iThink iStill Want An iPad…Possibly
June 29, 2010 17 Comments
You may remember me writing about wanting an iPad a couple of weeks ago. If you don’t then please click here. Despite having reservations and not being sure whether to get one, it’s almost certain that I would have bought one by now if I could have found one in stock anywhere. Perhaps it’s lucky that they have been so scarce. Yesterday, I got to have an extended play on one at work and despite it being brilliant, the experience threw up more questions than answers.
I won’t bore you with how responsive and intuitive the user interface is, or how surprisingly easy it is to type on the on-screen keyboard. These points have been made in virtually all the iPad reviews that I’ve read and can be taken as read. From a personal point of view, the experience only confirmed how much the device would fit into the way I use the web: primarily an adhoc browsing of the internet on the sofa, checking e-mails wherever I may be and being able to concoct blog posts on the fly. The iPad seems ideal for all of these. It also fits the fantasy I have of being able to travel anywhere with it and write at the drop of a hat. Although it’s certainly not pocket sized, it is small enough to slip into a bag and instantly pop it out whenever you have a spare minute. You’d think that I would have been only more convinced to buy one.
My doubts crept in when I realised the importance that portability has to the iPad concept. The version that I used was 3G enabled and it seemed to make perfect sense. Although, I know that I’d still use a wifi-only version a lot, it seems like a massive compromise to make. In my previous post, I mentioned the option of buying a MiFi dongle and using this to connect when out and about. Although it’s a slightly cheaper option – £50 for the dongle as opposed to £100 extra for the official 3G version – it also represents an awful lot of faff. The beauty of the iPad should be its simplicity. Would you really want to have to carry this other thing around with you all the time? I know that it seems a trivial thing to have to do, but even thinking about it makes it seem tiresome.
I could, of course, just go out and buy a 3G version, but the cheapest model available is £529. Frankly this seems completely mental for a web broswer with no camera and 16Gb of storage. After a very quick google search, you can buy a 3G-enabled 10″ netbook with 160Gb hard drive for £280. Although the iPad is superior in some areas, the netbook is nearly the same size when closed and offers you the advantages of being a fully specced PC. The iPad’s restricted OS means there are some things that it just can’t do.
I still want the iPad more, despite being nearly twice the price and having less functionality. Why is this? Is it purely because I want to have the trendiest gadget? I don’t actually think it is. The iPad’s appeal lies in something that’s difficult to put a price on. It is “instantly on” and has none of the annoying waiting associated with Windows. The screen feels the perfect size for reading web pages on, whereas the experience feels cramped and awkward on a netbook – even though they are the same size. Being able to orientate the screen really pays off in this context. When typing an e-mail, the on-screen keyboard fills half of the screen, yet the experience feels more engaging than on a netbook. Being able to hold the keyboard-less iPad like a book to read web sites makes it feel a lesiurely pursuit, rather than feeling cramped over a comedy mini-laptop. How much is this usability really worth? Being unable to answer this question is where my dilemma lies.
As time ticks on, we only draw closer to the inevitably far superior iPad2. I suppose that I could wait for that to come out, but I know it will be a painful wait if I do. Given that I’m still using my £400 laptop quite happily after 3 years, I’d want to get at least a similar return from a £500 device. I’m somehow unconvinced that a first generation iPad will still be viable in 3 years time. Ah, the whole thing just leaves me feeling more confused than ever. Please, can’t somebody help me?
About sherby57
I’m afraid you’re absolutely right. All the things that you can do on the iPad can be done a net book or laptop for half the price. But for me it’s just the experience of using it. Surfing the web or reading an ebook or whatever is just so much more fun and feels more natural. It’s the interaction with it that just makes it worth the extra money for me.
The screen is gorgeous too. Its the perfect size for browsing the web and the joy of double tapping, pinching and swiping is far greater to that of the iPhone.
Its perfect for having on your lap while the tv is on and one of the apps allows you to stream movies from your laptop directly to the iPad even over the net. BBC iplayer quality is really impressive. Feels like HD.
I went for the wifi only model (32gb) as I intend to use it mostly at home. Wasn’t prepared to take out another 3 g contract while I still have one for the iPhone.
None of these are reasons are probably enough to make you go for it, but for me it really is the absolute joy of using it. Using a mouse now just feels clunky and wrong!
I was thinking about waiting for the 2nd gen too but you’ll probably wait a good year and Im guessing you’ll get is maybe a faster processor (it really does zip along now) more memory for less and perhaps a camera. Life’s too short!!
It’s almost as if I paid you to write exactly what I wanted to hear! I think I’d already convinced myself that the user experience was worth paying extra for, it’s just that I’m not sure I can justify £500 for user experience. I know that if I just bought one then I’d love it. I feel like I’m back in the “I’ll probably buy one” camp, unless somebody can convince me of a viable alternative.
Do you wish that you’d bought a 3G version?
I wouldn’t get one just purely for the fact that the maggo module often distends and unwinds leaving me with masses of green lined computer paper.
Leave it and buy a speccy.
I’d like a Spectrum, but wouldn’t be able to decide if I could justify buying one with a built in tape drive or not.
Yeah, but you’re just a Sinclair fangirl Dr A.
Spectrums were ace. I think I can still hum the sound of loading a game from a tape…
I am just going to wait, soon you’ll get them free with a packet of Shreddies.
Do you think that Shreddies are the only cereal that they’ll come with? I tend to buy corn flakes.
Cornflakes packets tend to be of inferior cardboard and Apple do not wish to be associated with thin cardboard as it will dilute the brand.
I’m writing a musical called LOAD “” . Jean Michel Jarre will star as morris minor and he will be ably supported by Ross Kemp as Horace goes skiing.
manic miner. Please edit, sherbsy baby.
10 PRINT LOL
20 GOTO 10
Do you mean that it should read LOAD “MANIC MINER”?
I always liked Scuba Dive. It had a zen like quality that has no been replicated since.
no. grrr.
LOAD “”
and ‘Jean Michel Jarre will star as manic miner’.
I may not meet you tonight for this heresy.
Luckily, given my powers of forward time travel, I know that you did meet me last night. Phew.
You’re right to be angry though, I stupidly didn’t see the obvious reference to “Morris Minor” and I can only humbly apologise. I would edit it now, but it would instantly make the rest of these comments redundant, and there’s been too much redundancy in the news lately.
@MrShev – I had heard rumours that Apple had an over-zealous policy on cardboard but I didn’t suspect it was so far reaching. I can’t imagine Kellogg’s using cheap cardboard though, it goes against their very essence.
@Everybodyelseintheworld – Please feel free to advice re: iPad. I’m lurching dangerously close to just buying one.
Pingback: A Netbook? « Pour Some Gravy On Me
Pingback: iPad Tranche « Pour Some Gravy On Me