I must say I wasn't the biggest fan ever of the ipad when it got released. The lack of front facing camera, the same iTunes-horrible sync system, etc was a couples of reasons why I couldn't be super enthusiastic about the iPad.
And then, I had to get one. You can't be credible if you don't practice kind of things. As I had some work obligations (some iPad ads and some apps going on here) it was a good reason for me to have one.
So here i am after a month of use.
I got an iPad 3g 16go. Quiet a basic one.
The 3G is not an option. It is vital to use properly an iPad. It makes a huge difference. Commuting, traveling, etc all the reasons why you need the 3G.
I must say I am quiet happy with the AT&T coverage and pricing so far. Very easy to activate as well. The pros and the cons
Not sure if we can really judge the ipad on pros and cons but let's try. The iPad is a new experience in terms of computers. It is not a laptop neither a netbook. It is different Pros
The screen
My first approach was roughly the gigantic iPhone. Well it is a little bit more than that. The complete touch/gesture user interface change completely the approach to this kind of devices.
Getting free from a mouse is something quiet unique.You could easily argue that it is not that new (touch screens are there since a while) but the benefit of the multitouch is quiet unique. You use your ipad faster Apps
I will detail a little bit some apps I really like and use. But in general, the app model is great. I mean by that: instant loading, you go back to an app exactly at the state you left it, etc.
The keyboard
The keyboard got something magic for me. As i am writing a lot in both French and English there is the awesome international keyboard feature. For a strange reason when i am typing something in french my fingers are looking for a french layout, same goes for english.
You click on the globe and you switch from qwerty to azerty. So powerful.
The cons
The keyboard. Yes it is a pain in the ass to type a text properly (until I discover the writer app). It is quiet suprising to have the multi touch lagging when you are typing. Someone I won't mention don't want to use his ipad because he can't type properly on it. It is at this level sometimes.
User interface
I like the ios (cant wait to have access to the v4). Some annoying details: selection. God this is annoying. If you are editing a text and try to change something in a word (for example a bad autocorrection) it is a pain in the ass to really do what you want.
The apps
Having an app centric os is irritating. We a re so used to a document centric os that it is rather disturbing to not be able to manage your own documents. Productivity is also related to flexibility and that's something the iPad os doesn't offer.
Design I am really struggling with 'natural' approach.
iCal or notes are two example of this atrocity. I am not a fan of the leather look on an agenda. No thank you.
Fonts
It is quiet shocking. Very few fonts, you cant customize (it is per app), just really bad.
The apps I use:
Twitter
Obviously the new twitter client for iPad is just a masterpiece in terms of user interface but also experience. Keynote
From the productivity pack from apple it is the only app worth the buy. It is still very rudimentary but it can cover the basics. Very helpful to strait a deck and finish it on your laptop.
Solipskier
Pure addictive game
Writer
A new one and I am already a big fan. A very simple text editor. Exactly what I need with some very nice features (the extended keyboard is amazing, the custom made font is really good, etc).still too much around the app: you are paying to compensate so real design issues from apple.
So what is the verdict.
The iPad introduce something new in the computer landscape, that's for sure. It is not mature, thats also quiet obvious. It will take time to see what the competitors (android 3.0 and maybe the rim tablet) can bring. It is clearly a good start.
And yes, I wrote that thing on an iPad.
