I have now been using my shiny new iPad 3G for a week, and I’m just going to come out and say it: I love the freaking thing. However, just because I love it doesn’t mean I’m head over heals for it; I love it like I love a slacker friend who sleeps on my couch. I want to hang around him because he’s fun, but at the same time I want to slap the crap out of him and tell him he should be doing something with his life. Unfortunately, while Apple overwhelmingly got things right with the iPad the devil is in the details and in the details is where my love affair with the iPad turns ugly.
Out of the box, the iPad is running at about 40% of it’s overall potential. The iPad as Apple knows it, is simply a blatant underachiever. While the iPad as a device is completely new, the iPhone operating system as a platform is turning three years old soon, so a lot of the complaints I have are inexcusable in my opinion. I expected the iPad to be more polished than it is out of the box than it really is. Don’t get me wrong, the device is fast, stable and easy to use, but there are just enough flaws under the pretty surface to make me want to punch myself in the junk.
Alas, even with all it’s flaws (that I’ll discuss in a later post but hint at here) the iPad is a truly amazing device. It has completely changed how I stay connected with the world and stay organized. I am a guy who lugged around a smart phone and a laptop/netbook with me nearly everywhere I went, I didn’t think there was a better way of keeping informed and plugged in all the time. Boy was I wrong. I don’t see myself going anywhere without my iPad, it is that helpful and addictive at the same time. If you cherish your few precious free moments you get a day, steer clear of this chronic time waster… even though it can also save you tons of time through productivity and organization.
My head just exploded. Reading back over the previous paragraphs it is quite evident that the Doc Holliday in me has made a reappearance. I am a walking contradiction, I love the iPad but hate it at the same time. It is hard to explain, but if you are a stickler for details (as I obviously am) then the iPad has a lot of bruises to go along with the beauty. It is hard to believe that the iPad is a first generation device because it is light years ahead of the competition at this point, but that doesn’t forgive the flaws that are there, especially considering the premium cost.
One thing is certain, the iPad has done for the mobile computing what the iPhone did for mobile phones. It has completely changed the game, which really has to put some sting in Microsoft’s side, considering Bill Gates has been calling the tablet PC the gadget of the future for over a decade now. It just goes to show that ideas without execution aren’t worth the vaporware they generate. Simply put, until the rest of the technology world catches up, the iPad is the must-have gadget on the market. Just remember my words of caution when the device that brings you so much joy also frustrates the hell out of you.
VERDICT: Even with all of it’s flaws, I wouldn’t give up my iPad and can’t really figure out how I ever lived without it to begin with. It won’t replace a full fledged laptop or desktop computer due to some of it’s flaws, but if you are tech-savvy enough you can easily work your way through all of the Apple BS and unleash the full potential of this great device. It easily replaces the near worthless netbooks on the market. Netbooks are fine until you use an iPad. Once you use an iPad it makes you realize that you can have a smooth user experience with lower end mobile hardware.
Check back over the next two days, as I am posting the 10 things I hate and the 10 things I love about the iPad to help clarify the rambling displayed here. I’ll go in to further details about my grievances with the iPad tomorrow, where I’m bound to sound even more like a grumpy old man. I’ll also be writing about the iPad a lot over the next few weeks because using it has set off a creative streak that literally has filled my head with ideas. The problem is finding time to use, learn and write about them. It’s that damned Superman complex again, my greatest gift is also a curse.
Damn you iPad, damn you!
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