18 October, 2011

My First Weekend With iOS 5

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Okay, I finally decided to take a chance and try to upgrade my iPad 2 to iOS 5 last week, after the disastrous first attempt. It finally went through, with no issues. So here’s what I’ve found: it’s a solid update, but it’s not going to change your life, bring you wealth and happiness, nor cause the stars to align and give us world peace, like most fanboys would have you think.

The bad: You don’t get Siri on the iPad. But then you’re not clogging the internet with useless questions to impress your friends with how Siri can do whatever. Also, iPhone users are seeing serious battery life issues thanks to iCloud synching, which drains your battery a whole hell of a lot faster than Flash ever did. One of the other culprits in this is the crap-laden Newstand app, which loads your machine up with publication specific apps (some were offered free — but not any issues…jus the app) which also ping the web regularly. You can’t delete newstand if you want to, nor hide it (easily) in a folder. It’s crap.

Also, if you have a first-generation iPad, it won’t do multitouch, as it will on iPad 2.

The good: You can use the dictionary function pretty much anywhere on the machine now. The notification center is nicer, less intrusive, but I’ve found mail doesn’t push to it particularly well. The iCloud synch for calendars and contacts is useful. I wouldn’t synch much else unless you want to have a machine that runs for 2 hours.

The really good: the Twitter integration is superb! Also, while it’s not really iOS specific, the Facebook app is near seamless. The ability to undock your keyboard and have it split for thumb use I thought would be useless — it’s not. It’s fantastically easy to type with.

The outstanding: Best of all, you’re off the iTunes synch if you dont’ want to. The iPad is now a stand-alone device. I tried wireless synching and while it takes a while, you can still use the device without issue. A top-notch improvement over the earlier iterations of iOS.

Since I run almost nothing through the iCLoud or iTunes wifi synch, I’ve had no battery issues, and have actually seen a slight improvement (I think) in battery life — about 1:10 hours/10% of battery. As said, I like the improvements to the keyboard, the wireless upgrades and synching, and find the device to be even more useful that before. I think my next experiment will be to see if I can type more comfortably over time with it that I could before. I find trying to do long manuscript work with the iPad can get tedious, and still prefer a physical keyboard.

 

12 October, 2011

So Much For “It Just Works”

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I’ve been trying to upgrade my iPad2 since about 1100 my time. I purposefully downloaded the package rather than try a straight download and install on the off chance they would have issues with a product they’ve been hyping all year. A good call…

The Apple servers are slammed because every bloody iDevice out there is trying to upgrade, and worse — you have to go through the cowpat that is iTunes to do it. So after waiting through the glacial backup process for the iPad, I’m running into an “inner error” — that’s the verification server failing to recognize you. Worse for an iPad user: you have to wade through the backup process every damned time you make the effort to upgrade; you have to wait an hour just to get told “sorry, pal!” by the Wizards of Cupertino.

A magical device and a great customer experience, indeed.

 

10 April, 2011

Initial Review: Apple iPad 2

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I bought the original iPad a year ago and have loved the device since I first started using it…so much so the wife bought me a MacBook Air. The original device traveled with me internationally, was stuffed in a motorcycle tail pack for trips, did interstate jaunts. I wrote my dissertation proposal on it, painted pictures, played games, read books, and watched movies and TV shows on it. I used it more than I did my old Dell Inspiron 14 laptop (which was not exactly a shoddy device.)

I was a bit iffy on the new iPad. I played with it a bit and the speed of the machine was definitely improved. The addition of the cameras didn’t much matter to me, but the addition of a Verizon alternative for 3G was tempting. So I upgraded to the iPad 2 32GB Wifi+3G.

The good: the speed and stability are much improved. Websites load quick, games play fast (although my favorite, GT Racing is glitchy on the new device. Boo!) It’s thinner, it’s lighter — it’s verging to too thin and light, really — and still feels sturdy. Wifi runs just as well as the old machine. I’ve had none of the camera and microphone issues that others have had, so far, but I also haven’t really done much with them. I can’t comment on the 3G service, yet; I haven’t fired it up. The Verizon plan, however, starts with a 1GB/mo plan at $20…a much better deal than AT&T’s cheaper plan, but it’s not really cheap compared to the Death Star’s 2GB plan for a few bucks more a month. I never used a full 2GB when I bought that plan but did get close on the cheaper one. The speakers are about as good as the last, but seem a bit less powerful because of their placement.

Best of all: the battery life is maintained. I’m averaging an hour/10% of battery with wifi active and moderate usage. Turn that off and be sparing with the stuff you’ve got open and you’ll be able to pull the 14 hour marathon I did from Edinburgh Scotland to Albuquerque, NM.

The downsides: the camera — and there’s no way to put this kindly — suck. The backside camera is maybe a 1MPx and the resolution is worthy of a cheap 1999 digital camera. The frontside is better, but not much. There’s supposedly trouble with the cameras handling video, but I suspect that’s probably software related and will get fixed.

I had none of the other complaints — the backlight bleed, the yellow from the fixative, nor the alleged Verizon issues if you turn off 3G then reactivate. (This can be handled for the now by cycling the power.)

I also got the smart cover for the thing. One of the problems with the iPad — it’s gorgeous, but you want to protect it. Having a full cover kind of defeats the whole styling of the device. The smart cover protects the screen, but shows off the iPad. It connects with magnets and when closed, it turned the machine off; when opened, it powers on. Very slick. It can get in the way when held in landscape for games playing, and it’s supposed to fold up to be used as a stand, but I found it didn’t really like doing that. Practice your oragami skills… I had it come off by accident at one point while futzing with the way I was holding it, but that’s the worst thing I have to say about it.

So for looks and usability, the new iPad is tops. I can see it already taking over most of my computing needs from the Air. The price point’s the same as the old one, so it you were on the fence with the original, buy this one; if it’s too pricey, don’t.