I received my new Apple iPad on April 3rd, a Saturday morning, delivered by an obviously exhausted UPS driver whose day was not yet half over. Taking quick possession of the package, I wasted little time in using an abandoned door key to slice through packing tape, eventually exposing the Apple packaging within. Like everything else Apple does, even the packaging shows clear signs of design and thought. Whereas it probably took you an hour to open the plastic shell of a recent tech purchase, including time spent devising new curse words, the Apple iPad is freed from its cocoon in under 5-seconds, with no curse words required or primed.
I’m A PC, With Apple Tendencies. Does That Make Me Bitechual?
I’m a life-long PC user. I’ve never owned an Apple product, save for a brief stint with an Apple II+ in the 80s, and that was only to play the original Wolfenstein and the Pinball Construction Kit. Since that brief interlude, I’ve been PC the entire way, even casting aspersions on Apple owners when my allegiance shifted towards the Amiga 500 and 2000 computer for many enjoyable years.
Like most PC loyalists, I have gazed upon Apple products over the years with much envy, though no true PC-enthusiast should ever admit such a feeling, lest he lose his tech-cred, but truth is truth. One cannot argue with Apple’s design philosophy or the quality of their products. One can argue about Apple’s Nintendo/Disney-like control of the platform and its schizoidal treatment of developers; all valid concerns.
Two central issues have prevented me from securing an Apple computer over the years: expense and lack of quality video games. I’ve built every computer I have used for the past twenty or so years, computers that were incredibly cheap to compile yet extremely fast, with the latest 3D cards and whatnot. Buying a pre-built computer like an Apple that sells for 4-8 times what I can build for the PC platform just didn’t seem like a wise move. Less wise considering I didn’t see much in the way of Apple software that couldn’t be found on the PC. When it came to videogames, Apple wasn’t even trying very hard to penetrate the market and this was a deal-killer for me. Even today, Apple computers are still lagging behind in the video game market, though it has made some serious inroads over the past few years.
About two years ago, I purchased my mother an Apple iPhone, as I thought it would be the perfect fit for her needs. It was, and still is. She loves it. It was this period of time that I frequently found myself in the same room with the iPhone and I couldn’t help myself; I had to fiddle with it and explore the apps. I was hooked. What a great interface. What power. Problem is, I don’t need a phone. I’ve never owned a mobile phone and have no plans to ever own one. As an anti-social recluse, I simply have no one to call. So I thought too myself, “Self, this iPhone is pretty cool, but what I really want is something with a bigger screen that doesn’t bother with all of this phone nonsense.” Self was pretty happy when Steve Jobs revealed the iPad. I was immediately sold.
No Flash! No Multi-Tasking! No Camera! Apple Control!
The above subhead pretty much sums up the argument people waged against the iPad. The only one of any concern was Apple’s refusal to support Adobe Flash, but this has turned out to be a non-event. In the 48-hours I have been using the iPad, I have yet to miss Flash. Besides, the Flash problem will be resolved, one way or another, very soon, as HTML 5 is gaining traction and moving rapidly. Adobe will lose this war.
Multitasking is not a concern of mine. I barely “multitask” on my PC. I suspect most people don’t really multitask when you look at their actual activities, as they do one thing at a time, switching from one program to the next with Alt-Tab (on a PC) or the taskbar. The act of switching between two different programs, and the action required to toggle between the two, is no different than hitting the Home button on an iPad and launching a different app. When you return to your original app, it remembers what you were doing and you can continue onwards. If Apple had called the Home button “Alt-Tab” then all this talk of multitasking would have faded sooner. Besides, like the Flash War, multitasking will soon be coming to the iPad in a future OS update, removing one more argument against the device.
No camera? I don’t even use the webcam I have on my PC and I’ve used the Live Vision camera on my Xbox 360 a grand total of one time, so this omission has no bearing on me. If I want to take pretty pictures then I’ll use my Canon digital camera, which is far superior to anything you’d find on a mobile. Again, like all of the other arguments, the lack of a camera will be addressed in future versions of the iPad for those of you who just can’t function without one.
That leaves Apple Control as an argument. If you read Cory Doctorow’s editorial at Boing-Boing, the Apple iPad is marked with the Number of the Beast and represents all that is wrong with the world. He feels Apple exerts too much control over the platform, serves as Gatekeeper to applications, and stifles innovation from 3rd-party developers. Unfortunately for Cory, his argument is hollow and without merit, especially in the face of reality. Despite Apple’s control of the platform, it hasn’t prevented hundreds of thousands of apps from being created and sold by companies not named Apple. Thousands of people and companies are now making their living off the iPhone and Apple doesn’t appear to be standing in the way.
