My two-cents-worth on the iPad...

When Apple first announced the pending release of a tablet-based device, I was a bit surprised by just how polarized the reactions were from the tech community. Early reactions ranged from "giant iPod Touch" to "something that would change the world." After spending almost a week with the device, I think the truth lies somewhere in between.

First and foremost, let's keep things in perspective... this is not as monumental as Gutenberg's invention of the printing press or Gore's invention of the Internet. The iPad will not cure cancer or usher in a new era of world peace. I don't even think it will revolutionize personal computing... at least not right away.

Steve Jobs & co. are exceptionally good at reading market trends and getting into position to take advantage of a rising tide. Macs steadily eat away at WinTel market share by delivering a simple and near bulletproof OS. The iPhone continues to dominate the mobile market and has placed most of the cellular stalwarts in catch-up mode... largely due to the variety, diversity and accessibility of apps. iPods have redefined how music is purchased and consumed after the MP3 reached critical mass and Napster bit the dust. And each new introduction comes wrapped in the signature beauty and simplicity of a technology product designed from a standpoint and aesthetic that essentially "gets it" from a consumer perspective. We want devices that look good, conform to our lifestyles and - most importantly - simply work without forcing us to jump through hoops.

In many ways, the iPad exemplifies Apple's ability to catch the next wave and lead the market by the nose to deliver exactly what consumers want. From a computing perspective, it's far superior to any netbook I've ever used. From a portable media standpoint, the iPad's stunning screen makes watching movies on-the-go a really amazing experience. As a gaming device, the iPad should give the folks from Nintendo & Sony a run for their money... especially when most of the games are available for < $9.99 and can be downloaded right away... leaving Apple well positioned to cash in on the convergence of impulse buy gaming and the painlessness of micropayments. As a web-surfing appliance, the iPad absolutely screams... pages are fast-loading, easy on the eye, and with the exception of the much lamented lack of Flash support, you sacrifice nothing by using the Internet on this device versus your laptop or desktop system. (This blog posting, for example, was typed entirely from the iPad... the keyboard in landscape mode works extremely well.) In short, for the vast majority of users, the iPad fires on all cylinders.

So where are the drawbacks? From my perspective, very few. Apple's eBook application is great and the Kindle app from Amazon lets me access any of the books that my wife and I have already purchased, but the iPad is heavier than a dedicated e-book reader and I'm not sure how the backlit screen will treat the eyes during marathon reading sessions. I'm not thrilled with the battery recharge time when plugging the iPad in to your Mac versus plugging it directly into a power adapter. (Charge time is significantly slower when charging via USB connection.) The device is also very solid but something about carrying around a big piece of glass makes me fearful that one drop could shatter my new investment. The fact that I'm a total klutz doesn't help, but a thickly-padded case alleviates some of those concerns. My biggest gripe about the iPad is that if i wanted the 3G model I would have yet another access charge from AT&T... even though I already have an iPhone data plan. I get the fact that they need to make a buck, but I'm opting for the WiFi only version as a result.

So at the end of the day, the iPad isn't going to change anyone's life. What it does for me, however, is take one giant step toward delivering on the promise of all that the Internet has to offer. From cooking (Epicurious app) to information consumption (USA Today app) to catching up on past episodes of my favorite shows without being tethered to a DVR or paying to watch an episode that was originally broadcast for free (ABC app) the iPad does it all... and it does so in a very practical way. I've got a ton of travel coming up at the end of the month and into May and will have an opportunity to see how well the iPad fares as a quasi-replacement for my laptop... I can already tell that my Dell will probably stay under the seat during the flights. I also plan on buying some of the more business-oriented apps that will enable me to do some word processing, spreadsheet and presentation work on the device. I also want to kick the tires with some of the remote desktop applications that will enable me to access my iMac and Windows machines from the iPad. However, based on nearly everyday use since buying the iPad a day or two after launch, I think it's safe to say that Apple has hit it out of the park. Again.

Please take a minute to leave a comment and let me know if you found this post to be helpful or at least interesting. If you did, I'm happy to share my experience with specific apps or with the device in general as I get more "hands-on" time.

