A Month With The iPad

I love my iPad. It’s helping my 4-year-old to learn math. I draw on it. I surf the web on it. I watch movies and listen to music on it. In short, it’s one of the best technology purchases I’ve ever made. (Note: I did an earlier review of the iPad strictly for fanboys over on the Furnace here).

Speaking of my review on The Furnace, there are quite literally hundreds of tech  reviews for the iPad and Apple’s Web site can offer specs. This is a great review (much of which I actually agree with) about iPad useability. There are a wealth of other insights available simply by performing a search with the words “iPad review”.

Now, a few details as to why I like tablet computing with a touch interface. I didn’t type iPad there for a specific reason. I’ll get to that later.

I’ve got the 16GB wi-fi version. I also have an InCase rubber protective sleeve, much like the kind that fits around an iPhone. I love the protection and the feel of the case. Without the case, the iPad tends to slide around a bit more as the surfaces are much smoother than you might expect. There’s an on/off switch at the tip, along with a headphones jack and a microphone. On the right side, there’s a volume rocker switch. There’s also a recessed ‘orientation lock’ switch, which allows you to set the state of your viewing from portait to landscape. There’s an Apple port on the bottom for charging and syncing. There’s one button on the front.

Now, a few quick questions answered. Is it a giant iPod touch? Maybe. Does the screen get mucked up with oil and grease? Yes. I wipe it off frequently. How’s reading on that screen? VERY good, especially comic books. I’ve also finished Sherlock Holmes short stories and have started the Jerry Weintraub autobiography.

Also, the battery lasts a LONG time. Not sure what the killer app is that drains it moreso than others. However, I don’t have a 3G or GPS radio inside either. Just the WiFi, which has been fine. I can go for four or five days of use before needing to plug it into the wall. You’ll find that the iPad can’t be charged off most USB ports unless they are newer, higher voltage brands of USB port. None of mine are. So, I plug in. No real headache.

Most of my use comes at home. And I would sum up the silver bullet of the iPod with this statement: you don’t have to go to a destination to do those little things any longer. The destinations is in your hands. Email, Web, and even some light typing (500-1,000 words) is all fine. So is watching movies (some I encoded from my own DVD, though I wish I had more space for three or four films I watch a lot). So is listening to music and peeking at Twitter. There’s no iPad Facebook application yet, but the Web interface works fine for that.

Syncing is a cinch. I sync my iPhone and iPad on the same PC. I’ve only encounter one error and that fixed itself fairly quickly. The iPad syncs quickly, thanks to a fast processor that also allows you to move around the screen. I suppose this will be slowed when Apple’s version of multitasking shows up later this summer. However, I can’t see it slowing that much.

Applications from the App Store are coming. Some are more than others. The bar seems to be more at $4.99 than 99 cents. The popular “Pages” application is $9.99. Scrabble cost me $7.99. Still, there are plenty of great apps and I’d bet if more iPads reach market, those prices will move down to meet volume of sales.

For all of the above, and a few other things, tablet computing with a touch screen is a huge win.

Now, why I’m on the middle ground with ipad:

• Closed ecosystem. In short, no Hulu and no entertainment or use of websites that use Flash animation. You’ve heard this from one source or another. All of my daughter’s educational websites (Nick Jr, PBS Kids, Disney) are coded with Flash. iPad and no other apple platform, save their laptops and desktops0 support it.
• File exchange. It won’t act as a hard drive. It’s not easy, once you’ve created a presentation, a document, a sketch or tweaked a photograph. This should be a simple solution. Once again, it’s Apple wanting to control every nanoacre of land from the R&D to sales.
• “Magical.” Snake oil is snake oil is snake oil. The “magic” comes from making an easier path for Apple to move money from your wallet to their bank accounts. It’s simpler to consume all of the things I mentioned (music, TV, movies). With the lack of the keyboard, there’s also less opportunity to raise your voice in concern as a consumer and less avenues.

The iPad also isn’t a replacement for a large system upon which you may work — writing, drawing, spreadsheets, presentations and whatever else. It does however provide a great travel and tweener device. Apple didn’t miss with that description during its launch.

So far, there is no suitable competitor for this device. I betting Apple counted on the void in the space. HP’s Slate and other tablets have fallen by the wayside. And Windows in any incarnation wasn’t made for a touch screen. Companies trying to make Windows 7 work on a tablet computer are discovering it’s like jamming 10 pounds of something into a seven gallon hat. It’s just not working. Still, I’m excited to see what others will do with the tablet platform.

I do, however, recommend iPad for people who travel, tech people who hang out in their homes, and those who don’t want to constantly have to go back to their desks to check email or browse the web. take it to your sofa or do it in the kitchen (there is a great recipe app).

Got one? Not getting one? What are your thoughts on the iPad?

Popularity: 36% [?]