iPad Experience — Impressive

For over one week, I’ve extensively used the iPad everyday for almost all of my work tasks. The only thing that it doesn’t do for me is make calls. So far, the entire experience has blown me away — it’s been beyond my expectations.

More than a large iPod touch, yes…

I could go into this at length, and at some point, I might. For now, I’d rather talk about the quality of the software. So much has already been said about the hardware; brilliant screen, great battery, et cetera. What’s been am unexpected surprise is how great the app developers have been.

All of the developers that I’ve contacted with feedback, questions or feature recommendations have replied promptly and thoughtfully. Since the updates are mostly free and I’ve already paid for the software, they could just ignore me. They haven’t. I suppose it helps that I take the time to properly articulate my ideas and my advice is generally sought after — but that is beside the point. You could contact them, too.

This is NOT the typical computing experience.

I’ve been particularly thrilled about Maxjournal by omax media. As is, the software works… it’s just not exactly what I’d want. I contacted them about adding fonts, rich text, timestamps and tags — my questions were answered and my suggestions, noted. It’s a fry-cry from the days of generic boxed software purchases at the local CompUSA.

I like that there’s no large corporation, automated feel present in the overall iPad experience. It’s an empowering feeling atypical of computers — the ability for a single-mind to make a difference. I think that Apple’s software development kits have a lot to do with it.

It’s not perfect — nothing is — the dev kit is missing a rich text editor amongst other things, and it’s still unclear what criteria Apple uses to accept and reject software for the App Store. For every good app, there’s 3000 crappy ones, and there’s only one iPad app for every 50,000 or so iPhone/touch apps. I’m sure that these ratios will change for the better. (Note: these numbers are estimations… if you have the specifics, please feel free to share, and cite your source/s!)

Add nothing, straight out of the packaging, the iPad still rocks.

Remember what the first-gen iPhone was like? Think about how much better it’s become, all around. I think that the Apple tablet platform has a bright, grand future. The only weak area that I can justifiably complain about is the iBooks app and store. As a bookreader, the iPad isn’t better than the Kindle (or Kindle DX) — I’m not sure about the Barnes and Noble nook, but it’s probably better, too. The e-ink screen offers a much better reading experience in any lighted condition. (The iPad may be superior for people who need to read in low-to-no light often.) The iBooks store offers many books, though the process of translation from print to digital might’ve been rushed, as there are many silly errors in the books that I’ve sampled (in particular, everything written by Orson Scott Card). With Zinio, however, the iPad makes for a much better magazine reading experience than the Kindle (except, for me, the magazine Foreign Affairs, because there aren’t any pictures.) I just wish Zinio offered more magazines; namely Newsweek, and less critically, some US video game magazines (the current offerings are all foreign, mostly European).

If you’re on the fence about the iPad (but you can afford one) — get off.

Get to the Apple store, order one online, do whatever works for you. Price aside, I can’t think of one good reason not to get one. That said, if you read books more than you browse the net, listen to music, watch videos and play games, then you might want to get a Kindle first.

More on Superfluous and Bradtastic Premier soon. This entry was composed on the iPad.

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