iPad - Being A Big iPhone Isn’t So Bad
It seems everyone’s “weighing in on it” so here’s my 2 yen.
The bottom line is, it IS a big iPhone/iPod touch, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. With that you get a bigger screen and the ability for more details on-screen. However it’s Not a PC/laptop in any sense of the word. Don’t go expecting to poke around the guts or do some programming or whatever. You are restricted in the applications you can install — only those approved by Apple and available on the iTunes store.
Is it me or is it Really not that cheap? Apple tactic of leaving $999 up for many minutes during the presentation before hitting you with the “only $499” was pretty obvious. Personally I would’t get it without the 3G version as there are so few Wifi spots in Tokyo that without 3G you’re pretty much stuck with an expensive Kindle. The 3G version costs an extra $150 just for 3G and possibly GPS, something I can’t understand.
One other key thing to remember is that currently the iPad doesn’t support multitasking. This is probably going to be released in the next version of the OS, but without it again the iPad is nowhere even close to a laptop.
Making a simplified laptop / big iPhone is an interesting move, and I’m sure something that a lot of non-technical users will enjoy. I use my iPhone all the time for basic stuff but there’s something kind of bitter tasing when you have some awesome hardware and no ability to hack around with it. No writing little scripts, no programming on it while you’re out and about, and if you want to put some software you made on it, you have to pay $100 and go through the 1984 double-think process of getting your app approved. It’s not exactly the open future some people were hoping for.
This is not to say that I might not get one in the future, but as with the original iPhone, I think its worth waiting at least until there are a bunch of good iPad-friendly apps on the store and the hardware can live up to its full potential — a big iPhone that lets you type slightly easier, and have more real estate. Just don’t think of it as a laptop.
Who knows, maybe the Mail client even has a “mark all as read” button!
