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Ask Me What I think of the iPad and I Would Say - Ay Caramba!
by Terence Ronson, April 13, 2010
If I was Bart Simpson and you asked me to describe the iPad, I�d say �Ay Caramba�! But then I�m not Bart Simpson � but I still say � �Ay Caramba�! I�ve had my iPad for just a few days just like 500,000 other folks and it just works. Whatever good things you may have read about it � they are true. Whatever bad things you may have read or heard, are also true to some extent, and purely subjective as to how you interpret them. Lets deal with some of the negatives first: Is there a Wi-Fi problem?
The graphics are bad when you upsize an iPhone app:
There is no camera:
The unit does not charge over USB:
You can�t transfer files to the iPad:
It does not handle Flash:
It does not multitask:
There is no carry case or protective cloth to clean fingerprints:
There is only one password:
It�s tough to type:
There is no USB port:
And now for the positives: It screams � the apps work fast and browsing is very fast The graphics are outstanding � they alone will make you fall in love with the machine The mail app is real easy to use and functional The video function is just what it is. I watched a couple of movies on the plane, and it was extremely pleasurable. Book reading is better than the real thing, and great fun to show off the page turning function. Is it a big iPhone or iPod Touch? NO. I would describe the iPad as the ultimate PDA. Correctly setup � and loaded with your reference files, you should be able to go out for the day and leave your notebook behind. That�s my current goal, and I think I�m close to achieving that. How will it be used in Hotels? Well there are lots of smart and creative people thinking about just that, and I�m confident that in the short term we will see a lot of great apps come to market. But what concerns me is security � and theft-ability. What do I mean? Well, if you visit a Hotel Coffee shop between 7am and 9am you will see lots of guests thumbing away at their Blackberries and iPhones etc., usually frantically catching up on email. But that will all change with the iPad. Instead you will see lots of those round the room and not just for people doing email, but also for reading the newspaper, watching YouTube, Tweeting, Skype-ing and all sorts of other activities. BUT, what happens when the guest wants to go to the breakfast buffet and pick up their Muesli, muffins and sausages? You can�t just slip the iPad into your trouser pocket a la Blackberry. And so the issue comes � what do you do with the iPad when you want to go to the buffet? If you carry it with you � how do you hold that and the your juice and plate full of food � its going to be quite a balancing act� Another thing is that the iPad will NOT fit all those iPod and iPhone docks that you�ve hastily installed into your rooms or customized furniture. It just won�t fit. Now there is a dilemma, which needs resolving and fast. Overall, I�m very happy with my iPad and I suspect you will be also once you get your hands on one. Now what can I call it? BART maybe...
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Contact:
Terence Ronson
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Also See: | The iPad Is Coming to a Hotel Near You (part 2) / Terence Ronson / March 2010 |