Thanks to my girlfriend’s boundless generosity, I am now the proud owner of a 64GB iPad; one of the “Wi-Fi + 3G” models. I’ve had about a full day to play with the device. I’ll share my initial thoughts about the iPad and its potential here, and may write another post down the road.
Before diving in, permit me two paragraphs that are intended to proactively address community concerns and potential feedback. I know many of you are supporters of the DRM-free open software and hardware movement, and are philosophically opposed to proprietary, closed marketplaces and technologies. I also know there are consumers who crave more of “something” in the iPad — USB ports, a camera, Flash support, etc.
As a new media creator, I have always appreciated the open culture philosophy … and as a consumer, I appreciate the hunger in wanting more of “something” in the products I purchase. However, this “first impressions” review will not address those matters. As an intelligent adult who’s fully capable of making informed decisions, I understand the landscape and idealogical arguments, and have clearly made my purchase. Advocates may respectfully beat the drum in the comments (for it is a worthy drum to beat), as long as they respect my right to purchase and support the products I wish.
With that out of the way, what do I think of the iPad? I’m smitten. For the past day, I’ve consistently marveled at the speed and slickness of the device’s software, and the elegance of its hardware. I’ve experienced a sense of wonder at nearly every turn, and have hummed a childlike mantra while using it: I can do anything! In this respect, I submit that the device is as “magical” as Apple’s marketing campaign suggests: it’s an intuitive, dazzling experience.
I haven’t used a product this personally transformative since I purchased my first computer, a Mac LC, fifteen years ago.
Wi-fi speeds scream. I’ve yet to use the device’s 3G feature, as I haven’t had the need to drop $20 or $30 for “internet anywhere” access. However, I imagine speeds will be comparable to my iPhone’s 3G transfer speeds (which are adequate for anywhere-access).
While the iPad certainly won’t be the only slate-like device to disrupt the saturated PC/laptop/netbook space, I’m betting it’ll be one of the best. Performance is excellent in the apps I’ve used, as is the display and touchscreen interface. The external mono speaker is very good; headphone audio is excellent. I’m no screen expert (or a device critic for that matter), but I’ve been amazed by the picture quality. It’s the perfect size for what it does.
Much like Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch products, the iPad’s true brilliance is its flexibility and personalization. I’ve downloaded several apps that match my interests and needs. They include:
- Evernote: Note application that syncs notes over multiple devices via the web. Killer app.
- Pages: Word processing app. I haven’t used it yet. More on this in a moment.
- iBooks: Apple’s electronic bookstore. More on this in a moment.
- Kindle: Amazon’s electronic bookstore. More on this in a moment.
- Comics and Marvel Comics apps: Electronic comic book app. More on this in a moment.
- NewsRack: RSS/blog reader app. Spiffy.
- Twitterific: An adequate aggregator of your (and my) preposterous, ADD-addled tweets.
- A/V network apps such as NPR, ABC Player, TWiTPad: Terrific presentation of streaming content from excellent media outlets.
- Netflix: This is a frickin’ game changer. Amazing streaming video experience.
- Text-based media apps such as USA Today, NYT Editors’ Choice, SCI FI Wire: More great content, smartly packaged.
No games yet, as I’m not much of a gamer. I might give one a spin.
On to the stuff that’s been in my head since the iPad was announced months ago. After asking Twitter pals to submit topics for this review, it looks like many of you have been thinking the same things.
How’s the overall touch-based experience? Excellent; even better than the iPhone and iPod Touch experience. This is mostly because there’s now real-deal real estate for fingers to do cool and interesting things.
What about multi-tasking? Like the current iPhone, the iPad does not support multitasking. This feature will come to the device this Fall in a software update. I’ve found my iPad experience to be just fine without it. I’ve been aiming for fewer distractions in my life, and a lack of multi-tasking certainly focuses my full attention to the content in-hand.
Is the iPad a laptop or netbook replacement? That depends entirely on how you do your computing. Most folks use their PCs to check email, surf the web, browse photos, listen to tunes, watch videos. The iPad absolutely does these things, and does them excellently. The device excels as a portal to consume content, just like a computer. (More on this later.)
