iPad 2 First Impressions
It’s actually been a few days since I got my iPad, but the experience so far has been good. While I’ve owned an iPod Touch, the experience on the much larger iPad is far different from the iOS devices. The functions and uses I’m getting out of the iPad far surpass the rest. Here are some preliminary observations and thoughts:
Weight
It does feel a bit lighter than the original iPad, but there’s definitely still a bite to things. It’s quite hefty and its still takes quite a bit of getting used to when it comes to holding the device, whether it be when standing, sitting, or reclining. Then again, the weight is comparable compared to some of the heavier magazines like GQ or Vogue. When it comes to replacing the netbook or even laptop in your bag, there’s no competition.
Functionality
Despite being part of a new product category, the iPad has already begun to make significant changes to my daily routine. Instead of turning on my computer in the morning, I’m able to flip on the iPad and check on my emails, Twitter feeds, new stories and weather without much effort. As I take the train to work, I catch up on the news (currently with The Daily and the New York Times). After work, the iPad becomes my primary computing device, as I catch up on feeds, browse, and chat while watching TV. Essentially aside from a few tasks (major photo editing, podcasting, gaming, and syncing), I don’t have a need to use my desktop computer.
Another great use for the iPad – checking work emails remotely. While I’m able to access Exchange through my phone and on webmail (desktop computer), the iPad interface offers the best balance – quick access while the large screen allows me to view the content with ease. The Gmail-like stringing of emails is a nice bonus as well, chaining together related emails that may have been received at various points through the day.
Battery Life
The battery life on this device is great – much better than my iPod Touch and HTC EVO. The one thing is that it does require a significant amount of time to charge back.
Smart Cover
Apple’s new cover design is certainly impressive. The magnets are quite strong but the cover instantly snaps on to the device. The inside microfiber lining is nice. The cover works as a stand in landscape mode, but I wish there was a way to get better use of it while in portrait mode. The case doesn’t come cheap, at least for the colors you’re more likely to choose. The black, navy, red, and white are leather (at $69.99). The cheaper polyurethane covers come in the brighter pastel colors (at $39.99).
Apps
A few of my favorite apps right now:
Flipbook
Flipboard: Essentially an RSS reader, but turns it into a magazine-like experience
Pulse News: Another RSS reader, but more for browsing through a mass list of articles
The Daily: News Corp’s daily “newspaper” for the tablet
Twitter: Unless you have more than one Twitter account, it’s still one of the best Twitter apps
Friendly: With the lack of an official Facebook iPad app, Friendly does a good job replacing
Criticisms
Multitasking is still a bit limited. The mini-taskbar is quite a pain when you have to go back and shut down every app that’s on. There’s a few bugs in the system too, from WiFi disappearing at times to the location feature not working during the initial setup.
Having gone from Android, I definitely do miss the Google support, especially as the few Google apps that are available are severely lacking – no dedicated Gmail or Reader app, no vector views or clickable link on Maps, and Google Voice is running off of the iPhone version. Google Calendar was easy to setup (although it took some quick research in importing multiple calendars).
Apps are great although I do feel the pinch of having to pay again (and at times significantly more) for the iPad “HD” version of the app. Other apps are limited to the iPhone version only, which scaled to the iPad resolution definitely looks pretty bad and heavily pixilated.
The camera is also a joke – not quite sure why such atrocious cameras were put in when they’re worse than cameras on feature phones. With the promotion of Facetime as well, it’d make sense to have the better camera up front. I suppose they’re waiting for the iPad 3.
Summary
Overall, the iPad is a fantastic device. For anyone who doesn’t have a tablet yet but is considering one, it’s probably the best way to go. Going back from Android hasn’t been of any hindrance yet and I haven’t encountered a “Flash” issue yet. It’s a great device to use both at home and on the road (on travel). One warning, however, the spending doesn’t stop with the device (and case) – a lot of the premiere apps will cost money. The print-subscription model on iTunes is still a mess and until that works out, most digital print apps are charging pretty high newsstand prices for each issue. RSS aggregators are definitely the way to go in the meantime. A lot of tablets are still up in the air, despite supposed released calendars within 2011. Between the price and quality of the iPad, it’s definitely a clear winner in value. With online shipping at four to five weeks, the problem now is trying to find one.