Kindle & iPad @ 400x zoom
Rather than reviewing just plain old device reviews, I thought it would be worth looking at solving a particular problem. So let’s look at the latest gadget trend: reading.
The primary types of traditional content I tend to want to consume are:
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Comic books
- Research material (say textbooks)
- Books
So how, in mid-2010, should we read this stuff (assuming we are trying to eschew paper, of course)? Let’s look at each, and keep in mind that this can change monthly, so it will likely require a revisit. Also, let’s put aside the arguments about how these media should change for the digital age and just see how this stuff could just be ported over as-is. And don’t even get me started on cost and business models.
Continue reading ‘Where to Read What’
A bit late to the party, here are the key apps that I use and recommend. I’ve omitted a number of apps, and have yet to find a great IM app, and I’m not a huge gamer… Read on!
Multimedia
- Air Video ($2.99) – Wonderful streaming app that runs a server on your PC/Mac and transcodes all of your video and streams to the iPad AND iPhone. Worth. Every. Cent.
- SlingPlayer ($29.99) – If you have a Slingbox, this expensive iPhone app lets you watch it on 3G or WiFi. Not designed for the iPad, but it works.
- iBooks (Free) – You cannot buy books yet in Canada, but it now views PDFs very well. Better than GoodReader, which I bought and do not recommend.
- ComicZeal 4 ($7.99) – You can get Marvel and DC apps (awesome), but this views all CBR and CBZ files. Syncing requires conversion, but it’s worth it.
- Zinio (Free) – You can buy some good magazines here. Neat app for consuming interactive mags on the go, and comes with a few free ones to start.
- Dropbox (Free) – Dropbox is a must-have in my life (and should be in yours), and the app allows you to view your cloud-synced documents easily.
Continue reading ‘iPad – Apps To Consider’
Well, I’m really loving the iPad. It really has taking over my non-creative tasks at home, and really makes consuming all content very much fun. I really do recommend it.
I will be interested to see how apps do in the iPad store in general. While fun to use, they are a tad pricey. And I’ve bought far too many myself already. But I wonder what their future holds. I think the key reasons the iPhone apps are more revolutionary and perhaps compelling are (not counting creating a revenue model to incentivize developers):
- The iPhone, like all phones, has very constrained screen real estate, unlike the iPad
- They re-orient web apps to be touch friendly (something the iPad needs arguably less of due to its screen size)
- They utilize the phone’s hardware features very well (GPS, accelerometer, voice input, etc.)
While the iPhone benefits from all of these, the iPad benefits from some of #2, and definitely #3. Some compelling use cases have presented themselves to me (reading magazines is GREAT). The iPad has a great opportunity to make use of features that are non-standard on traditional computing platforms (GPS, touch, etc.), and I look forward to the innovation that will come. I don’t think we have yet seen its killer app. But, ultimately, will iPad app sales end up being more like desktop apps than iPhone apps?
What do you think?
I have had the iPad 3G for about a month now… and it launches in Canada today… here are some observations from someone who’s been living with it for a while.
Continue reading ‘Life with the iPad So Far’
Why not throw my hat into the ring? A lot have people have been asking me (like you I’m sure), are you going to get an iPad? Why don’t you have one already? Don’t you like children? Think of the children!
At first blush, it appears to be a solution to no problem. The best I could come up with was couch surfing or toilet surfing (admit it, you surf on the can). I have worked on many products in my life that were products that attempted to solve an ill-defined problem, and that resulted in their demise, unsurprisingly. I’m not going to pontificate at length here on a topic that is well discussed elsewhere. Also, interestingly, with Apple’s odd and secretive app store approval processes, the old rich apps / thin client debate is coming to the fore once again, with the pendulum decidedly swinging to the rich apps model right now (everyone has an app store).
What I will say is that Apple is attempting to create another platform so that they can sell you more machines (they are a hardware company, not anything else). Its initial success will be due to its marketing machine. But the real test of this platform will rest on developers to make it the success Apple wants it to be. Enough to convince the masses that their Macbook and iPhone are just not enough.
I personally will be getting one – I write a blog about gadgets, c’mon, and I certainly have had to rationalize it to myself. But here are some key uses I expect to use it for:
- Data + USA. This is a biggie for me (and us Canadians). Getting a data plan in a foreign country (say the US) is impossible. And it is unlocked for use in all countries. Now I will have all-you-can eat data for a reasonable cost that is not on a contract.
- Comics. I have a Sony Reader and it’s kinda neat; the screen, despite its oddities, is perfect for reading books. Better than the iPad. But comics? That’s gonna be killer. Check this app out (not Marvel).
- Fill in the void. Now I’m getting a bit “justify the purchase to myself”, but surfing in bed or around the house and just generally interacting with a machine in a new, intuitive way, should be fun.
What about you? Are you going to get one? Do you buy the fake op-ed?
