Technologizer has posted the results of a survey of iPad users.
I believe that my answers would have been similar for the most part.
I tried out the Notes app for the first time today, and I would have to agree that it was frustrating to use-- I couldn't figure out how to create a new note. I tapped on "New Note" in the left sidebar and I expected a cursor to appear in the ruled area. Nothing happened. I tapped in the ruled area and nothing happened. I quit the app and re-ran it and tried again. Nothing happened. And then suddenly, I got a cursor.
Very, very odd.
June 30, 2010
June 29, 2010
Importing websites as PDFs into iBooks
A nice hint on how to import a website (or other document) directly into iBooks via iTunes.
You can add your own PDFs by dropping them into the iTunes sidebar (I haven't been able to test whether they appear in iBooks yet because there are three kids fighting over the iPad.)
Update Jul 2: Managed to load PDFs into the iPad. Connect the iPad to the computer; in the iTunes sidebar, click on Books; drag and drop the PDF into the right-hand-side of iTunes. You must have iBooks 1.1 app for PDFs to work.
You can add your own PDFs by dropping them into the iTunes sidebar (I haven't been able to test whether they appear in iBooks yet because there are three kids fighting over the iPad.)
Update Jul 2: Managed to load PDFs into the iPad. Connect the iPad to the computer; in the iTunes sidebar, click on Books; drag and drop the PDF into the right-hand-side of iTunes. You must have iBooks 1.1 app for PDFs to work.
June 27, 2010
Take for Granted
take someone or something for granted: to expect someone or something to be always available
to serve in some way without thanks or recognition; to value someone or something too lightly.
--The Free Dictionary
to serve in some way without thanks or recognition; to value someone or something too lightly.
--The Free Dictionary
In the brief time I have used the iPad, I came to the realization that I have not been impressed with it-- there was never a "WOW!" moment. That's because IT JUST WORKS; it was designed to get out of my way and let me do my work (or play) without interfering with my enjoyment. It's the most perfect portable platform yet designed.
That is a remarkable achievement for a device that was born of countless hours of thoughtful fine tuning.
I would have to agree with Charlie Stross' essay about his experiences with the iPad after a month, especially when he says:
... this thing is roughly where the Macintosh was in late 1984. Which is to say, a lot of people don't get it, and think it's a toy — and in truth, there's a lot of stuff it doesn't do properly yet. But it's an astonishingly promising toy. And what it promises is an entirely new way of getting stuff done.The iPad in i's current state is a toy because we haven't become dependent on it (yet); we still use our Desktops (and remember that the iPad requires a Desktop for its existence). But one day those bonds will be cut and true freedom will prevail.
I look forward to that day.
June 25, 2010
June 24, 2010
Oh, Bother
Here I will collect a list of things that bother me, that could use improvement or that should be customizable on the iPad:
- Calendar: in month-view, the numbers are a) too small, b) low-contrast (light-grey on white); I would like the numbers to be bigger (there's no reason they can't be rendered in the background of each cell and the appointments for that day overlayed on top of them translucently). Update: Jul 1, 2010. Apple requested a screenshot be added to the bugreport.
- Movies: when I click on a movie, it opens an intermediate window with an informational screen on the left and the poster frame on the right. I would prefer if the movie started playing, bypassing the informational screen entirely, if there is no supplemental information available (I don't really care what the movie pixel-resolution is).
- Settings: In Calendar settings (IIRC) my timezone was set to Cupertino; the iPad has GPS, it should know where it is at all times. If I hadn't browsed through all the settings, I wouldn't have noticed it.
- Settings: Wallpaper: It would be nice if I could customize the lockscreen wallpaper with the contents of an album so a new, different image from the chosen album would appear every time the iPad was switched on.
- iPad: Battery-charge Indicator: When I asked my dad whether the iPad needed charging, he didn't know. I had to point out the location of the battery-charge indicator on the home screen.
- Calendar: "Page turning" feature request: I often find myself reaching for the bottom right of the calendar in month view and trying to turn the page to look at the next month. So I submitted a feature request. Update Jul 2, marked as duplicate by Apple.
Don't be Alarmed
I thought it would be a nice thing if I got the iPad to wake me up tomorrow morning.
Except that there isn't a clock/alarm clock app on the iPad (the iPhone has a Clock app).
