IPad experience exploitation and reflections on the theme of its usefulness

For more than four months, I use 64-gigabyte iPad model and during that time managed to make personal opinions about it, as well as to determine the place to this gadget in your personal life and work. Yes, he was indeed a convenient working tool, but let's talk about everything in order.

Design, body materials, tactile feel

Repeated appearance of the gadget makes no sense, what does he look like and everyone knows that. In the photos, too, all clearly visible. More importantly, how this thing feels in your hands. Well there, I tell you. Not for nothing that Apple's chief designer Jonathan Ive (Jonathan Ive) in his public speeches often focused on the fact that the development of design of new devices is taken into account not only the appearance and shape, but also tactile sensations user. The way the device is in the hands and felt like housing materials.

iPad body is made of aluminum, covered with a glass screen coated with oleophobic, on which the finger slides well, and is easily cleaned from dirt and grease. A cooling hand metal, glass smooth, slim body and its shape with smooth, rounded lines - all this makes the work with the tablet enjoyable, gives a feeling that lies in the hands of cool expensive thing. No squeaks, no backlash - monolith. For the design and materials of Apple Corps, you can put a solid top five.

Although there are, in this case, one pitfall - the tablet does not want to dress up in all sorts of cases. I should mention that to me is here's "unwillingness" it did not come immediately. I have already painted detail all applied gadget protection methods previously - this pasting films and the use of the original and alternate covers. Now I use a film on the back panel covers from the abandoned altogether. The original cover of Apple's certainly nice and thin, but when the tablet in it, lost all those "kayfovye" feeling that I described above. This is not the iPad, but simply a functional touch screen in your hands. Macally case not so tight secret charms of the tablet and when it is used a bit of pleasant tactile sensations still fall to, but it makes the device considerably larger and heavier. By the way, the original Apple iPad Case is also a thing quite weighty.

I plan to just get any type of handbag Sleeve, or "leather envelope". Sometimes, we have to carry the device in a backpack in which case extra protection can not hurt. At home, the same conditions, if the rear panel has a film, it will damage the cabinet will not be easy, and the glass is also not particularly susceptible to scratches.

As for the tablet mass, then 680 grams in his hand felt very good. With one hand for a long time did not hold in the air, but the two - well. For myself, I found the most convenient way to consume content through the iPad - reclining on the couch, leaning device on the chest or abdomen.

hardware features

One of the major hardware features of the iPad - a time of its battery life. The tablet is actually able to play the video for 10 hours, and even more, although 11-12 hours - it limit for the plate at the operating screen, regardless of the load, whether it's reading, surfing the web or games. In any case, the outstanding figure. Given the workload, which I was subjected tablet charge it is necessary to no more than once every 3-4 days.

I want to draw attention to the built-in speaker. He is powerful and cool, even comparable with the acoustics in the individual according to his ability 13-inch MacBook Pro. Its capacity is sufficient for watching movies without headphones, listening to music in the background, a quality scoring games. But there is one caveat - the standard system sounds seem very quiet. If the room is quiet, they are more or less well-heard, but in the presence of even a small external noise sound print on-screen keyboard, for example, already difficult to hear.

Home button, lock and screen-saver, adjust volume, works well, there is a clear click - like it. Lever to lock the screen rotation is also good, but I would like him still hang off option sound, which, incidentally, done in the firmware 4.2. Block accelerometer, as it turned out, not much is required often. More important for me to quickly lower the volume level, and to do so on the iPad with iOS 3.2.x uncomfortable. It is necessary to repeatedly press the volume rocker, as if to pinch her, the sound is muted entirely.

It is impossible not to mention the display with touch panel - they are smart. Analogues image quality among portable device is not present, except iPhone 4 but this gadget is a slightly different plan. However, thanks to the high resolution display it, with some reservations, can replace the plate, but I'll explain next time. So, iPad, its display based on IPS technology and high-quality capacitive touch panel control with three chips instead of one provides a really cool experience of consuming content. Excellent color reproduction, maximum viewing angles, sensitively responsive touch interface - competitors will be hard to fight with Apple in the tablet market, as they are used to "save on matches." The matrix will deliver cheaper, it will save on the touch panel, it does not use the best quality plastic housing, a metal in general is usually out of the question.

