NOT MY OPINION: Don't kill me, I'm just the messenger! Was having an email discussion with my friend who buys everything Mac and he broke down why he wasn't getting one. I felt the response was sincere and too thought out to waste so I've pasted it below. Thoughts?
I wasn't impressed when it was announced and I'm not impressed now. Last week's iPad marketing machine was overwhelming. I got caught up with the media hype and had my eyes set on one until I actually held the device in my hands. It is not magical. It is not revolutionary. It is a giant iPod touch. This thing is not going to change the way I do anything. I don't need it. It has far too many shortcomings to justify the price. There are so many fundamental problems with this device.
1. The LED Screen is not ideal for reading and I don't care what anyone says. The device is unusable under sunlight. I want to be able to toss this device in my bag and use it anywhere, not just indoors. The dot pitch is low. I don't want to notice distracting pixels while I'm reading. LED will never compete with E-ink or any E-ink like technology when it comes to reading. I don't want to be staring into a glowing nightlight when I'm reading in bed. I stare into enough lights in the daytime.
2. The text input is broken. Typing on this thing is awkward, inefficient and counterintuitive. You can type faster on an iPhone. Holding the iPad with two hands in both portrait and landscape mode, you have to constantly readjust and stretch out your thumbs to input each letter. Holding the device with one hand frees up the other but you're basically inputting one letter at a time with your index finger. And finally, if you can find a place to set the device, you can type more like a traditional keyboard but wait. You can't rest your palms or fingers on the virtual keyboard without accidentally registering nonsensical gibberish. Instead, you're sort of forced to awkwardly hover your fingers above the home keys and carefully input one letter at a time. All of these input methods require you to look down while you virtually type. Of course the iPad offers bluetooth and dock keyboard support but that sort of defeats the whole purpose of a monolithic device.
3. The form factor is unwieldy. Apple is stuck in it's "Industrial Period" across their entire product line with it's use of glass and metal. This thing is heavy and delicate to hold especially with one hand. You can't just toss this thing in a bag. It needs to be babied and handled gently. The screen is a smudge-magnet and the back casing is prone to scratches so of course you will add additional heft by purchasing an iCase. You would think by now Apple, with it's illustrious product design history, would have addressed and solved these fundamental issues. But no, they still continue down this path. Holding the iPad reminds me of holding the first generation iPhone which consisted of glass and aluminum. It carried substantial weight and was too heavy for a cellphone. In subsequent iterations (3G & 3GS), Apple used plastic for the back casing instead which made all the difference. It was just the right weight and felt natural in the hand.
4. Non standard 3G/AGPS. 3G/AGPS should be a standard feature across all models. It's 2010 and there is just no excuse for this. By not standardizing and enforcing 3G/AGPS, you will end up with some apps supporting it and some not.
5. No camera. It's a pain getting photos on this thing. So I'm suppose to take a picture with my iPhone or camera and then E-mail or upload it via USB/memory card to my iPad with the adapter?
I think Gizmodo summed up the iPad pretty well in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tACLK0V_VBM&feature=player_embedded
Overall, i feel the iPad is incomplete and has a lot of limitations that future software cannot fix. It's an unwieldy consumption device with a less than ideal reading display and a crippled input method. The world doesn't need another consumption device. The world needs a productive tool. A 21st century Moleskine where we can jot down notes, sketch our ideas, record and document our daily thoughts and experiences. A device you carry around with you everywhere, a LifeBook® if you will. Apple missed this opportunity and supersized last year's iPod Touch instead. While all the blind iSheep fathom over the Emperor's new iPad, iSit and iPatiently wait.
I wasn't impressed when it was announced and I'm not impressed now. Last week's iPad marketing machine was overwhelming. I got caught up with the media hype and had my eyes set on one until I actually held the device in my hands. It is not magical. It is not revolutionary. It is a giant iPod touch. This thing is not going to change the way I do anything. I don't need it. It has far too many shortcomings to justify the price. There are so many fundamental problems with this device.
1. The LED Screen is not ideal for reading and I don't care what anyone says. The device is unusable under sunlight. I want to be able to toss this device in my bag and use it anywhere, not just indoors. The dot pitch is low. I don't want to notice distracting pixels while I'm reading. LED will never compete with E-ink or any E-ink like technology when it comes to reading. I don't want to be staring into a glowing nightlight when I'm reading in bed. I stare into enough lights in the daytime.
2. The text input is broken. Typing on this thing is awkward, inefficient and counterintuitive. You can type faster on an iPhone. Holding the iPad with two hands in both portrait and landscape mode, you have to constantly readjust and stretch out your thumbs to input each letter. Holding the device with one hand frees up the other but you're basically inputting one letter at a time with your index finger. And finally, if you can find a place to set the device, you can type more like a traditional keyboard but wait. You can't rest your palms or fingers on the virtual keyboard without accidentally registering nonsensical gibberish. Instead, you're sort of forced to awkwardly hover your fingers above the home keys and carefully input one letter at a time. All of these input methods require you to look down while you virtually type. Of course the iPad offers bluetooth and dock keyboard support but that sort of defeats the whole purpose of a monolithic device.
3. The form factor is unwieldy. Apple is stuck in it's "Industrial Period" across their entire product line with it's use of glass and metal. This thing is heavy and delicate to hold especially with one hand. You can't just toss this thing in a bag. It needs to be babied and handled gently. The screen is a smudge-magnet and the back casing is prone to scratches so of course you will add additional heft by purchasing an iCase. You would think by now Apple, with it's illustrious product design history, would have addressed and solved these fundamental issues. But no, they still continue down this path. Holding the iPad reminds me of holding the first generation iPhone which consisted of glass and aluminum. It carried substantial weight and was too heavy for a cellphone. In subsequent iterations (3G & 3GS), Apple used plastic for the back casing instead which made all the difference. It was just the right weight and felt natural in the hand.
4. Non standard 3G/AGPS. 3G/AGPS should be a standard feature across all models. It's 2010 and there is just no excuse for this. By not standardizing and enforcing 3G/AGPS, you will end up with some apps supporting it and some not.
5. No camera. It's a pain getting photos on this thing. So I'm suppose to take a picture with my iPhone or camera and then E-mail or upload it via USB/memory card to my iPad with the adapter?
I think Gizmodo summed up the iPad pretty well in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tACLK0V_VBM&feature=player_embedded
Overall, i feel the iPad is incomplete and has a lot of limitations that future software cannot fix. It's an unwieldy consumption device with a less than ideal reading display and a crippled input method. The world doesn't need another consumption device. The world needs a productive tool. A 21st century Moleskine where we can jot down notes, sketch our ideas, record and document our daily thoughts and experiences. A device you carry around with you everywhere, a LifeBook® if you will. Apple missed this opportunity and supersized last year's iPod Touch instead. While all the blind iSheep fathom over the Emperor's new iPad, iSit and iPatiently wait.
