This Week in Mobile Tech Manor #83: Typing on iPad
The end of the week is here and time for another look back at the happenings in Mobile Tech Manor. This was the first week with the iPad in hand, literally, and many hours were spent touching and swiping on the screen. I looked at many apps for the iPad, and came to appreciate some old favorites.
It has been an amusing week, watching those on the web trade barbs over the iPad. It seems that the iPad evokes either a strong favorable opinion or a fiery dislike from everyone, with nothing in between. I can confidently state that those with the dislike are by and large in the group that has not used the iPad, which is telling in and of itself.
I have enjoyed using the iPad in a number of ways as I feel out the best ways to use it. What I’ve come to realize is there is no best way; the beauty of the iPad is that it can be used in various locations, in a number of ways. The truth is it feels right no matter how I use it — in portrait orientation like a book, in landscape while holding it, on a table using the case to prop it up. I find I gravitate to whatever arrangement feels right, and I don’t have to give it a lot of thought. I simply pick it up and use it.
The iPad is not a notebook/ netbook replacement, which many are happy to point out. It’s not a replacement for anything, really. What it is is a whole new way of working with information, either on the web or in documents. It is like a little window into that information, as the iPad is totally out of the way while accessing it. It’s the tool that gets totally out of the way while being used, and that is very liberating.
It is obvious that a notebook is better for some things, but the iPad is much better at many, if that’s what you have with you at the time. It’s easy to carry with you and it’s very easy to use. That’s a powerful combination, and why the iPad is a good tool.
I am writing this column on the iPad, sitting in my easy chair while watching TV with my family. I have the iPad in landscape orientation, propped up in the Apple case at a comfortable typing angle. The onscreen keyboard is comfortable to use in this configuration, and I am going to town writing this.
I did not set out to force myself to write this on the iPad. I realized sitting here that I could knock this column out, so I picked up the iPad and got to work. If writing it on the virtual keyboard had been too much trouble I would have stopped right away. I am not one to force myself to write a long column on a device that is frustrating me. If it feels good, do it.
I wrote this in the WordPress app which works well. There is no WYSIWYG editor, so you have to use the HTML editor in the app. I only wrote it as a draft so I didn’t have to get into any HTML, which is good as those days are behind me. I saved it as a draft to the blog and then finalized it on the Mac. It worked very well, better than I thought it would.
I have gotten pretty fast at typing on this keyboard. It’s not perfect, but it works better at longer pieces than I thought it would. Making short entries such as responding to email is simple, and I do a lot of that in both portrait and landscape orientations. Longer entries I would normally not undertake, but this is working out quite well.
There are some things I wish worked differently on the iPad, but for the most part I like it. It is a natural way to do most things.
I am quite pleased with the SugarSync app on the iPad, and how all of my files are available without taking up a lot of the limited space on the device. I can work with Word, Excel and PowerPoint docs using the iWork apps. I am finding that this method turns the iPad into a production tool with good value.
We use Google Docs at GigaOM, and I read Kevin’s method for working with them on the iPad with great interest. I think what he uncovered is fantastic, but I heard about a free app that I am really finding useful. Memeo Connect is only a viewer of Google Docs, but that’s what I usually do with my docs remotely.
The interface of Memeo Connect is an attractive folder scheme. The doc viewer is outstanding, with all types of documents (DOC, XLS, PPT, PDF, images, video) displaying perfectly. Memeo syncs docs with the iPad so important ones are always available, even without a web connection. I highly recommend this app for Google Docs users.
e-Books of the week
I am reading on the iPad a lot, and this week I continued the saga of an altered WWII reality with Harry Turtledove’s great series. In Upsetting the Balance the Big Uglies (humans) finally begin hitting back at the aliens that invaded during WWII. I enjoy a good story and I am enjoying this series a lot. I had been reading the series with eReader on the iPhone, but this week I started reading using it on the iPad. It’s not a native iPad app which is a shame, but I find the pixel doubled screen to be fine for reading. The text is not as pretty, but it’s quite pleasant to use.
