Having used the iPad for three months and on extensive travel, I thought it might be appropriate to provide some thoughts on how it works as a travel device.
Device design – There is something about the design that just works. The device has an excellent form factor that I find easy to use in a multitude of scenarios including reclined, sitting at a table, on a jet plane, or lying in bed.
Battery life is probably one of the most impressive aspects of the device. It is a true workhorse lasting a full day of heavy use. As I write this review, I’m on the second leg of a 16 hour plane trip: I’ve checked my mail, played games, watched a two hour video and listened to hours of audio content. My battery currently has 67% capacity left. One of the most frustrating things as a traveler is finding access to power. With the iPad, I don’t feel like I am constantly looking for my next power outlet.
The applications are comparable to what we’ve come to expect on the iOS platform. Any application that works on an iPhone will work on the iPad, but the best applications are those that have been natively compiled for the iPad’s screen resolution.
Having used the new iOS 4 for a couple of weeks now, it is discouraging to go back to the iPad and not have multi-tasking or application folders. It certainly makes it seem like the iPad (which is 90 days) old is already outdated. As far as I am concerned, Apple can’t get iOS 4 on this device soon enough.
I originally bought the wifi version of the device, but sold it when the 3G came out. I decided that I wanted to have reliable and convenient internet access on the device and tired of waiting for the MiFi to boot and also those frequent instances where my iPad had 7 hours of battery life left, but the MiFi was dead. Since I use this device on the road and out and about, having that consistent access is critical. One critical complaint is the inaccessibility of reasonable international data plans. If you plan to use GSM data on your iPad while you travel overseas, it is going to be very expensive. Unreasonably expensive in my opinion, which makes the iPad a WiFi only device internationally for me.
I find myself taking the iPad with me on business trips and to business meetings. It gives me a quick way to take notes, check my email, or add something to my calendar or ToDo list. I keep it docked next to my monitor during the day and on my nightstand at night. During the day for meetings, I often leave my laptop behind and just bring the iPad. It has become a fully integrated part of my technology universe after just a few months.
The Essential Applications:
I regularly use a variety of applications on a daily basis. Here are some of my favorite work, educational, and entertainment picks.
Mail – this is my most used application on the device, but already I long for iOS4 features like a unified inbox and the ability to sync with more than one exchange account. While the iPad does support MS Exchange, it limits you to ONE Exhange account on the device. With the migration to IOS4 on the iPad, users should be able to sync with an unlimited number of Exchange servers.
Calendar – I sync this application with my Google calendar and with MS Exchange (which in turn sync with my desktop and laptop computers).
Reeder – an incredibly fast syncing RSS reader with an interface that is straight out of Minority Report. I find that the iPad has become my preferred device for reading RSS feeds because I enjoy this application so much.
FlipBoard – another great content consumption device. I use Flipboard as my preferred way to browse Twitter and Facebook on my iPad. In addition, Flipboard aggregates the social conversation around links in your social stream, which makes it easy to track what your network is saying about the topic. While most Twitter and Facebook apps just give you stream as a series of links (most of them in URL shortened format) FlipBoard actually pulls down allowed segments of the actual content and presents it in a visually appealing way.
Dropbox – as an avid user of Dropbox on the desktop, the iPad support ensures that I always have my documents with me to edit or mail. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to get documents back in your Dropbox once you’ve edited them on your device.
Office applications – I’m torn on recommending a specific application, because I use them all right now and have not picked a favorite yet. That said, I’ve yet to encounter a document format that I haven’t been able to open and work with on the iPad. One feature I really like with Apple’s office suite is the ability to mail the document as a PDF to a contact. Since PDF is my preferred way of sending documents, that works well into my workflow.
Kindle – My Kindle books are always with me and syncing via whispernet means I’m always on the right page.
Netflix – Netflix streaming content on the go. I just realized yesterday that I’ve had the same Netfix DVDs out for six months. Streaming has changed the way I interact with the service.
Evernote – Used to take notes in meetings that sync in the cloud.
SkyGrid – Streaming news updates that shows the current social zeitgeist.
iSSH and LogmeIn – Remote management of my server and workstation computers anywhere I can get a cell phone signal
ToDo – My to do list manager of choice.
Flight Control HD – this game is fun and addicting while giving you a better appreciation for air traffic controllers.
Financial Times – Great implication of a newspaper on the iPad
Wired Magazine – This is really the future of magazine content. I have no doubt that I’ll consume 100% of my magazine content this way within 5 years.
SIP Softphone – Coupled with Callcentric pay as you go service, this gives me a great VOIP capability for about $1.00 per month. The same application and account is also used on my iPhone, so I can make calls from whatever device is most convenient.
YouMail – delivers my voicemail transcribed to my iPad or iPhone and allows me to respond via email.
1Password – One of my most essential utilities across all my platforms.
Korg iElectribe – I have the hardware version of this device that cost several hundred dollars. The version for my iPad cost $10.
TWiTpad – watch the TWiT network live.
Speak it! – Text to speech application for the iPad.
RackSpace – create and manage cloud servers on the fly and access your files stored on the cloud.
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