iPad Thoughts #3
Have gotten Pages to crash when looking at inserting a shape, I think. Document was ok.
The ability to use Pages in both landscape (better if you like a big keyboard) as well as portrait is nice.
I’m enjoying both GoodReader and InstaPaper Pro.
The on-screen keyboard should be prettier. It’s clear and functional, but lacks the “ooh – pretty” factor that so much of the rest of the iPad has.
See an app like PCalc for an example of how nice keys can look.
After using the iPad on my flight to Italy, I have to say that it is excellent for that purpose. No issues with trying to open a laptop screen in a crowded seat, or fears of the destruction that can be cause by the person in front of you leaning their seat back!
No cleaning cloth? Apple seems to be cheaping out a bit here.
WiFi sensitivity does seem a bit less than other devices.
After several days in Italy with no Internet for my iPad I am thinking a bit harder about the whole wifi-only versus wifi-plus-3G question. Not that that should have helped here – with the insane data rates I’d be paying in Europe, even my iPhone is not connected to the internet.
Now, this isn’t really a fair test since even without 3G, if I was a stateside I’d have regular Internet connections which would at least let me sort of “cache up” some data. But still… Thinking about it.
Seems like there is plenty of room to put more app icons on the screens. Did Apple decide not to for aesthetic reasons? Avoiding the too-crowded look?
iPad Thoughts #2
The iBooks app is completely amazing. Very good book reader, lots of eye candy.
It is weird that iTunes mixes both audio and print books in its “Books” section of the library. With no way (from the grid view) to tell which are audiobooks and which are print e-books.
Zooming in and out (for example – in a web page) is so fast it amazes me.
Still trashing around looking for a good PDF reader app. Tried ReaddleDocs (as in purchased it) due to the Dropbox integration, but that functionality goes through their servers, and I’m not certain I like that idea.
Trying GoodReader next.
GoodReader looks pretty good. Unlike ReaddleDocs, it supports the new way of doc sync via iTues.
The Apple case is nice, and not only protects the screen (when closed), but makes the entire device much less slippery. Only drawback so far is that you can’t place the iPad into the (optional) dock when it’s in the case.
Due to the slippery factor, I’d suggest that if you don’t plan to have it live in a case, buying a “skin” of some sort for the back might be a good idea. Either the silicon type, or (my preference) a stick-on skin from GelaSkins.
Weatherbug is very cool.
Update on Charging: The 5W iPhone chargers will actually charge it, but more slowly. And my MBA seems to charge it as well. Also appears that even a computer that doesn’t provide enough charging current when the iPad is “awake” might charge it very slowly if the iPad is “asleep”.
I’m spending way more on apps for the iPad than I did for the iPhone. Wonder if that’s due to it feeling like the apps are worth more since they run on a “bigger” platform?
iPad Thoughts #1
Preliminary report – the iPad is fracking amazing! Screen is beautiful, and some of the apps I’ve played with so far really use touch well.
The iBook app comes with one book apparently – Winnie-the-Pooh. A great move on Apple’s part. Why? Because it has very nice watercolor illustration throughout. They look wonderful on the iPad, and it’s a direct poke at all the monochrome e-book readers out there.
Saddest result so far of playing with iPad is I’m loving my iPhone just a little less.
One very obvious thing so far: all apps MUST be converted to run on iPad.
So, just had a bunch of movies denied for DL to iPad based on format. Sort of a surprise, since they should all play on AppleTV, and I was expecting the iPad to support those same videos. Need to investigate further…
I am a bit concerned that the iPad seems to need a 10W charger. Hooking it directly to my Mac lets me sync, but not charge.
All the iPod and iPhone chargers seem to be 5W.
The “Picture Frame” mode changes images too quickly (as in, not shown for a long enough period). Don’t see any way to adjust that.
Puzzlers:
- 1)MobilMe iDisk and MobileMe Gallery don’t appear to be iPad ready.
- 2)No “Clock” app
- 3)No “Stocks” app
Not Clear On The Concept:
ABC TV app, which looks cool otherwise is portrait orientation only.
Rise Of The Amiga
My first “desktop” computer was an Amiga 1000. Prior to that I’d had an OSI Superboard, a Tandy Model 100 portable, and a Tandy 4P (luggable). The A1000 was the first computer that sat only on a desktop. It was also my first color computer.
I look back on those days as the golden era of personal computing, at least for me. It was all pure new fun. Multiple competing designs made it all a big game.
So my collection of Amiga gear was not only retained, but has grown quite a bit thanks to eBay. I’m setting up a small personal “museum”, and what follows are my musings on how to configure the A1000 and A2000.
A1000
The plan is to have my Amiga 1000 set up pretty much like it was during the days when it was my primary computer. Well, at least as close as I can make it. I don’t have an image of the ‘C’ development partition from those days, so that at least will only be as close as I can guess it.
(There was a “second age” when the A2000 became my primary computer and the A1000 was used by the wife and kids. In that age, the ‘C’ development partition became the “User” partition and the applications on the “App” partition were skewed towards the family)
This will consist of the C-Ltd 33M hard drive being the primary storage device. The original three partitions will be used – “Cstuff”, “Workbench”, and “App”.
The “Cstuff” partition will contain only Lattice ‘C’ development tools and source for the 1.3 OS.
(The Comeau C++ and OS 2.x development environment came later and was only used on the A2000 as I recall.)
The Syquest 135M external SCSI drive will be used on an “as-desired” basis. This will contain the contents of most/all of the 880K floppies that I used for data storage during that original era. These were copied onto the hard-drive in this modern incarnation just for convenience and (physical) space savings!
Most games will still be played off of floppies, with the exceptions being those that are HD installable. Those will be on the Syquest cartridge.
An additional Syquest cartridge will contain a workbench partition as well as the data off of the other C-Ltd HD partitions.
This will not normally be used, and is kept only to allow booting the system if the C-Ltd HD finally gives up. (essentially a mirror of the C-Ltd HD).
A2000
The A2000 will be set up in more of a “modern” configuration, if one can consider around 1990 to be modern!
This computer will contain all of the C++ development tools, as well as the OS 2.x development stuff.
Muddlin' Through 