This might be the most difficult post I have ever written. I am literally forcing myself to write these words. The reason I am finding it so difficult to write about the iPad is two fold. For starters, I do not know my own opinion yet. On the one hand, there is no denying it is a beautiful product like only Apple knows how to make. On the other hand, did they really reinvent the wheel here? Does it include anything particularly exciting on the technology side of things? I think not. I am sorry to be the millionth person to say this, but with the addition of a faster processor and some new software capabilities, the iPad is a giant iPod. But is that really so bad? You starting to get why this is a challenging topic for me?

The other reason I was hesitant to write this post is because the iPad had to have been the single most talked about product in history prior to its launch. There must have been close to 50 mock ups circulating the Web in the weeks leading up to yesterday’s announcement. The first hour of the event had over 170,000 tweets with the word iPad in them. Everyone was, and still is talking about this device. There were people who pretended they had one prior to the launch, there were people who were utterly disappointed with the product and did not bother hiding that, and there were those that were overly excited by the iPad. What they all share in common is that they were all talking about it.

So, I thought to myself , “Do I really have what to add?” The truth is before I sit down to write a blog post, I generally formulate my thoughts and opinions of the matter at hand. I did not do that in this case, since I do not yet know what I think. Before I talk about what excites me and what disappoints me about this device in terms of its specs, let me just tell those of you who are not in the loop what the iPad is.

I think it is safe to say anyone who has not been frozen for the last few years knows what an iPod is. It is the device that single handedly changed multiple billion dollar industries such as the music and gaming industries to name a few. The mobile world has never been the same since the iPod, which eventually turned into the iPhone accompanied by its own 140,000 apps and over 2 billion downloads.

Well, according to Apple, the iPad will revolutionize those industries and add a few more to the list. You can include internet, and I do not mean the mobile internet, I mean the full fledged internet, the iPad will most likely change that forever. Books, magazines, those are another two markets that will feel the effect. The iPad is essentially a large iPod in terms of its media capabilities, a stunning eBook reader with a significant market and a beautiful interface for storing and reading books, as well as a very impressive gaming device that will blow its competition out of the water.

However, in certain ways, the iPad really does disappoint. Should we start with the name? iPad? Really? Maybe I am missing some brilliant marketing strategy, but judging from the amount of jokes surrounding its  name and the association with certain “girl” products, I would say I am not alone. Maybe this is a classic example of there is “No such thing as bad press”. Having said that, iSlate might have worked better, although as someone pointed out to me yesterday, that also spells “Is Late” and we know Apple is never late to anything.

OK, so I don’t love the name, but let’s get serious here. No camera?? This is by far the biggest disappointment for me. I was thinking based on the current trends in technology and the overflow of rumors on the Web that the Apple tablet would have two cameras. OK, not two, but none? That is bad news. Moving along, just like its baby brother, the iPad does not allow you to run multiple apps. OK, so what is this thing then? Is it a computer that only allows you to do one thing at a time? Is it an iPhone with a bigger screen? No, no phone calls. It is just confusing to me.

Regarding the eReader side of things, there is no denying the Kindle’s throne as the king of eReaders, and this device will not change  that. Why? Well, there really are a few reasons that just like everything else the iPad does, it does not do eReading the best. The Kindle’s 400,000 book collection is one thing that will keep it on top, but its battery life leaves no room for the iPad and its 10 hour battery (as impressive as that might be for a media device/laptop/netbook/mobile phone, what is this thing?). 10 hours is nice, but not as nice as a week of reading time on the Kindle with the Wifi enabled (two weeks without).

One last reason the iPad will not become the ultimate eBook reader, which will turn the book and magazine industries upside down, is of course its connectivity. The basic iPad has Wifi and no 3G. For you non techies among us, that means if you are not in a hot spot (Starbucks or McDonald’s for example), you have no Web access. Yes, you can buy the more expensive model with 3G, but that also requires a data plan, whereas the Kindle has free 3G. So, I think it is safe to say, the Kindle can continue to sleep well at night.

I could really go on for a long time about the minuses of the iPad, but let me just summarize it by saying, the iPad is not the best device out there for anything. A computer that runs one app at a time wont work for most heavy users. An eBook reader with no constant and cheap access to the book store doesn’t cut it. A Web surfing device with no Adobe Flash is so 2009. I think the fact that the iPad is no smartphone is clear and obvious to all, unless your pants have some seriously large pockets. No USB port, no dragging and dropping files, no video output, and no memory expansion slot.  So, I ask you this, what is the iPad in one, two, or three words?

