Review: Apple iPad

Much has been said as of late about the iPad.  It’s the newest computing device from Apple, and in recent years that alone is enough to start drama.  In the photographer community there has been a lot of discussion as to its relevance in our business.  Everyone wants to know what can it do for them? One thing is for sure, their is no shortage of opinions on the subject.  Another other comment I keep hearing is that it’s just a big iPod Touch or a big iPhone.  So, I’ve decided to dedicate this week to the subject of the iPad.  I thought I would give you my take on these questions.  I’ll cover a different question, aspect of the device, or point of controversy each day.  Today, I’ll just start with my first impressions of the device.  I’ve been using it for the entire 5 days it’s been available, so I guess that makes me as qualified to discuss it as anyone else.  Keep reading to find out more.

Expectations

As I discussed before, I pre-ordered without too much expectation as to how the iPad would fit into my computing world.  As the weeks moved on I continued reading about it.  While I had a general sense of excitement about receiving and playing with the new toy, I don’t know that I really knew how or when I would use it.  I already have an iMac that I use as my editing computer.  In addition it handles a lot of general web surfing, downloading, uploading, or application specific task.  I also have a MacBook Pro that I carry with me when I’m away from home.  I can shoot with my DSLRs tethered to the MacBook when I’m doing a studio shoot.  It serves as a backup for photos and an editing PC when I’m traveling.  Again, it’s also for surfing when I’m away from home.  My wife also has a netbook that we basically keep in the living room whenever we need a PC really fast.  It’s been handy since my daughter was born, as I can’t always leave the room if I’m watching her.  I’ve used it for writing some, but not to a great extent.  It has Evernote installed, which I use a lot.  Then of course there are the iPhones.  The “go to” PC in a pinch.  There is no way that I could define how and where I use those, as I pretty much have it on me every waking moment and have used it for everything at one point or another.  So, with all these devices, I really wasn’t sure how the iPad was going to fit in.

First Impressions

The box was delivered on Saturday about 11:30 AM.  It was a little later than I was hopping for, but then again I didn’t have to go stand in line for hours.  Thus the trade-off was worth the price.  The packaging was top notch.  As with most Apple products their seemed to be no danger of the product being damaged in delivery.  The product box was designed to make it look like a big iPhone box.  I think if Apple is trying to sell this an another PC that they may want to distance their packaging from that of the iPhone and iPod Touch.  That said, the product packaging was great. Like my iPhones and Apple TV, the device was sitting on top with the cable and charger plug laying under it when I opened the packaging.

I picked up the iPad and I was struck by two points of note.  First, it fits your hand very well.  It was just thin enough that you can grip it with no issues.  The construction materials are comfortable and don’t slip.  It was well thought out.  The second thing that caught me is it’s much heavier than I thought it would be.  I heard it was 1.5 lbs.  That sounds light, and because it is so thin it looks light.  I guess when you have that much weight in one hand it feels like more weight than it is.  I would not say the weight is uncomfortable.  I’m not typically holding it with one hand anyway.  I’m usually using two hands or it’s sitting in my lap, so the weight did not concern me.  It was just something I did not expect.

After turning it on, the usual iPhone OS Apple boot logo appeared on the screen, after which it went to the Registration screen.  To register the iPad you needed the most up to date version of iTunes (which my iMac had prompted me to download a few days earlier) and the sync cable to connect it to the computer.  After connecting, I went through the steps that I have become familiar with from setting up various iPhones.  I named the iPad and picked how/what it would sync when it was connected.  All very easy and done in a few minutes.  From there, I was ready to start using it.

The “Default” Apps

So, I’ve got my iPad.  It’s all setup.  So, what do I do with it?  I started by playing with all the included, or “default”, Apps.

