Laskys E-Zine

Well aware that this will not the first article you’ll have read about the new Apple iPad, what I hope to do here is look at some of the features and aspects of the device to provide an overview that is both informative and helpful for anyone still on the fence about whether to buy one or not.

First off let’s talk about the keyboard.

I’m typing this review on the iPad using the keyboard in landscape mode. The keys are are represented on screen in a larger format than expected with plenty of space between the keys.
Not all the keys are represented as one would hope, and a special mention to the omission of the apostrophe which requires the user to click into a new menu before you get access.

The iPad software attempts to automatically correct spelling and grammar which is great, but it would be more helpful if it was more accurate. At the time of writing this post it has only corrected successfully around 50% of the time, which means its still not good enough to rely on, makes it hard to let the words flow and actually makes it more time consuming.

A minor gripe for an iPhone user might be the location of the shift button located where the delete key is on the smaller phone keyboard.

These things aside, the more one becomes accustomed to the interface and learns to relax with this device you can let it’s power and the intuition of the OS really do it’s thing.
The important point is that this is not as intuitive as we may have been told.

Screen

The screen on the iPad is around six times larger than that of the iPhone although the resolution doesn’t appear to be as good as on the iphone4 – the letters on the keyboard show pixelation and images in some of the iPad apps can be a bit blurry.
However there is no denying that having this much real-estate available affords better and more user-friendly interfaces within applications.
To have columns in the email or Settings applications mean it’s a much more smooth process to do what you want to do with as few swipes and clicks as necessary.

The swipe action works very well on the iPad and requires less actual movement of the finger, and selecting and loading apps is as easy as it is on the iPhone.

The spacing of the apps icons does feel a bit too far apart for no real reason, but the forthcoming update to allow folders should mean that you can have all the important bits of software in one place.

The iPad does not function very well outdoors as the screen is very difficult to view in direct sunlight.
With this in mind it is worth considering whether it really is worth the price hike to purchase the 3G version at this stage, rather than wait to see what improvements are made in the next version.

I was given the 32Gig WiFi version to test here at Laskys E-zine, and so far with a couple of movies, a few TV shows, some books and a fair few apps I’ve barely scratched the surface of the space available.
This again makes me feel that unless I was planning to use the iPad as my main portable media centre I could save further money and reduce the spec down to 16Gig for version 1.

The WiFi seemed to be stronger than that of the iPhone 4 and had a strong signal around 20 meters outside from the base inside – so with a glare reduced screen attachment it’s possible to take it out to the garden with you.

Applications and uses

There’s no doubt the iPad is not just for Christmas. Nor is it a one trick pony.
The beauty and simplicity of the OS is such that by adding modules or applications that suit your needs, you can customise the product from the inside to do exactly the things that suit your individual needs.
No two iPads need be the same. This is the same philosophy as for the iPhone of course and nothing new.
However, to have a larger screen than before does tend to skew the usage towards reading, gaming, and drawing. Even music applications are starting to look very good and make good use of the screen size.

At the moment lots of applications are being updated to work on the iPad and it is just a waiting game for your favourite app to be re-released.

But in some cases the applications are being re made altogether for the larger screen format and classed as HD or iPad version, and in most cases when this is done a far higher price is being attributed to the program.
Sometimes this is justified by extra features not present on the original, but in a fair few cases there may be no extra a functionality at all.
Be aware that the cost of the iPad itself is just the beginning!

Overall having spent some time with the devise, I have learned to love it for what it does well, and feel just a bit let down when I’ve found it can’t do something I was hoping it could.
The experience of using the iPad is not by any stretch a let down however and new uses and applications are being revealed daily.

It’s important to remember that the iPad at this stage cannot be classed as a full computer replacement device – you still need a computer to sync it with of course – but there is also still some issues such as document reading, printing, and saving that needs to be addressed.

In the short term this is a device that will change the way you acquire and process information – an interactive and customisable tablet that can put you in contact with mass media and online culture (if not contribute to it too – remember there’s no camera).
In the long term this devise is set to revolutionise how we interact with tools that talk, and how we build and display the interfaces that provide us with a window out to our community.

Let us know your experiences and thoughts about the Apple iPad in the comments below.