Is the iPad J.C.’s laptop replacement? No. While it’s entirely possible to bang out a novel-length work or screenplay on the iPad, I don’t think I’ll be doing that. (Though I might try with shorter fiction.) I can’t imagine creating a complex video, or recording and editing a podcast, or doing nearly all of the other creative stuff I do — desktop publishing, website design, image creation/manipulation, etc. — on the thing. I have no doubt that savvy developers will create apps to fill these gaps in the months and years ahead. I also have no doubt that the iPad’s computing power will increase, making such content creation possible. But for the time being, I’ll probably be rak-a-takking on my MacBook Pro’s keyboard for robust content creation.
This shouldn’t surprise people. If you’re accustomed to writing long-form emails, fiction or essays on your mobile phone, you’ll be fine. I’m not.
How’s the on-screen keyboard? Really really good, actually. Typing is brisk, and — as most reviewers have claimed — most comfortable in landscape mode. The keyboard is accurate; blame your chubby digits for typos. I’m looking forward to connecting my Bluetooth wireless keyboard to the iPad. Typing will certainly become even easier then; writing long-form content will be more feasible.
Is it just like a big iPod Touch? No. The speed of the device, and the amazing screen, take the touch experience (and content consumption experience) to the next level. It feels like you’re holding the future. The iPad does indeed represent a sweet spot: we’re accustomed to experiencing media in similarly-sized dimensions (books, magazines, etc.), and the iPad plays nice with that cultural programming. Blessedly, you’ll no longer have to squint at the screen while watching video, or reading a book.
But it’s really just a big iPod Touch. Right? Whatever you say.
How does it feel in your hands? Too heavy? Nope. It has a reassuring heft. In contrast, my Kindle e-reader always felt toylike in my paws. This is probably a throwback to my analog childhood, in which I always mentally equated quality with weight. If it’s heavy, it’s expensive. Don’t touch it.
How does it work as an ebook reader? Excellently. Much fuss has been made about the iPad’s screen (and backlit screens in general), and the accompanying eyestrain from reading material on it. I haven’t experienced this, but I did find myself widening my eyes as I read books and comics — not from the content; more likely from the backlit presentation. I had enough sense to consciously relax my eyes, and reduce the screen’s brightness if needed. With these mental and physical adjustments, the device works perfectly well as an ebook reader.
It’s brilliant as an e-comic reader too. Comics publishers truly, madly, deeply need to get their shit together in this emerging space. Selection of new stories is currently anemic. Not offering “digital trade paperback” editions of old storylines is a blown opportunity. DC Comics would have easily made $100 off of me in the past day, had they offered Grant Morrison’s JLA or Warren Ellis’ Transmetropolitan collections in e-format. But as far as I can tell, DC isn’t in the e-comic space at all. A shame.
Regardless, the writing was on the wall years ago, but it’s in day-glow green now: Paper is now absolutely unnecessary to enjoy traditionally paper-based content.
Will the Apple, iPad and iBookstore marketplace save publishing? No. Only publishing can save publishing. The industry is thoroughly fucked on so many levels by insulated, tech-intimidated decision makers who are (probably) well-intentioned, yet desperate to protect an imploding content creation, promotion and distribution model. But, as they did with the Kindle marketplace, publishers are dutifully porting their text-based books to Apple’s iBookstore — a good thing, as it’s another revenue stream money-grab. That’s good news for authors.
Will consumers cough up $13 for iBooks that they can purchase in traditional format for $10 at Amazon? As with all things, the marketplace will decide … and the industry will likely be slow to respond.
How can new media authors benefit from this new platform? The secret to differentiation and success isn’t getting your stuff in the iBookstore. It’s in apps. And I’ll leave it at that.
How has the iPad impacted your life? I’m consuming more media than I was before, for one thing. I’m reading more, and reading content I typically wouldn’t via apps. Unlike folks who love bebopping to bookmarked websites or cramming their RSS readers with countless feeds, I enjoy the packaged experience of consuming content through the iPad applications.
Pundits claim this practice is antithetical to the philosophy fueling the web — that information need not be packaged and placed behind a branded “walled garden” (such as the NYT Editors’ Choice app, or the SCI FI Wire app) to be enjoyed. I absolutely understand that, but I also dig the curated, convenient experience of tapping an icon, skimming headlines, and diving in deeper if I wish. Different strokes for different folks. The iPad has a great web browser, which permits users to go anywhere on the web they wish for more information.
I’m also spending more money in the iTunes marketplace than I ever did while using my iPhone. There’s a few reasons for this:
- Obtaining some iPad apps, such as Pages, costs cash.
