TaskFlo.ws

(To clarify, “Latest” is purposely within quotes. I’m sure is not quite the “latest”)

By now, many have seen the much anticipated “Apple Tablet”, in photos, videos, or have read about it in your favourite blog/news source. Maybe you are burned out with the topic from skimming your Twitter feed alone.

But the device everyone had been talking about for weeks/months has been shown, and despite the various rumours about the names it could have been given (and the names some people were “so sure” would never be considered) it’s called the iPad.

(even the “female hygiene product” jokes seem overdone already… and it’s been only 2 days since the announcement.)

It’s a thin, gorgeous-looking mobile device that looks and behave much like a current day iPod Touch, or an iPhone. Yet despite having 3G capabilities, Apple has built the iPad without the chance of making/receiving phone calls. The similarities with the previously mentioned devices saves you some paragraphs to read in this post.

Nice, isn’t it?

Well, I’m mostly disappointed for a number of reasons —purely personal and based on timing. Others not. But let’s begin with what I reckon are *WINNING* points about this device:

• Most iPhone/iPod Touch applications already work on the iPad (Massive!). If you own an iPhone or iPod Touch, you already have quite a bit of “software” ready to be installed in your new… “Pad”.
• For the previous reason, a lot of people “already know how to use it” (hardly any learning curve).
• iBooks. These eBooks on the iPad make the Amazon Kindle and just about every other e-ink based reader look 10-years old (monochromatic is so 3 days ago…). Plus, the eBook reading interaction? unprecedented.
• Same goes for photos. Pinching albums slightly to “peek” at them = cool.
• Split screen view for some applications. It needed to be there…
• The price. Starting at $500 for the cheapest version many of us people will have a hard time saying “no” to awkwardly trying to type with this thing in your lap —whilst crouching on a sofa.
• Quick access to everything. No waiting for the “computer” to boot. “Slide to unlock” and you’re there.

Brilliant, right? Well, I’ll try not to repeat many of the things people are not happy about with the iPad. I’ll let Adolf explain in a way only he could:

My take on the bad missing things is primarily based on the fact that I happen to be in the market for that “gadget in the middle” between my glorious iPhone and my home computer. Call it a “netbook” —more like a “reliable-yet-powerful/portable computing device”. I was hoping the Apple “tablet” would be that. It’s not. So, on the negative side:

• No OS X? That is one of the advantages (in a way, like previously mentioned) but being based on the iPhone OS makes this “tablet computer” rather limited, which reminds me…
• No multi-tasking? deal breaker for many.
• Only up to 64 GB. For a device that was made to perform well “especially at interacting with music, photos and video” this device falls short in capacity to actually store such files. Still seems like a device engineered “for the cloud” (which is great —except I can’t have cute little animated photo-slideshows whilst playing Randy Newman music using Safari… unless you could play songs from the iPod and view a website at the same time— oh right: no multi-tasking).
• No camera? I was actually hoping for a front-facing iSight-style camera. I’m sure Skype users where tearing up as the announcement went on and there was no mention of a camera —anywhere.
• (I won’t even go on about the Camera Connection Kit.)
• No phone calls? well, I guess the iPad Nano doesn’t make phone calls either.
• No Flash? There are encountered opinions on this: from those who claim that Flash is the Internet to those who hide behind the HTML5 excuse to disregard Adobe’s flagship product. This is, I believe, one of the “hairy” issues. Whether Flash eventually disappears or not, there are loads of things on the Internet today that are indeed based on Flash. So, anyone promising to bring “The Web to the palm of your hand” like promised with the iPhone when it first came out and not supporting one of *the* most widely used technologies in the web today is hard to comprehend. I could go on, but this seems to me as Apple telling the world:

“We have devices people really want and really like. You (third-party software makers) design around us!, We don’t design around you…”

• Whether there are good intentions behind this behaviour or not (or whether it is ultimately beneficial for the user), the Flash restriction seems stubborn and childish, which reminds me: ultimately, we won’t be able to really experience the whole web (at least as it exist today).
• …and the NAME? (sigh)…

There are more negative points enthusiast are going on about, but I’ll let appropriately-named site like this inform you better.

As a regular, average consumer, it would be a lie for me to say I’m not somewhat disappointed. I foresee this device sitting somewhere in my living room, where it will stand casually next to my Colors Magazine collection on my coffee table as a really nice-looking photo-frame (I say this because it’s almost a given I will get one).

What can I say? I do love the iPhone…

But the disappointment comes not only from not being all it could have been, but not being all I wanted it to be —right now.

That being said, I think I might just wait for the second iteration of the iPad. Having (placidly) purchased all 3 versions of the iPhone, I know this one will be revamped, updated and improved. I had no problem (against all logic) with updating to the latest iPhone every time a new one came out because, well… “It’s Everything”… and “there’s an app for that”.

And watch: I will probably still update to the new iPhone again (within reason —of course).

But as awesome as this new Apple device may be, it clearly falls on the category of “not-truly-essential” in my life right now. This is why there are compelling reasons not to get it just yet. In other words, it’s worth the wait for the new *NEW* iPad. Even solving for the lack of a few things will be a gain —even if prices stay the same. This is why I question the term “latest” in this gadget. I’m know Apple knows this is not the best they could have come up with. The also know how to successfully sell the same device to people a couple of times over. Keeps them profitable, I guess. That’s Apple’s biz for you.

Final answer? NO(t yet) Apple. even though I will get one eventually, I promise…

Now it’s probably time for that MacBook Pro 13-incher I’ve been putting off…