On the subject of this part of the survey will add that sun screen behaves well, the image remains discernible, although starts to exert its own physiognomy, vigorously is reflected by the protective glass screen. To solve the problem, it is enough to get away from direct sunlight somewhere Tenek.

Software and work with them

iPad can be used for many purposes and accordingly replaces the many specialized gadgets. This internet tablet, and E-Reader, and portable media players, and game consoles, and electronic organizer. All of these functions it performs well, although there are certain nuances. Nevertheless, there is a general integrity when hardware and software components are harmoniously combined into one device that distinguishes Apple products from many competing solutions.

You can even think that in the case of the Apple tablet was able to avoid the fate of "worst-first", but because the iPad - a not the first "pancake". It should take into account the vast experience gained by the company during the development and promotion of the iPhone, and iOS, which formed the basis for the tablet. The company only offered what they wanted, many iPhone users, making sure that the device with a touchscreen interface can be really easy to use. And they wanted, including the author of this narrative, all the same, that is, "apple" phone, but on the big screen. There were and are, of course, wishing to get a computer in the form of a tablet, but at the moment quality alternatives that they were compact and functional and comfortable to use - no. I think, iPad stands in the same foothold, which will eventually grow into a new PC format full multi-tasking operating system, which use for business purposes will be even better than today laptop. But until that time, even several generations of iOS and iPad. In the meantime, let's see what we have now.

Surfing the web using a tablet version of Safari, I would say even more convenient than using the laptop for these purposes and any computer browser. Although the mode of "Text Only" in Safari 5 proved to be very good, something that would not stop, and in the younger version of the program. Application works quickly, scrolling and smooth zuming pages are displayed correctly, but there are some nuances. They are more concerned with filling the tablet hardware than software flaw. The fact is that if you open several heavy pages, the same big "zhelezyachnye" reviews from Macradar, and move between them, the pages will be loaded again, and not to open the cache. It takes time and pretty annoying. The same thing happens when you visit a blog with a lot of materials on the same page. Opens in a new window, news, read it, go back to the main page in another window, and it starts to re-boot.

This is not observed in the iPhone 3GS and it does not have in the iPhone 4. In the first case, the page rendered in a resolution of 320 × 480 pixels and 256 MB RAM in the phone is enough to keep in mind some heavy pages. In a second - higher resolution (640 × 960 dots), but twice as much RAM - 512 MB. The iPad only 256 MB of RAM, and this is clearly not enough for the Safari works in 1024x768 pixels with several large pages simultaneously. Several times even the program itself was closed, which was observed on some articles from Mobile-review with a particularly large number of illustrations. As far as I know, the automatic closing of the application in iOS occurs when RAM is full. I really hope that iOS 4.2 will fix this flaw in software, otherwise you'll have even more eagerly await the new generation iPad with a larger amount of RAM.

View video the tablet is also very happy, but somewhat smeared positive impression of the need to convert the whole content. The first time I just been doing, trying nakonvertirovat everything and more, in the future, so to speak. But it bothered with the time, and later found an elegant solution in the form of applications Air Video. The program allows you to broadcast any video content from any PC on the home network regardless of the video format. Conversion takes place "on the fly". As a result, the entire media library of a large home PC was also available to the iPad.

Photo album and a picture frame mode in the apparatus very very much. In principle, with iPad and digital copies of the photos of the old paper albums and pictures can be sent in a closet.

Special attention is given a slideshow mode with the use of their music and spetsefektov transition between photos. The only negative - the fear of photos viewed on the iPad with his young son in his arms. This boy six months old now awaiting the appearance of their first teeth, whereby a copious salivation. Ordinary photo album saliva is not terrible, but the high-tech piece of iron water still afraid.