Comments

[Pat Ladisa]

Excellent review Marc. I posted my own - possibly subversive, extremely sarcastic, completely self-indulgent - review as well...check it out.
http://patlad.typepad.com/pantaloons_bassoons_and_o/2010/05/ipad-review.html

[BostonWriter]

Thanks for the comment, Marco. Yes - some decent fee from AT&T might help, but ultimately I'm not sure if I need cell access. The best solution would be the ability to tether to my phone but I don't see AT&T coming off that mark anytime soon. Ironically, as much as I love my iPhone I would be okay with switching to a BlackBerry with tethering from a non-AT&T provider so I could have my cake and eat it too. The number of times I've wanted to access the web from my iPad but haven't been near a WiFi signal have been few so the "on-demand" nature of tethering would be ideal.

[BostonWriter]

Ha! Thanks for reminding me of every early adopter fear I've ever had. Next gen will be faster, better, cheaper... I know, I know, I know. Still and all, I'm very impressed and pleased with the purchase AND the lack of Flash support really is far less of a hindrance than I imagined. I think HTML 5 will get rid of the whole Flash vs. SilverLight nonsense and we can all live happily ever after. But then again, I could just be drinking the Kool-Aid (or the Apple juice.)

[BostonWriter]

Thanks for the kind words,Robert. As a content creation device, I've been very pleasantly surprised by the iPad. Using TypePad is as simple and straightforward as using the site on my PC or Mac. I compose posts directly in TypePad and everything is pretty seamless... no loss of functionality or hoops to jump through. I think this is probably more of a testament to TypePad than iPad but it really does work well. The on-screen keyboard works extremely well too & I just bought Pages so i could write lengthier projects. I've received a few e-mails & questions regarding the content creation side of ownership so I'll try to create a post this weekend, but feel free to ping me if you have additional questions.

[Marco Montez]

What if AT&T only charged a "small" amount to add iPad-3G access to the accounts of AT&T subscribers who already pay for 3G on the iPhone? Say an additional $20/month unlimited. Would that change your mind about 3G vs. wifi? For me, it would at least make me consider it.

[Doobster]

Marc, you always were a sucker for anything with a lower case "i" in front of it or with a bitten apple logo. You and David T.

Interesting review. While I'm not a Mac user (my wife has one) and I don't have an iPhone (due to AT&T, primarily...once iPhones come to Verizon I may change my tune), I do have a iPod Touch and it's great.

Having said all that, and while I think the iPad is "nifty," I just can't find a compelling reason to run out and spend $500+ on one. No Flash, no web-cam, and I prefer to read books in print than electronically. (Go ahead...call me a techno-troglodyte.) Besides, you know Apple, the next-gen iPad will probably be able to handle Flash, will probably have a web-cam, along with some other goodies that I can't even imagine that gen-one lacks.

But hey, BWO, enjoy!

[Robert Dwyer]

Nice overview- very useful.

I've been so pleased with the iPhone (and an iPod touch before that) as a compact mobile computing device to take along on vacation. No more lugging laptops and the over-sized chargers and bags that come along with them, and you can do 95% of what you need to do on the device.

With the iPad, I've been intrigued by it as a content-creation device. Specifically for composing blog entries. It was nice to hear that you wrote this piece on your iPad so I thought to ask you more about that. Do you compose in a text editor and then cut and paste into a TypePad's web interface?

Reason I ask is I happen to use Blogger.com and it still doesn't work on the Safari on the iPhone. By that I mean when I tap on the text-entry box the keyboard isn't displayed so I can't type. Not that I'd want to compose a blog entry on the iPhone, but I can't even correct one-character typos I discover when I'm away from my PC. I just discovered the Opera mini browser does work better with Blogger.com so that helps I guess.

There's apps for blogging but they seem a little rough around the edges. Typically when composing a blog entry I'll want to insert, align, and link a couple of pictures. Then do some bulleted lists and formatting of text. This is all really tough to do on the iPhone so it makes me think it'll be tough on the iPad too and that would be really limiting to me.

Not a deal-breaker for sure, and for me the amazing thing about the iPhone has been the way it improves over time as the OS is upgraded and more apps arrive every month. I'm sure the same will happen with the iPad as it builds critical mass support.

Thanks for your thoughts!

[Garet van Gennep]

Well said, Garet