office.
"Nothing is kept on the machine but you can access your work on the computer from wherever you are."
The iPad had proved more versatile for meetings that laptops, he said.
The screen on a laptop had proved a barrier when meeting people.
When you took notes, it appeared you were not listening or taking part in the discussion.
But recently, Mr Baker attended a four-hour meeting at which someone took notes continually on an iPad.
It did not prove an issue.
The iPad was also a good social tool, particularly with his young children who liked to play games and watch videos, Mr Baker said.
He downloads his photos to the iPad and through Picasa, the Google photo-sharing tool.
He can then share them with family and friends.
Mr Baker subscribes to online magazines, downloads them and uses time on planes to read them.
"Everything is so easy to use. You sit on a plane and read your magazine without being connected."
The flipboard app gave him the ability to turn pages on things like Facebook like a book.
Gen-i resells iPads and iPhones which both operate on the XT network.
The three things customers wanted from mobile services were the handsets, coverage and data speed, he said.
So far, tests had shown the speed of the iPad was faster on Telecom's XT network.