- Some free apps brilliantly sell content within the app (such as the comiXology Comics and Marvel Comics apps). I never would have read Ellis’ 2004 Iron Man: Extremis storyline, had it not been for the iPad. It’s excellent stuff.
- I wanted to see how purchasing video content from the iTunes app worked. Snagged two Lady Gaga music videos. As with the other video content I’ve loaded on the device, these videos looked and sounded terrific. She’s so pretty.
These recent purchases bring me to my suspicion about the iPad since its announcement, which is now confirmed by my ownership:
The iPad is built from the circuitboards up to get you to buy shit. Lots of shit. Music, books, videos, apps (and content within those apps), all via iTunes. Unlike the iPhone — which has at least one true real-world “purpose,” to make calls — the iPad is savvily designed to be an impulse purchase portal. This is neither a good thing nor a bad thing; it simply is, and folks who ignore Apple’s brilliant business model do so at the peril of their bank account. Keep an eye on those purchases, peeps. Spending money doesn’t hurt when you can’t see it pass from your hand to the clerk’s.
Parting thoughts? The iPad is wicked cool — and for my lifestyle, wicked useful. Any quibbles I have with the device are so minor, they’re not worth mentioning. The thing is very expensive, probably too expensive for most folks to purchase in good conscience. However, if you’re interested in this fascinating and disruptive “middle ground” between a smartphone and laptop, have no qualms with embracing the iPad and iTunes marketplace as they are, and have the money to spend, I recommend it without reservation.
I’m holding the future in my hands, man. I can do anything.
–J.C.
I can’t afford it, so I’ll just act sullen and jealous
Something that finally clicked for me while reading this: the iPad isn’t for content creators, it’s for content consumers.
I want to write stories, record podcasts, and futz around with graphics and images. The iPad doesn’t help me do those things.
My wife has no desire to create content; she just wants to read her email, visit her websites, check our finances, and then watch the weather on any of the six apps she has for that. The iPad is perfect for her.
Thanks for the review! Look forward to hearing your take when (and if) the “shiny” wears off.
*beats drum*
Now, that being said, I’m glad you like the purchase! If anyone will be able to get the best use out of it, it’s you. I look forward to your thoughts in about six month, just to see how your overall device strategy has changes.
While I do not approve of Apple’s tactics in regards to software, I can see how such a device you be useful. I look forward to what’s coming in a year or two from other players in the space.
@Pavlina: Don’t be sullen! Prices will plummet by this time next year.
@Jonathan: Precisely. Consumers vastly outnumber creators, so the iPad is a great device for them. Creators must manage their expectations.
@Chris: Brother, I do appreciate the drum beat, and the kind words. I wanted to address the community’s concerns, and glad you took it in the constructive spirit in which it was intended. I’ll absolutely write up another post about the iPad in the weeks ahead.
I would love to see your recommendations for content. I dig the curated experience too and I trust your judgement.
@EagleApex: Nearly all of the apps I’ve installed are mentioned in the post. I enjoy all of them.
I gotcha. Keep tweeting your recommended comics, books and such. I got the marvel app
I love mine too; posting this from the twitterific browser
If you want to try a game, I recommend zen bound 2. There are more “traditional” games available that I like better, but if you’re not a gamer this feels more like a relaxing way to kill time than a game. The objective is to wrap wooden figurines in rope, with scoring based on the amount of the figure you have managed to cover. Brilliantly multi-touch and gorgeous (I’m a big fan of the original iPhone version too).
I’m glad you like your big iPod Touch!
Excellent review, JC.
Echo previous comment that it would be really interesting to see how you feel about your iPad in a few months, once the novelty aspect has worn off slightly.
I missed your call for questions, so I’ll ask you this now, and hope you’ll take the time to answer:
As somebody who currently uses a 17″ MacBook Pro and is more than happy to carry it everywhere, where does the iPad fit in to my life, if at all?
I’ve no doubt that the device is gorgeous, but I’m struggling to work out what I’d do with it that I don’t/can’t do on my laptop.
Thanks JC
@John: You’re probably just fine with your laptop, especially if you’re happy to carry it wherever you go. Your MBP can certainly do far more than an iPad can, especially content creation.
The form factor of the iPad is delightful, and the experience is dazzling. I’m finding that the iPad is replacing my laptop — even at home — for watching videos and surfing the web. However, the lack of multi-tasking and robust content creation tools will be a bummer for those craving a laptop experience. By my reckoning, the iPad represents a new product category. Manage expectations accordingly.
