I feel like I've not put the iPad down since I got it a week ago Saturday. I'm still very much taken with how it works and I've had more fun with it than I've had with a computer in years. I'm also getting a lot of work done with it - something I didn't really expect. I have a few random thoughts - any of you have some to share?
1. One of my favorite discoveries is how easy the iPad is to read. I don't mean the screen (though it's great) I mean that I get to hold the iPad at the perfect spot for my bifocaled eyes to read. It is so great to be able to move the iPad back and forth rather than bend my neck to read the screen. And if I sit in my recliner I don't have to put a 6 lb brick on my chest. The iPad is the most comfortable computer I've ever used. I don't think I've heard any other reviewer mention this, but to me this is the best thing about it.
2. My 3 year old grandson thinks this thing is a blast. I've put Old Mac Donald, Tiny Trax, and AniMagic on it for him and he will play sitting in my lap for 45 minutes without hardly moving. I can't imagine doing that with a laptop.
3. The pixel doubling is either great or horrible. Many of the apps that are mostly graphics do well. Bejeweled plays just fine doubled, for example, but text apps are horrible! My Bible programs (Laridian's Pocket Bible and Olive Tree's Bible Reader) are horrible looking. They work fine, but look gross. Thank God (really!) that Crossway released the ESV in an "HD" version (free, too!). That will carry me until the other apps catch up.
4. What's taking the App Store so long to release stuff. Olive Tree submitted their HD version quite a while ago - nothing yet. I swear, if anything kills this golden goose, it's going to be how Apple handles apps.
5. Pages is both a delight and a disappointment. I put my sermon notes files on Pages early in the week and then have it with me to review. I usually would highlight text that was important and be able to find it quickly. In Pages there is no highlighting, so I switched to changing the color of the text, but it's a pain. First you select the text then button, long scroll down, press, press, press. All this because Apple decided you don't need to change styles. I'd love to find my way around that.
Other than that, I like the app. I'm not too bothered by the hoops to jump through to move files on and off the iPad.
6. I think the Apple case stinks! What a cheap piece of junk. I'm surprised that Apple, who is known for classy design, let it have their logo on it. It wobbles when standing up right for movie watching, is a royal pain to get on and off, and you can't use it in the dock! (I cut out a part of the back so I could dock the iPad without removing it.)
But I won't replace it. When I'm reading in bed at night I stick my fingers in the case behind the iPad and it makes the iPad much easier to hold. I lay on my left side with my elbow on the bed and I could read all night. I've configured the left side tap on iBooks to advance. Works neat. Now all I need to do is figure a way to keep it from dropping when I nod off to sleep!
7. My only real negative is that I wish I had not bought the 16G version. I've only a gig and a half free. I could remove the movies, but who knows when I'll need Star Trek!
All in all, I'm very pleased with it. How about you?
1. One of my favorite discoveries is how easy the iPad is to read. I don't mean the screen (though it's great) I mean that I get to hold the iPad at the perfect spot for my bifocaled eyes to read. It is so great to be able to move the iPad back and forth rather than bend my neck to read the screen. And if I sit in my recliner I don't have to put a 6 lb brick on my chest. The iPad is the most comfortable computer I've ever used. I don't think I've heard any other reviewer mention this, but to me this is the best thing about it.
2. My 3 year old grandson thinks this thing is a blast. I've put Old Mac Donald, Tiny Trax, and AniMagic on it for him and he will play sitting in my lap for 45 minutes without hardly moving. I can't imagine doing that with a laptop.
3. The pixel doubling is either great or horrible. Many of the apps that are mostly graphics do well. Bejeweled plays just fine doubled, for example, but text apps are horrible! My Bible programs (Laridian's Pocket Bible and Olive Tree's Bible Reader) are horrible looking. They work fine, but look gross. Thank God (really!) that Crossway released the ESV in an "HD" version (free, too!). That will carry me until the other apps catch up.
4. What's taking the App Store so long to release stuff. Olive Tree submitted their HD version quite a while ago - nothing yet. I swear, if anything kills this golden goose, it's going to be how Apple handles apps.
5. Pages is both a delight and a disappointment. I put my sermon notes files on Pages early in the week and then have it with me to review. I usually would highlight text that was important and be able to find it quickly. In Pages there is no highlighting, so I switched to changing the color of the text, but it's a pain. First you select the text then button, long scroll down, press, press, press. All this because Apple decided you don't need to change styles. I'd love to find my way around that.
Other than that, I like the app. I'm not too bothered by the hoops to jump through to move files on and off the iPad.
6. I think the Apple case stinks! What a cheap piece of junk. I'm surprised that Apple, who is known for classy design, let it have their logo on it. It wobbles when standing up right for movie watching, is a royal pain to get on and off, and you can't use it in the dock! (I cut out a part of the back so I could dock the iPad without removing it.)
But I won't replace it. When I'm reading in bed at night I stick my fingers in the case behind the iPad and it makes the iPad much easier to hold. I lay on my left side with my elbow on the bed and I could read all night. I've configured the left side tap on iBooks to advance. Works neat. Now all I need to do is figure a way to keep it from dropping when I nod off to sleep!
7. My only real negative is that I wish I had not bought the 16G version. I've only a gig and a half free. I could remove the movies, but who knows when I'll need Star Trek!
All in all, I'm very pleased with it. How about you?
, but looks good.
