The hotly anticipated iPad was released on January 27, 2010 by Steve Jobs in his annual press event in California. Touting the device as a new technological revolution for media fans around the world, the device itself has been the focus of many rumors for months on end with spyshots being released tantalizing potential buyers about the specs and features of the device. What's interesting to note is that the tech world is defining new media in terms of newspapers and books finally gracing the online world in a more comprehensive manner than the traditional online subscription models, and the iPad leading the charge.
Now that some of the hype has died down, we plan on taking a developer viewpoint about the iPad and what are the things that we are really liking and other things that definitely need to be addressed.
Source - guardian.co.uk
Before we launch into the real details, here are some basic specs about the device itself.
Display: 9.7 inch IPS
Size and Weight: 9.56 by 7.47 by 0.5 inches, and 1.5 to 1.6 pounds
Processor: 1GHz Apple A4 Chip
Storage: 16, 32, or 64GB flash
Battery life: 10 hours battery life, over 1 month standby
Connectivity: 802.11n Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
Other Features: Accelerometer, compass, speaker, microphone, 30-pin connector
Price: $499 onwards moving to the full 64GB with 3G version costing $829.
Our initial impressions about the iPad have been somewhat related to the original rumors circulating. The device is coming with the same hype that the iPhone has but we feel is still missing out on some key aspects. The four main issues that are bothering us are:
1. Lack of support for Flash
It's not that we love Flash, but we have to use it in development from time to time. Using numerous workarounds or hacks doesn't necessarily please us or the clients we develop games and apps for. We're aware that it may not be the best technology available but a large portion of digital media has been converted into Flash. Until HTML5 and new video codecs get better support, we have to make do with Flash. Apple's continuing stubbornness to refuse open support for Flash means that we're still stuck in the same place as the iPhone and iPod Touch.
2. No camera
Again, such an expensive device and no camera? It seems a little odd considering that the media sharing capability of the iPad and all those connectivity options, there's nothing that lets you record interesting and relevant moments. With major educational partners being enlisted to support the iPad, it'd be a nice feature to record lectures if you're a student or at least take photos or record video. Pictures would look great as it is on that gorgeous screen. Location based apps and augmented reality are really beginning to utilize the full capacity of the camera as a potential source of input, yet there's no potential for it in Apple's newest device.
3. No voice support (SMS and calling not supported)
There's Bluetooth support, but no ability to pair it a device for voice support on GSM networks. It's a nice step that the iPad is on pre-paid micro-SIMs but nonetheless, it'd be awesome to pair a Bluetooth headset and make a call using the iPad. No need to carry an iPhone around when you can just fire up your iPad to make a call. It's got a nice big screen and better keyboard making it easier for SMSs and longer battery life - see, doesn't that seem logical? Apple's refusal to support something like this is beyond us. Add to the mix the recent decision to let Google Voice and VOIP run free on carrier networks, the potential for the iPad to throw the concept of dedicated phones away was huge. Apple didn't really capitalize on this idea as much as we wanted them to.
4. No USB or microSD support
We all don't download from iTunes, some of us have accounts elsewhere for media. It'd be nice to view the pictures someone's taken on their iPad or at least take a music source or transfer files without having to use a computer for transferring things around. It's the one thing that stops most Apple products from receiving criticism for what are generally flawless designs. The 3G connectivity means that people will download but if they run out of space, they can't transfer it to other places. It helps create a sense of longevity for device in terms of price and usability; since people can upgrade the iPad with better microSD cards when they need more storage.
Although these were a few of the niggles we think that Apple should look to improve, we're excited to hear about the fact that the iPad will run all the apps from the App Store. For game developers like us, its great news to hear at how the new faster processor will be able to handle more intensive code, but the large screen is what the ultimate focus is. A larger screen means that we'd be able to create games that may involve multitouch support on a different scale since two to three fingers can easily be accommodated rather than just two. In addition to the screen, another piece of good news for us is the fact that the iPad runs a version of the iPhone OS meaning that development isn't going to vary excessively. Along with this, the fact that there is compatibility with the existing apps means that we can easily continue to offer titles for both the iPhone and iPad without having to recode titles for both devices. It's a smart move that Apple seems to have picked up from the success of the iPhone and iPods.
Although there's been a lot of criticism for the iPad not necessarily making its case as being a killer product for "new" media, but we feel it's a natural extension of the iPhone. The larger screen, the focus towards the educational giants, the iBooks store, the compatibility with the App Store, etc all indicate that it was the logical extension. Netbooks weren't really making a strong enough case while tablet computing had definitely missed out on this digital revolution, it was logical to combine something that had the best features of both. The connectivity, power and storage of netbooks with the natural ease of no additional weight such as a keyboard, etc to create the iPad.
It's only been a week though, and Apple's definitely given itself a challenge, but it seems that the iPad may bring a change around for everyone involved in the company and supporting industries. Quite a few industry giants have criticized the iPad for not making a case as strong as the iPhone or the iPod, but we're still in favor of the device. Even with its limitations, the people that are supporting it - namely the educational heavyweights - seem to indicate that the market has changed. We feel that the focus is now moving towards education, already Apple products are successes on many college campuses internationally, so this could be an educational device at heart with a side focus on being a media device.
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