The Apple iPad - Anand's Analysis
by Anand Lal Shimpi on January 27, 2010 5:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Mobile
Will it Work...Literally
Today my issue with the iPhone (and netbooks for that matter) is that they are very limited when it comes to productivity. I don’t have a good solution if I need the performance, usability and capabilities of my notebook, but want something lighter to carry around with me. You could always get a CULV notebook or from Apple something like the MacBook Air, but that’s still a notebook. There is no perfect blend of notebook functionality with smartphone portability. If the iPad can achieve that, at least in the same manner that the iPhone did for smartphones, then I will consider it worth the hype.
Achieving that goal requires a delicate balance of the right UI, the right hardware (including ergonomics) and the right functionality.
The UI looks clean and snappy. Apple’s biggest omission here appears to be multitasking support. One of the most frustrating things about using an iPhone is its inability to do two serious tasks at once. Email + Web browsing, Pandora + anything. You get the point. This is perhaps a temporary issue. The iPad runs iPhone OS 3.2 as of today. The next major release of the iPhone OS, version 4.0, is expected to add multitasking support. This could presumably make its way onto the iPad later this year (or early 2011?).
Yeah that looks super comfortable...
The hardware looks good. It remains to be seen whether or not it’s actually comfortable to hold a 1.5 lbs tablet while you type on it. Although Apple has a couple of accessories that look to address that issue:
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The software keyboard looks like it could work well, if it’s combined with the same sort of predictive trickery that the iPhone uses. I’ve been asking for the sort of tablet the Enterprise crew (Star Trek, not the server market) carried around. The iPad’s interface, at least what I’ve seen of it, has the most potential to deliver that sort of experience. The iPad UI could be something that feels like it was made in 2010, not 2002.
The functionality is also a big unknown. When the iPhone first launched its killer apps were the ones that Apple made for it. While the App Store is far more mature now, the iPad will need some key functionality for it to be a productivity device.
Porting iWork ($9.99 per app) to the iPad was necessary. The fact that Apple did this right off the bat indicates that at least someone over there knows that the market for a $500 - $900 toy is slim. But we need more. We need things like Photoshop for the iPad. Dare I say that we even need a port of Microsoft Office?
At CES everyone talked about tablets and eReaders being huge at the show. I saw a lot of neat devices, but nothing I’d want to go out and buy. The iPad is the first one I’ve seen with potential. And much like the iPhone before it, whether you like it or not is irrelevant - it will at least pave the way for other companies to emulate and improve upon the design.
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ganeshts - Wednesday, January 27, 2010 - link
I think Tegra 2 is a much better platform than the A4 ; Since a dual core processor is not claimed, I suspect it is a Cortex A8 pushed up to 1 GHz clock rate, and the GPU must be SGX 540 (which is what is being used to decode H264 I suspect). [[ All speculations with some hunches ]]By the way, no webcam / no HDMI output even with docks is downright disappointing. This thing is a joke when it comes to HD playback as you have duly noted. Not even L4.1 or High Profile is supported, No Blu-Ray M2TS or off-the-web MKV playback will be possible.
Feature wise, I think even Notion Ink's tablet is better than this. But, with Apple's marketing & fanboys, it is unpredictable..
Anand Lal Shimpi - Wednesday, January 27, 2010 - link
I think unfortunately this isn't going to be the video playback device it was rumored to be. It'll be great for iTunes content, and for those people who don't mind doing some transcoding, but it lacks the copy and go flexibility that I was hoping for.This is the downside to companies like Apple. They work too closely with the content owners/providers, and thus play it safe with things like this.
But, it leaves room for others to innovate :)
Take care,
Anand
autoboy - Wednesday, January 27, 2010 - link
It is such a disappointment for video consumption considering how nice the display appears to be. 16GB storage is downright pathetic if you ever wanted to play video. 64GB is only slightly better but there isn't a way to add a SD card to expand it. On a device this big intended for high res content, that is a huge misstep. Even 720p itunes video take considerable space. Then you don't have the HDMI port for when you get to your destination.I bought a iPod touch for video consumption, pandora, and audiobooks (i can't use an iphone) and I have been entirely disappointed with the screen quality. After seeing this iPad, I'm still waiting for my perfect video device.
It's not like Apple to leave this much room for others to innovate.
afkrotch - Friday, January 29, 2010 - link
Try the Archos 5 or 7. Might just fit your needs.OBLAMA2009 - Wednesday, January 27, 2010 - link
this would be a revolutionary product if apple somehow jacked the wireless providers into providing 3g for say 10 a month. but without that nobody is going to choose this over a much better performing laptop. nokia invented the ipad a couple years ago except they called it the n800. it was a nice product but you dont see anyone walking around with them do you?Anand Lal Shimpi - Wednesday, January 27, 2010 - link
I don't believe the choice should be between an iPad or a laptop. Presumably iPad users will already have a fast PC of some sort, this would be an auxiliary device just as a smartphone is. The question is whether or not there's room for such a device, and to answer that we really need to see how this thing works in a day to day setting.I've got my notebook/desktop when I do work, my smartphone while I'm walking around, but what do I pull out while I'm on an airplane? Can I get by with just an iPad/iPhone combo for a trip out west or do I still need a laptop? If I need three devices, I'm not sure there's a point. If not, there may be a chance.
Take care,
Anand
BadgerPoison - Sunday, January 31, 2010 - link
I agree with you that the question is whether or not there is room for this device. As you mentioned, this device may have usefulness during travel where a phone is insufficient. I disagree with your analysis of the netbook, and specifically, the value of the iPad over a netbook.There are 2 key benefits of a netbook where the iPad fails. First, netbooks are relatively cheap at $300 with 6.5 hours of wifi or 10 hours radio-less. Second, netbooks are capable of running office applications and being productive. For office applications, web browsing, and video/audio - netbook performance is sufficient in my experience. Together, these make netbooks an excellent choice for productive (professional and student) travelers. Netbooks are gaining a lot of interest at my school, and I see more of them every week.
The iPad looks awesome as a supplement to the TV when lying on a couch, for browsing while traveling, or maybe as an e-book reader. But not for being productive - not for justifying its $499 price for those without discretionary income.
OBLAMA2009 - Thursday, January 28, 2010 - link
yes whether ipad succeeds will depend on how it works once we all get to see it up close. at the very least ipad will probably lead to cheaper windows tablets with greater functionality and low priced mobile data plans that will have the power to replace laptops for light surfing and computingjasperjones - Wednesday, January 27, 2010 - link
Excellent comment. I almost like this better than the actual article :-)I'm not gonna drag along iPad + laptop. It's either ... or. Robustness is a factor in this. An iPad contains big, relatively unprotected piece of glass. What's the expected life time of this thing? The other factor is, of course, productivity, as you discussed.
jimhsu - Wednesday, January 27, 2010 - link
I'm still trying to figure out where this fits between my iPhone, kindle, and yet-to-arrive laptop currently being manhandled by UPS. The "internet capability" saturation has reached a maximum here, and an additional device won't help that.