APPLE iPAD: WHAT SUCKS, WHAT ROCKS!
“I have an iPhone and a MacBook. Where does the iPad fit in?”
Two days ago, Apple announced their much anticipated tablet device, the iPad. There was a lot of buzz about the device before it was announced. As usual, mock-ups were posted and various websites with a lot of speculation.
Now the tablet has been announce and not everybody is amused by it. Apple executives seem pretty happy about their new device but various polls and online comments suggest that people are not enthused at all. I am not enthused about it too. I am quite disappointed with the iPad. I remember when the iPhone was announced at Macworld 2007. That was a real breakthrough device. The euphoria of owning one gripped everybody but the iPad…
I think Apple rushed in announcing this product and they could have done a better job. Let me tell you where I think Apple went wrong with this device.
1. Design: Apple is noted for sleek designs. The iPad looks ugly. It’s that ugly you get used to and then you think it’s beautiful. The space between the ends of the screen and the device could be a little a thinner than it is. It is just ugly!
2. Software: Can you believe Apple? The iPad runs iPhone OS 3.2. Why not Snow Leopard? And as if that’s not enough, the OS hasn’t been tweaked enough to multitask yet. I believe multitasking will come with OS 4.0, which is expected in June or July. Running OS 3.2 makes it look like a big iPod touch. The iPad isn’t a stand-alone device. This means you require a mac or pc with iTunes to set it up. Come on! This also means you can’t connect your iPhone or iPod to it and sync it. That’s just shitty!
3. Camera: The iPad lacks an in-built camera. This is 2010, Apple! iPod Nanos even got cameras. How can you not put a camera into this device? The lack of a camera just throws a lot of people of.
4. ITunes + DRM: Does Apple have to tie all their mobile devices to iTunes? I love iTunes but what if I buy an iPad to use in Ghana? Apple doesn’t have a worldwide iTunes Store or Ghana Store and the last time I checked, it was illegal to use an iTunes Store account in a country other than the country of the store. Apple wants to replicate the success of the iPhone and the App Store but I already have eBooks on my mac. Can’t I just sync them? Oh and according to the Apple site, iBooks is US only! With the iBooks application, it means a new era of DRM. DRM sucks!!!!
The iPad has some pretty good sides too. I watch the presentation by Steve Jobs and the demo on the iPad site and I like some things about it.
1. I like what Apple did with the screen; a high-resolution, 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS display with a wide 178° viewing angle. That’s really picture perfect.
2. The iPad has a month stand-by time and 10 hours of battery life while surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching videos, or listening to music.
3. I think the web surfing experience on the device will be wonderful. The safari demo as well as the mail demo was on point. We just need flash and it better be in 4.0
4. The one reason I will get the iPad is iBooks. I think it will be pretty cool reading on this device. I have a feeling the iPad will change a reading habits worldwide.
5. The iPad comes with Wi-Fi basic and a 3G option. Costumers will have the option of getting a Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi+3G model. I would go for option 2 so I can surf the web everywhere.
6. The iPad will have a digital compass (which I love), built-in speakers and microphone
7. The iPad will have a mobile version of Apple’s Office suite; iWork
8. The iPad runs on Apple’s own silicon; A4. A4 runs at 1GHz while the chip on iPhone 3GS works clocked to 0.6GHz. What this means is that running iPhone OS, the iPad will deliver superior performance
Check the full list of the iPad specs here
The iPad will be available in the next 30 to 90 days. I am not too sure if spending $729 on a 32GB Wi-Fi + 3G iPad is a good idea but if and when I get $729, I will give the iPad a try. I am still confused about where it fits in if one has a MacBook and an iPhone. Help me if you have the answer. I would love to read books on it and tweet from it and occasionally watch a movie on it probably on a bus from Accra to Sunyani.
