How can this be called a review when the writer never even picked up a device. How can you say the Meal was terrific if you never picked up a fork and tasted it?
Your point is EXTREMELY valid. It's not really fair to offer a review of a product without actually using it! Perhaps it would be best to classify that discussion as conceptual thoughts/feedback re. the product functionality, form factor, price, etc. It's not uncommon for people to have opinions about things/products/services for which they don't actually have firsthand experience. Call it more of an intellectual dialog if you will. Of course, for those seeking reviews from people with hands-on experience, such a dialog won't be nearly as valuable; I completely agree!
I do think that the points raised did offer some interesting food for thought, and pricing wise, I think it's fair to say that the price is quite high. I did get a chance a couple of weeks ago to play with the iPad for about 30-40 minutes in the store. My first impressions really were consistent with "wow, this is a super cool device!" It's responsive, the keyboard was surprisingly easy to use. Though I wouldn't want to bang out a long email. This might sound odd, but a smaller keyboard would probably let me type faster (less distance to move my fingers/hands). But for entering Google search terms, it was quite painless.
The interface was in true Apple form; really super easy to use and navigate. Particularly for someone like me without Apple iPhone experience. Things were where I expected them to be, and navigating was nice.
The display was absolutely beautiful! I know avid readers prefer the more paper-like look of the Amazon Kindle or the Barnes and Noble Nook, however, the Apple iPad screen is just so vibrant, and of course capable of video, Internet, etc. Of course, avid book readers may say that it's tiring on the eyes after awhile; I'm not qualified to comment on that. In addition, when I played around with the Nook, I couldn't stand how the screen refreshes upon turning pages; it kind of flickers/blinks. It's seems so low tech and annoying to me; but again, maybe not a issue for the true book reader person.
May 18, 2010
Not a Fair Apple iPad Review - Part2 by: PrepaidWirelessGuy
After the wow-factor sunk in, here are a few practical things that fundamentally bothered me after playing around with it:
1. I'd like to be able to pop in an SD card with pics, files from my PC, etc. and easily transfer/view them on the iPad. With no expansion slot, this is not possible.
2. No camera. I could see the iPad as an amazing video conferencing/Skype tool. In addition, for business purposes, I could envision apps like insurance adjusters taking pics in the field and uploading them when reviewing auto collision claims, etc. I could also see designer and contractors taking pics of wall colors, flooring, etc., and wanting to annotate them with comments, and send them their colleagues or clients for review feedback. The list of potential applications could go on! This seems like such a simple thing that could have been included; I'm sure we'll see it on a future release.
3. I still come back to the form factor. The way I use the Internet and other apps, I can just as easily sit with a laptop on my legs (like the billboards for the iPad ;-), and enjoy easier text entry.
Anyway, I can see why the Apple iPad is taking off, and will be an important catalyst for expanding the entire category of tablet PCs, e-readers, or whatever else we want to call them. It's an amazing piece of engineering, and I look forward to other competitors offering more features that allow for engagement with such a device outside of Apple's walled garden. I also look forward to the price coming down ;-).
If you've had a chance to have some hands-on experience, please do share!
