So am I the only traveler who didn’t run out and buy a new iPad? I don’t think so.
Apple’s latest entry into the tablet market does have its strong points. With a larger screen than the iPhone or iPod Touch, Web browsing and multimedia become better experiences.
Anyone considering buying an e-reader for the road might want to take a look at the iPad. But there’s a whole new crop of e-readers coming out, too, at some competitive price points compared to the iPad. And some e-reader software works surprisingly well on the iPod, iPhone and other smartphones.
Apple fans will like the design and the “cool” factor and the very nice 9.7″ (diagonal) screen. There are some fans who will buy any new product from Apple and line up to be among the first to own it. I do carry an iPod Touch on the road and enjoy using it, but I’m not one of those who must have the newest anything from Apple.
From a practical standpoint, there are some things that bother me about the iPad.
First, to do any serious typing, I need a real keyboard—not the on-screen variety. Okay, so a hardware keyboard for the iPad will be available from Apple. That makes it (almost) as good as my 12″ Dell laptop that I carry on just about every trip.
But wait. For a multimedia machine, there’s something missing from the iPad. A camera. My laptop, however, has a built-in camera and microphone for making Skype video calls. Advantage, laptop.
Suppose I did get an iPad and a hardware keyboard so I could type up a few files on the road. But the iPad won’t take a memory card and has no USB ports for printing or storing files to a flash drive. So I’d have to e-mail the files from a Wi-Fi hotspot or over cellular data channels in a future model.
The laptop’s starting to look better and better.
When my laptop battery runs dead, I can plug in a spare. Not with the iPad, though the iPad does have a longer battery life. Still, I’ve never understood why Apple doesn’t have user-replaceable batteries on the iPhone, iPod and now the iPad. I suspect it’s because replacing batteries becomes a revenue stream for Apple.
There’s another weakness in the iPad. While it’s promoted for Web browsing, it won’t work with sites using Flash video. My laptop doesn’t have any problems with Flash. Neither does a 10″ netbook, which in many cases would be less expensive than an iPad.
And, like the iPhone, the iPad can’t run more than one app at a time.
Sure, the iPad is handy for e-mail. But I’ve already got that covered with my HTC smartphone, which receives important work e-mails instantly and stays with me all day. My calendar and contacts are also on my phone, right where I need them.
Investors are throwing a lot of money at developing applications for the iPad and I’m sure there will be some good ones coming out. But with the device’s limitations, I’ve got to ask myself—do I need to spend $499 or more for something that can’t even keep up with my laptop and smartphone?
Given Apple’s sound financial structure and marketing clout, I’m not going to predict whether the iPad will be a success or failure. I just haven’t seen anything that compelled me to run out and buy one. And I truly don’t see how the iPad lives up to Apple’s marketing hype of being “magical” and “revolutionary.”
Am I missing something? Share your comments below.
Update 4/8/10: One of the iPad limitations is supposed to be addressed this fall, when Apple promises an update to the operating system to allow multitasking.
#1 by Adrian - April 5th, 2010 at 06:47
To be honest, I also doubt what the iPad is meant for. To me, it simply appears to be a mammoth iPhone, which frankly doesn’t make it more attractive than the orignal.
Also, it’s a crippled product in my opinion. You can’t open it, much less upgrade it (the battery change alone will ensure that this thing will end up as technojunk in 2 years or less). You can’t install whatever you like on it (the famous Apple iStore sandbox). You have no real keyboard. You have no flash. No parallel use of programs. It’s probably fragile equipment (much like the iPhone with it’s often cracked screen). I own an iPhone and have similar gripes with it, although for a phone I’m willing to compromise more.
In my humble opinion, the iPad is a sad, wasteful idea to milk the iPhone hype for all it’s worth. Shame on you Apple, shame on you.
#2 by Fred - April 5th, 2010 at 09:37
I have a 3G one on order. Where I think it can be useful to travelers is in reducing the number of devices (and therefor accessories) one lugs along. Yes, it’s not a computer replacement, but I’ll know I’ll have it with me at times where the computer is back in the hotel — because a 3 lb netbook (plus power brick) is just too much to lug around “just in case.”
