So last week I voiced my opinion on the iPad which I am eagerly awaiting and pointed out the 3 major bugbears that the media has with it. Well, in the last hour or so Steve Jobs has eliminated one of those issues with the iPhone OS 4.0 Keynote. From autumn onwards both the iPhone and the iPad will be one step closer to being that computer that some people expect it to be. That's right, iPhone OS 4.0 will introduce the feature that most people have been waiting for...MULTI-TASKING!
As well as several other features announced by Steve Jobs today this is the one which I think shall grab the most media attention and it now leaves us with only two major "issues" (which as I stated before I really don't care too much about myself) and they are, no camera and no flash. But let's face it, flash isn't coming and the camera will get here eventually.
Good times!
Thursday, 8 April 2010
Friday, 2 April 2010
So...I guess it's about time I voiced my opinion
Since January 28th the internet has been rife with news, rumours, complaints and praise to what has been dubbed "a magical and revolutionary device." That's right, I am about to join the thousand of people who have been talking about the iPad. Unfortunately, my girlfriend, my family andmy friends have been having to hear non-stop about it from me so I thought maybe, if I mention it on here for all the world to see, it might just shut me up a little bit.
I'm not going to lie to you, I want one and intend to get one as soon as is physically and financially possible for me to do so. I keep getting asked the frequent question "do you need one?" and my answer is a simple one, "No but I want one," and I feel that it is the answer that will be echoed around the country and perhaps the world. Unfortunately, residing in the UK is going to really test my patience having to wait for the ever vague release date of "Late April" but I am hoping and expecting for details of the UK release and pricing to be revealed to the world either tomorrow on the US release or within a week from that.
So what do I think of it then?
Well it's not going to take a genius to understand that I love the idea of it (although I have not had the pleasure of using one yet) bu there is no point in me telling you "I love it...I love it...I love it," without backing up my opinion.
For those who don't know, I am currently a student and am typing this away on my laptop computer which I used to carry with me to every single lesson/lecture that I had to attend. This of course was great and convenient when I was living in halls on campus, where my lessons would be at most a minute's walk away, but then this year after I moved out of halls into a student house, my walks became considerably longer. My previous hop-skip and jump across the road with a laptop bag over my shoulder has since turned into a 15-20 minute trek from the town centre and it has been since then that I have discovered a major flaw in laptop computers. They are supposed to be portable and convenient which it is but it's not very good at it. I mean yes I can move it around my house with no problem and yes I can take it out and about with me to and from university but by the end of the day with that bag slung over my shoulder, they ache like hell! Naturally after a while, those achey shoulders became the curse of my day and now my laptop computer most of the time remains at home. So that would be point number one...the iPad is light and alot more portable and will literally be able to be taken with you everywhere what with it's A4 paper size.
But what about a netbook? Well, I'm not going to back myself up properly with this...I'm just going to say now, they do not appeal to me. For no real reason at all, that's just the bare truth of it. And for those who the iPad just does not appeal to for no real reason I say, fair enough. Anyhow, back to the iPad.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="485" caption="The future of computers?"]
[/caption]
There have been some major criticisms of the iPad. Some deem it to be nothing more than a massive iPod touch. I'm not going to lie to you, that is exactly what I thought when I first saw it and frequently told people who were aware of it that I just quite frankly did not get it. Then I looked into it and saw some massive things in it's future. You see that for me is where the appeal is...my girlfriend keeps telling me, "it doesn't do anything thatyour iPhone can't do!" and yes, she is right. Sort of.
I didn't have an iPhone at the beginning, in fact back then I didn't even appreciate Apple. I never liked Mac and I certainly didn't appreciate the overpriced mp3 players that they were selling (and to most degrees I still don't like the standard ipods). In the beginning however I have reason to believe there was no such thing as the app store. The iphone could browse the web, check your emails, keep your calendar and make phone call and send/recieve texts. I believe that was about it. But let's not beat around the bush here, with the introduction of new software for it, the iphone revolutionized the mobile phone industry. Since, many companies have tried to create touch screen "smart-phones" but they all pale in comparison to the iphone which has been one step ahead of the game from the off. I think this shall be the same for the iPad.