Of course, if you absolutely have to have pathetic “boobie-apps” then I guess this is where you’ll win the argument about Apple Control, yet I don’t find myself caring in the least. I’m not going to miss an iTunes app store littered with useless boobie programs, nor will I boycott the platform based on their exorcism.
As a final blow to Cory Doctorow’s weak argument against the iPad, it took less than a day to “jailbreak” the iPad, meaning it will soon be open to every hacker who wants to dabble on the platform. So much for a closed environment.
2001: A Space Odyssey
There was one more reason I decided to pre-order an iPad, sight-unseen: Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. According to my mother, 2001 was the first movie I ever saw in a theater. I was two years old in 1969 and don’t have any crystal-clear memories of the event, but 2001 has been a part of my life ever since. I’ve probably seen the movie more than any other. So how does 2001 tie in with the iPad? Simple: the iPad is in the movie. The device depicted in the film, and the movie poster, left an impression on me like a Tie-Fighter left an impression on a kid in 1979. I wanted one. I ‘ve wanted one ever since. In 2010, Steve Jobs finally delivered the device of my childhood dreams, akin to finally getting my hands on a mythical Gobstopper or light-saber.
Central Figure Holds iPad-Like Device, 1969.
Crew of Discovery Eat Breakfast While Viewing Video on iPad-Like Device
My Experience With the Apple iPad
Weight: The first thing you notice about the iPad is the weight. At 1.5-pounds, I wouldn’t call it super-light, but it doesn’t feel like a boulder, either. It feels just right, enough heft for stability, not enough weight to bulk your arms up to Hulk-like proportions. It quickly becomes evident that you will have to conform to the iPad instead of the iPad conforming to you. Each person will find their own sweet-spot in how best to hold it, or forsake holding it and just prop it up on your lap, set it on a table, whatever. With an avalanche of 3rd-party accessories on the horizon, you can expect a slew of options that will help maximize the experience. Heck, even Apple’s iPad case can be folded into a useful stand, perfect for reading iBooks or watching videos.
The Screen: A thing of beauty. Super-bright at the maximum setting, crystal-clear resolution at 1024×768. Games look fantastic and videos look just as good.
iBooks: I’m surrounded by hundreds of actual, physical books. I’ve easily purchased thousands of books throughout my life. Hell, I’ve even written a few, so tangible books have a special place in my heart. However, after spending some quality time with iBooks, I can say without hesitation that I will never buy another physical book again unless I have no other option. I stayed away from the Kindle because it seemed over-priced for the little it could do. Glad I waited. Now I have more power than the Kindle and a far superior reader. Even the Kindle app for iPad is better than what you’d find on an actual Kindle. If you’re an avid reader ready to make the digital leap, then the iPad cannot be beat.
The Apps: The iPad is only as useful and “magical” as the Apps that give the device its function. Whether I’m using Brushes, a great paint program or Netflix, which is significantly faster than the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii versions, I’ve been impressed at the vast majority of popular apps. Larger screen real-estate makes a mountain of difference. Most impressive, from a technical level, is Desktop Connect, a $12 app that allows you to control the desktop and programs on your PC or Mac. So, from the comfort of my bed last night, I was able to play a little Mount & Blade Warband, a PC game, from my iPad. You could also use Desktop Connect to launch your PC’s browser if you really need to watch Hulu videos.
The Experience: Navigating the interface and apps of the iPad is a joy. Everything is just so easy, so responsive, so fast and intuitive. It’s an addicting environment. Some apps are better-designed than others and I attribute this to very few developers having access to an actual iPad during this initial phase of development.
The overwhelming majority of apps and games currently available were created on an iPad emulator, which unfortunately cannot emulate the weight of the device or how it feels within your hands. As such, a game like Geometry Wars, which is awesome, has one noticeable design flaw in where they put the Bomb button, i.e., at the lower end of the screen, right in the middle – the the most difficult location to press when using the iPad in landscape mode. It’s little things like this that are the most apparent, though fortunately it is all easily fixed. Now that the iPad is out in the wild and developers have the actual device, future apps will be better designed.
