Living with an iPad

Shortly after the announcement of the ipad, I wrote a opinion piece about my initial impressions based on the reveal keynote. At the time I surmised that I thought it would be successful, but that I could not see a need that could fulfill with my own computer usage.

I’ve had an iPad for a couple of months now, and whilst I will still roll my eyes at the marketing speak; I have to say that it has been an absolute pleasure to use and live with. As a device it has changed the way that I interact with my computer and the way in which I consume content.

My own iPad is a 32GB 3G model. I use it on a daily basis in multiple locations for just about everything that I can think of but what I’d like to do today is take you through a typical days usage.

the closest thing that my iPad has to a home is the the charging cradle on my nightstand. After cursing and silencing my morning alarm, I’ll grab the iPad and go through what has now become part of my morning routine. First I’ll check my e-mail then I’ll check the weather forecast for the day.

The weather app that I use is WeatherHD.

Whilst not the most detailed weather app (if it detail that I want, then I check the excellent WeatherPro), it does have the most beautiful animated screens. Next I’ll check the mornings headlines from various newspapers using RSS feeds compiled in the Pulse Newreader.

If anything catches my eye then I can read the feed, or go directly to the website without having to leave the App.

If I find an article interesting and think that my friends of anyone else may find it interesting; I can send the link to the story via Twitter or I can republish the story via Posterous and it will be available to view here - http://nezza.pulsememe.com/. If it is particularly long article and I don’t have time to read it now, I can send the story to Instapaper which which will enable me to read it later through any internet enable device or even off line using the iPhone or iPad app. I can also choose to publish any webpage that I view in Safari (the iPad web-browser) to Posterous or read later in Instapaper just by saving a small bookmarklet in my bookmarks.

As a subscriber to Apples overpriced and under-featured MobileMe service and changes that I make to Safari’s bookmarks, iCal events, contacts in Address Book and my e-mail inbox will be synched to all my other MobileMe enabled devices so I needn't worry about having to mark e-mails as read or delete them on my main Mac. All this happens on the fly, and really is a ‘set it and forget it’ service. Just a shame about the cost.

At work I’ve started implementing the iPad into my daily workflow. I primarily use it to maintain a daily task list in an app named Sorted.

Using sorted, I can list my tasks for the day, assign priorities and add notes and due dates. I can mark items as complete and rearrange the tasks. Whilst I do have a task list application on my work computer, it is unfortunately part of Lotus Notes and has been so unusable that I always kept my task lists on paper which invariably ended up getting lost and rewritten each day. Just by keeping my notes on the iPad I’m saving a little time each day.

Another application which I use a lot at work is Soundpaper. This is primarily a note taking app with a couple of twists. First being that you are able to record a conversation as you take notes using either the on-screen keyboard, or by sketching. After you have finished recording, simply tap on a word or a sketch and the audio will jump to the point in the timeline when that note was made.

Part of my job is to create new procedures and provide training to go with them. Part of our team is based in Bangalore, and this means that I spend a fair amount of time in conference calls during which a great deal gets discussed. As the team aren’t just based across the office it has always been a very time consuming task to communicate when looking for a simple clarification or reminder of what was said. By using Soundpaper, I can now just refer to my notes and then listen to exactly what was said at the time. A great time saver and a really useful tool .

One other app that I use for work is Autodesk SketchBook. This is a great drawing application and in the hands of a talented person (i.e. not me) can produce great works

When I was younger I was pretty well into drawing and sketching. Every now and again I think that I’ll try my hand at it again, put a bit of practice in and then stop.

One of my self justifications for purchasing the iPad was that I could use it as a digital sketchpad and get back into the groove. I haven’t done that yet... but I have started using sketchpad in an unexpected way - I’m basically using it it to do rough mock-ups for new screens and reports that I need to create at work. Previously I’d do all these with an A4 notepad a a ruler, but it meant that I couldn’t quickly e-mail it off without scanning it, or work on it when an idea struck at home. Again this another or those processes where simply replacing the pen and paper is making my work life easier.

A few weeks ago I was out of the office with a chest infection when we had a problem with one of our spreadsheets. My boss gave me a call and set-up a WebEx meeting, then using the official client I was able to join the meeting, view his screen highlight the problem on screen and walk through the fix.

Not bad a for a supposed toy!

Of course it can’t all be work, work, work and with me that is more true then with most. So how does the iPad figure in my downtime?