Very odd.
Except that there isn't a clock/alarm clock app on the iPad (the iPhone has a Clock app).
Very odd.
June 23, 2010
First Impressions
I had no preconceptions when I took it out of the box last night but I thought it was heavier than I expected. It is definitely a noticeable weight in my shoulder bag, but it's not as heavy as my PowerBook and can easily see taking the iPad in to work with me everyday. I would not consider taking my PowerBook unless I was forced to.
This morning, when I dropped by my parent's place (the iPad was delivered there) my Mom mentioned that she was surprised that the FedEx delivery man knew it was an iPad. I told here that Apple is selling 1M iPads a month (Apple announced 3M in 80 days) so the FedEx delivery men were quite aware of the contents of the medium-sized boxes they were delivering.
I took the iPad to work today and activated it (in the future, the idea of connecting a portable computer to another computer to "activate" the first will seem quaint) via iTunes. I then proceeded to download all the free apps from my previous post (about 500MB).
Sitting at my desk and holding the iPad on my lap, I noticed that my wrist was getting sore and I had to consciously set it down (having to cross my legs to create a "stand" on my lap or leave it on the table and lean over it.
Later that evening, when I showed it to my brother, he said exactly the same thing-- that the iPad was smaller than expected.
There seems to be a perceptual disconnect between the size of the iPad as seen on TV or in a store and then seen in person, in a familiar setting.
The biggest annoyance I had (through no fault of the iPad) was having to re-connect to the campus-wide network after the iPad powered down; to re-establish network connectivity required logging in with a login and password EVERY TIME!
The departmental network only covers two floors of the building but the devices are added as static addresses (with a unique login and password) and the so connection has persistence.
This morning, when I dropped by my parent's place (the iPad was delivered there) my Mom mentioned that she was surprised that the FedEx delivery man knew it was an iPad. I told here that Apple is selling 1M iPads a month (Apple announced 3M in 80 days) so the FedEx delivery men were quite aware of the contents of the medium-sized boxes they were delivering.
I took the iPad to work today and activated it (in the future, the idea of connecting a portable computer to another computer to "activate" the first will seem quaint) via iTunes. I then proceeded to download all the free apps from my previous post (about 500MB).
Sitting at my desk and holding the iPad on my lap, I noticed that my wrist was getting sore and I had to consciously set it down (having to cross my legs to create a "stand" on my lap or leave it on the table and lean over it.
***
At work, one of my colleague's first impressions was, "It's smaller than I remember it from the store/on TV". I suggested that perhaps the store had put a security frame around it and he said no.Later that evening, when I showed it to my brother, he said exactly the same thing-- that the iPad was smaller than expected.
There seems to be a perceptual disconnect between the size of the iPad as seen on TV or in a store and then seen in person, in a familiar setting.
***
Yesterday, my boss asked me whether I would buy an iPad for myself, I told him I couldn't conceive of a use for it. The next day I had a better response-- I would buy an iPad when either Photoshop Elements or Lightroom were available on it so I could use it for my photography; currently, the primary use of my PowerBook.The biggest annoyance I had (through no fault of the iPad) was having to re-connect to the campus-wide network after the iPad powered down; to re-establish network connectivity required logging in with a login and password EVERY TIME!
The departmental network only covers two floors of the building but the devices are added as static addresses (with a unique login and password) and the so connection has persistence.
***
Currently, my carrying case is the large, padded manila envelope that apple shipped my 3G SIM in and I wrap the iPad in a small towel (which I carry with me anyway, ever since I learned of Towel Day) before inserting it in the envelope.
I am intrigued by a line of slipcases made by Waterfield.
I am intrigued by a line of slipcases made by Waterfield.
June 20, 2010
Tracking the iPad Shipment
- Jun 18, 8:12 PM: left Shenzen, China;
- Jun 18, 1:01 PM: arrived in Anchorage, Alaska;
- Jun 18, 4:57 PM: the brokerage paperwork in Canada was processed;
- Jun 19, 9:17 PM: it left Alaska;
- Jun 20, 6:23 AM: arrived in Memphis, Tennessee where it now sits.