Integration into My Life
This is the most important aspect of the Apple iPad: how will it integrate into your life? Do you really need one? Within the first 48-hours, the iPad has already become an integral part of daily routine. It has become my full-time web-browser, part-time game console, lightweight and portable word-processor, my art canvas, my bookshelf and my social connections. I am officially unshackled from my desktop PC, able to roam around my house, hang out in the backyard or sit on the toilet.Yes, you heard me: the iPad passes the Toilet Test with flying colors; no tech gadget can be successful unless it passes the Toilet Test and I am pleased to say I was able to do my business and use the iPad at the same time.
The iPad is always there. It’s the kind of device you leave sitting on your coffee table while watching TV, always accessible. Considering it boots within a second and can launch the Safari browser in the blink of an eye, connecting with websites via the super-fast WiFi-N standard, it’s the ultimate reference device. With a latop you’d have to open the display, boot it up, wait and wait and by the time your browser is launched you may have lost interest in whatever impulsive piece of information you were intent on looking for. Even better, the iPad runs anywhere from 10-12 hours on a full-charge, which is nothing short of amazing.
For instance, last night I was watching 60 Minutes and they previewed a story about a smokeless tobacco called Snus. I’ve never heard of Snus, so I grabbed the iPad and knew everything I needed to know in under one minute, before 60 Minutes even had time to return from a commercial break. If I had been using a laptop, it would have still been booting by the time the commercial ended. Without the iPad, I probably wouldn’t have been inclined to use a latop or venture into my office and do a Google search. Better yet, once I had the information on Snus I was after, I passed the iPad around the room and everyone else was duly informed. Passing a laptop around isn’t the easiest thing in the world.
What’s Not to Like?
The iPad doesn’t ship with earbuds.
The screen is a fingerprint-magnet, though very easy to clean.
Sound quality is excellent, though stereo speakers would have been nice.
Some 3rd-party apps not intuitively designed because they didn’t have a reference model.
Periodic WiFi hiccups that find Safari and apps hanging when trying to connect. If I disable Wifi and reconnect, this problem seems be get solved. Seems like a problem that can be fixed with an update, though there is the likelihood my router is to blame. Anyone else having this issue?
The pricing of Apps is all over the place with little in the way of consistency. I’ll chalk this up to growing pains, much like those initial months of iPhone apps. Eventually the market will settle and prices will begin to gel with reality.
Looking Onward
As great as the iPad is, it will only improve with new OS updates and vastly superior applications. It’s an incredible device, a true showcase of engineering. However, there is one area that is really bothering me, though it has less to do with the iPad and more to do with traditional media: the pricing for newspapers, magazines and comic books. What the world needs is a Netflix for print-media. Let me explain:
I’d love to be able to read some Marvel comics, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and a few magazines like Time and Newsweek. Unfortunately, the current pricing model leaves a lot to be desired. You’ll find an inordinate amount of nickel-and-diming going on and this ultimately will prove a problem for traditional media. Take the fantastic Marvel Comics app as an example. With this application you have full access to Marvel’s current slate of comics, plus tons of back issues. Problem is, you have to pay for each issue individually. I’d rather see a flat-fee in place that allows members to either read everything they want, or at the very least, tier the subscriptions at various content levels.
In a perfect world, I’d love to pay a single subscription fee that allows me access to a huge amount of media. Your membership fee would include all the titans; The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek, Wired, Popular Science, Marvel, DC, Image, etc. All you can eat for, say, $15 a month. Just like Netflix. Work for you? Sure works for me.
One Happy Customer
I love to poke holes in things. If any of you happen to read my video game editorials then you know I am fully capable of ripping something apart. I don’t have allegiances to products because I spent my own money on something. Quite the contrary, I am usually more critical when my own money is involved, like when I ripped Mass Effect 2 a new a-hole. I was fully prepared to feel regret and remorse at the purchase of my iPad. I salivated at the thought of writing a brutal editorial about the many failures of Apple’s new device and the traffic it would bring. Unfortunately, the iPad is too great for an angry editorial. It truly is a magical device that has already found more uses than I imagined possible.
Best of all, this entire post was written from my iPad, all 2800 words. I wrote some of it from my sofa, some of it from the kitchen as I waited for my coffee to finish brewing, some of it from the toilet just to see if it could pass the Porcelain Test. I initially suspected that typing on a glass screen would be a pain, seriously reducing the amount of words I generate per minute, but this concern did not manifest. I’d say I’m currently typing at about 95% of my normal speed, and this will only improve as I become more comfortable.
Do you own an iPad? Have questions about the iPad? Can’t believe a PC loyalist has turned his back on you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
