Tablets and why I don't like the iPad

Having used an iPad for the last week whilst working on URY’s Radioplayer Webview, as part of a hack-week (more on that soon I hope) I have come to the informed conclusion that I don’t like it. I’ve always been reserved over the usefulness of tablets, and mostly think of them as pointless: I can either use my laptop or my phone, both of which I normally have with me. The iPad in particular has frustrated me because it is basically a large iPhone iPod touch, which I don’t like much either. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike apple. I am currently writing this on my MacBook, which I think is great, and I’m a massive fan of Logic for audio related work. However I feel the current tabletisation of OS X is making it weaker, not better.

But back to the iPad. The main thing I find is that is is cumbersome, now this I admit would be the same with any 10” tablet, so isn’t directly a fault of the iPad but it is too big and heavy to hold in one hand and use, its weight is quite noticeable in my backpack, and even sitting/lying down and holding it rested on something else, is awkward. I can see some use in having more screen real-estate than a phone for some situations would be useful, but when it comes to size and weight, I’d prefer the smaller screen.

The next thing I don’t like is iOS, now I have to say I’m not overly adept with using it and if I was then I would probably like it more than I do but as a hardened android user, I find it unintuitive, cumbersome and lacking in features. Also the blocking of applications to use their full potential unless they are made by Apple just seems backward. The only really good or useful apps in the App Store are expensive and it’s hard to find anything else.

Having said this, after a week of tablet use, I could see myself using one day-to-day (a tablet, not an iPad) and actually finding it useful. So it has changed my mind in that respect, I no longer think they are completely useless. However I don’t think I’d ever get an iPad, it would probably be something like the Nexus 7, nice and androidy, and not stupidly big and heavy. Of course there is the iPad mini, why they didn’t just start with that form factor I don’t know… Well I do, this is Apple we’re talking about here, they will only bring out new / improved features if they can make a lot of money from it, so they have to start by selling you a bad product, then slowly bring out newer versions that slowly fix the issues that were selling points in the original, but by the final revision are major flaws.