Updates:
- Jun 20, 4:18 PM: it left Memphis and is in transit;
- Jun 21, 11:00PM: still in transit, it's been more than 24 hours and the tracking information is unchanged;
- Jun 22, 6:19 AM: arrived at the sorting facility;
- Jun 22, 8:14 AM: arrived at the local FedEx facility;
- Jun 22, 9:23 AM: On FedEx vehicle for delivery;
- Jun 22, 11:03 AM: DELIVERED!
June 18, 2010
iPad Apps
I've made a preliminary list of iPad Apps I might install (in categories I find interesting and the kids might find entertaining; apps are free unless price is stated):
(Update: added Weather Channel, Bloomberg, PCalc and Compass.)
(Update: added Skype, which permits calls over 3G for a limited time.)
Update Jun 24, 2010. List of (mostly) free iPhone app reviews (not iPad). I find iPhone apps unusable on the iPad in the 1X size and the blurriness in 2X mode gives me eye-strain and a headache (my experience playing with the Skype app) though playing Angry Birds Lite doesn't seem to bother the kids.
A list of 25 free iPad Apps. Some more iPad games:
- Google Earth (mapping)
- Adobe Ideas 1.0 for iPad (drawing)
- Koi Pond HD (show-off $1.99); Pocket Pond HD (show-off) [popular with the youngest kid]
- Drawing Pad (art, $1.99)
- Doodle Buddy for iPad (art)
- BeatWave (music)
- Friend Sheep HD [deleted; too complicated], Angry Birds Lite [popular with the kids; considering paying for full version], Shape Builder Lite , Labyrinth 2 HD Lite [popular with the kids] (games);
- The Solitaire (card game) [excellent for a free game (occasional ad for aother app by same author between levels; highly recommended]
- tChessLite (game, $.99)
- Dragon Dictation (show-off speech to text) [excellent speech-to-text; deleted because it doesn't work offline]
- The Elements (chemistry; show-off , $13.99);
- Epicurious (cooking)
- Wikipanion for iPad (utility)
- Guardian Eyewitness (news photos)
- ImdB (utility)
- WeatherBug Elite (utility); Weather Channel Max (crashes on startup)
- Toy Story Read-Along (kids)
- Jumbo Calculator (utility); PCalc Lite
- Bloomberg for iPad (utility, stocks)
- Compass HD (utility)
- Skype (iPhone utility)
(Update: added Weather Channel, Bloomberg, PCalc and Compass.)
(Update: added Skype, which permits calls over 3G for a limited time.)
Update Jun 24, 2010. List of (mostly) free iPhone app reviews (not iPad). I find iPhone apps unusable on the iPad in the 1X size and the blurriness in 2X mode gives me eye-strain and a headache (my experience playing with the Skype app) though playing Angry Birds Lite doesn't seem to bother the kids.
A list of 25 free iPad Apps. Some more iPad games:
- Mahjong Artifacts: Chapter 2 HD Free App (game) [deleted, found Mahjong Lite, Aug. 6, 2010]
- Glass Tower 2 (game)
- Gemmed! Lite (Bejeweled clone)
- TeragatiFree (accelerometer-based video game) [engrossing, made it to level 3]
- Levers (physics balancing game) [engrossing; starts from the beginning every time]
- FW Sampler (pre-school spelling game; bought full version $4.99)
- Alphabet Racing (pre-school letter-writing game)
- AliceLite (animated Alice in Wonderland; show-off) [deleted, uninteresting]
- SkyORB 3D Lite (astronomy app) [deleted, installed GoSkyWatch and Planets]
June 17, 2010
iPad Delivery Advanced
I received an email today informing me that my iPad had shipped with an expected delivery date of June 21, though FedEx tracking says delivers by June 23.
Woohoo!
Delivery was originally scheduled for June 29.
Woohoo!
Delivery was originally scheduled for June 29.
June 12, 2010
iPod Touch
I was expecting an announcement of the next revision of the iPod Touch during Jobs' WWDC keynote. I expected it to have either a 2MP camera (last year's model that never was) or to have the iPhone's 5MP camera.
Now there are a few possibilities for when the next revision will be announced:
A 2011 announcement could mean the iPod touch will transform into a smaller iPad, perhaps in a 5x7 form factor.
Now there are a few possibilities for when the next revision will be announced:
- The announcement will be in the September/October with the other iPod devices.
