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1,475 of 1,510 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A leap in the right direction, April 3, 2010
I've now spent the better part of a day playing with the new iPad, and while it excels in many things there are still some things anyone considering buying one should probably keep in mind.
First the good sides:
This thing is very fast, opening and closing applications is quick, the screen is incredibly responsive, there is no lag while typing, and the built in Safari browser does a great job of quickly loading even graphic intense pages.
The not so good sides:
As has been thoroughly pointed out, there is not presently much in the way of multitasking within the iPhone OS, but with most expectations pointing towards a summer release of OS 4.0 this might be remedied by mid summer, and almost certainly by a generation 2 release. That said, it should be kept in mind that on such a little screen being able to view multiple applications at once will likely never be something you'll use, and the speed by which you can open and close applications makes this less a headache than you might think. It isn't as fast as moving between open apps, but it isn't a deal breaker by any means. The lack of a camera in this generation is a little surprising, while I've purchased my iPad already, I honestly believe that with the number of competitors expected over the course of 2010 we're probably going to see a generation 2 by Christmas with a camera. It's still an amazing device, but the ability to video chat with it would definitely put it over the top, that's a feature worth waiting for. The lack of Flash support isn't as irritating as I expected it to be, but still something to consider. Many major sites have evolved to html5, or are in the process of doing so. This allows for full viewing by the Safari browser, and where it exists, it works great. The remaining sites still using Flash show up with annoying little boxes looking for a plugin that is likely never going to exist. If you spend a lot of time on flash heavy sites it really probably is worth considering holding out to see how the Slate/Android Tablets look in a few months, but if you're mostly just e-mailing and checking facebook (no Farmville) the lack of Flash support probably won't bother you too much.
As a laptop replacement:
The inclusion of the iWorks utilities gives this device a little bit of a laptop personality. Don't let that persuade you into believing that you don't need a computer though. You might be able to get away with ditching a laptop if all you really do is e-mail or very light word processing, but if you do anything more than that you'll like the freedom and ease a full computer offers for more complex tasks. That said, this device is a tremendous leap towards a future tablet style device that may very well be a replacement for your computer, but for now it is more of a casual use device than something you can really expect to do substantial work with. I have put together a presentation in keynote, which was easy enough to do, but pages isn't as intuitive as I'd have liked, and taking lengthy notes or writing long letters/e-mails/reports will probably make it worth considering buying either the keyboard dock or the wireless bluetooth keyboard.
Battery life seems to live up to the claims, I managed to get about 7 hours before getting the 20% remaining battery life indication, which puts it about right for 10 hours or so of total use. One very important thing to realize about charging the device is that presently (at launch) there is some issues with charging via USB from many computers. The iPad is different than other iPod products, it requires a bit more power to charge up, and unfortunately most USB ports aren't set up to support that higher power draw. This is something that may be fixed in a firmware update to allow for a slower charge, or it may simply be that you'll need to either rely on a new Mac (seems like they can handle the power issue) or rely on the wall charger. Just don't be surprised if you plug it into your computer and it doesn't show that it is charging.
All in all, the iPad is an impressive device that might make for a reasonable replacement of a netbook for casual users. For people who need something to really do a lot of work on, you may find that for the price that a netbook or laptop still offers the better value for your needs. Future generations of this device will probably transition into fitting that market better than this first generation. However, if you're an avid reader, casual gamer, music fan, who doesn't do much more on the web than check a few sites, and e-mail. This thing is definitely worth considering! If you're on the fence, nothing about this product is so incredible as to justify running out and buying one right now, but it is worthy of your consideration if you're thinking you might like a tablet style device. I definitely would encourage you to go play with one at best buy or an apple store to get a feel for it. With a number of competitors due out over the next few months we're likely to see some price movement, or a second generation release, so it may be worth it to wait it out a little while.
One final note, the screen is absolutely gorgeous while it is turned on. It is crisp, bright, and very easy to see from any angle. But when you turn it off, every finger print and swipe is suddenly very visible (while it is on the light is bright enough you don't see them fingerprints). If you are a neat freak, or just hate finger prints on your devices you'll have to invest in some microfiber cloths or get used to using your shirt sleeve!
