This is just like a oversize iPod touch and it works great!
I’m swiping the screen back and forth, surfing the web and then head to the AppStore. Its there that reality checks in. The applications for the iPad are way overpriced, this was also the case for iPhone applications at the beginning were a game to the iPhone could cost $9.99, but as more developers came into the playground the decline of the prices started to a more accepted level.
Overpriced apps
I wont go in to it too much as engadget put it down very well.
“iPad app prices are out of control and will kill us all”
I agree with Paul Miller on his thoughts and there is a problem as of where the app prices are going up, which is no problem in itself since the iPad, as I see it is the perfect home computer (with some flaws). But when I don’t have the possibility to try the application and it cost $9.99 then we have an issue. I can be fooled buying one or two crappy $9.99 apps that wouldn’t be worth more than $1-3 but when you fool me enough times I stop my spending spree.
Yes I am an app addict and spend way too much money on it, but who doesn’t?
The reviews you say, just read the damn reviews!
Yea that would be an easy fix if there were any reviews, as the iPad is a “new” platform and I only can read my own country reviews, I can’t see the review texts from the states and can only evaluate the app from the description.
We need a trial period of apps! Doesn’t have to be long but give me an hour or two so I can test it to see that it does what it says.
Android already have this in place where you have 24 48 hours full refund window. This is though the wrong way to go as the game developers would be affected by this, when I want to play a game I just download the game and play. If I finish the game before the 24 48 hours has lasted I just remove it and get a full refund and the developer doesn’t get paid for their work, even though the user have taken fully advantage of the game.
The ultimate home computer ( almost )
I have only just had my iPad a few days but the instinct is without doubt that it is the ultimate home computer. Well maybe not the iPad at this stage as it has it’s faults, but the concept is brilliant. You have a large screen where you can surf the web, use applications and can almost do all the things that you can do on a normal computer. Even the ergonomics isn’t an issue, when you want to type your essay or a silly blog post like this. Get an Bluetooth keyboard and a good stand for the iPad, then you will have better ergonomics than your normal netbook as you can get a stand that puts the screen to the height that fits you.
The faults
Nothing is perfect and so isn’t the iPad, it has it’s faults that Apple need to figure out before the iPad can be named the ultimate home computer.
iTunes!?!
Why oh why do we have to sync with iTunes? The iPad could easily be stand alone and sync over the air to the cloud or to your time machine at home. There is no reason whatsoever for iTunes to still be needed, and shouldn’t the name change soon to iSync or iStore?
It is not multiple user friendly!
When I put down the iPad on the coffee table and my girlfriend or any other family member picks it up, then I don’t want them to read my emails, clear my levels on Angry Birds or mess with my bookmarks.
They should be able to login to their own account were they have their own email accounts, app settings and their calendar.
File system
I saved some screenshots and wanted to share it on Facebook, so I opened Facebook in safari and choose to upload a image. As the iPad doesn’t have an viewable filesystem I can’t browse my content and upload it through safari.
For that I needed to open the Facebook app for iPhone and upload it but what if Facebook didn’t have an iPhone app then I wouldn’t have been able to share the picture,
There must be a easy way for me to save, not just pictures but all kind of files that later on can be accessed from all apps and especially Safari so I can do what I want with my content.
But despite the overpriced apps and the flaws I put up above I really can see and use the iPad as an home computer, the ease of consuming media on it is far better than any laptop (netbook) or smartphone. You don’t have to worry about booting time, press the button and swipe your finger then you are ready to use it.
It also makes you a bit more social when using it. If you want to share something with your spouse, for example looking for a hotel it is easy to just hand over the iPad as you would with a newspaper, you don’t handle a laptop the same way as you do with the iPad, which is hands on.
To sum it up, the pricing of some apps sucks monkey balls and Apple need to fix some flaws, but the device is so great and easy to use that I can recommend it to almost anyone that just wants a computer to consume media from and doesn’t need a big screen. Will be very interesting to see what the Android tablets will look like and I hope Google gets a good designer for the tablet interface so it doesn’t look like the phones.
Written on my iPad in the bed and sofa, with ease and a smile on my face 