I’m a veracious reader. I love books, I love the escapism of fantasy sci-fi or the stories that come from the great human adventures. When Waterstones first brought the Sony Reader to Britain, I was pretty much first in the queue and had used e-books ever since.

The iPad has now replaced my Sony Reader as my primary reading device. Whilst the screen is not quite as pleasant to read as the e-ink display, it is perfectly acceptable. I primarily use the Amazon Kindle app as it has by far the largest range of commercial books available where I live. iBooks is a nice app, but the content and price just can’t compete yet.

I’m also a self confessed geek, and as described above a story geek as well. That puts me right in the demographic for comic books. I’ve always liked Marvel but Guernsey has tended to be something of a black hole when it comes to actually getting hold of comics themselves. With the official Marvel (and DC) apps I now have them available at last.

This really is an area where the iPad shines. The screen displays the artwork beautifully, but can also be used in a guided reading mode, which fills the screen with the just a single panel and scrolls to the next with a tap to the edge of the screen.

There is also a ton of free contact available, so this is one of my favourite apps.

Like with books and comics I have stopped buying dead-tree versions of magazines altogether with one very notable exception. Some magazines such as Wired have released an individual app allowing the download of versions of the magazine that make the most of the iPads interface. Other magazines are available through a service named Zinio.

I currently subscribe to Rolling Stone and Smithsonian magazines. When a new issue is available, it simply appears in my library and I can download it over wi-fi. I can also delete the magazine after reading to save space, but download it again later if I so desire.

Now the one magazine that I cannot get is National Geographic. The magazine is available in a digital format, and in fact a sample issue was available for me to download. However I am unable to subscribe, or even purchase individual issues as they are unavailable outside the United State. So a member of the society, donator and even part of the International Readership Panel I can’t actually read a magazine that is intended for an international audience. How this is meant to benefit the consumer is a question best left for another article.

A couple of other apps that I use frequently are BBC iPlayer. Whilst not an offical app that you can download. The beeb have created a website that takes advantage of the iPads interface. By adding a link to the site on my homescreen it functions the same as an app.

The quality is fantastic and is a very nice way to watch QI whenever I want.

Pocket Tunes allows me to listen to pretty much every radio station that I can think of, and hundreds more that I’ve never heard of .

I can also record streams to listen again later, download podcast and thanks to a bit of trickery using iTunes have the streams play in the background as if it were a normal audio file played through the iPod app.

The Official Tottenham Hotspur app is actually an iPhone app but is perfectly usable on the iPad. Although a small subscription fee is needed to get the best out of the app it means that I am able to get video highlights of every Spurs game, but also a live audio commentary stream for each game. I can also received news and score updates sent to me as they happen.

As it is an iPhone app the video quality isn’t the greatest, but it is perfectly watchable when in motion. The screenshot makes the stream look much worse then it really is. This app however is one of the few things that I really couldn’t recreate on my Mac. Also Spurs offer SpursTVOnline, the streams are all DRM’d and cannot be watched outside of the Windows Media Player environment.

Still on the sports theme with the official MotoGP timing app.

By far the most expensive app that I’ve bought at £14.99 (now reduced to £6.99 as half the season has gone) it does do its best to justify the high price tag. Each race weekend, I am able to received the same timing screens available to the teams at the circuit. I can also see a 3d visualiation of the track and see the positions of the riders as they progress, along with text commentary. it really does add a whole new dimension to the race as I can see what Colin Edwards is doing even if the TV director isn’t showing us viewers at all

The race weekend also include all practice and qualifying sessions for all classes (MotoGP, Moto2 and 125cc) so there is a lot of content. Each session is also available to download and view at any time. After the weekend is finished, video highlights are made available to view.

One last sports application is ESPN ScoreCenter XL. Although primarily US sports focused the app does have a very good selection of world sport including the Premier League and Champions League. I really got into NFL after visiting last year, so this is a great way for me to keep up to date. For the US sports there are often video highlights available and in-play comments. For the baseball there are play-by-play updates. I don’t know about the NFL as I’ve not had the app during a season yet, but I would be shocked if there isn’t extensive coverage.

Last but not least we come to gaming. Despite the best efforts, I’ve never really viewed the iPhone as a gaming device. Simply the screen is too small to be comfortable with touch controls as your fingers cover so much of the action. The greater size of the iPad goes a long way to alleviate that problem, but there are times when I wish for manual sticks and buttons. The selection of games is large and varied and there are prices to suit all wallets. Whilst it wouldn’t replace a 360 or a PS3, I’d happily leave the DS or PSP behind on a holiday.