And still can not help but recall how crooked organized view photos in popular portable mediapreere earlier Cowon Q5W, owner of which I have been for several months. The strong curvature looks against the iPad. Still cool "iron" - it is only half the story, and not always in charge. Equally important is the software that Apple has always understood.

iTunes music playerThat looks very similar to its PC counterpart, seldom. Sometimes I turn something pleasant and does not load in the reading time. Still, iPad is too big a thing to use it as an MP3-player.

One of the most important functions for me in the plate - it's E-Reader. iBooks - high quality and very beautiful program, and their perceptions of its use, I quite vividly described in article entitled the first impression of the tablet. Here is a little quote here:

"It is difficult to convey these feelings, and, most likely, they are very individual, but reading on the iPad, I felt as a child, when, he ran home from the bookstore with only the acquisition and long-awaited small volume, I flopped on the couch for hours fell into the fantastic world of the book. "

Moreover, with time the application has got options for viewing PDF-files, and I'm happy to rewrite your electronic copy of the magazine GoodReader in iBooks. When you first open the magazine 10 seconds of his program to "digest" and retarding, but after processing the first few pages, she begins to function adequately and very nice: smooth zoom and scrolling, a quick transition between pages, simple and convenient interface.

By the way, after the appearance of iPad, to its previous favorite, PocketBook 360 °, used for reading at home, I did not return. Although he and the display E-Ink, and weight less, and in one hand to keep it easy and convenient, but still more than the soul is to the iPad and iBooks. In addition, a very handy feature bookmark sync via iTunes account. The way I read on the iPhone 4, and in the phone book is opened from the place where I finished reading on a tablet. Back home, I take the hands of the plate and continue to read from the same place, where he graduated from the phone. With the PocketBook 360 ° constantly had to search for the page you want is sometimes annoying. Especially when until you find the right place in the book of the phone, and the bus has come and it's time to go - read did not work, just search.

Mail client also in the tablet it is very convenient. The only thing missing - a support postal flows, both in the computer version of Mail.app (when case letters are combined into a single stream), but it is temporary. The iPhone 4 with iOS 4.1 installed, this function is already there, and will appear on the iPad with iOS 4.2 release in November.

Games - another important, well-organized and implemented iPad side. Particularly successful sorts arcades (Fruit Ninja, Labyrinth 2 HD, MX Mayhem, Canabalt, Sparkle HD, Pinball HD), scrolling shooters (AirAttack HD, Roswell Fighter HD, Meteor Blitz, Radiant HD), logic, and the like of the game (Azkend HD, Angry Birds HD, Geared HD, Cogs HD), strategy (Settlers HD, C & C Red Alert), as well as a host of other products. A lot of really high-quality games, play them with great pleasure, and most importantly - it does not strain the brain, which in the end of the working day for the laptop over the news after a long sitting, and articles are no longer enough for heaped and complex game projects for PC. (Batman: Arkham Asylum try to get by with the release of this game on the PC, incomparable thing, so then no, then forces. But the "old man» Radeon HD 4870 has already begun to take the other day shift at the GeForce GTX 470, it can give the stimulus and still I shall finish the game and, finally, look at the great physical effects).

iPad as a work tool

It's funny that the first thing, as soon as personal iPad appeared, I bought it for Pages, but that's only really use the word processor only started a couple of weeks ago. Prior to that, all my work on the tablet was only in mail processing, browsing sites on this topic, but writing articles on the topic of a particular product for the tablet, which it, of course, were tested. But we must admit that the life of me gadget eased noticeably.

Here is a simple example. Many freelancers whose work is connected with a permanent seat for the PC and a laptop, often from morning till night, you know how hard prodirat eyes early in the morning and continue to run again. The brain needs sleep and that's confusing thoughts and clouding his mind. All these unpleasant moments, of course, be overcome. We just have to force yourself to get out of bed, wash with cold water, "pull" a cup of tea or coffee break and if I slept at least six hours, in principle, will be fully operational. But try to make myself get up! It's so... not even hard, and tyayayayazhkoooo! As a result, it is possible and a half hour lain hour and even (if the schedule can be subjected to densification) and then start to work in jobs involving all hands full, wide-eyed, trying to catch profukali in bed time.

