When people see you with an iPad, they
often will ask, "What don't you like about it?" and "What do you really
like about it?"
It would be too easy to make a list of things that I like. Instead,
here's my list of the five things I don't like about the iPad. This is
based on using the model with 16 GB memory and 3G unlimited access.
Number 5: Price
This is an expensive gadget. Buying the 3G enabled model makes it
even more expensive, and the additional 3G access plan makes it worse.
For me, this is offset by the fact that the 3G access is a family
shared expense.
I waited for the 3G, because it gives more flexibility to the iPad.
The price jump meant that in order to keep my cost down, I bought the
model with the least memory. Since we don't store a lot of music or
movies on the iPad, the choice to save on memory was okay.
Number 4: WiFi Connection
In our house, the master bedroom is the furthest point away from the
wireless router. We have an older Netgear router that operates on the
802.11g standard. The signal is good enough for use with our
MacBook.
I tried to using the iPad for a couple of days using only WiFi, but
it was terrible. You almost have to be in the same room as the router
to get a full signal. It was so bad that a cheapskate like me decided
it would be worth spending $30 a month to fix the problem.
Now that I've accepted that the WiFi sucks and I need the 3G plan, I
like the freedom the 3G provides. Now it is fun to ignore those offers
for WiFi access at the airport.
Number 3: Screen Sensitivity
I could just be me, but half the time when in a home screen, instead
of selecting the app I touched, it switches to the next screen. I even
see that the app logo has turned gray, but it still switches screens
instead of going to the app. Once I get the app started, I have no
problems with my touch selecting the right thing.
You can't believe how much I hate this problem, but I haven't heard
anyone else complain about it.
Number 2: The App Store
If all you want are the top ten or the top selling apps, then the
App Store is perfect. If you want to wander through the store looking
for some cool little app that no one has heard of, you are in for a
tedious search. The stores only list 12 apps at a time per page, and
you have to load pages one at a time.
Seriously, Apple has 200,000 apps, and you can only get a screen of
12 at a time for browsing? Just shoot me.
To save time, I use my laptop to search for apps or app reviews
(because doing the same thing with the iPad is painfully slow). I've
found a few apps that I like, but I want to find more. I really want to
just somehow skip through those 200,000 apps, but Apple hasn't got a
humane way to let me do it.
Number 1: No Multitasking
I'm spoiled by tabbed web browsing and having multiple documents
open at one time. I hate stopping what I'm doing just so another app
can start. The lack of multitasking shows up all over the iPad.
For example, the horrible App Store is made even worse, because
after you find an app, you exit the store to start the download. What
kind of shopping experience is it where you have to leave the store
after each purchase? Where is the shopping cart, and why can't you
download in the background? I already hate the store, because it is
hard to search through, and Apple kicks me out after each purchase?
One More Thing: Safari
The Safari browser is an equally punishing experience. You can open
more than one page, but there is no fast way to switch from one to the
next. Worse is the fact that going back almost always refreshes the
page, so you have to wait for it to reload. On a recent flight, I
opened several pages to view later. When I tried to view them, they
were all blocked (because I was in "airplane mode"). Why can't the darn
thing remember what it downloaded just minutes before? I just needed to
view the already opened pages, not reload them again!
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is if you are a cheapskate, multitasking, power
user, the iPad is going to have a few things that bug the crap out of
you. Lucky for me, I haven't had to deal with writing documents,
needing to take a picture, or tried to print anything. There is more
pain on tap, if you go looking for it.
I might be willing to return the iPad for a full refund, but the
rest of my family would stop me.
Truthfully, you get past all these complaints, because what does
work is so smooth. It is an awesome gadget that you get used to having.
Everyone finds a different set of apps that they like.
That's really the secret to the iPad: Anyone can find a use for it.
That also means that depending on what you want, your list of things to
like or dislike could be very different from mine.
