The iPad – After working with it for half a month…
May 11th, 2010 Posted in Computer : Hardware | 1 Comment »
Mail is just awesome to use. With a preview of the email on the right side of the screen and a list of your folders and messages on the left, it makes it easy to read and write messages. The on screen keyboard is not bad to use especially in landscape mode. I wouldn’t use it to type lengthy emails but its enough to get you by. I use Exchange Activesync for my mail system and it connects to it without a problem.
As mentioned before, the third party applications are getting better day by day as more apps are coming out for iPad. However, I don’t like the fact that some companies have decided to charge full price for specific iPad versions of their Apps. There is a option to make a universal version that works in both iPhone/iPad which I think is the better solution.
So far the main apps I use day to day are:
iTap RDP – I tried many remote desktop apps that came out but this one works very well. It is very responsive and the gestures makes the mouse interaction and clicking functional. Because of this App, doing IT work in a windows world is doable.
Pages and Numbers – An alternative to a word processor. It gets the job done. It does convert to Microsoft format but of course further formatting would have to be done in Word or Excel if required.
Simplenote – I really like this app. It allows you to write notes and have them sync between your Mac and iPhone. I can now write my notes on my iPad and if I need to review them, I can look them up on my iPhone.
Skype – Even though its a iPhone app, Skype works very well on the iPad. With the built in Mic or by using the Apple headphones with mic/remote, You practically have a portable VOIP device.
SlingPlayer – Once again a iPhone app, putting it in 2X mode makes my iPad into a live tv viewer. I really hope Sling updates this app (for free) to native iPad mode.
AirVideo – I used to use Orb for streaming video files from my computer, but once i heard AirVideo had a native iPad app, I had to try it out. The quality of the video is way better and it doesn’t freeze as much as Orb.
I can go on with other apps, but I leave it to these for now..
Battery life of this device is another key feature why I like this device. I can pretty much use the iPad the whole day without thinking of finding a usb port to charge it up. The lowest amount of power I got the iPad to get was 10% and that was about 8-9 hours of use. The downside of the nice battery life however is the weight of the device. 1.5 lbs may sound light, but after holding the device for a long period of time like reading can be a bit annoying.
So enough of the good sides of the iPad, here are some of the downsides of the iPad…
The whole ordeal with Flash support. We know that it will most likely never be supported due to Steve’s strong negative opinions about flash. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of sites that still use flash. It is manageable to live with it, but its just annoying to find a site you go to that doesn’t work because it uses flash.
The lack of File Management is a bit cumbersome. It would be nice if you just plug in your iPad and able to see some sort of hard disk on the PC to transfer files back and forth. App support could be done via seeing what extensions the files are. This would be nice too if I wanted to copy a file from a PC quickly and then view it on the iPad.
The weight of the iPad is a tad heavy especially if you are going to use it a ebook reader. When using the iPad for long periods of time, I tend to want to rest it on a table. I know this is unavoidable due the nature of current battery technology… Less batteries equals less weight which also decreases battery life.
In conclusion, I am quite happy getting the iPad. With its long battery life, brilliant screen, and decent application selection, it’s a good edition to my portable devices. I have not touched my Macbook Air ever since I got my iPad which is a good sign. I would also have to say that the iPad is not a laptop replacement as I still use my Macbook Pro for Application specific tasks. I think Steve’s is right that there is a spot for the iPad between a Laptop/Desktop and a Smartphone. And me being a road warrior, its works for me.
In depth Technical Portion of the Blog:
For the people that are interested on a more in depth technical details of my iPad and configuration, here it is…. I decided to get the 64GB WiFi model due to fact that I have a mobile stick plan with a Cradlepoint 3G router. Because of this, I can maintain the 10 hours battery life with internet access anywhere i go. I also have a Unlimited North America plan with this stick so that makes things easier when I travel to the states. For a bag, I am using a MEC Small Carry All Shoulder Bag which fits the iPad well. it also gives me a couple extra pockets for my other stuff like my Glasses, USB Charger, and Portable Router. I am waiting to save up for the Freestyle Netbook Messenger Bag from Timbuk2 which fits the iPad well.