But next to the bed iPad are now settled. Before going to bed nice to read an interesting book or watch a favorite TV series, and in the morning is not particularly straining to lend a hand to the tablet, turn on and view the mail. While flipping electronic correspondence, the body finally throws off the remnants of sleep and the brain starts to work actively. As a result, those duty half an hour, in which usually fighting with a forcing stand, carried out with the use, and then, without much effort, mental and physical strength, it is already possible to go to lunch and start the usual working day. Of course, it is possible that something like this to do with a laptop, but this desire I have never encountered. It's heavy (2 kg), have not worked with him reclining, and afraid to drag him asleep in bed, still can not be kept in little hands and dropped weakened from the night.

And recently I began to actively use the Pages in the plate. In the morning you can not get out of bed, came in the mail edit texts and prepare them for publication through a laptop, as well, while on business in the city, when you have somewhere to wait for something, iPad allows you the benefit of spending time writing articles. For example, half of this article, and before that her plan had been made on the tablet. While working on it, I was in the pool, which drove the eldest son, and waited until the end of his lesson, and in the pizzeria, where he expected to prepare ordered takeaway meals. Personal vehicles do not have, and to carry a laptop much napryazhno than compact and lightweight iPad. Yes, and it is more convenient to get the tablet out of a small bag and immediately start working with him than to pull out backpack MacBook Pro, unbutton the cover, open the laptop, enter a password, and only after that to start to the case. Although this is only my personal experience and that of other people, it can be completely different. I should add that the onscreen keyboard is quite comfortable and the speed of typing on it I have not much lower than on the hardware keyboard. There are some nuances, such as the lack of a point and a comma in the Russian layout, it is necessary to switch to the characters section, but you get used to it quickly.

What is missing

For work are lacking multitasking. Applications on the iPad run very fast, but still it would be faster to switch between them. The wait is not long - released iOS 4.2 for the tablet will be my happiness in November.

I would like a better system of checking Russian spelling, but this is a common problem not only for the tablet, but also Mac OS X as a whole. I hope that someday Apple will finalize the OS built-in function to the level of that of the Russian Windows-based version MS Office. Another good idea would be "bolted" to iOS certain analogue Dictionary.app with the ability to connect to his own word.

It is a dream that someday there will be alternative keyboard layouts. It is now available on-screen keyboard allows you to type with two hands or, if the iPad is on your lap or on a table or hold the tablet in one hand, and the second print. Naturally in the latter case a set rate is greatly reduced. But if you divide the keyboard into two parts, to reduce the keys and place them under the thumbs, then it would be to hold the device in both hands and quickly typing.

Alternative virtual keyboard layout for example Toshiba Libretto W100

Playback function unconverted video is also very interesting, but this is easily remedied. Already there are alternative players, quite reasonably reproducing the most common video formats and allowing cast videos through iTunes (only minus is that the entire video content falls and back copy). Among them can highlight OPlayer HD. A problem with the broadcast video to the tablet via Wi-Fi, as I wrote above, I do not exist.

What we have in the end

the iPad - a very high quality and reliable thing. Often those who shout about the misery of the tablet, its high cost and limitations of software, or a device in the eye does not see, or We see, but not touch, or simply do not have the opportunity to buy it, and strongly want and soothe themselves, pouring negative in forums comments. Notice, I did not put a one size fits all. Still, everyone has their own needs, but what I wrote above, takes place in more than once convinced personally.

This is the first gadget of its kind, and people do not always understand why it is needed, what to do. I'm not quite sure when I bought it myself, but eventually the application is. iPad entertains, helps to work, makes life better, work more efficiently and makes good use of the time that is usually wasted.

In the future there will be more interesting and functional devices, iOS pereterpit number of qualitative changes, add new features, the market will start the competition and the users will have a choice. But the iPad has been a pioneer and showed other companies, to which we should strive, I launched a wave of excitement and pushed major players in the market of consumer electronics to the development of similar devices and the development of this directions. If only for this Apple in general and in particular the first tablet stand respect even rabid haters "apple" products.