iPad Thoughts....
I've been excited about the potential of Apple's iPad, which went on sale (at least in the US) a few weeks ago, ever since it was announced back in January.
OK, the iPad is not the first ever device like this to be released (and no doubt we will see plenty more being announced over the next few months!), but as Apple usually do things in a way that opens up so many new options the iPad is likely to be the one device that defines the format. But while I'm sure that these things are going to realign the whole comic author/publisher/reader paradigm, I'm still not entirely convinced.
Something strange is going on. Why do I have the feeling that the iPad seems to want to look and feel like a computer, yet acts like a big iPod Touch. And I've never really been interested in having an iPod Touch.
But why, with all the potential we all know is already into the device, is it so damned hard to get stuff in (or out) of the thing? WiFi? Great, as long as I'm close enough to a wireless network. Bluetooth? Fine, if it finally works the way it is was designed to. 3G? Maybe, but do I really need yet another SIM card. Or more accurately, a 'micro' SIM card? But why can't I just connect the bloody thing with a USB cable (now that Firewire seems to have gone the way of SCSI and that other bloody plug Apple used to require.....) and sync the thing to stuff on any of my Macs without having to go through iTunes? And I like iTunes..... it's just that it is already frustrating enough using it with my iPhone.
Would it be too hard to actually have folders on this thing? Yeah, I know, Apple don't want us to work like that any more. No Finder, no file structure, everything has now got to be 'intuitive'. But why? After 15 years of using computers, I kinda like the Finder, instinctively know my way around the thing, and would be quite happy working on an iPad and moving files and folders or whatever around with my fingertips.....
Maybe some of this stuff is likely to change, but by third-party developers and not necessarily by Apple. And if Apple don't want something to happen, then it won't happen unless you jailbreak your iPad.
Do I still want an iPad? Hell yeah, but I'm not rushing out to buy one when they eventually go on sale here in Australia. The one thing that an iPad looks like doing very, very well - reading books - won't even be available to us here in Australia for the foreseeable future anyway....
But more on all that in my next post....
OK, the iPad is not the first ever device like this to be released (and no doubt we will see plenty more being announced over the next few months!), but as Apple usually do things in a way that opens up so many new options the iPad is likely to be the one device that defines the format. But while I'm sure that these things are going to realign the whole comic author/publisher/reader paradigm, I'm still not entirely convinced.
Something strange is going on. Why do I have the feeling that the iPad seems to want to look and feel like a computer, yet acts like a big iPod Touch. And I've never really been interested in having an iPod Touch.
But why, with all the potential we all know is already into the device, is it so damned hard to get stuff in (or out) of the thing? WiFi? Great, as long as I'm close enough to a wireless network. Bluetooth? Fine, if it finally works the way it is was designed to. 3G? Maybe, but do I really need yet another SIM card. Or more accurately, a 'micro' SIM card? But why can't I just connect the bloody thing with a USB cable (now that Firewire seems to have gone the way of SCSI and that other bloody plug Apple used to require.....) and sync the thing to stuff on any of my Macs without having to go through iTunes? And I like iTunes..... it's just that it is already frustrating enough using it with my iPhone.
Would it be too hard to actually have folders on this thing? Yeah, I know, Apple don't want us to work like that any more. No Finder, no file structure, everything has now got to be 'intuitive'. But why? After 15 years of using computers, I kinda like the Finder, instinctively know my way around the thing, and would be quite happy working on an iPad and moving files and folders or whatever around with my fingertips.....
Maybe some of this stuff is likely to change, but by third-party developers and not necessarily by Apple. And if Apple don't want something to happen, then it won't happen unless you jailbreak your iPad.
Do I still want an iPad? Hell yeah, but I'm not rushing out to buy one when they eventually go on sale here in Australia. The one thing that an iPad looks like doing very, very well - reading books - won't even be available to us here in Australia for the foreseeable future anyway....
But more on all that in my next post....
posted by Colin Wilson at 4:17 PM
3 Comments:
Hey there's always the Kindle app, plus I understand Borders are going into eBooks, with an app for iPad and iPhone coming. eReader allows you to access other online book stores and lots of public domain books too.
I also saw this app for the iPad for simplifying the file transfer stuff: http://www.macstories.net/ipad/folder-app/
Can you tell I'm mulling pre-ordering an iPad this week? :D
(By Kindle app I mean Kindle software for iPad)
Yeah, I'm waiting for the vultures to fly away from the carcas.
I'm a fan of both PC & Apple, but recently the apple thing has swamped the market like Lady Gaga. The whole thing reminds me of Collingwood fans.
Never been in a hurry to buy something as soon as it's released. A lot of promise, but one always ends up wishing they'd waiting for v.2... or the competitors that may produce something similar, only with 'exactly' the features you want, without all the wiz-bang that you never end up touching.
I'm still crouching in the bunker... waiting.
-Bobby.N
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