Before I get pounded in the comments by all the fanboys, let me make myself 100% clear, the iPad’s interface is beautiful, the hardware is of course unprecedented in its simplicity, and the user experience looks like there is not much room for improvement. The fact that the hardware and software including the processor were all manufactured by Apple inc. is of course a huge advantage, but I just do not see how I, or anyone else who uses their computer, smartphone, or eBook reader intensively will be satisfied with the iPad’s specs and capabilities. To be honest, I am not even sure how I would hold the thing comfortably in a way that it would not feel awkward in my hand. That pretty much sums up the issue in a nutshell. If the iPad was the ultimate computing device, one that would compete with a Macbook for example, we would perhaps know how to hold the device. If it was a smartphone, I know how to hold a phone. An eBook reader, sure, hold it like a book. So, let’s leave it at this. Someone please define to me in the comments what the iPad is, so when I eventually do buy it (did you really doubt it for a second?), I will know how to hold the thing.

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Easier than a PC

• EasyWriter: Great app that provides a landscape keyboard to type on. I find it much easier to type in landscape mode. After you type the text, you can click on the Mail icon and export the text to an email. Very useful app. I give it a 4/5 just because it is not embedded in the mail client, that would be amazing.
• Facebook: Very useful app that, after comparing it to the iPhone Facebook website, is a lot more user friendly. I was a little disappointed you could not edit your profile, but all in all, a great app. I give it a 4/5 because it is pretty much read-only.
• Fring: No question Fring is one of my all time favorites. You can Skype, AIM, MSN, GTalk,Twitter, Yahoo, and ICQ from your iPhone and iPod. Very user friendly interface and a great app. Nothing beats being able to call someone from your iPod via Skype. However, it also gets a 4/5 because of the lack of Facebook chat and landscape keyboard. That would make it the perfect app.


So Close to Perfection

• Google Earth: Probably the app that blew my mind the most. The graphics on this app just emphasize how truly revolutionary the iPhone’s display really is. Nothing more to say about this app, you know what Google Earth is, I think the iPhone version does everything the desktop version does. Amazing! However, and this is a big however, Apple left out Street View for the iPod Touch, so out of protest, I am giving this app a 3/5. TAKE THAT, APPLE!
• IM+LITE: Another IM app that allows you to chat in AIM, MSN, GTalk, Yahoo, ICQ, Jabber, and MySpace IM. Why do I need this if I have Fring you ask? One huge advantage in this app is the ability to type in landscape mode. Huge plus for me. However, no Skype and no Facebook chat. 3/5 sounds fair to me.
• iTalk: Cute little voice recorder app made by Griffin. I have used this on numerous occasions, like when you are on the road or in bed with no pen and you need to jot something down, just record a voice note. Useful app with a great interface including a huge record and stop button. I guess 3/5 as it does not do very much.

Very Not Cool, Steve!

• Palringo: Yet another IM app that includes iChat in it’s list of IM services. So why do I need this if I have Fring and IM+Lite? Good question, maybe I will delete it. No, I’m kidding, what this app brings that no others have, is the ability to send pictures to your contacts as well as a voice recording, kinda like a walkie talkie feature. It is actually kinda cool, the thing is,  I found that when I send these audio clips to contacts, they get it as a link and 99% of the time, they are afraid to open it because of the common issue of IM spam. I give this app a 3/5, no Facebook, no Skype, and no landscape mode, but still a nice app.
• RTM: I know Aryeh loves this app, but after a few days of use, I do not share his excitement. Yes, it is probably the best task manager (by the way, I have yet to find a task manager in the traditional sense of the word, you know like the Windows one that shows which processes are running etc.), and it syncs nicely with the Web, but I just do not love the interface, nor do I love the fact that it has a limited license, and after the trial period, you need to pay for it. It’s big advantage as opposed to the other task managers is the ability to write in landscape mode. I give RTM a 3/5.

OK I am going to wrap things up with two great games:

• Labyrinth Lite Edition: This game is without a doubt the number 1 most addictive game on the iPod/iPhone. Using the accelerometer, you need to get the silver ball into the hole at the end of the maze. The graphics are awesome and it blows my mind how it picks up on your every move with great sensitivity. Disclaimer: Play this thing at your own risk, there is a major risk of wasted time and addiction. This game gets a 5/5.

