This is a bit of a departure from my typical blog posts, but I thought I would have some fun giving my brief first impressions on the iPad. In fact, I’m writing this blog post in the WordPress app on the iPad using the virtual keyboard in landscape mode, and moving along very nicely. Geordi LaForge would be proud (for the uninitiated, that’s LeVar Burton’s character in Star Trek: The Next Generation helmsman and later chief engineer who is routinely at work on his virtual display).
In order to understand the wonder of this device, you will have to see the apps that demonstrate it’s power and innovation. Apps such as The Elements (stunning multimedia presentations of chemical elements), Netflix, Scrabble, SoundHound (music tagging application similar to Shazam, but with better multimedia features), WSJ, Weatherbug Elite, Weather HD, Wikipanion+ (excellent rendering of Wikipedia), and World Atlas HD. The iPad HD games are stunning. My favorites are Scrabble, Field Runners, and Flight Control. Now the Jumble app folks need to get with the program! Until then, I will just have to use the iPhone version in 2X size on the iPad. Oh, and I can’t neglect to mention that you can view 10+ hours of downloaded movies on one charge. Nothing else out there that does that.
Regarding the iBooks application that allows you to download electronic books, the experience is outstanding, with full search and the ability to make the font bigger or smaller as well as change the font. You can also highlight text for review later. For this worried about glare, you can adjust for brightness, or switch to white on black display. So yes, they have thought carefully about the reading experience. If you have a Kindle, you can download the Kindle app and enjoy your Kindle books. Inexplicably, this version doesn’t have search within the book or across books like the Kindle device. Bad move on Amazon’s part, but they have the clear lead on the number of available titles. Another thing iBooks has that Kindle doesn’t is a two page mode in landscape orientation, which looks just like a real book with realistic page turning.
Finally, one thing to strongly consider is the 3G version, which won’t be out until late April. If you want to check out your email on the go, check the weather, search for places, order a book, or download the latest periodical such as WSJ, PopSci, or (God forbid) the NYT, you will definitely want 3G. Be warned, though, it uses a Micro-SIM card so you can’t pop a SIM from an existing Netbook or laptop so equipped with Mobile Broadband capability. You will have to sign up for a completely separate data plan within the iPad. There’s no contract, so you can sign up for a month and cancel the service any month you don’t want it at will.
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