In conclusion, it's a lot of fun, and I'm not the least bit sorry to have bought one. It does many things, and over the next months will do many more. If you think you want one, go play with one, and if you don't want to wait for a next generation this one is definitely awesome. If you have specific needs that aren't really addressed in this generation or by apple, don't let the hype or peer pressure bully you into this one, there are a number of devices coming with great potential, one of those might be a better fit.
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1,149 of 1,201 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not without flaws, but certainly more than just a glorified iPod Touch!, April 16, 2010
Having spent some serious time with Apple's iPad since its release, it's easy to see how the device can stir up so much excitement and so much disappointment from all different angles with much less middle-ground. People tend to either love it or hate it. I hope I can shed some light on the details of real-world iPad usage, not just blind claims like several non-iPad users seem to be screaming. I'll detail all the benefits and the caveats of owning the device I've found so far, with hopes that you'll get a clear picture of whether or not the iPad really is for you.
For those interested, I've also compiled two iPad listmania lists:
Must-Have iPad Accessories:
http://www.amazon.com/lm/R1M3AJDBR2BCA7?tag=1pad-20&ie=UTF8
iPad vs. Other Tablets:
http://www.amazon.com/lm/R3QLZ307253XU6?tag=1pad-20&ie=UTF8
===== Background and Initial Reaction =====
I'm a mobile app developer who's created apps and games for the iPhone, iPod Touch and now iPad. Leading up to the announcement of the iPad, several rumors surfaced about Apple's new tablet device within iPhone development circles. The big rumor was that it would likely be based on the iPhone OS (the operating system built for the iPhone/iPod Touch). I had a lot of mixed feelings about that though. Part of me wanted the iPad to be able to run standard Mac apps (which the iPhone OS simply cannot do), while the other part of me saw the potential for app developers to take full advantage of the iPad's bigger screen and multi-touch interface on a whole new level, as iPhone/iPad apps generally aren't available for the Mac or PC specifically. What this meant for future iPad users was the potential to do more with the iPad than you would be able to do with an ordinary Mac or PC, though there would be some compromise therein until Apple or other developers could create an app that would fill any gaps in functionality.
When announced, I was fairly critical about how similar the iPad was to the iPod Touch. Indeed it does seem like an oversized iPod Touch, especially with the overly huge icons (and excessive spacing between them) on the home screen. Only 4 additional apps per-screen are permitted on the iPad (24 total) than the iPod Touch (20 total). But while iPad isn't without flaw, nor is it a complete laptop or desktop replacement by any means, it's still certainly more than just a glorified iPod Touch. After spending some time with it, the differences quickly become evident.
Neither is it a "Kindle killer" though it is certainly a great e-reader that will have a lasting effect on the future of digital books and publications. Moreover, there is a definite potential for the device to be useful beyond everything it is currently being touted as by Apple. Consider what the iPhone can do now compared to its first version with nothing but Apple's standard iPhone apps (before the app store was created).
===== First Impression =====
Taking the iPad out of the box for the first time, you'll come to realize just how touch-worthy the device really is. The slick screen reflects your glossy-eyed likeness as you gaze upon it and inhale in that one-of-a-kind scent synonymous with brand-new electronic gadgetry. Wrapping your hand around your new baby to embrace it for the first time, you find new meaning to the term "baby" because the back feels smooth like a baby's butt. And there's no doubt that this is exactly how Apple wants you to feel when unboxing the iPad for the first time.
Right away, you'll probably notice that it's heavier than you might expect for such a slim device. For a real-world reference, the weight is comparable to that of two 200-page magazines (or 400 pages). Why so heavy? This thing's got two massive batteries which give it that touted 10 full-hours of life with wifi, though I got eight full hours out of constant Netflix streaming. Either way though, such a great battery life is something the iPhone/iPod Touch can't, uh... touch! Another contributor is Apple's signature glass touch-screen. However, the glass screen is phenominal at preventing scratches and ensures the display will always be crystal clear... at least until you lay your greasy mitts all over it.
