TyPad, we hardly knew ye. After nearly six months as an owner of a WiFi, 32gig iPad, my girlfriend and I bid adieu to the tablet that I thought worthy of trading my tylerhurst.com domain for. While I’m happy the other Tyler Hurst finally has his own domain name (his middle initial is also D, and I owned all variations), my time with TyPad, while short, was unfortunate in that we never truly connected.
It’s not that I dislike the iPad, I did in fact enjoy the fantastic battery life, the cool-for-a-while games, the plethora of apps that I could touch and the beautiful screen that I never bothered to watch a video on. The iPad, while certainly revolutionary and magical, was just too specific as a device for power user needs. While I’m certain many people already know that, I have a few things that just didn’t sit well with me.
Does Apple expect us to buy one iPad per person in each household? I’ve seen more sharing of iPads, but without multi-user accounts, this is nearly impossible. Different app layouts, changing email settings and a host of other personalization features make the iPad a one-person device only.
2. The biggest media companies are just making digital versions of their analog projects with some added wow.
Only Popular Mechanics made an app that truly feels iPad worthy, the rest made apps that felt adapted for the touch screen. ABC’s globe was cool, but it feels more proof of concept that a real, working device. I assume this will get better, but I expected more out of billion-dollar, international media conglomerates.
3. I don’t like accessories.
While the integration with a keyboard is pretty slick, especially the dock stand, this entire concept confuses me, as you’re then forced to tap the upright iPad. It feels weird and forced. Touchpads were meant to be horizontal, man! I’m much better off with my trackpad on my MBP with full, always-attached keyboard.
Kids absolutely love iPads. Disabled people too. The natural movement this device allows is absolutely fantastic and I hope that more schools recognize this, allowing for more developers to create worthy apps. Problem is, I don’t have any kids. I tried to get Layla the dog to play some Plants and Zombies but she barked at me.
5. The MacBook Air is so much nicer.
I’m not positive the new MacBook Air would have been possible without the innovations I’m sure the iPad pushed out. The instant-on the MBA inherited from the iPad is absolutely killer, and I hope further iPad models will push this envelope further.
I really liked TyPad. I truly did. I’m just not ready for that type of computing experience.
And yes, TyPad, now iPad, was sold to a nice adoptive family. Enjoy, Coneybeers!
