Firstly, some confessions – I have an iPhone. I’m also not afraid to admit that it is probably the single best piece of technology that I have ever used. I’m a big fan. That’s not to say though that I have been infected with the Apple virus, a condition so serious that you may find yourself twittering and blogging yourself to near death in an almost orgasmic, elevated state of excitement whan an Apple announcement is nigh.
I did get a little dose though – I was really interested in what the iPad would and could be. Overall, I’m a little underwhelmed. There’s no doubt its an aesthetically great product and it looks like it would be fun to use. Stephen Fry’s blog waxes lyrically; “The moment you experience it in your hands you know this is class. This is a different order of experience. The speed, the responsiveness, the smooth glide of it, the richness and detail of the display, the heft in your hand, the rightness of the actions and gestures that you employ, untutored and instinctively, it’s not just a scaled up iPhone or a scaled-down multi touch enhanced laptop – it is a whole new kind of device. And it will change so much”
While he might be a little fervent in his worship, his main point – that the device is incredibly tactile and a joy to use is probably correct. Is it a game changing device? I don’t think so – not right now anyway. Right now it’s an ideal multi-media device. If I was going to buy a laptop for the kids to surf the net and watch movies it would be great. (mind you my boys are a little clumsy!)
The iPad seems a little rushed to me and the absence of multi-tasking and a camera for video conferencing are major oversights. It will be a great springboard for development though. Apps and accessories will spring up virtually instantaneously on launch and new uses and function will be weekly discoveries. I would be amaxed if there isn’t at least one upgraded version within the next 12 months – iPadPlus anyone?
Of course, my main interest was in eBooks. Very briefly, some of my initial impressions which I will expand on later;
* There will be an iBooks store. US only to start but available worldwide by Autumn I would imagine.
* Rumours of Apple’s own DRM system is rife meaning only eBooks purchased at iBooks wil be readable by their software.
* Will other apps for eBooks such as the excellent Stanza software be allowed on the iPad? Unknown, but probably will – won’t be able to read iBooks though!
* The software looks pretty neat albeit very close to the Classics app
* Page turns, font changes etc all look great, but what about eye-strain – unknown
Hopefully, iPad will bring eBooks more into the mainstream, but it’s neither David or Goliath in the eBook marketplace. I agree wholeheartedly with Michael J Miller in PcMag that the future of eBooks is in the software, not the hardware. Devices will come and go.
Ultimately what readers want is to be able to read any eBook , anywhere on any device. Thats it – no magic formula. No all-singing, all-dancing wireless life-changer. Just let us read!
Blog and links at
www.directebooks.com/blog