Mail

I have 2 email accounts that I needed to add to the iPad.  One for my personal emails and one for my website.  I host my mail with Gmail, so setting up both was a breeze.  While I was on that screen, I also added my exchange account for syncing my calendar to Google Calendar.   Time to check it out.  At first glance you can tell the design is great.  In portrait mode the entire screen is the selected email.  Everything is large enough with the big screen that you can see everything without zooming, but zooming is available if you feel like you need it.  To get to other emails you can either look at them one at a time using the Up and Down arrow buttons at the top of the screen, or you can choose the Inbox drop down to see a list of the emails in your Inbox.  Also, from this screen you can back out to pick other email accounts or search for content.  In landscape mode, the Inbox selection is to the left and the selected email is to the right.  I prefer this mode as I have fewer “clicks” to get to my content.  Although the emails do not display as large as in portrait mode, the size in landscape mode is very easily read.  The Move, Trash, Reply, and Compose buttons remain in the upper right corner regardless of the mode selected.

Calendar

The calendar layout is perfect.  The redesign for the iPad User Interface (UI) doesn’t get any better.  At the top you can choose from a Day, Week, Month, or List view.  At the bottom, you have the ability to change months and years all without leaving the main screen.  To add a new entry to your Calendar you just hit the plus button in the bottom right corner.  The entry is added by having the required fields pop up over the calendar, so you never even leave the main screen.  If you need to see more detail for your schedule, you can double tap on the day to want to view and it goes to the Day view for the selected day.  If at any point you are on a Calendar that does not have today’s info, just tap the Today button in the bottom left and it will take you right to the current day.  The additions to the UI for the iPad make all the difference in using this app.

Videos

This is a new app for the springboard.  In the past, videos on the iPhone have been access via the iPod app.  Apple obviously knew that the iPad would excel for watching video and has created it’s own access point.  I’m a huge Formula One racing fan.  I ripped the Saturday Qualifying video and loaded it on my iPad to watch.  The quality of the playback was perfect.  There was never a skip or pause.  The speaker that is built into the iPad is great.  It can get very loud and does not distort.  I found out by accident while adjusting the volume that if you hold the “down volume button” for a second or so that the iPad will mute.  In my opinion this is much better than having a silent switch like the iPhone.  Not much to this interface, just simple and it works.

YouTube

The YouTube UI hasn’t changed much other than the you can see more videos when browsing than on the iPhone due to the screen size.  If anything, the video was too large if you ask me.  With YouTube quality being best viewed small, the iPad screen makes the video even larger than most people ever watch YouTube when at a PC.  Since some YouTube videos have the ability to display at higher quality, I would be happy if I could selected a higher quality setting like when I view the YouTube web page on a PC.  Hopefully that option will be added at a later date.  Other than that, it’s the same old story.  All the usual options are there.

Contacts

When I first synced my iPad, I synced my Contacts from my iMac.  This is what I do with both mine and my wife’s iPhones, so it seemed natural to add them to the iPad.  The new UI looks exactly like an old school address book.  I liked that.  It’s just as easy to add and edit contacts in the iPad Contacts as it is on the Desktop or iPhone.  No complaints.  It just works.

iPod

The iPod interface impressed me the least.  I don’t know that I’ll use my iPad much for music anyway, but Apple had a great opportunity to make something special here.  It appears to me that they just stuck to what was easy.  There is no coverflow view, which I just thought was odd since that is Apple’s brainchild. I don’t care for the way that the artist view is setup.  It’s a large scrollable list rather than grouped into squares like the album view, or even like the Artist view in iTunes.  I hope they work to improve this in future releases.  Other than my general UI dislikes, it works and has all the same features that any other iPod has.

Photos

This is where the iPad excels.  Displaying photos is the perfect use for the device.  As with other Apple products, the display is beautiful.  The color and contrast are perfect out of the box.  I made a folder on my computer specifically for images that I want to sync to the iPad, and that way each time I sync the iPad it will load all the new photos that I want to show off.  The app is really easy, and it even supports albums so that I can sort different types of images.  Once launched, to view an image you just tap on it.  Once on the image there are the usual options to Email, Copy, assign it to a Contact, or to Use as Wallpaper.  The iPhone would only allow you to have a “lock screen” wallpaper.  This displayed while the device was locked.  Once unlocked, the background was black.  On the iPad there is also a wallpaper when the device is unlocked.  So, the Use as Wallpaper option will let you set a different photo for your Lock Screen or Home Screen.  Of course you can use the same image for both if you like.

