David Emery OnlineThe Inevitable Post Where I Talk About The iPad
29 May 2010
Back when I first started this blog I used to churn out words about whatever gadget Apple had just launched all the time; it was, for all intents, an Apple blog with occasional off topic posts. However after a while I realised that the last thing the world needed was yet another blogger banging on about Apple stuff so I cooled off, leaving the rest of the Internet to it.
Blogging about Apple is a bit like painting the fourth rail bridge; it’s a never ending task, and someones probably doing it already.
Also, I quite like this site being a site without topic or purpose – while focusing on just Apple or just music or just whatever would no doubt result in more traffic that’s not why I write. I right for me, and publish in the hope that someone out there finds it interesting (it’s a big Internet, after all).
The iPad, then.
I won’t deny that I wasn’t smitten the first time I saw one, and the decision to purchase was fairly swift, but that’s not to say I was entirely convinced. Yes it looked cool, but ultimately cool but only partially useful. I bought mine basically to act as a web and email machine when out and about, overcoming the limitations of the iPhone with it’s larger screen but not running into the bulk and inconvenience of a full laptop.
After using one now for about 24hrs I have to say – and I fully acknowledge the inherent hyperbole in this following statement – that it’s the most impressive piece of technology I’ve ever used.
It has already replaced my home laptop for 90% of what I use it for, and I never thought that would happen. The key to this is simple: the web is the killer app for the iPad. First off, browsing on the iPad is just as quick – if not quicker – then on my MacBook Pro, which is startling. Having been used to safari on the iPhone I assumed it would be good – probably a little sluggish – but it’s just incredibly quick (something you can apply to the whole device, not just webpage loading). Also, if you’re a heavy web user – and if you’re reading this I’d say the odds are good – I’d download iCab from the app store right away. iCab gives you all the things you’re used to on a desktop browser, the key thing being tabs which work really well (and the fullscreen mode is handy as well).
I can’t overestimate how good browsing the web on the iPads glorious touchscreen is.
The other built in apps are impressive in a low key way mostly because they just work – Mail is great, and I prefer Calendar over iCal on the desktop so far.
Of course the built in apps are almost only a sideshow when faced with the behemoth that is the app store. I’ve already mentioned iCab, but when you first open the store you get prompted to download iBooks (which begs the question of why it doesn’t come installed by default) which seems nice enough so far – I haven’t read anything on it yet so I’m withholding judgement until then. One thing I will comment on is that eBooks on the whole seem a good chunk too expensive, prices on the whole mirroring high street prices meaning you can often get them much cheaper (and made out of paper!) on Amazon.
The most interesting app though has to be the Wired app. Priced slightly below the physical edition (iBook store take note), it’s nothing less then exactly what everyone has been speculating about for years: a proper, bone fide eMagazine. It works, and while their are some rough edges (often you can’t tell if you need to scroll down to read more, for example) it’s obviously a sign of things to come. When I was out shopping early I briefly looked at magazines and couldn’t help but feel a pang of pre-emptive nostalgia; if publishers adopt digital editions for all their current titles I will be more then happy to switch (and actually more likely to buy them as well, as it’s a darn sight more convenient). Yes the technology behind it (as previously linked to) is simplistic, but that will improve. The experience, in my opinion at least, is spot on.
Of course, there are downsides. It works brilliantly for web, email and media but content creation is a different thing. The iPad is hardly going to replace cursor-based computers just yet. A case in point is this very post, which I’ve written entirely in Pages for the iPad (oh, did I mention that the on screen keyboard is amazing? I can type almost as quickly as on a proper keyboard) but will finish on my MacBook Pro to put the post header image together. While I imagine with the right app I could probably do that on the iPad as well it would be a pain. I have no doubt we will eventually see Photoshop for the iPad (or its successor) though.
So, a revolution then? It’s sad that this just comes across as fanboy-ism and hyperbole but maybe, just maybe…