So that completes a look at the way in which I use my ipad on a day-to-day basis. I love having all this info available in a truly portable package that is comfortable to use at any place or time. Whether at a desk or lying in bed the user experience doesn’t change. The last word should really be given to the battery life. In short it is phenomenal. After a day of wi-fi,3G and graphically intensive games usage and its still above the 50% mark last thing at night.

To butcher the old Mars advertising slogan - ‘an iPad can really help you work, rest and play’.

Initial impressions on the Apple iPad based on my experience of the Macbook Air

Around two years ago, Steve Jobs stood on stage at what would prove to be his final Macworld. From a manilla envelope he produced Apples newest notebook computer - the Macbook Air.

The web of course went crazy. Speculation had been in overdrive leading up to the announcement of Apples new product. It would be a touch screen netbook. It would be an aluminium Macbook. One rumour that spread like wildfire was that everyone was wide of the mark and it was to be an LCd/Plasma TV with the AppleTV interface built in.

Instead what was produced was not the revolutionary product that so many desired. What we got was a stripped down Macbook at Macbook Pro money. Combined with a 'crippled' processor and no optical drive the internets judgement was swift and damning.

The Macbook Air was a flop and a waste of money.

I was looking forward to that particular keynote presentation with great interest. My venerable iBook had reached its end of life. Now left for dust by the new Intel models, and stylistically by the refreshed Macbook range. Barely able to open a RAW file from my Nikon D80, it was time to get a replacement.

I found myself underwhelmed by the announcement of the Air. The price seemed too high, and the compromises too great. My big decision was whether to get the top end Macbook (the 'Blackbook') or the entry level Macbook Pro. I had to wait a few more weeks before I would have the money to make any purchase and in that time I evaluated my options. I decided that I would go with the Macbook, but it wasn't a desicion that I was very keen on. At that time there was a far greater gap between the Pro line and the non-Pro line. The lower end models didn't have the aluminum case, the backlit keyboard and a poorer quality screen. Although seemingly superficial, I knew that I would miss these features.

My friend Justin was managing the local Apple store at this time. He called me that to tell me that they had the Air on display and that it was a beauty. I went to take a look. I loved the design immediately. If a computer could be called sexy then this machine was sexy. I had a play with it, just messing about with iMovie and the other iLife apps. I was very surprised at how well it coped with basic video editing and how snappy the whole system felt. Sure it wasn't as fast as either of the two Macbooks I was considering, but it felt good all the same. The other thing that stood out on that first time I handled the Air was just how well it was put together. Such a thin machine, yet so strong. One of the main criticisms that I had heard was how it was too thin, and that it would surely break under the slightest pressure. Yet here it was in my hands and this was certainly not the case.

I went away and completely revisited my needs for a laptop. I was completely smitten with the air. Other then outright speed it seemed to cover everything that I was looking for. It had the features I wanted from the Pro, including some bonuses like the multi-touch keypad and an amazing LCD screen. But It was also so light and so much more compact then the Pro. I came to that I wanted something that was more portable then powerful. Provided I was able to edit my RAW files without the machine bogging down, then that was what I wanted. For anything requiring pure horsepower, then the iMac on my desk would be a better choice then any of the laptops on offer.

I bought the Macbook Air. It was expensive and possibly overpriced, but it was not a waste of money.

In the time that I have owned an Air, I've heard some incredibly inaccurate things said about it. I was in the Apple store and overheard someone say that it was barely powerful enough to run an email client. When asked how they had reached this conclusion, the answer received was - that what I read on the internet. I've heard people say that you cannot install programs, that the battery lasts less then an hour, that they fall apart and that they are no faster then a netbook. In my experience all this is complete rubbish. The air is the best put together machine I've ever owned. The speed is far in excess of any netbook and battery life is good, although not great.

This article itself is being written using my Macbook Air, and have to say that I love this computer. It has been all around the world with me. I've edited HD video whilst on a coach in Arizona. I've edited and reviewed photos of a wedding in Edinburgh. I've carried it for hours in a backpack and even thought about the weight. I've also had so many conversations that have begun with the words, 'that is a beautiful computer'.