I also began reading Roadside Crosses by Jefferey Deaver, a great thriller. I picked it up in the iBookstore to give the iPad’s native reader a try. It is a reader as good as Kindle on the iPad. The book is typical Deaver and I recommend it.
Wrap-up
That’s the way my week went down in the home office, Mobile Tech Manor. It was an interesting week as I constantly learned something new about the iPad. This device will be game changing for many, with a design totally dedicated to the mobile experience.
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Curious if your unit has crashed at all, and if you’re using iPad specific apps or iPhone versions.
It has not crashed, and I am using iPad apps for the most part. There are a few standards that aren’t out in iPad versions yet, and I’m using the iPhone version of those. It’s surprisingly usable, and in some cases even looks good though pixel doubled.
Actually, I neither hate nor love the ipad. I spent some time with one trying to make it do anything useful, I don’t need the web so guess what . . . that pretty much does away with this product. I’m a tablet pc user that well, wants desperately to have an inking experience in a portable tablet that doesn’t cause problems. As a touch typist- the pop up keyboard was a nightmare- you can’t touch the home row or you get asdfjkl;
The Ipad is pretty the touch is wonderful- the experience meh! I say I’d still rather have a stylus and a dual touch screen, and multitasking and flash.
I’m hearing rumors that the HP Slate is supposed to have inking, so maybe that will be a better option for you. On the other hand, they’re still just rumors.
I’ve also been using my iPad a lot this week, and so far I love it for reading books (Harlan Coben’s “Caught,” to be exact) and surfing the web in our family room. One son loves playing JellyCar on it (the iPhone app looks great on the bigger screen), while the other son also is reading a book on it. It really is handy to pick up and use or take along while you’re out and about. I especially like the Apple case, which makes the iPad easier to hold or prop up.
It’s a winner in our household, but we are unabashed Apple fanboys. Not a necessity but great for information and entertainment.
I picked up the Apple bluetooth keyboard today and it works well with the iPad. Not sure how much I’ll use it because the landscape mode keyboard is very good. But I do a lot of writing and if I leave the notebook home on a trip I think I want the option of a real keyboard.
Maybe one of you iPad owners can answer a question for me. I was hoping to use the bluetooth keyboard to flip forward/backward through slides in a Keynote presentation. But I’ve tried pressing every button on the keyboard and the slides don’t change. Is it possible to use the bluetooth keyboard to advance slides?
Love your site, read it every day, and I especially enjoy your weekly roundups of the happenings at MTM.
I bought an iPad (64GB), I tried that iPad, and today I returned that iPad after a week of, well, meh-ness. I had read everything available about the product before reserving none, and I had high hopes for it, but it just didn’t work for me. Great entertainment device I suppose, but that’s about it.
The feel was uncomfortable, and I couldn’t see myself ever taking it out and about. I also found it very uncomfortable to hold in one hand while trying to read. My Kindle is much more user-friendly and easier on my old eyes.
The complexity of loading read-only documents into the iPad (PDFs for the most part) was disturbing, and after a while I just gave up on it.
Smudges — well, that has been covered to death. It looked like a door pane at Chuck E. Cheese after very limited use.
The best part, and something I give kudos to Apple for, was the excellent battery life. Even in constant use I got 10+ hours on a full charge.
It was worth a try, but I think I will stick with my old HP TC1100, so I can actually work :)
That’s the beauty of having so many choices. We’re all different and our needs vary. That’s why I would never say “yes you must buy this” or “no you shouldn’t buy that”.
@GLEN. For pdf viewing you should give Goodreader a try before returning your iPad. It’s an excellent reader and gives many options on how to load the files into your devices. As a matter of fact, for me reading pdf’s (tech documents, papers ect) is one of the things iPad does much better than any other device I’ve used. Fast access, great display, great way to navigate through the file ect.