And yes, I am aware that tablet computers are not new by any means and that they have been marketed in the past and flopped. But Apple have made some decisions that no one else did. From what I have seen with touch-screen tablet computers of the past is that they have merely taken a standard PC operating system and chucked it onto the tablet. However such systems were not designed for touch in mind. The iphone OS however has been tried and tested for several year on the iphone and to great success. It was designed for touch screen interaction and so it is only fitting that software designed for that purpose in mind be used for that purpose. The old tablets as far as I am concerned were trying to put a square peg into a round hole.
Also, this may partly be because of my age when some of the previous tablets came out, but I'm not sure much of the world were really aware of tablet computers. They certainly weren't marketed in a way that a non-techy would have heard about it. This is where Apple are beginning to suceed where others have failed. Apple in the last decade have begun to make themselves aware to people who don'y understand computer software. Apple is not about what something can do, but more about how easy and simple it is to do it. (And I am not saying this as a fan-boy just to put it out there now. Until to years ago I was completely anti-apple.) So by marketing themselves in such a way, they have managed to grab the attention of the biggest market possible. The every day consumer, a market microsoft have tried and failed to tap into. Once they had done that, the pieces were set to make their move and turn a very niche and unsuccessful market into one that suddenly, every person may one day want to be a part of.
And the reaction of the computer industry proves it. Since January 28th (the iPad unveiling) several of the largest computer corporations have announced that they too will be releasing a tablet style computer. Coincidence? I think not. Will the iPad blow them out of the water? Who knows but if the iPhone is anything to go by then probably. At least for the next 5 or 6 years.
There are three main issues that people are also having with the iPad, claiming that it is lacking certain features.
LACKING #1: The Ever Essential Camera!
Since the birth of the camera phone in the early Noughties, most electronical devices worth their weight have had some form of camera on it. The iPad however does not! (SHOCK HORROR!). I just don't get why it is such a big deal to be honest. I don't need a camera on it, I don't want one on it. I have about 3 or 4 digital cameras across different devices and I have no need for another one. I can email myself the photos I need, download them from the internet or upload them straight onto the iPad using the camera connection kit that is an optional purchase, all of which (or at least some of which) will be a perfectly viable option to most people who will be in a position to want/purchase an iPad. Besides, do you really want to take a photo with a device that's bigger than your head? I don't think so.
LACKING #2: No Multi-Tasking
Okay, I can kind of see the issue here but is it really that big of a deal? Most people's complaints are along the lines of not being able to listen to music whilst doing other things. This is only partially true. The ipod app that is built in will allow you to do that, it is only the third party apps such as Spotify which will not allow you to do that. Also, the iphone OS is half-way there. Most apps remember where you were when you return to the home and once they are opened again return you to the last page you were on. Although I must admit this is not always the case. But also think about the advantages to not having multi-tasking. My main issue with my laptop is how sluggish it can get with the many many programs that run in the background consuming CPU as well as the CPU hogging programs I may have opened myself. Quickly I find myself sighing waiting for something simple to load. This should not be happening on the iPad with one program at a time. Also, one issue I have had when using my laptop at uni is how long I have to wait for my laptop to boot up (even from standby). Let's face it, the lecturer is not going to waste everyone's time waiting for me to load my computer up. With the ipad, push a button and slide a slider and I'll be ready to go, rather than waiting for it to load these multiple and once again CPU hogging background programs. Besides, if Apple feels it really is important for users to get multi-tasking, I see a software update on the horizon so is it really an issue with the actual device or just the software that could be changed?
LACKING #3: No Flash
Most of what I said about multi-tasking can be said here. Flash hogs CPU and if Apple feels that it is completely necessary then a software update will arrive but with HTML5 on the horizon and Apple pushing for it to become utilised by most corporate websites I don't think it will be an issue for too long.
