I’m calling this “My Date with iPad” instead of a review, because I feel like I’m just getting to know the iPad. Half a day isn’t enough time to really get a feel for the device. So rather than a review, I offer instead my first impressions.
First, the logistics: UPS did a great job of getting the device to me on Saturday. I received my shipment at noon, and I was really impressed with ThomasAtUPS and MikeAtUPS for keeping everyone informed on Twitter. UPS made effective use of Social Media to have an ongoing dialog with their very eager customers. Well done!
There have been many “unboxing” videos done on the iPad already, so I didn’t bother to shoot one. I’ve never really understood the appeal of an “unboxing” video, to be honest. Ooh, look at the quality of the packaging! Seriously? But hey, whatever you’re into man, it’s all good with me. ;-)
As I mentioned in my earlier blog post, I bought the 64 GB Wi-Fi model iPad, along with a case, and VGA adapter. I only received the iPad itself today, the accessories shipped separately and won’t arrive until Monday. Therefore I’m unable to do a review of using the iPad to drive a projector using KeyNote, but that is something I’m keen to try early next week.
First impressions: The size of the screen is a game changer. Yes, it is a big iPod touch as some people have mentioned scornfully. But already some of the early apps are making beautiful user interfaces that simply weren’t possible before. I think the full potential of this device will be realized in the coming weeks as more and more software becomes available for this form factor. In the picture above, you can see how TweetDeck was able to craft an exquisite and full featured Twitter client for iPad, putting all that extra screen real estate to good use.
From a negative perspective, I am somewhat surprised at how heavy the iPad feels. Sure, it’s only 1.5 pounds, but compare that to the 10.2 ounces that a Kindle weighs, and it’s a big difference. The weight was noticeable on my wrist as I held the iPad one-handed to read an eBook. It’s too early to tell if this is going to be a real problem; I want to withhold judgement until I’ve actually read an entire book on the iPad. Stay tuned.
At a high level, everything I tried worked as expected, which has come to be taken for granted with Apple products. I was able to get on Wi-Fi, surf the web, and setup my Corporate Exchange email with no difficulties. The iBooks app holds lots of promise for me, but I don’t want to say more until I’ve had the chance to use it to actually read an entire eBook cover to cover. All the iPad apps I tried looked good and performed as advertised. I fully expect more good things on the development front after programmers have had more time with the device. I will say that running iPhone apps on iPad is pretty underwhelming, but it’s good to have the capability, I guess. In the long run, I don’t foresee iPad owners running anything but apps that were designed for the larger screen.
In closing, if you are looking for a more comprehensive review of the iPad, you’ll find none finer than the one done by Joshua Topolsky over at Engadget. So head over there now and read up. I’ll report back here in a couple of days when I have more to say. Adios for now!
