Here is a long-term iPad 2 review that reflects on this past month of intense usage. I’ve written it a little differently than my other reviews and have formatted it as more of an FAQ, as if I were answering some of the questions I had before the iPad came along.
Can I use the iPad 2 naked?
It’s none of my business how much clothing you choose to wear while using an iPad, but if we’re talking about just the device, then I’d definitely suggest finding a cover or case. Part of this has to do with the bare aluminum backing that is basically begging to show off scratches, but the main reason is that the iPad is such a dynamic device, and holding it as *just* a slate tablet is almost a crime, and it can be used for so much more when you prop it up at different angles ( more on this later).
I’m currently using the Apple-designed Smart Cover to protect the front and a Gelaskin to shield the back. The Smart Cover is used frequently to prop the iPad up in landscape for viewing and typing, but it also serves as a great handle to keep the iPad upright in portrait mode while I read in Instapaper or iBooks.
Will I abandon my iPhone once I have an iPad?
This was one of the biggest questions on my mind before making this purchase and my answer — after much deliberation — is, well, maybe. For the first few days, it was definitely yes: the iPad was a shiny new toy that consumed all of my attention. But after a while I found there were a few key tasks that were best suited to the iPhone and its smaller, more compact form factor. I wrote about most of them in the cleverly titled post, “How I’m using the iPhone now that I’ve got an iPad“, but the gist of it is that the iPhone has become my communication and alerts hub. The iPad has almost all of its pop-up push alerts turned off, so I tend to keep the iPhone nearby to alert me of new e-mails or Twitter mentions. There are also still many social situations where I wouldn’t bother or dare to pull the iPad out, but where I’ll use the iPhone quite comfortably because it’s almost ubiquitous now.
Will I leave my PC for the iPad?
Let me put it this way: if you enjoy using your computer right now and you still want an iPad, then you’ll very likely still end up using both devices.
I still use my 13″ MacBook Pro for getting things done as quickly as possible. Writing and editing iSource posts on the iPad is possible, but it’s three times faster on the Mac. The same thing goes for quick Googling or IMDBing.
This doesn’t really have much to do with the Mac being faster, but with the wealth of keyboard shortcuts provided by Alfred, as well as other other Mac utilities that help me work without having to look at the screen. As convenient as the iPad is and as “magical” and “revolutionary” as its touch interface may be, it still requires me to look carefully at what I’m doing and be careful about where I tap. Until the iPad catches up in this regard, the MacBook will always play a major role in my day-to-day computing.
Is 1.3 lbs heavy?
If you carry the iPad around like you would a paper notebook, then no. The iPad is so light, it’s crazy. But if you plan on holding the iPad up like a clipboard, then you might want to store the Smart Cover somewhere while you walk around. The Smart Cover itself doesn’t add much weight, but it can be a little awkward to keep tucked behind the iPad for long periods of time.
Are you happy with 16GB?
Surprisingly, yes. I currently keep more apps than I use and could probably reclaim a few hundred MB if I wanted to, but I keep extra apps around for review fodder. I bit the bullet and used 128kbps compression to squeeze my 10GB of music (1494 songs) into about 5GB alongside 6500 pictures and 55 apps, leaving me with 483 MB free. That’s not quite enough for a compressed movie, but it means that I can still install most any app that I want to without having to think about it.
Are you happy without 3G?
Definitely. Most places I’d actually sit down and want to work would have Wi-Fi, and I don’t want to pay the extra 3G costs, anyway.
How much can I write on the iPad?
I’ve written a little about how I type on the iPad before, but my personal limit on the iPad keyboard is about 700-1500 words in a session. Using a basic text editor like PlainText should work for most, but if you plan on writing a lot, I definitely suggest investing $0.99 in iA Writer: the specialised function keys for moving the insertion point, adding apostrophes and colons, and skipping words will save you a lot of aggravation.
Pairing a Bluetooth keyboard with the iPad helps a lot, but is best when you know you’re going to just sit down and write, since you’ll want to prop the whole device up. Switching apps still requires you to reach up and double tap the home button, and tapping on the screen is much easier when the iPad is lying relatively flat. I don’t have any accessories to keep the iPad standing in portrait mode, but I’ve been happy with landscape for the last month.
What does the iPad 2 do in the day-to-day?
I’d say that the iPad 2 is already my main machine, by virtue of being the one I spend the most time with. I probably tick off the same boxes as most techies here, as I use the iPad for:
- Internet browsing in Safari
- RSS (Reeder, Flipboard)
- Twitter (Twitterrific)
- Blogging (Photogene, WordPress, Blogsy)
- Occasional secondary monitor (DisplayPad)
- Reader (iBooks, Manga Rock, Instapaper)
- Task management (2Do)
- Scrabble (Words with Friends)
- Taking notes and writing (PlainText, iA Writer)
I try to capitalise on the fact that the iPad only shows me one screen at a time by minimising other distractions. As I mentioned earlier, almost all of my push notifications have been toggled off, and Mail is set to check every 30 minutes (and the New Mail alert is silent — I rely on the iPhone for that).
But that’s all pretty standard stuff, so perhaps a more interesting question is…
Why buy an iPad if you’re happy with your
PC + smartphone combo?
The answer here is flexibility. Provided that you’re already a fan of iOS and the wealth of apps it has to offer, the iPad is by far the most flexible computer I have ever owned because of its form factor, battery life, and the excellent set of accessories I use alongside it.
My old 10″ MSI Wind netbook was a good size and weight, but it felt too crowded because Windows XP just wasn’t meant to be used on such a small screen. My iPhone 3GS is pocketably small and has all sorts of amazing uses through apps, but it lacks the RAM to keep more than eight or nine apps loaded, and it is, of course, far too cramped to use as a main device. My MacBook is powerful, fast, and relatively light, but its own clamshell form factor means that it’s best used on a stable, flat surface. The iPad tends to fit in all the use niches between the aforementioned devices. It’s a blank slate when I’m sitting or lying down, and it’s propped up on a Smart Cover like a little netbook when I’m writing at a desk.
I had heard about the iPad’s 10-hour battery life well before I bought it, but I never really thought of it as a feature. That’s not to say that battery life wasn’t important to me, but that my previous scale for battery life only accounted for devices like the iPhone (lasts a day) or a MacBook (lasts for five hours). The battery life of the iPad, on the other hand, is so long that it’s basically a non-issue. In the same way that great user interfaces can be designed to simply get out of the way, the battery life of the iPad was designed so that you can take it for granted. It’s an invisible killer feature.
The iPad is also the most social computer I’ve ever owned. It’s easier to show stuff to people when you can actually hand them a 10″ screen, as opposed to a whole 13″ laptop or a 3.5″ smartphone. I’ve been able to share more pictures, links, drafts, and videos than before, and this tablet has made the content that I’ve saved or created feel far more useful. It’s like a giant honking Share button made out of aluminum.
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So there there it is: my long-term review after a month with the iPad 2. I hope it was a useful read and I’d invite anybody with any extra questions to give a shout in the comments.
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