So really, if the iPad doesn't appeal to you then fair enough, but if you intend to tear it apart with criticisms then really think about it carefully. Would it really be an improvement to have a camera, flash and multi-tasking? Maybe...but I don't think it would be a significant enough difference to make or break the product. My advice, think about the product's future and potential rather than what it does now. Some people may disagree with my and that's fair enough, everyone can have their own opinion but I feel that this truely will set the stage for the future of computing and I will be getting one and when I do, I'll let you know if it was worth the wait or not.
I'm not going to lie to you, I want one and intend to get one as soon as is physically and financially possible for me to do so. I keep getting asked the frequent question "do you need one?" and my answer is a simple one, "No but I want one," and I feel that it is the answer that will be echoed around the country and perhaps the world. Unfortunately, residing in the UK is going to really test my patience having to wait for the ever vague release date of "Late April" but I am hoping and expecting for details of the UK release and pricing to be revealed to the world either tomorrow on the US release or within a week from that.
So what do I think of it then?
Well it's not going to take a genius to understand that I love the idea of it (although I have not had the pleasure of using one yet) bu there is no point in me telling you "I love it...I love it...I love it," without backing up my opinion.
For those who don't know, I am currently a student and am typing this away on my laptop computer which I used to carry with me to every single lesson/lecture that I had to attend. This of course was great and convenient when I was living in halls on campus, where my lessons would be at most a minute's walk away, but then this year after I moved out of halls into a student house, my walks became considerably longer. My previous hop-skip and jump across the road with a laptop bag over my shoulder has since turned into a 15-20 minute trek from the town centre and it has been since then that I have discovered a major flaw in laptop computers. They are supposed to be portable and convenient which it is but it's not very good at it. I mean yes I can move it around my house with no problem and yes I can take it out and about with me to and from university but by the end of the day with that bag slung over my shoulder, they ache like hell! Naturally after a while, those achey shoulders became the curse of my day and now my laptop computer most of the time remains at home. So that would be point number one...the iPad is light and alot more portable and will literally be able to be taken with you everywhere what with it's A4 paper size.
But what about a netbook? Well, I'm not going to back myself up properly with this...I'm just going to say now, they do not appeal to me. For no real reason at all, that's just the bare truth of it. And for those who the iPad just does not appeal to for no real reason I say, fair enough. Anyhow, back to the iPad.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="485" caption="The future of computers?"]
[/caption]There have been some major criticisms of the iPad. Some deem it to be nothing more than a massive iPod touch. I'm not going to lie to you, that is exactly what I thought when I first saw it and frequently told people who were aware of it that I just quite frankly did not get it. Then I looked into it and saw some massive things in it's future. You see that for me is where the appeal is...my girlfriend keeps telling me, "it doesn't do anything thatyour iPhone can't do!" and yes, she is right. Sort of.
I didn't have an iPhone at the beginning, in fact back then I didn't even appreciate Apple. I never liked Mac and I certainly didn't appreciate the overpriced mp3 players that they were selling (and to most degrees I still don't like the standard ipods). In the beginning however I have reason to believe there was no such thing as the app store. The iphone could browse the web, check your emails, keep your calendar and make phone call and send/recieve texts. I believe that was about it. But let's not beat around the bush here, with the introduction of new software for it, the iphone revolutionized the mobile phone industry. Since, many companies have tried to create touch screen "smart-phones" but they all pale in comparison to the iphone which has been one step ahead of the game from the off. I think this shall be the same for the iPad.
And yes, I am aware that tablet computers are not new by any means and that they have been marketed in the past and flopped. But Apple have made some decisions that no one else did. From what I have seen with touch-screen tablet computers of the past is that they have merely taken a standard PC operating system and chucked it onto the tablet. However such systems were not designed for touch in mind. The iphone OS however has been tried and tested for several year on the iphone and to great success. It was designed for touch screen interaction and so it is only fitting that software designed for that purpose in mind be used for that purpose. The old tablets as far as I am concerned were trying to put a square peg into a round hole.