You can also start a slideshow, which has a bunch of options for it as well (including music, YAY!).

Safari

Steve told me that the iPad would be magical.  I think he might be over selling it, but as I see it it is pretty awesome.  This web browser does not disappoint.  It works beautifully.  Some people have made a big deal about the iPad not supporting Flash.  For those that don’t know, Flash is a plugin that allows some video and webpage content to display in a browser.  Personally, I have always hated Flash.  In and of itself Flash is not evil, but most people use it ad nauseum.  I hate nothing more than when I go to a web page and it has a Flash landing page telling me what version of Flash I need installed, what the best resolution is to view the webpage, and asking me to click to see the super special Flash page, or the boring after-thought of an HTML page.  Then, if I do enter the Flash page, I have to wait 30-60 seconds for it to load because the page designer put way too much junk in the Flash movie.  Is it so much to ask that when I type your URL that I actually have content presented?  Also, Flash is used a lot in little parts of web pages.  It’s used for photo galleries, Ads, and videos.  Of all of those, video is about the only legit reason I can see to use Flash.  Ads drive me nuts, but I recognize they are a required evil for the internet to exist for free.  And using Flash for a photo gallery is just lazy coding if you ask me. All that said, if Apple continues releasing successful products that do not support Flash and helps the medium die, then I’m a full supporter.  So far, a lot of websites are starting to see that Flash can not be a one stop solution and are starting to code better cross functional experiences.  This makes me happy. 

So, stepping down from my high horse, I’ll reiterate that the browser is great.  It’s basically like using a browser on any PC.  Standard webpages display well and pages designed specifically for tablet devices like the iPad excel.  Smart owners of websites like Google’s Gmail and Gizmodo have implemented CSS templates for the iPad that enhance the browsing experience.  Rather than releasing apps, in my opinion it’s smarter for companies to create device specific websites that make using a specific device easier.  The interfaces on these websites make using the iPad a surfing dream.  The sites have dumped Flash video and opted to use video content that can be accessed on the iPad.  Surfing on regular sites is fine, but the enhanced sites make the iPad my go to device for surfing the web.  The iPad doesn’t confine you in the way that a desktop does.  It’s easier than booting up a laptop and finding somewhere that you can sit to use the keyboard.  It’s not too small or have reduced content like mobile pages like on an iPhone.  Surfing on the iPad is the perfect way to surf.

iBook

Most of the reading I do is from a computer.  I don’t now why, but it is.  So the idea of having a device that I can use as a PC and still have a dedicated reading function really appealed to me.  The layout is perfect.  The built in dictionary function is awesome.  It has everything you want, including brightness adjustments, right from the book page.  It works really well.  The iBook Store is super easy to use and navigates well.  I had no issues with it.  I found that I prefer to read in portrait mode rather than landscape, because in landscape mode the Home button is right where I place my thumb while holding the iPad like a book.  I had not run into this issue with other apps; only with iBook.  I can’t say enough about how well this app works.  I think the iPad makes the perfect solution for any avid reader.

App Store

The iPad App Store layout works well for the device.  Not much to say about it other than it works.  Well, I will say it still has the same major annoyance that the iPhone App Store has.  I just want the App store to remember where I was when I left it, specifically after using the “Show More” function.  It always defaults to the top of the list when reopening the App.  So if I hit the Show More option 5 times before buying an App, then once I relaunch the App store I have to hit it 5 more times to get back to where I was.  Like I said, this is not an iPad specific issue, but it is an annoyance I could do without.  Lets button that one up Apple.

Maps

Maps are huge on the iPad.  The only person I can see using maps for on the iPad is maybe the navigator on a road trip.  Its obviously too large a device to use while driving.  Of course, you would need the soon to be release WiFi+3G version for true mobile internet access.  The current WiFi only version would not have an internet connection while driving, so I can’t see the use of the map other than purely for planning.  On my iPhone, I only use the Map App while in the car.  The iPad version delivers all the same features as the iPhone version but it seems far less useful due to the device size.

