iPad likes and dislikes - hands on
I thought I'd start this thread for people to post their likes and dislikes, room for improvement etc. now that they have the iPad in their hands.
(verses the old thread where it was pre-sale opinions)
I don't have one yet, but plan to get a 3G one later, so lets hear it!
(verses the old thread where it was pre-sale opinions)
I don't have one yet, but plan to get a 3G one later, so lets hear it!
Comments
It would be nice to have a storage bin of some sort, so that I may store an assortment of files there. I took a few screen captures and wanted to upload them to ImageShack to share with friends, but instead had to email them. Sure, I could have uploaded them to MobileMe, but I don't want to share my MobileMe account with all of my associates.
I'm eagerly awaiting the 4.0 OS. I expect Apple to add wireless backups and Home Sharing.
Overall, it's a great purchase and I'm ready for my 3G to arrive - the wife is tired of me hogging hers.
Does anyone know approximately how many ebooks you can fit per 1 GB of space on it?
eBooks will vary in size depending on the number of pages and if they have pictures. Text-only books will be around 5MB in size. Ones with images could be 20-50MB.
Text-only ones, you are talking about 200 books per GB.
We just a really good sports news app. (football)
Let's say I'm in one of the App store categories and keep hitting "more" to expand the section. When I buy an app, I get tossed out to the homescreen to see it start to download. But when I go back into the App store, it doesn't retain my location! I'm in the same category, but if I had hit "more" five times (which I did), I have to hit it five times again to get back where I left off.
This is really, really stupid. Unless I'm doing something wrong.
IThis is really, really stupid. Unless I'm doing something wrong.
Nope, it's just really stupid. I find both the iPhone and Mac App Stores difficult to navigate. I give up after searching the first 50 or so apps because they are always apps Apple recommends and their recommendations seem to place a low value on user ratings. There's also no way to flag apps you've seen so you have to scroll through the same lists over and over. And there is no remembering your position from one screen to the next. I've seen Angry Birds about 20 times now and I still don't want it but next time I visit the store, there it will be.
It makes it difficult for new apps to get seen because I can't browse the apps properly and apps that have been popular just stay in the chart earning more money and mostly because Apple is recommending them to people.
Nope, it's just really stupid. I find both the iPhone and Mac App Stores difficult to navigate. I give up after searching the first 50 or so apps because they are always apps Apple recommends and their recommendations seem to place a low value on user ratings. There's also no way to flag apps you've seen so you have to scroll through the same lists over and over. And there is no remembering your position from one screen to the next. I've seen Angry Birds about 20 times now and I still don't want it but next time I visit the store, there it will be.
It makes it difficult for new apps to get seen because I can't browse the apps properly and apps that have been popular just stay in the chart earning more money and mostly because Apple is recommending them to people.
Okay, glad it's not just me!
The battery life is INSANE. I can watch 4 hours of video and the batter is still above %60. Apple has ushered in a new era where the need for user replaceable battery is gone.
Fluidity - No the iPad is "not" a big Touch. The pop over UI features and other tweaks make it "feel" different than using a cramped iPhone/iPod Touch. You end up getting back on your phone and missing the extra UI elements of the iPad.
Like - the size. The iPad is large enough to get work done but even at 1.5lbs it can be a bit of a bear to hold comfortably. The metal can begin to cause hand fatigue depending on how you hold it.
I like the new USB sync feature that allows me to navigate my Mac filestructure and upload documents to Pages or GoodReader or more. I would still like a way of accessing my computer wirelessly and managing documents for more apps. I still think vastly improved file management is coming prior to the iPad 4.x OS launch.
Dislike - the need to clean the screen all the time. The fear than i'm going to drop it and shatter the glass. I must get a case ...and soon.
Final dislike ..no native printing tools. I think they're coming however
At this point I've got most of what I need hardware wise for the iPad. In the future I'd love to see an eyesight camera and displayport outputs ((MDDI). Software is going to be the key from taking this from "cool product" to Game Changer status. Apple must eliminate the need for external ports and leverage the cloud (Mobileme, iWork and more) to make a device like this feel like second nature computing rather than a desktop/notebook companion
Note: I don´t have a iPhone or smartphone as the text/screen is too tiny for my eyesight and big fingers.
Likes:
Bigger screen a plus.
Useful for a road tripping (need the internet NOW!) getting instant on/per month 3G connection in out of the way places (except North Dakota, Montana area where AT&T has no service). AT&T is already providing better options for itś 3G laptop connect card for laptops. Hopefully they will allow people to buy the laptop connect device, then ala carte monthly service like on the iPad. Until then, the iPad is better.