- The announcement will be in January 2011 when the revised iPad is announced.
A 2011 announcement could mean the iPod touch will transform into a smaller iPad, perhaps in a 5x7 form factor.
June 11, 2010
Proof that it's 1984 all over again
The iPad fits perfectly inside the gutted case of a Macintosh Classic.
Doing the Math on the iPhone 4 Retina Display
Phil Plait does the math on Steve Job's claim that the new iPhone display exceeds the eye's ability to resolve individual pixels.
...if you have perfect eyesight, then at one foot away the iPhone 4’s pixels are resolved. The picture will look pixellated. If you have average eyesight, the picture will look just fine.
June 10, 2010
ATT website breached to expose iPad ICC-ID and subscriber information
A vulnerability was exploited on an AT&T website to harvest iPad 3G ICC-ID along with the respective subscriber's name and email address for several thousand subscribers.
June 8, 2010
iPad Ordered
Product Name: IPAD WI-FI + 3G 64GB-CAN
Product Number: MC497C/A
Unit Price: $879.00
Qty: 1
Subtotal: $879.00
Ships: 22 Jun
Delivers: 29 Jun
I didn't order the CCK as it ships in 4-6 weeks. Total, with AppleCare and taxes CAD$1,119.78
Product Number: MC497C/A
Unit Price: $879.00
Qty: 1
Subtotal: $879.00
Ships: 22 Jun
Delivers: 29 Jun
I didn't order the CCK as it ships in 4-6 weeks. Total, with AppleCare and taxes CAD$1,119.78
Gadget-spotting: Kindle: 2, iPad: 0 (and Out of Stock)
This year, I have seen a total of 3 Kindles, all on the GO train and more importantly, during non-rush hour when there are fewer people on the train; and a total of 0 iPads.
My boss has seen 1 iPad during the first week they were available in the U.S and none since then.
This morning, I popped into the Eaton Centre iStore with a shopping list, printed from the online iStore: it included a 64GB-Wifi+3G iPad (with a Rogers microSIM card costing $.20), a Camera Connection Kit, and AppleCare (CAD$1,203.20).
The closest match for my shopping list the sales-guy had, is a 64GB WiFi with AppleCare. He couldn't tell me when new stock would arrive or whether I was better off buying online (the better choice in my opinion as both the online orders and the iStore shipments are fulfilled at the suicide factory in Shanghai).
I told him I would order online because I didn't want to come back to the store.
From my brief observations during the 3 minutes I was there, the iStore was packed, every station was occupied except for the kids section. Tthere were two sales-droids free, and I didn't notice sales of any kind.
My boss has seen 1 iPad during the first week they were available in the U.S and none since then.
This morning, I popped into the Eaton Centre iStore with a shopping list, printed from the online iStore: it included a 64GB-Wifi+3G iPad (with a Rogers microSIM card costing $.20), a Camera Connection Kit, and AppleCare (CAD$1,203.20).
The closest match for my shopping list the sales-guy had, is a 64GB WiFi with AppleCare. He couldn't tell me when new stock would arrive or whether I was better off buying online (the better choice in my opinion as both the online orders and the iStore shipments are fulfilled at the suicide factory in Shanghai).
I told him I would order online because I didn't want to come back to the store.
From my brief observations during the 3 minutes I was there, the iStore was packed, every station was occupied except for the kids section. Tthere were two sales-droids free, and I didn't notice sales of any kind.
June 3, 2010
A few iPad limitations photographers will encounter
I was trying to anticipate the problems I would encounter when loading photos onto my iPad; e.g. would I have to resize the images (there's not point displaying a 15MP images on an XGA resolution screen) before loading them or would they be automatically be resized? The answer is that iTunes automatically resizes them.
I came across this letter from the president of camerabits, a popular photo application, which lists, in excrutiating detail, several deficiencies of the iPad when dealing with photos.
Another deficiency is that iPhoto keywords do not sync to the iPhone/Touch/iPad.
It's possible that one or more of these will be addressed with OS 4.
I came across this letter from the president of camerabits, a popular photo application, which lists, in excrutiating detail, several deficiencies of the iPad when dealing with photos.
Another deficiency is that iPhoto keywords do not sync to the iPhone/Touch/iPad.
It's possible that one or more of these will be addressed with OS 4.