All About The iPad

My pre-order for the iPhone 4 went through without a hitch and I ended up the proud owner of an iPhone 4 on launch day. It’s fair to say that the iPad has taken a back seat for a couple of weeks whilst the novelty of the iPhone 4 was still fresh.

The Retina display, the camera and the HD video are probably the high points for me, oh yes, and the multitasking (or rather, fast task switching).

Even with these new features, the iPad and the iPhone still have clear lines of demarcation.

Need net access whilst out and about?

The iPhone is still the clear winner with it’s portability and speed. There are just situations where the iPhone is perfect and you wouldn’t dream of taking an iPad. However, even with the Retina display, the iPhone is still a difficult device to use for a prolonged period of time, as far as reading is concerned, due to it’s small physical size.

Now that novelty of the iPhone 4 has worn off, I’ve returned to the iPad for casual use around the house and for places where it’s size is appropriate, and I’m delighted to say that it’s still a joy to use.

The only issue now, and I’m sure you’ve heard it before, is the absence of iOS 4 on the iPad.

Apple have already stated it won’t be available on the iPad until the Autumn, but if ever a device was crying out for multitasking (more importantly, fast task switching) and the relatively minor but hugely useful feature of icon folders, it’s the iPad.

Once we have the fast task switching, the iPad will really come into it’s own as a true productivity device.

The main limitation I’m finding when using the iPad is in responding to emails. If an email comes in that needs me to access some additional information, it’s not going to get responded to on the iPad. It gets logged in a “for action” folder (thank goodness for IMAP) and I deal with it when I get back to my Mac.

As a result, the iPad is a great tool for processing or triaging my email, but not a full blown email workstation. The introduction of iOS 4 would remove that barrier in an instant, allowing me to switch rapidly between email and safari, or any other application.

iOS 4 for the iPad can’t come soon enough for me!