Dislikes:
Heavy, slips out of single hand especially if sweaty, two hands holding creates sore muscles after a time, needs propping up with legs raised, afraid of dropping the device, especially if falling asleep while reading. (Note: with a laptop it has itś own built in stand, thus I can keep it on a table next to my chair when reading and if I fall asleep it doesn´t fall)
Glossy screen, hard to read in many brightly lit environments, needs a darkened environment to see the whole screen clearly.
Low storage capacity, will get filled fast requiring frequent hookups to a computer for loading and off loading content like the iPod Touch, price for storage capacity not good at all. For large content carriers, this could be a issue.
Note: I have 14GB for about 4,000 photoś and 47GB for about 8000 songs which woudn´t leave much left over for movies, TV rentals, e-books, Apps, etc on a 64GB iPad. Content grows over time and syncing takes too long to be doing it on a low capacity device. I rather use a iPod Classic with 180GB of storage or my MacBook Pro with 500GB of storage instead.
Cumbersome interface, web sites are not optimized for the bigger finger stylus. Lotś of accidents.
I found the interface required a lot of learning, it wasn´t intuitive, I had to guess around touching parts of the screen to find out what did what. I was always looking for the menu bar a the top like on OS X to find out what all my command options were.
Requires a computer to operate, means dragging a laptop on long trips for updating or adding or removing content. (Note: I took most of those 4,000 pictures on just one trip!)
Typing is terrible, if your used to touch typing and keyboard shortcuts, requires dragging a keyboard along. My longer middle fingers kept touching the keypad, it required me to elevate my hands in the air slightly above the device, it grew tiring very fast as I couldn´t rest my hands or fingers on the keys.
Screen gets dirty fast from fingerprints, possibly prone to micro scratches. Requires a table or apparatus to hold the device for hands free, laptop is better ergonomically
All iPad software features is available on laptops already and are either much superior, a lot more choice, free versions etc. No ¨must have¨ feature or software the iPad has that laptops don´t.
Lack of Admin/root level control without ¨jail-breaking¨ the device, can´t install security or network monitoring software, can´t run software outside of the App Store
Safari hasn´t been very secure as a browser lately, lack of plug-ins to provide additional security, not many other browser choices (Opera Mini)
No Flash support, meaning most video and games on the net will not work with the device, also making it hard to use the device at sites when one needs Flash, understandable as the device isn´t powerful enough to handle Flash. But still a lot of the web uses it.
Problems reported with Wifi and overheating issues in the sun, hot environments
One 30 minute TV show on Netflix or YouTube over 3G eats up one´s entire 250MB allotment under the $15 a month AT&T plan. Apps reportedly are and suspect AT&T in the future will have to resort to throttling users under the $30 a month unlimited plan. So likely no movie a day or any sort of extensive YouTube video watching via 3G. Just plain web surfing and emailing, e-reading etc.
In conclusion
In my opinion if your a tech buff that won´t mind monitoring your childś iPad, then this is the device for them, itś safe and controlled for the most part.
I feel a lot of people are going to buying a iPad without realizing a computer is required or have to use their computer to monitor the iPad.
In my opinion if you want your child to reinforce touch typing behavior, or they deal with a lot of content, then a laptop is a better choice.
I think the 3G iPad would make a good spare, in vehicle computing device, although itś pricey. If AT&T would adjust their laptop connect card to be able to sign up via remote for per month charges, then this would be even better.
The ergonomics of a laptop are hard to beat. Real keyboard, monitor holder, larger storage, open device, customizeable etc.
The iPad is, entry level speaking, cheaper than a Mac laptop, but one will add to it and bring itś cost up to one anyway.
In my opinion the iPad is no answer to a cheap netbook, rather it will spur people into either getting a MacBook Pro or a Windows netbook at the expense of Appleś MacBook line.
Because the iPad requires a computer, it drives itś cost up even more and limits itś adoption.
I think people were looking for a open, standalone Mac tablet with decent storage. Not a closed, computer dependent, larger screen iPod Touch with poor storage capacity.
The iPad would make a good device for those without a lot of demands, can live within itś restrictions and the App Store ecosystem.
A educational or limited media consumption device, yes. A media creation or business tool, no.
In my opinion the iPad is a rich boy tech gimmick, most people don't need one, just want one, it serves little purpose. It can be easily broken and not a safe choice for children. This comes from a 20 year plus Apple veteran who usually adopts quickly to new Apple tech. I see little purpose for this device other than very simplistic use for some.
Note: I must add the 15" high resolution matte screen MacBook Pro is a very, very nice machine, even better than the previous versions. Spin it around on the Apple store table and it doesn´t reflect a single thing. SWEET!!
-The iPad can only seem too heavy to someone who has never held a hardback book.
-It can be read everywhere except in bright direct sunlight, not nowhere but a dark room.