Smudging of finger oils is an issue with just about any touch screen device, but the iPad is special. It has an "oleophobic" coating that should repel the greasy smears, streaks and fingerprints. After using it a majority of the first day, it became evident that the coating doesn't work 100%. It resisted much better than the iPod Touch, which has no such coating, but you can expect there will still be some traces of oil residue from the skin contacting the screen. Washing your hands frequently helps reduce this, but you'll really only notice it if you try to notice it (by either reflecting light off the screen, or turning the screen off). So ultimately your experience interacting with the iPad will hardly be affected by such smearing--there won't be any blurriness or ill effects. However, do note that oleophobic coatings usually start deteriorating after a few months, so expect it to degrade over time, and eventually wear off completely, resulting in more pronounced smearing.
One of my bigger grievances with the iPad is the utter waste of screen real-estate. I'm specifically talking about the excessive 1" black margin around the sides. What is the deal with that? Surely Apple could have thinned that out and either made the actual screen slightly bigger, or made the iPad itself slightly smaller. It really disheartens me for Apple to have squandered such valuable space on rubbish like that. The margin should have been the size of the margin used for the 13" or 15" MacBook Pro or the iPhone/iPod Touch--about half an inch.
While on the subject of wasted space, I'm also equally disappointed with the excessive spacing (padding) between the app icons on the home screen. Just like the much-smaller iPod Touch, you can only have four apps per row (i.e. four columns) when in portrait mode (orientation in the upright position), though an additional row has been added. On the other hand, flipping the iPad to landscape mode (on its side) enables you to have one additional column of apps, though you lose the additional row that you get with the iPad's orientation set to portrait mode. Meanwhile, the iPhone/iPod Touch cannot show apps in any orientation other than portrait/upright.
Either way, in both iPad orentations, it seems like Apple could have fit an additional column of app icons between each other, though five or six columns in portait mode (and six or seven columns in lamdscape mode) would satisfy my preferences. In any case, at least the iPhone OS 4.0 update (scheduled for the iPad this fall) will bring "folders" to the iPad, a feature that allows you to better-organize apps on the home screen by grouping them into a single icon whose app collection is revealed in a popup region.
===== So What Can This Thing Do? =====
When Apple first announced the iPad they didn't tout it so much as an ebook reader as they did a "netbook killer" (due to its ability to surf the web, check e-mail, watch videos, listen to music, and do a lot of the simpler tasks that netbooks were originally designed to do. Thus Apple had put less weight on the iPad as an e-reader in their announcement, which is still very apparent now that the iPad has been released.
Despite the fact that it has begun to spark a revolution in the publication and delivery of full-color magazines and news, in addition to its support for reading e-books, Apple has taken a low-lying strategy with their iPad as an e-reader or "Kindle killer" as some iPad users have touted. When you go to Apple's website, and browse the guided tours that Apple has made for the iPad, you'll see that the guided tour for Apple's e-book reader app "iBooks" is near the bottom of the list. (Just below it is Apple's guided tour for its iPad productivity suite "iWork" which lets you edit Microsoft office documents such as Word files, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations). What they don't exactly tell you outright is that iBooks (or iWork) is not included on the iPad out-of-the-box. They're extra applications that you have to download from Apple's iPad app store.
Having not bundled the iBooks app with the iPad, Apple seems to be positioning the iPad as more than just an e-book reader. Despite the fact that you have to download iBooks, the app itself is indeed free, though the books themselves aren't (of course). As a courtesy though, and as a sort of demonstration, Apple decided to throw in a Winnie the Pooh book for free. What a nice gesture, Apple!
On the other hand, to use the iPad for editing office documents, you'll need to download Apple's productivity suite iWork, a trilogy of apps which consists of: Pages, for word processing; Each of the three apps can be downloaded separately for $9.99 each. Completely reworked for the iPad, the complete iWork suite will set you back a whole thirty bucks. So be aware of that before you go ahead and grab the iPad for use with work-related document editing, and so forth.