My next laptop will be the newest version of the Macbook Air. Quite a turnaround from being so underwhelmed when I first saw it produced from that manilla envelope. I learnt not to make such a hasty judgement and that just because something did not fulfill the needs of everyone, it does not make it a poor product

iPad

A few hours ago, Steve Jobs took to the stage and gave one of the most anticipated keynotes in the history of technology. The money was on some form of tablet computer being announced. The internet said that it would change everything. The internet said that it be a revolution, It would be touchscreen. It would make phone-calls. It could be controlled by voice, or even by gestures as it would have cameras that would detect the movement of the arms and interpret movement as controls. The tablet would allow you to subscribe to TV stations an stream programmes on demand. The tablet would be the biggest thing ever, because the internet had spoken.

I've heard what the internet has had to say before, It is a vicious cycle when it comes to Apple. The hype gets out of control and then whatever is announced gets savaged by those that say it does not live up to expectations. This without ever having used one, or without even questioning where those expectations came from in the first place.

I wasn't expecting a revolution on stage today. I didn't really know what I was expecting. Despite my own lowered expectations, Steve Jobs took to the stage and I was underwhelmed.

The iPad as we now know it had been unveiled and the beating has begun.

For myself, I was disappointed - not with the functionality, or the interface or even the that Apple has once again ignored the cellular market outside of the USA at launch. I'm disappointed by the way it looks. As a Jonathan Ives design it just looks bland. That large border around the screen looks out of place, and it really is just a scaled up iPod Touch.

However, lets just look at that more carefully. The iPad isn't a scaled up iPod Touch after all, it is a Macbook Pro without a keyboard. Look at that brushed aluminum back. That it straight off latest models. The black bezel under solid glass the same. It also works as a design. This is an object designed to be handled constantly, and so we have that tapered back and the the bezel allows you space in which to rest your thumbs whilst holding it. This seems obviously after some thought, but again my initial reaction was that it is not a beautiful object. Maybe for once an Apple device has had to place form before function.

I was also underwhelmed by the software being iPhone apps. But this is because I again am placing my own wants and desires from a system first. I was hoping that I could launch Lightroom and be able to edit photos directly onscreen, with my finger taking the place of a stylus on a graphics tablet. After more thought, I am not too worried about not being able to install full OSX apps on it. In fact it could be one of Apple's greatest selling points and makes perfect sense if I am correct about who this system is aimed at.

The iPad is not aimed for me, or for other users like me. It is not aimed at the person that takes a laptop everywhere. Someone that will take a computer on holiday and will be editing photos at breakfast. It isn't aimed at the reporter in the field that needs to type out a thousand word story. It isn't aimed at anyone that does heavy video editing. Apple have mobile computers aimed at these type of people - the Macbook range, and they are very good.

If I'm right, the iPad is aimed at the other me. The guy that checks the latest stories on BBC News, or browse his contacts Flickr photos whilst sat in a comfy chair whilst waiting for Top Gear to start, checks e-mail on his iPhone during half time in the footy. It is most certainly aimed at the me that browses the net at lunch whilst eating his sandwiches and then reads a book for the rest of the time. These are the actions of the everyday user, and the everyday user just wants a nice simple experience.

The everyday user isn't going to spend £150 on Lightroom or Aperture. They aren't likely to spend that much on applications in the entire time they've owned a computer. However, they are likely to hit that little app store button and think to themselves - 'hey its only 59p'. When they next come to by a computer they will look at the large iPod Touch that they already know how to use, and they will think about how cheap apps are and how easy they are to buy and install; and how easy they are to use. There are a lot more of these users then us geeks, power users and mobile pros. If Apple has the everyday user experience right - browsing Facebook, chatting on Messenger and forwarding amusing e-mails - then they are likely onto a winner; and getting the user experience right is what Apple do best.

I predict that the coming days will bring fury from the vocal minority - most hyperbolic, some through genuine disappointment. The iPad will be written off by many of these as a flop, based on initial comments that will flood every tech related website. But then we will start to hear the reports from those that have demo models. We'll hear that it is simple to use, and although not as ground breaking as wished for, what it does it does well. The disquiet will take time to go away, but I think that the shouting will be drowned out as it eventually has been with the iPhone.

I don't think that Apple has revolutionised anything today. But I do believe that that they have just begun evolving the computer for the everyday user; and the thing about evolution is that we not realise that it has happened until it has become the norm.

Somewhere to Rant

A random assortment of writing, photos, videos and whatever else takes my fancy.

Filed under: Opinion

Living with an iPad

Initial impressions on the Apple iPad based on my experience of the Macbook Air