Followup on the iPad

So it’s been a few weeks since I bought the iPad now. It still feels very early to give a definitive judgement on wether or not it’s worth it.

Basically what I use it for so far is still pretty much what I said before. I use it to surf in the morning. I use it to watch videos, though I’ve changed video players and do actually stream most of the content from my computer because it’s less hassle than transferring the files (I can transfer wirelessly if I want to bring the iPad with me or shut down my laptop). I really like watching video on it, it’s usually very comfortable and the screen size is good enough for almost everything I want to watch.

I’ve also downloaded the Kindle app, since I have a Kindle I have quite a few books on there and all the books I’ve bought for the Kindle are automatically downloaded to the iPad as well. It’s quite nice to read on the iPad in the dark, where the Kindle needs a light and thus is slightly more uncomfortable to hold.

Since I don’t have a second screen I have actually used it as that a little bit lately with work. I am doing something where I constantly have to look at a PDF to compare results and it fills the job as an extra screen like that very well. It’s obviously not something I would do at home, but at home there are other things I could imagine doing.

When I get back to school in Sweden I do believe it will come in very handy. I usually bring the computer with me to study because I need to look at PDF’s or look up formulas and to do some surfing during breaks. I think the iPad will be a very nice replacement for a laptop there because it fills all the functions and minimizes distractions. And obviously it’s a very good music player as well so I don’t have to drain my iPhone during the day.

There is one thing I want to complain about with the iPad so far. The App selection is significantly worse than for the iPhone. I was expecting that almost all people who made an App made it for the iPad as well. With most apps it’s really not that much more work and you get a lot bigger market, but no; that’s not the case. There is only a fraction of the Apps for iPad as there is for the iPhone. Often I’ve gone to look for something and have been disappointed in the selection. Furthermore, the price of Apps in Apples App stores seem to be directly related to the size of the screen. The average price for an app on iPhone (for apps I look at) is 7 SEK and on the iPad it’s 22 SEK or above. Even really crappy Apps that should be free are 22 SEK.

I’m still happy I bought one. I use it every day for a little something even if it’s something I could easily do somewhere else. I’d still like to hold out judgement on if it’s worth the money or not. It’s definitely not a life-changer and if you’re strapped for cash then forget it. But if you have the money laying around and want to make you’re life just slightly, slightly more convenient? I think it could be worth it.

Of course, I have the Wi-Fi version so that’s all I’m talking about. Are you on the move a lot and want to always have a good way to do E-mail, surfing or whatever else; then the 3G version could change your life.