Bought my iPad more or less on a whim and, I must say, its been quite enjoyable. Its really made me rethink my anti-Apple fan boyness. Here are a few of my initial thoughts:
- Anyone who tells you its a replacement for the Kindle probably hasn’t used a Kindle. The eink on the Kindle really IS that important. Its just like reading a regular book, but easier. The iPad is bulky in comparison and its really not enjoyable to read on. I stare at a computer screen most of the day, reading a long book on one is the last thing I want to do.
- It is primarily a device designed for consuming media, but that’s ok. Ive read various people say its a step back because it doesn’t allow for much content creation (no camera, etc) but we have to consume all that content somehow right? The iPad does that very well.
- It is a bigger iPhone, but that’s the point. The size of the screen makes all the difference. No matter how sweet the phone, you’re constantly aware of the constraints brought on by the size of the device. While I would almost never go out of the way to watch video on my phone, I could see myself regularly watching movies on the iPad even over TV. Same goes for gaming and other applications. So while it is just a bigger iPhone, it has the potential to lead to huge changes in the way we consume media.
- It is a GORGEOUS device. Every time I pick it up and flip through the screens of icons I’m taken aback.
- I have an Xbox 360, a Wii, and a Nintendo DS. I can already tell my wife and I will be playing the majority of our games on the iPad. Its just that good at gaming. Were definitely casual gamers, so this wont be the case for everyone, but I think the iPad makes gaming accessible for an huge amount of people that wouldn’t otherwise play games.
- Its a super basic device, which is frustrating at times. Like while Im browsing the web or reading blogs, I want access to IM. To not have it just doesnt feel right. Its also infuriating that I cant easily save images from Safari or even set them as my background. Seriously?
All-in-all, a great purchase. Certainly an awesome device for the masses. Oh, and the on-screen keyword isn’t bad either. I typed this post using the Wordpress app.