-Why is 64 gb too little storage capacity? (I have only 16 gb on mine, with 11 still available)
-Does not require frequent connections to anything.
-Is any interface simpler? (Many are saying it's too simplistic -- now it's too cumbersome?)
-Fingerprints mostly can't even be seen when the iPad is on.
-Name actual not imaginary or theoretical security issues.
But when I go back into the App store, it doesn't retain my location! I'm in the same category, but if I had hit "more" five times (which I did), I have to hit it five times again to get back where I left off.
This is really, really stupid. Unless I'm doing something wrong.
The AppStore does need to be improved in terms of returning to where you left off, as well as adding more categories, or sub-categoreis. There are simply too many apps listed under too few categories.
The AppStore does need to be improved in terms of returning to where you left off, as well as adding more categories, or sub-categoreis. There are simply too many apps listed under too few categories.
Kenaustus ...where the hell have you been man? Agree with all of your points. I had no idea that I'd like the app store and iPhone/iPad app so much but now I want more
The AppStore does need to be improved in terms of returning to where you left off, as well as adding more categories, or sub-categoreis. There are simply too many apps listed under too few categories.
So true.
It can be fun to sit down and spend a hour browsing through the apps, but if you want to find one for a particular interest it can be a chore.
I'd also like to see an iPad-only area or some better way of organizing the apps that are just for iPhone/Touch and those for iPad. Of course, there are tons there have both...
The AppStore does need to be improved in terms of returning to where you left off, as well as adding more categories, or sub-categoreis. There are simply too many apps listed under too few categories.
I don't think having more categories is the answer but a new way to browse. Apple has to list the same apps in multiple categories because they cross genres already so even more categories would make Apple's job harder as they have to decide all the places an app should be listed. It makes finding a specific type of app harder too as you have to guess in which category of many Apple might have put it.
I think the browse mode just needs a list view that works properly. If you open the itunes store, then app store, then go to the view menu > show column browser, you get a great browse method as it will load up to 6000 apps in one go in a list.
All Apple really need to do is two things.
1. when you click an item in that list, it would open the page in a preview pane like you get in the Finder. This way, there's no going back and forth from one page to the next and you just hit the down arrow to quickly sift through hundreds of apps at a time.
2. either track apps viewed or allow the user to flag apps they aren't interested in and those apps won't be shown in the browser again.
This way it makes browsing efficient and personalizes your tastes. If you flag a whole load of a certain type of app as apps you're not interested in, the App Store can give a user better recommendations. I personally couldn't care less if 1 million people are buying Doodle Jump, Angry Birds, Mini Gore, Pocket God etc because I don't want them. I want apps like NFS, Splinter Cell Conviction, Monkey Island and so on - fully fledged apps. It can checked your ratings for those apps to help make it personal too like how Amazon does it.
I don't think having more categories is the answer but a new way to browse. Apple has to list the same apps in multiple categories because they cross genres already so even more categories would make Apple's job harder as they have to decide all the places an app should be listed. It makes finding a specific type of app harder too as you have to guess in which category of many Apple might have put it
Versiontracker.com and MacUpdate.com have a much easier and faster, one text line system, to review large numbers of apps in short order, then it´s just a matter of copying and pasting what you want into the App Store search bar.
The App Store is much too slow and clunky using itś icon based approach, perhaps for good reason. Saves bandwidth.
http://divelove.wordpress.com/2010/0...g-on-the-ipad/
Basically it boils down to, make sure you can see the "GH" keys between your index fingers when hovering above the keyboard. Typing improves by an order of magnitude, though I still need to look at the keyboard when I type.
Only 2 dislikes IMOO:
- first one is all about the fingerprints. Leave iPad on a coffee table after you used it and it looks disgusting. I've found that a quick tip to reduce those marks is to tap using the ~5mm area around the nail instead of the full "fingerprint" area. It is actually quite confortable.
- 1280*800 instead of 1024*768 would have made webdesigners life easier
- 1280*800 instead of 1024*768 would have made webdesigners life easier
1024x768 has been a web standard since inception.
the app store sucks for browsing.. I dislike how it loses your place. So trivial to fix. UI fail! Apple should know better.
fingerprints aren't an issue. you can't see them when its on. I just carry my iPhone screen cleaner with me... now why didn't Apple put one in the iPad box? whacky.
eBooks will vary in size depending on the number of pages and if they have pictures. Text-only books will be around 5MB in size. Ones with images could be 20-50MB.
Text-only ones, you are talking about 200 books per GB.
That depends. Many e-books are just 250 Kb in size. If we're just talking about books bought from the Apple store, or the Kindle store, or the B&N store, 5 MB us more common. But books from the Gutenberg Project are far smaller, as are typical books from other free sources.