It's been a couple of weeks now... I've been playing with my new toy and today, at lunch time, I will attend the required web conference on the Apple Volume Licensing Agreement. (I might add, that according to the web site, I cannot watch this on my 24" monitor, because I have a <gasp> Windows computer and the overlords at Apple have made it possible for only Safari users on a Genuine Apple Product to participate. So, I will be watching this on my little iPad screen. On Safari). Because...
One of my first beefs: You cannot change the default browser. Chrome for iPad is out, and it seems really good. I want it to be my browser of choice. Nope. Not unless I jail break. Hey Apple: Chrome is the number one download in the Apple Store. Clearly your users are saying something. About Safari. Help us. Please!!!
OK, so... I went to New York this weekend. I took only my iPad with me. No computer at all. Here are my immediate thoughts:
Nice and light. It was a pleasure not hauling around my laptop and power supply.
Great battery life. Didn't have to plug it in one time.
WiFi worked great at the hotel.
Easy to hide when I went out.
Watched a movie. Excellent picture. Sound was OK. Didn't try headphones.
Every site I went to worked great. Zero problems on the web.
Too big to be an e-reader. I like the smaller set up of my little Kindle. It's a one hand device. I can't see myself using the iPad in bed.
I'm sure any of these comments would be exactly the same were I testing out an Android tablet. (Except, with the Android, I'd probably be using Chrome full time. Just a guess).
Other discoveries. The best one thus far is the software mentioned briefly last update: Air Server. Because of this, we will have wireless projection capabilities in every classroom and conference room at the school. I'm going to look into returning my Apple TV units (except for a few). Really cool!
I ordered some styli on the cheap. These ones. They're cool for writing on My Script Notes. The first app I've paid for. The character recognition is pretty good. My handwriting is not the "clearest" and there's been only one major translation issue, which, to be fair, everyone who even looked at the sample made.
So check plus for My Script and for Air Server. A general "Meh" for the stylus - makes you feel like you're using a pen, which might facilitate note taking, but my bet is they're an easy loss. And the overall grade for the iPad experience thus far is a B+. I'm still generally happy.
But it's still not a replacement for a computer.
