The iPad has been out for a little over a week now, and I thought that I would give you my quick review. I got the iPad the day of release and have been using it on a daily basis. There is much to love about it, and a few things are left to be desired.
The screen is the most important part of this device, and it is wonderful. Bright, with vibrant colors, and very responsive to touch. That being said, the glass is both a blessing and a curse for the iPad. It helps show off the display, but at the same time it’s an oily mess after just minuets of use. I understand Apple wanting to keep the price down and keeping the packaging simple; but come on, include a polishing cloth! With the screen being so reflective, it makes it nearly impossible to see out side on a bright sunny day, even with the brightness turned all the way up. Another problem to me is the screen resolution, 1024 x 768 is not good for a device like this… I would prefer a widescreen resolution.
The multi-touch is very responsive, and much easier to use than the iPhone. The UI is very intuitive and one of the most responsive out of any modern computer. Apple kept to the simple design interface that was introduced with the original iPhone, with a few minor improvements. iPhone OS is looking long in the tooth, and is starting to get cluttered.
The lack of multitasking might be a deal breaker for some, but with the future release of iPhone OS 4 this will be addressed. For me, I don’t think of their solution as multitasking and much as suspending apps for latter use, which they can do now. Another feature of iPhone OS 4 that I have been missing from the beginning is folders. This will be an added addition to the iPad and iPhone.
Back to the iPad, after a week I have only charged the battery twice, making this one of the longest battery life devices I have ever used. With normal use, you can easily get the touted ten hours of battery life, if not more. As I mentioned earlier this device is supper snappy, and responsive, something you would not expect from a device with such great battery life. One of the biggest problems for me was the added weight from the battery. At 1.5 lb., it gets hard to hold after just a few minutes.
The apps are very nice looking, and well thought out. The iWork apps are also a great addition to the app store. All this benign said, the price for some apps is a large barrier and some are just out right over priced. With the price out of the way, another problem is just how buggy all the apps are. This is partly the fault of Apple because they didn’t seed developers with ipads before launch. The overall bugginess of the apps will improve with time, as will the lack luster selection of apps in the app store.
Over all my impressions are very good. The iPad is less of a revolutionary device and more of a evolutionary device. It has it’s place, and while some say it is more of a toy, I have replaced my laptop with it. I can use my desktop computer for doing the heavy lifting and my iPad for the more day to day work, including writing this blog post.
Please note that when you first receive your PC there is some suggested work that needs to be done before PCs can perform at their peak. These steps include, but are not limited to, downloading and installing necessary drivers for peripherals. These drivers may include printers, scanners, cameras, storage devices, music players, and other media devices. There may be more depending on your needs. It is also recommended that first time users remove all unneeded bloatware and remove all operational components.
To remove unneeded bloatware first open uninstaller, select applications to remove, and uninstall. To remove optional components, click start, go to all programs and open control panel, select remove components, select components you want to remove, select next, when done, select finish. Once initial prep is complete, PCs may then be easy to use under certain controlled conditions and when properly maintained. In order for PCs to achieve optimal performance on a regular basis and for long periods of time, routine maintenance should include (but is not limited to) the following: download and install updated anti-virus software, run anti-virus software, check for system updates, clean out registry, defragment hard drive, free up disk space, remove temporary Internet files, empty the recycle bin, remove unnecessary programs, run error check utility and fix file system errors.
