iPad’s Roles – Not A Computer Replacement Just Yet
What baffles many is that iPad has no specific role to fit in, except maybe to fulfill the desire to look and feel cool. It seems to perform well at many of its functions, even threatening to beat the competition out of their own markets. But not good enough, many suggest.
It’s a good e-reader.
Depending on who you ask, the reading experience with iPad is either as good as, is better than, or is nowhere near comparable with other eBook reading devices. To many who have not read with Kindle DX before, reading on an iPad is an experience that can soon replace reading of actual books. With some thoughtfulness thrown in to the design and mode of reading on iPad, it is definitely an e-book reader killer. However, for those who have already read with a Kindle, comparisons can be made that may understate iPad a bit.
But then again, iPad offers great features that other superb e-reading devices doesn’t. Fast refresh, for one. Whereas Kindle DX offers the most convenient and perhaps the best reading experience with its slow refresh function – that is a slow way of navigating from one page of an eBook to another, page after page – iPad offers the fast refresh which can let readers jump from one section of the book to another. When reading fiction books, this isn’t much of a big deal. For those people doing their research work on iPad, this is as close as you will get to reading an actual reference book.
It’s a good comic book reader.
For better or for worse, iPad stands alone in allowing readers to read digital comic books without a problem. Most electronic reading devices, although performing well with nearly all files, don’t fare well with digital comic books. This is probably among the few places where iPad’s superb multitouch screen performs very well, without the need to compare it to other devices in the market because quite frankly, there is no point of comparison.
It plays video very well.
What is that glossy, multitouch screen for if not for displaying video files? From the very beginning, Apple has already made it very clear that iPad is geared to providing a medium for consuming all types of media files. Many believe though that the device is made for displaying videos. True, it is not big enough to compare with your gigantic plasma TV and even notebooks and laptops can do as well as iPad on displaying livestream TV, but it is portable enough to be carried around. And that’s exactly what you need when you’re just lying around, not wanting to be tied on a TV.
It’s a decent web-surfing device.
Decent-enough, that’s the operative term. iPad is a hybrid, it is a cross between a toy, a laptop, and everything else in between. While web-surfing is not its real forte, although Steve Jobs claimed that it has the capacity to give you “the best browsing experience you’ve ever had”, it can live up to Apple’s CEO’s claim. Except for the absence of Flash, it offers superb web-surfing experience over all.
Other than these, iPad is also a really good gaming platform. E-mailing is a different, nice experience. And you can actually do real work with it. And many more.
Apparently, iPad can do as many things as you can expect an Apple’s product will do while at the same time setting the standards higher for other developers to follow. Because iPad seems to be good at everything, let’s just say that it is a jack-of-all-trades device. At least for now.
Some Really Really Good Reasons Why You Should Get Yourself An iPad
So many people the world over have already started loathing the idea of buying and carrying around the supersized, not-so-cool tablet PC called iPad. Many say it’s a big disappointment and definitely not worth the $499 tag price. But many people are on the other side of the fence. So why you should get yourself an iPad?
Because it’s downright cool.
Let’s be honest with ourselves for the moment, shall we? We all want iPad because it is currently the coolest thing in the world. Forget the price, forget the geeks’ ranting about its limitations and just think about that sleek, sexy screen, that flawless aluminum back and that almighty software that has more power in it than you can ever imagine, and it won’t take you long to love the device. And it is the vanity of vanities but we know that this one is an eye-catcher. Who wouldn’t love to catch other people’s attention because of a cool device?
Because it is a Kindle killer.
Maybe not entirely a Kindle killer, it’s not a dedicated e-reading device after all. But for a multifunctioning device that delivers premium media-playing capabilities, iPad is certainly cannibalizing Kindle’s sales. So much thought have been thrown in to make iPad a decent e-reader and for that alone, it is worth looking into. And besides knowing Steve Jobs, his claim about picking up from where Amazon has started is certainly something you can watch out for.
Because it is a major gaming platform.
No one claimed that iPad is a major gaming platform. It probably is not. But for the quality of gaming experience it can deliver, it can certainly perform at par with some gaming consoles. Plus with the thousands of applications you can choose from, the multitouch screen capabilities, the landscape-to-portrait switching of the glossy screen, you certainly will get more than what you initially expected. Gaming in iPad just an added-value feature? Maybe. But for an added value feature, this exceeds the reasonable expectations of reasonable people.
Because of its applications.
How about having access to more than 150,000 apps? This just shows how much you can do with your iPad. From making stick-it-notes on your homepage to running 3D games and mapping systems, true to Apple’s tagline, iPad simply has every application you need. And soon, developers will be adding to the extensive selection of apps already available in Apple app store.
Because it’s portable.
You may hear people complain about its 1.5 pounds weight, but really when you come to think of it, no other device that does what iPad does is as light as it is. It is not a stretch to say that people who have some portability issues with Apple’s iPad are just picking on it. At 1.5 pounds, this is as portable as you can get.
Because it’s an instant device.
There are days when we are not comfortable being burdened with a heavy laptop or desktop OS running in the background. During those days, iPad is the perfect solution. It is a perfect device for watching videos, listening to music, surfing the net and playing games on the go.
