pdemul
Things that I find interesting.
About a year ago I made a short post about the iPad showing its form factor with two references. At that time I had serious doubts about the device, so much so that I honestly doubted whether this would be another iPhone or another Apple TV, a box office hit or a total flop.
Since then history has shown it was even more of a hit than the iPhone, and also I found this device intriguing enough to buy one. I have had one now for what must be over 9 months, and my verdict should be out. Funnily enough, this post of last year kind of exactly captures is for me. I am not using it as much as it could be used.
The main problem for me stems from the fact that the information density on iPad is just not very good. Because it is so much bigger than a phone or paperback you hold it further away from your eyes. In fact, I hold it quite a lot further away than I hold a paperback, which I hold only slightly further away than “phone distance”. Not exactly “laptop distance”, but not far off. Because of this, the text size and graphics have to increase on the iPad compared to a phone and paperback, and the information density on screen is much less. Even though the iPad is perhaps 4 times as big as an iPhone, the actual increase of information is much less. This is clearly illustrated by Apple itself, which has added only one row of extra icons on the home screen, making 20 icons instead of 16: only 25% more (including the dock makes it even less difference: 24 vs 20 makes only 20% more).
It depends on the application whether the extra information makes a difference. For the essential “killer” apps for iPad it is too little for me to make up for the uncomfortable form factor. Email, browsing, watching movies, reading are in “in depth” mode better on laptop or paperback. The experience all too often ends in a slight frustration where I would like to be able to continue the session either on my laptop which is just more able and Flash supporting, or on paper which is just more comfortable and tactile. And for a quick glance my phone offers easier access and (almost) the same result. The same experience as on the home screen appears for me in reader apps: the amount of text that I use on Instapaper or the Economist on iPhone is not all too different from what I would use on iPad. There are some places where it can make a difference, such as the Sonos that has the queue visible at all times while you browse for new music or the FlipBoard app where they very cleverly make the most of the space by compartmentalizing. But even those apps are hardly used by me. I still tend to grab my more handy phone for Sonos and my laptop for the Twitter/Facebook/Tumble/RSS reading that Flipboard provides.
Therefore although it was a good purchase just for the experience of trying out this interesting new form factor, it is destined for the cupboard of unused gadgets. I am intrigued by the Samsung Galaxy Tab that I see popping up on my commuter train, which is much more towards the left in the picture. But that may only mean that the benefit over my phone will be even less.
With this conclusion, I am still in doubt to the long term future of the tablet form factor. Sure Apple made it a success as Apple only can, but will any of the Android devices follow in its success? It has not been an Apple TV, but is it a flip-phone (which was also hyped as the future of all phones and the downfall of Nokia)? Is it a long term form factor that will be a hit?
I am not willing to bet either way yet.