Thanks for the post! Great to hear all those specifics. I’ve never really tried “App-based” content consumption, but I can see the appeal.
I imagine I’ll break down and get one sometime in the next year, maybe once multi-tasking is available (I just can’t see doing without that!). I was a late adopter for the IPod, and AT&T has such bad coverage where I spend most of my time that the IPhone was never an option, but I do think the IPad is the direction things are headed, and as both an author and a back-end web developer, it’s something I want to be familiar with. It’s no shock that amazon announced an API for the kindle a few weeks after the IPad was announced.
I have a wi-fi model, preordered, of course, LOL, and I loooovvve it. I rarely break out my laptop unless I need to do something flash-based or a more involved word-doc. I do quite a bit of travel and this is the device for portability. I have an iPod that is now just designated for music, watching movies/TV on a 10″ screen is so much better than 2.5″. The battery life is amazing, I have watched video for 5 hours straight and not come close to killing it. I use Netflix at home (wonderful…) and do A LOT of iTunes renting. I actually have more books through the kindle app than iBooks due to 1)price and 2)kindle has apps for multiple devices so I can share my library with my phone.
Hi J.C.
When Apple first announced the iPad I was a bit “meh – just give me a new iPhone” however, with 10 days to the UK launch I’m looking again at it.
Your review seems spot on, in that it is a content consumer’s device, and I can see it having a use in my day to day life. Take today, for example, the only reason I have my Macbook Pro with me is that I am using it to check my email, use “Things” and read reviews about the iPad… I do use the laptop for proper development work, but I know my schedule for today means that I won’t use it.
That’s not the case for every day, and I can see myself having to carry the MBP, iPhone and iPad with me, which seems like overkill. I’ll still use my iPhone if I have an iPad as it has the dual purpose of being able to make phone calls, and also being small enough to carry in my pocket and use as an MP3 player. I can’t see myself carrying the iPad and listening to music on it as I walk.
Likewise, I store things like shopping lists on my iPhone, which is pretty discreet to pull out in the supermarket, whereas the iPad is a different beast.
I know I’m currently suffering from applelust, but I’m keen to hear your thoughts now you’ve had the iPad for a couple of weeks. Do you still use it as much? has it replaced your laptop any more, or now that the shiney has worn off, are you using your laptop and iPhone more again?
Keen to hear your thoughts on how it has integrated into your life.
“Apple’s iBookstore — a good thing, as it’s another revenue stream money-grab”
Not sure I agree on this point. As it’s an Apple thing, what are the chances we’ll end up with a world where people rush to publish books into the Apple-space which are then only readable by those with Apple devices? And what chances that publishers will ignore or only pay lip service to any other services offering online book stores?
Sadly I just can’t see all this being a good thing – Apple getting into the publishing world is potentially just going to cause division between those who have and those who haven’t got Apple products, and to me this would be a horrible scenario.
Let’s hope that the iBookStore is open to all and doesn’t ban non-Apple devices from synching to it.
“The secret to differentiation and success isn’t getting your stuff in the iBookstore. It’s in apps”
Proves my point entirely – it is NOT in ‘apps’. This is the same as saying ‘the secret to differentiation is making your stuff EXCLUSIVELY available to Apple users, who will at best be 30% of the market”. This is completely wrong – especially if Steve Jobs succeeds in making it impossible to write cross-platform programs as he seems hell-bent on doing. Why should I waste my time creating content or enhancing content for one segment of the market?
In my opinion, the best and fairest approach is to embrace the web (you know, the publishing medium that ALL devices can work with) and get stories and books online in nice html/javascript/css wrappers if an enhanced experience is absolutely necessary and then maybe find a way to monetise that. Online stores could still carry pdfs and ePubs for those with e-book readers as long as they are available to all devices equally. Apps, as far I’m concerned, have become a hideous, segregating blot on the open internet – the online world was a lot simpler and more open three years ago than it is now.
I’ll be interested to see how others feel about this – I realise this is probably a very pro-Apple forum, but putting that aside, do those who read this blog really think Apple getting into publishing is a good thing? Do you really think ‘apps’ are the way to go? Do you agree their could be potential downsides to their sudden interest in publishing?
