MadeByPi® Blog

iPad – first impressions

Well, finally the rumours are over and Apple have announced their tablet - or should I say the iPad (such an obvious name when you think about it). If you haven't already seen it, then watch the video.

Hardware

It's primary keyboard is a software one. This was pretty obvious and in no way a surprise really. It's definitely good that you can get a hardware keyboard accessory for it or just use a bluetooth keyboard.

It would have been nice to have a USB port (or two) and an SD card slot. While we're talking about obvious omissions, it's a shame there's no camera. Imagine how good Photo Booth would be and video chat.

I was confused by the large bezel around the screen at first but when you think about actually holding the device (and not accidentally interacting) it makes sense.

I think the option of having a 3G capable iPad is a great idea and I actually think the plans are affordable (especially considering the alternatives out there). The fact that you can decide each month if you want it and it's all managed through the device is a nice touch.

Overall, the most prominent feedback from people who have played with it is how fast it is. It uses the new Apple A4 processor to achieve this - the first big sign of Apple using its recent acquisitions.

Software

The iPad runs iPhone OS 3.2 and doesn't allow multi-tasking. I'm really hoping that in OS 4.0 this will be changed to allow some sort of background processes.

Above all I'm very impressed with how good the software looks. Mail and Safari look really slick and all of the new UI elements look well thought out. The iPhone gestures seem to perform that bit smoother and faster. There are some nice touches like peeling to get to the settings in the Maps app. Or the iBooks shelves and reading interface (looks a bit like Classics).