Other Impressions

After using the iPad for 4 days, there are a few things that have stood out to me.

• Battery Life – It’s amazing!  I charged it when I went to bed on Saturday night, and as of 12:45 PM on Tuesday I have not had to plug it back in.  Granted I will have to charge it shortly as I’m down to 8% battery left, that is still pretty amazing.  I was expecting at least a daily charge if not more, but over 2 days is just awesome.  From what I have read a lot of the iPad weight comes from the batteries, but if it will stay charged this long that is a trade-off I’m more than willing to make.
• Video FTW – The iPad is the perfect portable device for watching video.  Hands down, nothing beats it.  I have watched the previously mentioned 1.5 hour Qualifying session video, a Netflix movie, ABC TV shows, and YouTube videos.  It works perfectly for all of them and is the best thing next to an actual TV for watching video content.  For sure, it is THE BEST device for watching video content online.
• The Screen – I said it already, but it’s worth saying again.  The screen flat out rocks.  Perfect.  No other way to describe it.
• Speed – I knew ahead of time that it had a new faster processor, but I did not realize how fast.  It’s BLAZING!  Never a single snag, hang, or delay.  Here’s to hoping it stays that way.
• Landscape Mode – Much to my surprise, I enjoy using the iPad better in landscape mode than in portrait mode (with the exception of reading an iBook as mentioned before).  This was pretty shocking for me as I use my iPhone almost exclusively in portrait mode.  It just feels right.  Maybe because the iPad feels more like a PC than a mobile device and landscape is how 99% of us view our PC monitors.
• Typing – I think I have been the most skeptical about typing on the iPad.  I was not sure if I would like it or how easy it would be.  From looking at it I wasn’t sure how it could be anything but difficult.  I was totally wrong.  Typing is very easy.  In some respects it’s easier than using a standard keyboard since the OS will manage the punctuation automatically.  When you have to get to a number or special characters it can be a little more involved, but still not difficult.  Over all I’m very happy with typing on the iPad.  So much so that I’ve typed my nightly journal entry on it every night since I got it.

• Charging – The 2 large batteries inside of the iPad take a lot of juice to charge them.  So much so that many PCs and powered USB hubs do not have enough power to charge it.  I have a cheapo Dynex USB hub that I picked up from BestBuy with a gift card one Christmas a few years back.  It falls into this low power/non-charging boat.  All of my Apple products are able to charge it though.  I’m not overly concerned about this.  Everywhere I work either has an Apple computer or I can use the charger that came with the device.  Plus, with the battery lasting days, it’s not like I’ll need to plug it in much.
• Camera Connection Kit – If there was a downside to the iPad I would have to say it’s the lack of built in peripheral support.  To make up for the lack of USB slot and or SD card reader, Apple is selling this kit.  It include 2 adapters, one for USB and one for SD cards, that plug into the 30 pin connector on the bottom of the iPad.  The idea being that you can connect you camera via USB cable or plug in an SD card to move images directly from your camera to your iPad.  Since all of my DSLRs shoot to Compact Flash cards, I’m either out of luck or will require an additional device like a USB CF card reader to move images to the iPad.  This of course is assuming that it can support these devices.  At the moment the Camera Kit is not shipping until the end of April, so it’s anyone’s guess how this will work.  When mine arrives I will test it fully and report back.  Either way, I have a change in my work flow since I normally shoot RAW images and I doubt the iPad will support those large files.  So I’m guess for me to use this feature I will also have to shoot JPEG images.  Time will tell.

So, that is the start of the story.  To say that I love my iPad thus far would be an understatement.  It has far exceeded my expectations as a “GenOne” model.  While it does have some limitations, I’m hoping that with OS updates over time and through developers making Apps that can utilize the iPad’s horsepower that some of those limitations will start to have their gaps bridged.  I’ll continue writing about the iPad over the next few days.  Stay tuned.

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