IT Answers

So iPad then hey….yeah….iPod, iPhone now iPad (they all begin with P? what was wrong with my suggestion of iSlap or iMugging?)…..won’t be long, the rate these guys are going, before it will be iEverything!…but what’s it really like?….and do we need this?

I haven’t got hold of one of these yet but on first glance they look really cool……I mean after all, this is Apple we are talking about so what do we expect? But essentially, to me, this device looks in style and function just like a large iPhone and nothing more. In fact, purchasers of the basic iPad will actually be getting less for their money than a standard original iPhone, as the cheaper models of iPad do not even come with 3G technology and even those that do will need a contract with a mobile provider. You can get the standard model but for a bit more money, you can get a Wi-Fi model or a Wi-Fi+ 3G.

I think everyone who may be thinking of getting one of these should first ask themselves…..”Am I really going to use this any more than my iPhone?”……and …”Am I really going to get this huge thing out on the bus and start watching a movie?”……yes, that’s correct peeps…..you may as well have a big sign on your head saying “Take my iPad…yes, this one, I clearly don’t value my own life so here have my new £400 executive toy!”  I feel that a good hard look at human nature is required by all of us here before a purchase is made. Can we not, as a species, WAIT until we arrive at a destination that has graced us with the use of its television set or computer? Whilst mobile computing is clearly on the up, with more and more businesses moving over to Cloud computing (more on this soon) I think it may take a while before the general population will tolerate a prat nonchalantly typing away on a new Star Trek key pad and boasting about how much clearer the images are for him than anyone else. No-one likes a show off!

Now before this goes on and sounds like another Dave Jackson rant(!) let me add another dimension to this which is the fact that I, myself, love my gadgets. I bought an iPhone as soon as they came out, as this was the peak of mobile devices and for me, to this day, still is. I get the impression that the iPad will, and probably should, be used more as a mobile device once you arrive at your destination and not whilst making the journey. This demographic should be firmly in the hands of the “hand held” (the clue is in the words) and not a “Two Hand Held” device. This allows for discretion whilst out and about.

I think the iPad has many practical operations for which most people can find a use. Imagine being able to go through the family photo album, show family and friends, without the need to turn on your PC. Surfing the internet to look something up is literally a touch of a few buttons away, again without the need to wait. For these and its other useful functions, I can’t see anything wrong with the iPad but I do think the market will be a bit more selective about the idea of the space between a phone and a laptop for the general population, to take up this device with any haste.

The iPad supports most graphics formats as well as Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint. With impressive TV and video format support you can’t argue that this little baby is a hot gadget. So for all you gadget heads out there with more money than you know what to do with…go get one!!  As for me……I’m off out to get the next two weeks’ shopping in!