Initial impressions on the Apple iPad based on my experience of the Macbook Air

Around two years ago, Steve Jobs stood on stage at what would prove to be his final Macworld. From a manilla envelope he produced Apples newest notebook computer - the Macbook Air.

The web of course went crazy. Speculation had been in overdrive leading up to the announcement of Apples new product. It would be a touch screen netbook. It would be an aluminium Macbook. One rumour that spread like wildfire was that everyone was wide of the mark and it was to be an LCd/Plasma TV with the AppleTV interface built in.

Instead what was produced was not the revolutionary product that so many desired. What we got was a stripped down Macbook at Macbook Pro money. Combined with a 'crippled' processor and no optical drive the internets judgement was swift and damning.

The Macbook Air was a flop and a waste of money.

I was looking forward to that particular keynote presentation with great interest. My venerable iBook had reached its end of life. Now left for dust by the new Intel models, and stylistically by the refreshed Macbook range. Barely able to open a RAW file from my Nikon D80, it was time to get a replacement.

I found myself underwhelmed by the announcement of the Air. The price seemed too high, and the compromises too great. My big decision was whether to get the top end Macbook (the 'Blackbook') or the entry level Macbook Pro. I had to wait a few more weeks before I would have the money to make any purchase and in that time I evaluated my options. I decided that I would go with the Macbook, but it wasn't a desicion that I was very keen on. At that time there was a far greater gap between the Pro line and the non-Pro line. The lower end models didn't have the aluminum case, the backlit keyboard and a poorer quality screen. Although seemingly superficial, I knew that I would miss these features.

My friend Justin was managing the local Apple store at this time. He called me that to tell me that they had the Air on display and that it was a beauty. I went to take a look. I loved the design immediately. If a computer could be called sexy then this machine was sexy. I had a play with it, just messing about with iMovie and the other iLife apps. I was very surprised at how well it coped with basic video editing and how snappy the whole system felt. Sure it wasn't as fast as either of the two Macbooks I was considering, but it felt good all the same. The other thing that stood out on that first time I handled the Air was just how well it was put together. Such a thin machine, yet so strong. One of the main criticisms that I had heard was how it was too thin, and that it would surely break under the slightest pressure. Yet here it was in my hands and this was certainly not the case.

I went away and completely revisited my needs for a laptop. I was completely smitten with the air. Other then outright speed it seemed to cover everything that I was looking for. It had the features I wanted from the Pro, including some bonuses like the multi-touch keypad and an amazing LCD screen. But It was also so light and so much more compact then the Pro. I came to that I wanted something that was more portable then powerful. Provided I was able to edit my RAW files without the machine bogging down, then that was what I wanted. For anything requiring pure horsepower, then the iMac on my desk would be a better choice then any of the laptops on offer.

I bought the Macbook Air. It was expensive and possibly overpriced, but it was not a waste of money.

In the time that I have owned an Air, I've heard some incredibly inaccurate things said about it. I was in the Apple store and overheard someone say that it was barely powerful enough to run an email client. When asked how they had reached this conclusion, the answer received was - that what I read on the internet. I've heard people say that you cannot install programs, that the battery lasts less then an hour, that they fall apart and that they are no faster then a netbook. In my experience all this is complete rubbish. The air is the best put together machine I've ever owned. The speed is far in excess of any netbook and battery life is good, although not great.

This article itself is being written using my Macbook Air, and have to say that I love this computer. It has been all around the world with me. I've edited HD video whilst on a coach in Arizona. I've edited and reviewed photos of a wedding in Edinburgh. I've carried it for hours in a backpack and even thought about the weight. I've also had so many conversations that have begun with the words, 'that is a beautiful computer'.

My next laptop will be the newest version of the Macbook Air. Quite a turnaround from being so underwhelmed when I first saw it produced from that manilla envelope. I learnt not to make such a hasty judgement and that just because something did not fulfill the needs of everyone, it does not make it a poor product

iPad

A few hours ago, Steve Jobs took to the stage and gave one of the most anticipated keynotes in the history of technology. The money was on some form of tablet computer being announced. The internet said that it would change everything. The internet said that it be a revolution, It would be touchscreen. It would make phone-calls. It could be controlled by voice, or even by gestures as it would have cameras that would detect the movement of the arms and interpret movement as controls. The tablet would allow you to subscribe to TV stations an stream programmes on demand. The tablet would be the biggest thing ever, because the internet had spoken.