@Lichfield: You fundamentally underestimate the savviness of authors by assuming they’ll only publish their e-fiction on the iBookstore. Preposterous. Indie authors (or progressive established authors) have, and will continue to, publish their ebooks in the myriad marketplaces that already exist … many of which support non-DRMed formats. Further, authors can always create their own marketplaces by publishing their electronic fiction via their personal sites. Any author hanging his hopes on any one electronic marketplace (such as the iTunes store) is a fool — and anyone who assumes so must regard authors as feebleminded.
Further, my suggestion that truly groundbreaking fiction will be accomplished via apps — while absolutely prescient in my opinion — certainly doesn’t trumpet Apple’s platform as the sole marketplace to publish those apps. Again, developers (and content creators) have gobs of choice in how to create and distribute those applications: the iTunes marketplace, the Google mobile OS marketplace, online (as web-based apps), etc.
You’re looking for a fight where there is none, particularly since I mention my full and sincere support of open software and marketplaces in my opening paragraphs of this review.
On the subject of iPad book pricing for mainstream titles – certainly in the UK [from Rory Cellan-Jones, BBC tech corresp:]
<<>>
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/rorycellanjones/2010/05/reading_the_ipad.html
Checked with recent exchange rates, and I make that book’s iPad price to be a grotesque 93% mark-up on the Kindle version.
See also J.A. Konrath’s comments on ebooks’ price sensitivity.
Doh, it deleted my quoted stuff, which was:
But at first glance, it looks as though publishers are demanding premium prices. The Big Short by Michael Lewis costs £15.99 on the iPad – I have just bought this excellent book about the few people who spotted the credit crunch coming from Amazon’s Kindle store for $11.99.
@Litchfield I am far from a pro-Apple guy, but most of this stuff is positive. I think J.C.’s response to your comment outlined the reasons why nicely. Absolutely, Steve Jobs is trying to create a captive audience like he did with the IPod and has tried to with the IPhone. From the standpoint of content creators, as long as Apple doesn’t require that content creators not make things available anywhere else – and IMO they would crash and burn if they did – we’ve still got all our options open. Yes, it is more work to create things for multiple formats, but over time that work will get reduced by software that makes it easier to write code once and translate it into “apps” for various platforms. Actually, my guess is that apps as we know them will change, but the point is that there will be a lot of incentive to create ways to reduce the time spent to get things onto multiple platforms.
Just a side note about book pricing and IPad that several people mentioned today – Penguin this week appears to have gone the opposite route and is charging less on IPad than on Kindle for some books, clearly a dig at the “difficult” negotiations they had with Amazon. We are still in the muscle-flexing phase of the whole ebooks thing.
@J.C. Hutchins Thanks for the response.
Okay, the savvy authors issue. I’m not in any way denigrating writers here, but just because an author misunderstands or hasn’t a deep understanding of online distribution surely doesn’t make them ‘feebleminded’ it just makes them mistaken. This is a whole new technological ballgame here, and sadly not everybody is going to have kept up with it in detail. It is very very easy to equate ‘online music store’ with ‘iTunes’ and by extension ‘online book store’ with ‘iBookstore’. Less progressive (or more lazy) publishers may also think the same. Let’s hope you are more right than I am.
And I’m not looking for a fight – just opinions. Mine don’t 100% tally with yours. Your basic sentiments I agree with of course, but online stores are fraught with complexity at the moment. It’s early days I guess, but I’m no fan of iTunes and I suspect that iBookStore will follow a similar model.
“…suggestion that truly groundbreaking fiction will be accomplished via apps certainly doesn’t trumpet Apple’s platform as the sole marketplace”
Unfortunately the app marketplaces don’t play nicely together. They partition capability across different platforms, something that the web has managed to erode over the last ten years. In the future, well hopefully we will have proper cross-platform app stores, but right now we don’t. In the meantime I still believe there are nicer, more platform-agnostic ways to achieve enhanced content. And Apple’s current sort-of-dominance means that those who do want to try something inventive with an ‘app’ are likely to lean in their direction, and that is at the moment likely to cause a big divide. I hope that doesn’t happen.
Ultimately, the iPad and iBookStore has the chance to create an impact in a way that Amazon failed to with the kindle – what happens as a result is going to be largely in Apple’s hands. Unfortunately, like it or not, Apple do like to exert a lot of control over their stores and their products. I just hope it doesn’t lead to a world dominated by one platform and that choice remains.