Apple iPad – A cool entertainer
Apple iPad is something between the iMac and the iPhone. Media is describing this gadget as the iPod Touch on steriods. In my opinion, the Apple iPad is a fun device to play games, surf the Web, watch videos and photos and also check emails while on the move. It may seem like a device made just for luxuries but if you buy it, trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Apple iPad is available in three storage sizes. 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB which costs £429, £499 and £599 respectively. If you want 3G too, you will have to pay another £100 for it. This means the most expensive Apple iPad costs £699. 3G will need some extra money for the data plan as well.
The features of this device are the same as iPhone except for the cellular features. The size is the same as an A4 paper. It is bigger but certainly easier to carry than a Netbook. The only problem with this device is that it isn’t targetted towards any specific audience. It can deliver your e-mails and it may be also serve as a good substitute to your e-book reader.
The Apple iPad is neither as flexible or as powerful as a laptop but the iPad isn’t trying to replace it. Just like the iPod Touch or the iPhone, it tries to be a fun device for Web surfing, watching videos or listening to music that you have purchased from iTunes. Also, it is great for killing time; games look superb on the iPad. The gadget doesn’t make you wait for a long time for booting like a standard computer. Finally, this device is the most travel friendly computer I have ever seen.
If you have used an iPod Touch or iPhone before, the iPad will look very much familiar to you. The user interface is simple and has just a single button on the bottom that brings you to the home screen. On the display, there are a bunch of icons which are the various apps and features of the device.
Just like the iTouch or iPhone, you can either download the apps from the App Store of the device or download them first on the computer through iTunes and then transfer them. The iPad has a huge screen, as compared to smartphones. If you’ve ever wanted to play Flight Control on a big display or wanted to have the speed and style of the smartphone on a Web-friendly, large screen, this product will be like a dream come true for you.
A lot of iPhone apps like Flight Control have been upgraded to fit the bigger screen of the Apple iPad. Some Websites are also optimized for this device like the Gmail for iPad. It is implemented quite well and is easy to use too. However, a lot of apps are costlier than the the iPhone versions.
iPhone apps can be played on the iPad too but you won’t see it in full screen unless the pixel-doubling zoom feature is enabled. It enlarges the image but the quality is awful. You will be craving for the iPad version after a few moments. Also noteworthy is that the Apple App store is the only source of all the apps and games.
Apple says that the iPad can replace your ebook reader. I would certainly recommend this device ahead of tiny smartphones for reading the books. However, the backlit and shiny screen cannot match the power efficiency and comfort of an E Ink display on the ebook readers like Amazon Kindle.
iBook app might look cute initially with the edges that look like a real page and the swiping of the finger for turning the pages. However, once the novelty wears, I bet you will yearn for full screen pages and a single tap for turning the pages. Apple should focus more on user interface innovations like they did with the iPhone rather than trying to imitate real like objects. On the bright side, the iPad has a few advantages for reading books as compared to the readers. For instance, the pages turn faster and hence you can flip around quickly. The books can also include video, music and other interactive elements. This device also gives you glorious full color magazines, comic books, graphic novels, etc for reading.
For getting the books, the App store is your first source. Other than that, you can get the content from Amazon Kindle app or load the books in ePub format (this includes titles from Google Books or Project Gutenberg)
The best feature of the Apple iPad, according to me, is its Web surfing capability. A lot of people use smartphones for checking out stuff on the internet but their screens are too small. On the other hand, laptops take a while to boot up and hence might turn off people with less patience. Even the iPhone’s screen is small for heaving Web-browsing.
The intuitive user interface and the multitouch screen are the two features that make the iPhone one of the best cell phones for Web surfing and they are even better on the Apple iPad. It is fun to use and starts up quickly. This gadget can be your most preferred one for replacing everything from cookbooks to newspapers.
My review model had 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity but there was no 3G. Browsing experience was faster than that of the iTouch or iPhone on the same network as it involves a lot less zooming and scrolling. I was disappointed to see that there was no Flash support and you will miss a lot on the Web till Apple gives updates, if they ever do. BBC iPlayer, Vimeo and YouTube have all been optimized for Apple’s lack of interest in Flash but there will be a few hiccup while surfing. On the flip side, you get a stable and fast browser than doesn’t tax the battery too much. In my lab tests, I got around three to four days of light use on a full charge.
The bigger on the Apple iPad gives you a bigger on-screen keyboard than the iPod Touch or iPhone. It works pretty well too, courtesy of the responsive and fast touchscreen. You can easily type documents and e-mails on this iPad if you are ever gonna do it. However, you might it a bit awkward to have the keyboard at the same angle as the screen especially if you are used to laptops. A better way to type is to prop the iPad at an angle on the table and then keep you fingers poised like talons of a bird with an extended straining neck. You can type while holding the iPad in one hand and typing by the other but this will slow down your speed. There is a keyboard dock accessory available if you are going to do some heavy typing.
The iPad does look like a typical Apple product with the aluminum back. The gadget is heavier than it looks at 680 grams. This can be a bit tiring to hold for a long time and this was perhaps my only turn off about the device. I would recommend you to purchase a case looking at the price and the weight of the product.
Apple iPad is a great product for gadget lovers. People who spend a lot of time online too will love it. The device offers a slick mix of games, media and apps just like the iPhone, in a bigger chassis.
