Thoughts on iPad
I have to say that I’m gobsmacked, I’ve seen the future, and it is the iPad. I am now coming to the end of my third day with the device and already it has changed the way that will interact with technology and the web forever.
It’s no gimmick, Apple have finally brought out the device I’ve always desired, a pure consumption device. Fair enough my lust for instant data gratification thus far has been satisfied by my iPhone but the iPad takes it that one step further. Fair enough this is only day three but compared to the way that the consume and create content online is dramatically different this weekend than it was last week when I was juggling between desktop and laptop.
The most vital element of the iPad is the fact that it’s always on. Boasting it’s ten hour battery you can literally pick it up and be online in seconds. As far as OS’s are concerned I’m still a Windows boy but if you pick up a laptop, wait for it to boot or resume and get online you’ve probably lost fifty percent of the motivation you had for going online in the first place. Now I think of it if I’m using my laptop or netbook once I do what I went online for in the first place I end up checking my Facebook and email etc because I know that I won’t want to be waiting to boot up again to check them in an hours time. The iPad is on from the word ‘go’.
As far as sharing is concerned it’s head and shoulders above the competition. On Friday night, we had friends round for dinner and the iPad sat in the middle of the dining table and everyone could share in what we were looking at instantly. No turning it round, no passing it round. This was actually one of the first times I realised how far this baby could go.
Next up, usability. I’ll sum this up simply. I handed it to my seven year old daughter and she was using it in seconds without instruction. We all already know how to use it. The port of the iPhone OS to iPad is pure genius! The keyboard is so responsive and the touch interface works like a dream.
Surfing the web on this thing is a sexy experience. It’s just so nice to scroll around with you fingers and zoom in on the stuff you want. Obviously there is no flash but that is not such a problem. YouTube which is where I get the large majority of my video content integrates perfectly in web pages as well as having it’s own app.
Without harping on about it too much the iPad is a beautiful thing. If you’re all about just consuming the web (and you don’t mind the lack of flash) then this is the device for you and that’s after only using it for a few days without even scratching the surface.