Highly Addictive

• Mini Piano: A great app that simply puts a piano on your screen and lets you play. Very cute and simple. Nothing else to say about it, watch a demo in the video below. I guess 4/5 due to lack of sophistication.

OK, that sums up my first home screen. I try to keep no more than 4 home screens worth of apps so generally when I download a new app, I delete something from the previous screen. I will post again about the other 3 home screens, but the above apps are most definitely my favorites, hence the fact that they are on the first home screen.

It is also important to point out that I have yet to pay for an app. I simply have not come across an app that was worth paying for or alternatively one that did not have an almost identical free app. When I do, you will be the first to know.

-Hillel

Sorry iPhone-ers

Just as iPod Touch users were starting to feel anger towards Apple and their discriminatory decision to leave Street View out of the Touch’s firmware upgrade, we discovered a little piece of news that changes everything completely. It turns out that the 2nd gen iPod Touch is running a faster processor than the original Touch and… (if you have an iPhone, stop reading here) even the iPhone 3G.

While the original iPod Touch and both iPhones run a 400 MHz CPU and a 100 MHz bus, my baby is packing a 532 MHz CPU and a 133 MHz bus. In English? The new iPod Touch moves faster than the original Touch, as well as both iPhones. So it turns out the built in speaker and the hardware volume controls are not the only enhancements to the new iPod Touch. Nice!

In other big news, Apple is going green. They just released an ad showing how the new Macbook is the greenest Macbook ever. It is so green that it runs on a quarter of the power of a single light bulb and its enclosure is completely recyclable. It is so green that even the arrows in its ad are green. Watch the video below.

Lastly, Gizmodo shared their full review of one of the nicest Windows Mobile touchscreen devices out there, the Samsung Omnia. Just a quick reminder, the Omnia packs a 3.2″ touchscreen display, 3.5G, WiFi 802.11b/g, A2DP, a 5MP cam, all in a sleek12.5 mm thick package. Not bad, right? Gizmodo does not seem to agree. Watch the video here.

You Cannot Deny the Beauty

Bottom line is they believe the Storm to be a more “compelling and usable device”. Well, being as the Storm did not do so well itself and is apparently full of bugs, that does not say too much for the Omnia.

-Hillel

If Only its Software Matched up

I know I have not posted in a few days, but there is a totally logical explanation for that and it is not laziness. My wife bought me a 32GB 2nd generation iPod Touch for my birthday, and I have not been able to put it down since. The Apple integration with the app store is like nothing else, and with all my excitement about various Windows Mobile phones, there is no question in my mind that my next cellular handset will be a phone manufactured by Apple inc.

In addition to the amazing app store and its simple integration, the entire Apple interface for the iPod Touch is seriously unbelievable. I have used Windows Mobile and Symbian devices before (hopefully soon to use Google devices too) and not only do these operating systems not compare to that of Apple’s, we are literally talking Apples and Oranges here. Did I confuse you just now with that expression? What I am trying to say here, and I guess we all know this already, is that Apple’s OS is leagues above its competition’s. Sorry Touch HD, sorry 5800, but the truth must be told. Apple did in the software world what the HD did in the hardware world, i.e kicked everyone else’s butt!

I have been spending a lot of time in the app store downloading totally useless and truly entertaining apps, so if you have any recomendations for me, post em in the comments. One app that sticks out is Firemail, which enables you to send emails using a landscape keyboard, very useful and well done.

The input method on the iPhone and iPod is not perfect, I make a few mistakes while typing, but with Apple’s correction software, it is pretty darn close to perfect. I know there are endless posts on the Web on this topic, but for what it’s worth, I need to say that in my opinion, the screen on the iPod Touch is freakin amazing. What else can I say? Until you have held one of these things in your hand, you cannot understand how unbelievably thin it is, not to mention how solid and beautilfully designed the Touch is.

There is one problem I can think of. I need to find a good enough case that will protect my baby on one hand, while not ruining the looks with some bulky ugly looking plastic on the other. Ideas?

Bottom line? I love my iPod Touch and I LOVE my wife!

-Hillel

Choose your color, and Technmarketing.com will have it sent to you.

Na, I’m kidding (maybe if we got a few more readers and some sponsered ads). I am just curious which color does it for our readers!

I am on the fence between the silver (first on the left) and the green (in the middle).

Comment to vote!

-Hillel