I've heard what the internet has had to say before, It is a vicious cycle when it comes to Apple. The hype gets out of control and then whatever is announced gets savaged by those that say it does not live up to expectations. This without ever having used one, or without even questioning where those expectations came from in the first place.

I wasn't expecting a revolution on stage today. I didn't really know what I was expecting. Despite my own lowered expectations, Steve Jobs took to the stage and I was underwhelmed.

The iPad as we now know it had been unveiled and the beating has begun.

For myself, I was disappointed - not with the functionality, or the interface or even the that Apple has once again ignored the cellular market outside of the USA at launch. I'm disappointed by the way it looks. As a Jonathan Ives design it just looks bland. That large border around the screen looks out of place, and it really is just a scaled up iPod Touch.

However, lets just look at that more carefully. The iPad isn't a scaled up iPod Touch after all, it is a Macbook Pro without a keyboard. Look at that brushed aluminum back. That it straight off latest models. The black bezel under solid glass the same. It also works as a design. This is an object designed to be handled constantly, and so we have that tapered back and the the bezel allows you space in which to rest your thumbs whilst holding it. This seems obviously after some thought, but again my initial reaction was that it is not a beautiful object. Maybe for once an Apple device has had to place form before function.

I was also underwhelmed by the software being iPhone apps. But this is because I again am placing my own wants and desires from a system first. I was hoping that I could launch Lightroom and be able to edit photos directly onscreen, with my finger taking the place of a stylus on a graphics tablet. After more thought, I am not too worried about not being able to install full OSX apps on it. In fact it could be one of Apple's greatest selling points and makes perfect sense if I am correct about who this system is aimed at.

The iPad is not aimed for me, or for other users like me. It is not aimed at the person that takes a laptop everywhere. Someone that will take a computer on holiday and will be editing photos at breakfast. It isn't aimed at the reporter in the field that needs to type out a thousand word story. It isn't aimed at anyone that does heavy video editing. Apple have mobile computers aimed at these type of people - the Macbook range, and they are very good.

If I'm right, the iPad is aimed at the other me. The guy that checks the latest stories on BBC News, or browse his contacts Flickr photos whilst sat in a comfy chair whilst waiting for Top Gear to start, checks e-mail on his iPhone during half time in the footy. It is most certainly aimed at the me that browses the net at lunch whilst eating his sandwiches and then reads a book for the rest of the time. These are the actions of the everyday user, and the everyday user just wants a nice simple experience.

The everyday user isn't going to spend £150 on Lightroom or Aperture. They aren't likely to spend that much on applications in the entire time they've owned a computer. However, they are likely to hit that little app store button and think to themselves - 'hey its only 59p'. When they next come to by a computer they will look at the large iPod Touch that they already know how to use, and they will think about how cheap apps are and how easy they are to buy and install; and how easy they are to use. There are a lot more of these users then us geeks, power users and mobile pros. If Apple has the everyday user experience right - browsing Facebook, chatting on Messenger and forwarding amusing e-mails - then they are likely onto a winner; and getting the user experience right is what Apple do best.

I predict that the coming days will bring fury from the vocal minority - most hyperbolic, some through genuine disappointment. The iPad will be written off by many of these as a flop, based on initial comments that will flood every tech related website. But then we will start to hear the reports from those that have demo models. We'll hear that it is simple to use, and although not as ground breaking as wished for, what it does it does well. The disquiet will take time to go away, but I think that the shouting will be drowned out as it eventually has been with the iPhone.

I don't think that Apple has revolutionised anything today. But I do believe that that they have just begun evolving the computer for the everyday user; and the thing about evolution is that we not realise that it has happened until it has become the norm.

Posted via email from Neil's posterous