People said much the same thing as you are saying about the iPhone. It is the applications that will be written that nobody even considered that will be the success of the iPad.
Every manufacturer says their new product is “magical” or “revolutionary” or extra special in some way, so I don’t fault Apple on standard marketing hype. As a user/programmer I’m not all that happy with Apple as a company (but as an investor its a different story). They are every bit an empire builder as Microsoft, just smaller and slightly more benevolent. But as long as they make good products, I’ll be a customer.
#3 by Tim - April 5th, 2010 at 18:23
I’m with you John. There’s a whole lot of functionality missing in this toy. Most of the things it can’t do are blatant attempts to lock out any competitors, like games or websites built in Adobe’s Flash, at the expense of being far less useful. And no USB port? Give me a break.
#4 by Luke - April 6th, 2010 at 09:50
I am considering one of these for my son for his birthday. He has an iPod Touch, and i think will be a good traveling companion for him. It is a much better platform than either the iTouch or a netbook for watching movies and reading ebooks. With the ability to attach a keyboard, it will be good for light paper writing at home, and I won’t be surprised to see a handwriting recognition app before long that will help with note taking in school. There are already pen sized stylii (styluses?) that work with the capacitive touch screen that is found in both this and an iPhone.
#5 by Mario - April 6th, 2010 at 17:42
I don’t get the fascination with this thing. Yeah great, it runs a bunch of apps, but it doesn’t seem very practical. I played with one a friend bought and it feels weird. It’s a strange in-between size, really slippery, and with a major glare on the screen unless you’re in the dark. It’s a touch screen, but it shows every fingerprint.
#6 by Donna Hull - April 8th, 2010 at 09:49
I agree with your assessment of the iPad. It would add to my travel load rather than reduce it because I would still need to carry my laptop for photo processing, backing up and convenient work flow using more than one app at a time. I think the iPad will appeal to those who are already using a Kindle, only want to read and send the occasional email and don’t need to work from the road.
#7 by Charles - April 8th, 2010 at 20:10
I agree with with the author. The iPad is a cool-looking device, but the cool factor fades fast when you realize it can’t do more than one task at a time, has no camera and no printer function. Sorry, that’s a deal breaker for me.
#8 by Ron G - April 9th, 2010 at 10:41
Yup, it’s a media machine, not a business tool. It is adding one more thing to my bag that I need to carry, but it only weighs a pound and a half, and it takes away the need to carry a book on my flights. I still need to carry my phone and laptop for real work.
But there are other times where I don’t want to rip out my big laptop to simply check something on the internet, and actually see the pages as they were meant to be seen (My small screen on my iPhone or Blackberry never seem to look right).
You can read a review I wrote that covers similar ground
http://www.consumertraveler.com/today/ipad-and-the-business-traveler/
#9 by Mikey - April 9th, 2010 at 17:08
The last comment summed it up nicely: this is a product for gadget geeks who think nothing of carrying around 10 different things that need to be recharged on a regular basis instead of one or two that do pretty much everything. Apple LOVES these people because they’ll buy anything with that logo on it!
#10 by Gene - May 12th, 2010 at 17:06
I’ve been using one of these for a few weeks now. At the risk of riling up the Mac faithful, I don’t think it’s a good product for travelers. For really short trips maybe, but it’s another extra thing to lug around if you’re going on a real vacation. It’s like a hobbled laptop in some ways—good for watching movies or playing games, but typing on it as almost as much of a pain as typing on an iPhone. You’re going to want something with a real keyboard to do any real communication or to work.
#11 by huren spanje - February 4th, 2011 at 05:40
I don’t like to be wired during my travel time.The only thing i carry is my cam and i phone that’s enough for me during travel time.I hate to carry a laptop its really irritates me because during travel time i like to travel freely and with relax.
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Bill