It is recommended that a maintenance schedule is developed and adhered to in order to make sure your PC is running safe and secure. Update your software, do a virus scan, and run error check utility once a week. Search for and download software and driver updates, free up disk space, and defragment hard drive at least once a month. Empty the recycle bin and remove unnecessary programs once every three months. Back up all your files once a year. Please see instruction manual for more details. Failure to perform these functions may result in the following: freezing, viruses, slow performance, and/or error messages. If problems persist after routine maintenance is performed, please contact your local IT professional who may or may not refer you to your software or hardware manufacturer depending on where the problem originated. Important information about easy to use PCs: PCs may become more difficult to use if the following occurs: sluggish operating system, viruses, and error messages, crashing and freezing. Unfortunately, freezing and/or crashing are sometimes unavoidable. To avoid sluggish operating systems, crashing and freezing, it is recommended that you clean up your system registry, defragment your hard drive, free up your disk space, and perform other routine maintenance tasks. To clean out your system registry, first backup your data, back up your registry, purchase, download, and install Registry Repair program, then quit all programs, scan registry, determine safe registry items to repair/delete/remove, select ok, and repeat if necessary. To defragment your hard drive, click start, and go to all programs > accessories > system tools > and open disk defragmenter, then select C: drive, select defragment and wait. To free up disk space on your PC, click start, go to all programs > accessories > system tools > and open disk cleanup. Scan will automatically start. From scan results, select files to be removed, select ok. Restarting your PC may then be necessary upon completion of system registry clean up, hard drive defragmentation, and disk space clean out.
Please note: trying to remove registry items on your own is not recommended. It is often difficult to determine which items correspond to which applications, and by attempting to remove items yourself, you might accidentally remove a valid registry item, causing software crashes and errors. If a system registry becomes corrupt because you made a mistake when cleaning out the registry, follow these steps: back up data, back up registry, purchase, download, and install Registry Repair program, quit all programs, scan registry, determine safe registry items to repair/delete/remove, then select ok and repeat if necessary. Also, easy to use PCs can experience difficulty if malware, viruses, or spyware infect your PC’s system. There are 1.5 million signature-based malware detections with 20,000 new ones discovered everyday (based on 2008 reporting). Although some viruses are unavoidable, there are some preventative measures that you can take. When you first get your PC, configure your security settings (including things like Internet firewall, automatic updating, anti-virus, anti-spyware and other malware protection, other Internet security settings, and user account control). Eventually you may have to download and install security patches for your operating system and then as security updates become available download and install again. If your PC does get infected with malware talk to your IT professional first about the risks and benefits of treating the problem on your own. Do not try to remove a virus unless your IT professional has taught you and you understand everything. Ask them if you have any questions. Please see accompanying important information about virus protection on your hardware and software manufacturer’s website. Anyone can sit down and edit photos on their PC as long as their computer is running properly. Please note that proper maintenance, specifically disk defragmentation can take anywhere from minutes to hours to run depending on the size of your hard drive and how fragmented it is. Therefore, editing photos might be postponed if you chose to run maintenance on your computer prior to this act. Please note: your camera driver must be installed on your PC in order to review and edit your photos. Your camera will not work with your PC if the software/drivers are not downloaded first. Editing photos on a PC may be difficult for children under a certain age, or for people who are unfamiliar with how a PC works and how to download camera software and drivers. Also, no PC connected to the Internet is one hundred percent immune to viruses, spyware, adware, and other forms of malware. Once a year, PC users should back up a year’s worth of photos and files to a CD or DVD. Power PC users should start fresh and back up all their files and applications on an external hard drive, then use your original system installer disks to erase, rebuild, and reinstall your operating system from scratch. Therefore, if your PC is not one hundred percent trouble free at least you won’t lose all of your files. PC does not claim ownership of problems that occur from materials or software that you downloaded off the Internet. If your warranty has expired, and your PC is not one hundred percent trouble free, you are not eligible for a refund or replacement under the terms of the warranty. In addition, we cannot help you with software or hardware obtained without a warranty, such as software provided “as is “ or for free. Again, if problems continue, please contact your IT professional.
iTunes is the #1 music software and is getting a update with version 8. There is now HD content (about time) in the store priced decently at $2.99. There is a new way to browse you content in iTunes, which makes it look a lot more like the other Apple software applications (aka iPhoto). Moreover, probably the most interesting improvement is the Genius function. It will make playlists from songs in your library that go together, as well as recommend music that you may like from the store.
iPod classic reduced to only the thin model at $249 for 120GB (white or black, choose your pick). That is over 30,000 songs! What ever.
iPod Nano, redesigned (see the rumor picture here) to make it the smallest iPod ever. The design includes curved aluminum, curved glass, enhanced user interface… They added an accelerometer, which enables some cool futures, like shack the Nano to shuffle to the next song! It is available in a “nano-chromatic” colors, and starts at $149 for the 8GB and $199 for the 16GB.
