Having now spent plenty of time with my precious iPad I thought it was time to do an honest review of how I feel about the new hotness. I’ve downloaded dozens of apps, put it through the ringer from a battery standpoint, and even inadvertently stress tested it a bit when I accidentally stepped on it the other day. So how does it stack up against a tried and true notebook or smartphone? Read on…
The device itself is indeed wondrous, not just technically but also aesthetically. The weight is just shy of 1.5 pounds and while the screen may not technically be HD, you won’t likely be able to tell the difference. The audio is crisp, especially so for mono sound output from the integrated speaker, but obviously you’ll find the best auditory experience with a good set of headphones. It’s designed to be held in any orientation and the accelerometer within will automatically adjust the angle to however you hold it. Thankfully though, there’s a dedicated screen-rotation lock button on the side to prevent this from happening if you were reading in bed for example (a typical complaint among iPhone/iPod touch users).
Back to the technological aspects, while it could certainly be construed as a gigantic iPod touch, its far snappier and naturalizes the web experience in a way not done before. Most of the performance bump comes from the A4 processor concealed within- silicon of Apple’s own design and not contracted out to Intel. You would think the seamless launching, closing, and running of applications on such a large screen would force the battery life to suffer, but I’m pleased to say that isn’t the case. In fact, my first day with the iPad was spent harshly exhausting its capabilities by downloading multiple apps, streaming Netflix to the device for over an hour, playing music, and a myriad of other processor-intensive activities and yet, after nearly 4 straight hours of using it the battery life had only dipped to 86%- no small feat. Apple rated the device at 10 hours of continuous use, but many reviewers have gotten up to 12 hours and I myself have gone nearly a week without charging it.
Now, as an e-reader, it does an admirable job with a clever concealment of the iBookstore behind a digital bookshelf that shows all of the items you’ve purchased, or converted to ePub format and transferred to the device via iTunes. Staunch supporters of the Kindle/Nook with their e-ink technologies have criticized the iPad as not being ideal for serious readers because it’s like reading from a computer screen as opposed to the stark contrast provided by the former’s technologies. Personally though, I have no problem reading from a computer screen and the bookmarking, highlighting, search, and reference features of the iBooks application deftly dwarfs the lackluster interface of those devices.
Earlier I mentioned the web being more natural on the iPad. I meant that unique conventions such as popover menus in the interface and simply touching the screen for navigation is liberating in a strange way. It feels right and I firmly believe that this device is only the beginning for the future of the web and how people view it. You just have to try it to understand what I mean.
The standard apps that come with it are also redesigned to take advantage of the expanded screen real-estate. The calendar in particular is staggering in its functionality and much like its tinier cousin from the iPhone, and still syncs with Microsoft Exchange- very cool. The iPod application scales up to look like a full-blown iTunes application on your PC, complete with expanded Genius and Playlist creation options. Notes is also nice, but not many options beyond what the original incarnation had save for the larger area.
In the end does it replace a full blown desktop or notebook? No, but then it isn’t meant to. Apple made a bold move with the iPad by effectively creating a niche that didn’t exist before. It’s a solidly built device that’s less of a hassle for quick tasks like checking email, Twitter, or typing a few quick notes in a pinch. Power users may find ways to better utilize it, but even for casual use I find myself gravitating to the iPad rather than a regular computer if I can help it. iPad is a great little device at a fairly decent price point that has a world of opportunity ahead of it.
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