Also note that if you do intend to use the iPad for heavy writing or word-processing purposes, you'll find that your ability to type quickly will be greatly inhibited by the virtual keyboard. Thus, you should snag the external keyboard as well (Note: I'll also explain some typing techniques below). Either way, be prepared to pay more than merely the price for the iPad alone. There's clearly more than meets the eye if you intend to transform the iPad into something a little more productive than it might be for you out of the box.
===== Interaction Experience =====...
Read more ›
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569 of 601 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comparison Between Kindle and Apple iPad, May 5, 2010
Want the long and the short of it without having to read a "mega review"? Here goes. I have an original Kindle and a DX and I've had an iPad for one week. I love them all, but the iPad has won me over. Here's what I've experienced so far:
VERSATILITY - Apps, movies, music, pictures, effective internet connectivity, color display, extremely intuitive GUI all combine to make iPad the hands down winner in this category.
DISPLAY - E Ink is much better for reading, especially in bright light. And, the matte screen on the Kindle doesn't smudge as easily as the iPad screen. However, the iPad has a gorgeous color display and once you get accustomed to it, reading is not difficult. I especially like the backlit display at night when reading in bed ... I can read to my hearts content and not bother my sleeping wife. Slip on the headphones and my full iTunes library is available while I read. If you want a device only to read books, the Kindle wins. If you want color and a display that shows book diagrams and pictures clearly, the iPad wins.
PAGE INTERFACE - I actually like turning pages on the Kindle much better than I do on the iPad. While the iPad has a cool page turning visual (it looks like the page is actually turning), the touch screen is far too sensitive and there is very little edge around the screen to hold on to. The result is that I'm constantly turning pages on the iPad when i don't want to. Kindle's buttons win this one hands down.
CONVENIENCE - on the iPad, all my media is in one place (audio books, photos, music, books, internet, breaking news/weather, address book, email ... the list goes on.) The Kindle, while and excellent book reading device, still requires me to bring along an iPod or a laptop when I travel. iPad is the clear winner.
PRICE - Kindle and the iPad simply aren't that far apart. If a hundred bucks is going to break the budget, stick with the Kindle because it is an excellent reader. If you can afford a little more, go with the iPad... it just is much more versatile. If the Kindle DX were a couple of hundred bucks less, it would be a great reading bargain.
AVAILABLE BOOKS - hands down, Amazon slaughters Apple in just sheer volume of available titles. However, Apple's titles often include color pictures, diagrams, etc. that can actually be sized by the reader for easier viewing. Downside here is that Apple's titles are often higher priced. Winner here is Amazon/Kindle. However, there is an App available for the iPad that allows you to read Amazon Kindle media. It is still not a very elegant design, but it does allow you to read these titles easily and I'm sure the App will only improve with time.
SEX APPEAL - ok, when the Kindle was first introduced, it was a hot item. I couldn't read it at the airport without being interrupted at least a few times by people asking what it was and waning to look at it. Same thing with the iPad, only it's exponentially hotter. With it's sleek design, excellent color display and tons of Apps, people just go nuts asking questions. In short, it just generates a lot of interest and this is proven by the fact that Apple has already sold over a million of these things during the first month of availability. This thing is addictive ... with the Kindle, I can read a book. With the iPad, I can do almost everything I could before on my laptop AND I can read a book.
MY OPINION ONLY - sorry Amazon. You have a great product that pioneered the whole ebook market (others came before you, but you made it work.) Your Kindle is an excellent product, but given the iPad, your device is very much overpriced. Your library continues to be the standard by which all others are judged and I will continue to buy e-books from you, but I'll be reading them on an iPad. On that rare occasion where I'll be laying on a beach reading in direct sunlight, I'll pull out my Kindle because you have an edge there.
I hope whoever reads this finds it useful. I the end, it's your money and your preference so my opinion really doesn't matter. I hope you enjoy whichever device you settle on.
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