Apple introduced new headphones the include inline controls and a microphone.
iPod Touch has been redesigned as well. In now includes integrated volume controls as well as a built in speaker (it is about time). Both the iPod Nano and the Touch include the Genius Playlist creation. The new Touch is also Nike + iPod compatible (whatever). The price has dropped (still not cheap enough) to $229 for the 8GB, $299 for the 16GB and $399 for the 32GB (wow, solid state drives are expensive).
Lastly 2.1 software update was introduced, which includes the famous Apple ‘bug fixes’!
Well there you have it, some of the rumors were true and some things we can keep wishing for, like the subscription music service. There is always next time Apple!
You may recall the rumors about a new iPod Nano a couple of weeks ago; well it looks like they may be true, at least in part. Tom Krazit of Cnet has been invited to the rumored Apple event!
Apple has sent out invitations for a music-related event next week, and the smart money is on new iPods.
The invitation, titled “Let’s Rock,” went out Tuesday morning inviting media to the Yerba Buena Center for the Performing Arts in San Francisco next Tuesday at 10 a.m. PDT. Rumors have been building for weeks that Apple is set to introduce new iPods at what will be its fourth September iPod event in as many years…
While this does not mean that we will see a new iPod, it does seem a little more likely! Go Apple! To read more from my post on the rumord iPod, click here.
This could be the next big thing for the iPod product family. I think that this could be a real photo, taking into account that Apple is moving into a more aerodynamic form factor. Just take the new iPhone or the Mac Book Air. Rumor also has it that the entire iPod line could be redesigned; in addition, they would drop the price of the whole product line to be more competitive with the reasonably priced iPhone at $199. Let’s look at the facts, Apple has confirmed that there will be a new product that will change everything. Apple has also stated to its investors that the next quarter could see a loss in profits. All of this points to the possibility of the price drop. Also in the rumor world is the release of a new major revamp of iTunes. I don’t know any details; however, it would be nice to see a subscription model introduced to the iTunes music store. All of this could prove to be true as soon as September 9th. One thing is for sure, regardless to if this picture is real or not, Apple is about to change the world again, and I can’t wait to see what is next!
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The screen is the most important part of this device, and it is wonderful. Bright, with vibrant colors, and very responsive to touch. That being said, the glass is both a blessing and a curse for the iPad. It helps show off the display, but at the same time it’s an oily mess after just minuets of use. I understand Apple wanting to keep the price down and keeping the packaging simple; but come on, include a polishing cloth! With the screen being so reflective, it makes it nearly impossible to see out side on a bright sunny day, even with the brightness turned all the way up. Another problem to me is the screen resolution, 1024 x 768 is not good for a device like this… I would prefer a widescreen resolution.
Apple has sent out invitations for a music-related event next week, and the smart money is on new iPods.
This could be the next big thing for the iPod product family. I think that this could be a real photo, taking into account that Apple is moving into a more aerodynamic form factor. Just take the new iPhone or the Mac Book Air. Rumor also has it that the entire iPod line could be redesigned; in addition, they would drop the price of the whole product line to be more competitive with the reasonably priced iPhone at $199. Let’s look at the facts, Apple has confirmed that there will be a new product that will change everything. Apple has also stated to its investors that the next quarter could see a loss in profits. All of this points to the possibility of the price drop. Also in the rumor world is the release of a new major revamp of iTunes. I don’t know any details; however, it would be nice to see a subscription model introduced to the iTunes music store. All of this could prove to be true as soon as September 9th. One thing is for sure, regardless to if this picture is real or not, Apple is about to change the world again, and I can’t wait to see what is next!