Also, this may partly be because of my age when some of the previous tablets came out, but I'm not sure much of the world were really aware of tablet computers. They certainly weren't marketed in a way that a non-techy would have heard about it. This is where Apple are beginning to suceed where others have failed. Apple in the last decade have begun to make themselves aware to people who don'y understand computer software. Apple is not about what something can do, but more about how easy and simple it is to do it. (And I am not saying this as a fan-boy just to put it out there now. Until to years ago I was completely anti-apple.) So by marketing themselves in such a way, they have managed to grab the attention of the biggest market possible. The every day consumer, a market microsoft have tried and failed to tap into. Once they had done that, the pieces were set to make their move and turn a very niche and unsuccessful market into one that suddenly, every person may one day want to be a part of.
And the reaction of the computer industry proves it. Since January 28th (the iPad unveiling) several of the largest computer corporations have announced that they too will be releasing a tablet style computer. Coincidence? I think not. Will the iPad blow them out of the water? Who knows but if the iPhone is anything to go by then probably. At least for the next 5 or 6 years.
There are three main issues that people are also having with the iPad, claiming that it is lacking certain features.
LACKING #1: The Ever Essential Camera!
Since the birth of the camera phone in the early Noughties, most electronical devices worth their weight have had some form of camera on it. The iPad however does not! (SHOCK HORROR!). I just don't get why it is such a big deal to be honest. I don't need a camera on it, I don't want one on it. I have about 3 or 4 digital cameras across different devices and I have no need for another one. I can email myself the photos I need, download them from the internet or upload them straight onto the iPad using the camera connection kit that is an optional purchase, all of which (or at least some of which) will be a perfectly viable option to most people who will be in a position to want/purchase an iPad. Besides, do you really want to take a photo with a device that's bigger than your head? I don't think so.
LACKING #2: No Multi-Tasking
Okay, I can kind of see the issue here but is it really that big of a deal? Most people's complaints are along the lines of not being able to listen to music whilst doing other things. This is only partially true. The ipod app that is built in will allow you to do that, it is only the third party apps such as Spotify which will not allow you to do that. Also, the iphone OS is half-way there. Most apps remember where you were when you return to the home and once they are opened again return you to the last page you were on. Although I must admit this is not always the case. But also think about the advantages to not having multi-tasking. My main issue with my laptop is how sluggish it can get with the many many programs that run in the background consuming CPU as well as the CPU hogging programs I may have opened myself. Quickly I find myself sighing waiting for something simple to load. This should not be happening on the iPad with one program at a time. Also, one issue I have had when using my laptop at uni is how long I have to wait for my laptop to boot up (even from standby). Let's face it, the lecturer is not going to waste everyone's time waiting for me to load my computer up. With the ipad, push a button and slide a slider and I'll be ready to go, rather than waiting for it to load these multiple and once again CPU hogging background programs. Besides, if Apple feels it really is important for users to get multi-tasking, I see a software update on the horizon so is it really an issue with the actual device or just the software that could be changed?
LACKING #3: No Flash
Most of what I said about multi-tasking can be said here. Flash hogs CPU and if Apple feels that it is completely necessary then a software update will arrive but with HTML5 on the horizon and Apple pushing for it to become utilised by most corporate websites I don't think it will be an issue for too long.
So really, if the iPad doesn't appeal to you then fair enough, but if you intend to tear it apart with criticisms then really think about it carefully. Would it really be an improvement to have a camera, flash and multi-tasking? Maybe...but I don't think it would be a significant enough difference to make or break the product. My advice, think about the product's future and potential rather than what it does now. Some people may disagree with my and that's fair enough, everyone can have their own opinion but I feel that this truely will set the stage for the future of computing and I will be getting one and when I do, I'll let you know if it was worth the wait or not.
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