I was going to combine this with my last post on the iPad, but I thought that the initial thoughts could stay there without further editing.
Things I wanted to try, but couldn’t.
1) I was wondering if you could play music while doing other things. There was no music on the iPad, and I don’t have an itunes account, so I don’t know.
2) New and different apps… See above. I guess if I really want to play with one, I need an itunes account. I don’t really like that, but I guess it keeps the device safe from most viruses.
3) Needed to load an app to get to MLB.com stuff. No flash video on these devices. And the Tigers were winning. Listening to the ball game on this would have been fun.
Things I liked
1) Quick responsive touch screen. Fairly easy to type on the screen. I did have to look at what I was typing. I haven’t had to do that in years. That would set back my typing habits.
2) Screen was clear and very legible. I do like the instant enlarge and shrink feature of the touch screen.
3) Hey, I could use it in the dark…. Could have been an e-book reader for me, but then….
Things I didn’t like:
1) Fingerprints. Touch screens and finger prints go hand in hand. Really nice display messed up by finger prints.
2) No Flash. I can understand why Apple doesn’t want it, but not everybody is ready for new web videos. No MLB.com
3) No, I would not buy this to be an e-reader. It does have a back-lit screen and after a while I noticed it was harder on my eyes.
How would I use one? Would I use one?
Well I was actually thinking of many ways that this could be used. The astronomy software just jumped out at me. With that I was thinking of how easy it would be to load this with the proper software and take things with me. It is easier to carry than a laptop so the portability is great. The screen is bigger than the iPod, iPhone and other devices of that type, so it is easier on this old guys eyes. The iPad is built for sharing things. Use it to take notes, load it with things you are working on. Take it over to a coworkers desk or a meeting room. For my job it would be extremely useful.
That being said, I don’t need it. The iPad isn’t jumping out at me like the e-book readers did. I could walk into an electronics store and not have an urge to buy one. I would use one if it was given to me, and use it often, but I think there it stops.
I also read that this is not a good device to read a book on before going to sleep. It seems staring at a lit display like on a computer or iPad makes it harder to fall asleep. No such problem with ebook readers, though I’d still be afraid I would drop it on the floor as I started to fall asleep.
This thing hasn’t gotten much buzz since its unveiling, with those faults I can see why. I am perfectly happy with my laptop. Actually, if something were to go wrong with my laptop, no matter how old and outdated it becomes, I would be disappointed – I hate learning my way around new electronics!