Absolutely superb article on Forbes by Andrew McAfee debunking some of the “but it’s not open” nonsense on the web (and in particular by Doctrow). It’s the most sane and balanced article I’ve seen in a long time.
Tag Archives: iPad
28 Days Later
Ok, I just couldn’t resist that headline. Apple has sold it’s 1 millionth iPad after only 28 days. You know, the same iPad that lots and lots of people said would be a flop. Of course it’s still ultimately doomed because once, a long time ago Apple lost out to Microsoft.
Adam Engst Nails it
From TidBits:
No matter what you do on a Mac, the keyboard and mouse and window-based operating system make it impossible to ignore the fact that you’re using a Mac, and it’s often equally impossible to ignore the fact that you’re using a particular program.
In contrast, the iPad becomes the app you’re using. That’s part of the magic. The hardware is so understated – it’s just a screen, really – and because you manipulate objects and interface elements so smoothly and directly on the screen, the fact that you’re using an iPad falls away. You’re using the app, whatever it may be, and while you’re doing so, the iPad is that app. Switch to another app and the iPad becomes that app. If that’s not magic, I don’t know what is.
(Read TidBITS iPhone iPad iPod: Why the iPad Is a Blank Slate, and Why That’s Important.) Via Daring Fireball
Macworld’s iPhone OS 4 Wish List
I have to say, Macworld’s wish list is much more comprehensive and fleshed out than my meagre offering. I have to say, I don’t know why I didn’t think of Wireless Syncing and Streaming Media. These are two features that I’d love to see. Well, a little over 24 hours and we’ll know.
Maybe.
iPhone OS 4 Speculation
With version 4 of the iPhone OS set to be announced tomorrow, I have some thoughts on what is likely to be announced. In no particular order, here’s a list of things that I expect to see coming with version 4:
1. Multitasking.
Whether it’s full on multitasking or a limited set of background services available to developers, I suspect we’ll see multitasking of some sort make it into this release.
2. Revised Lock Screen
One of the chief complaints about the iPhone has been the lack of any useful information on the lock screen. There has been some great mockups done in the past, and Apple has filed patents regarding the possibilities of a new home screen, so I suspect this will make it into 4.0. I suspect that there will be hooks fore third party developers to access it too.
3. Unified Inbox in Mail
Another long standing complaint against the iPhone is the lack of a single unified inbox for your mail. I hope this will be included. The ability to mark messages as read without reading them would be nice too.
4. Application Specific URIs
The ability to have Applications overwrite the default behaviour for specific types of links. For example, open a nytimes link in the nytimes app and so on. (ok, that’s probably a bad example, but you get my meaning)
The “Closed” iPad Nonsence
That’s one of our many take-aways after having submerged ourselves in iPad land since launch. The larger screen doesn’t just offer more space to work with—it opens up a different and more immersive user experience. Because of this different experience, though, the closed nature of the platform can get under some users’ skin in ways the iPhone and iPod touch do not.
I’m sorry, but I call BS on this one. The “closed” nature of the iPad doesn’t effect users from a practical point of view on little bit. The only way it effects people is from a philosophical point of view because they somehow think it impacts their personal freedoms (which it doesn’t) and even then, that view is confined to the more technologically minded of customer.
The vast majority of iPad customers are not nerds and don’t give a damn about the fact that the iPad is “closed”. In fact most of them probably don’t even know what the difference is.
I’m not saying that the iPad is flawless, or that there aren’t issues with the lack of a common file storage space (as Ars highlights quite nicely) but the fact that it is a “closed” system is not one of those issues in the real world.
(Read Ars Technica reviews the iPad.)
Content Creation v.s. Content Consumption: The iPad Revolution
While most of the reviews of the iPad have been overwhelmingly positive, there have of course been some people who don’t like it. Some of these people seem to have issues, not with how the iPad works, the quality of the product or the software which runs on it, but with the very philosophy behind the iPad. Corey Doctrow of boing boing has been particularly vocal about this claiming that the iPad will lead to a dearth of programmers in the future because you can’t tinker with the code of the device. Other’s have claimed that it is no good because it has limited practicality when it comes to creating content.
When I was reading some of these complaints it occurred to me that the iPad really is a game changer. Not because it has changed the way we interface with a computer (finger vs mouse) but because it has changed the fundamental concept of computing, and some people can’t deal with this at all. Up until now computers have been primarily designed to create content. Whether it is writing a document, creating a spread sheet or designing graphics, most computers have been built with creation in mind. The very layout of the keyboard, mouse trackpad, usb ports etc all stem from a need to create (or modify content). The thing is though, over the last few years, people have spent more time on their computers consuming content rather than creating it.
Even More Impressive iPad Magazine Mockup
Ok, I thought the wired one was cool, but this looks bloody amazing. If they can do this kind of thing in reality it will completely change the publishing industry.
(via Gizmodo)
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