Almost past us, I think it is time to take a look back and take stock of 2010, and see what the year brought.
Category: iPad
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The iPad and videos – an app review
One of the things I immediately thought of when I got my iPad was how it would do when it comes to video playback. Now, according to the technical specifications, Videos, the built-in video player is able to handle both .mov and .avi. On trying to transfer .avi-files, however, I was told that the format was unsupported.
The problem, of course, is the fact that avi is simply a container format, able to contain a myriad of differently encoded movies. However, I was annoyed that I couldn’t even transfeer the files to the device. As a result, I went out and tried to find a good alternative, and found not one, but two, that both have strengths and weaknesses. Here, then, are my thoughts on the three movie playback apps I’ve got on my iPad; Videos, CineXPlayer and VLC:
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Mobile multitasking – Android versus iOS
The two main contenders in the mobile OS world today have two vastly different approaches to multitasking. Both have merits, and potential drawbacks. Let’s have a look:
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There’s an app for that, or, my must-have apps for the iPad
I simply adore my most recent toy. A slim and slender device the iPad is a perfect example of what product design can be when you put your mind to it. However, the iPad is just the platform, without apps, it has very little value in and of itself.
There is a plethora of apps, but there is a lot of chaff, and not all that much wheat, and finding the good ones can be a real challenge. Still, it all depends on what you want from your iPad, and in the end, you’ll find a lot of good apps.
What apps, then, are my favourites? Here goes:
The iWorks suite with Pages, Keynote and Numbers was the first apps I installed, and they are excellently suited for the device. The apps themselves take up very little screen real estate, allowing you, the use to concentrate on the task at hand. They are simple and intuitive to use, and well worth the money you pay for them.
I’ve been using Dropbox for a while now, and must admit that the Dropbox app is very neat indeed. I’d like to see better integration with the OS, and a sync capability for folders, but what there is is a lot better than nothing.
As a pen and paper role-player, I’ve found a couple of apps that are indispensable for the GM. The first is BattleMap, an app that let’s you design your dungeons and reveal them bit by bit to your players. A bit expensive, it’s a great resource. Another good one is an app called Tabletop Initiative Tracker, which is excellent for combat situations, and free to boot.
For keeping track of my todo-lists and action items, I use Sorted, that has a simple and intuitive layout. I also like to keep tabs on my investments, and since I have a bit of stock in Norwegian conglomerate Orkla, I have installed Bloomberg, Reuters and mTrader, all of which are good apps.
As a news junkie, I also use FlipBoard (which also serves to keep me up to date on Facebook and Twitter) and MobileRSS to keep track of my subscribed RSS feeds. To allow me to watch .avi-movies, I use a lovely little app called CineXPlayer. The last app for this post is the post I use to keep track of my WordPress blogs. The WordPress app is nifty and does the job excellently. -
The iPad reviewed
First off, I know I said I wasn’t going to get an iPad. That decision was based on the hype and buzz about it, after laying hands on one myself, though, I’ve got to say I was simply wrong. Probably not about my concerns, as I still feel they are valid, but about my decision not to get one.
What it all boils down to is this; do I think it is worth paying the cost, and accepting the limitations for what I get?
Quite obviously, my answer to that is yes. If it hadn’t been, you would not have been reading this, now would you? The question to answer, then, is not if, but why it is worth it to do so.
This post will be part rationalisation, part review, and I ask you to bear with me in that respect. Still, though, here goes…
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The iPad
Yesterday, Apple announced the long-anticipated, much hyped iPad. Looking like an overgrown iPhone, it sports a 9.7″ screen, with a resolution of 1024×768, multi-touch and your choice of WLAN (all models) 3G (some models) and 16, 32 or 64 GB memory.
A commenter at NRK Beta said it was disappointing that it didn’t have some sort of eInk technology. Now, while eInk is GREAT for reading comfort and battery time, it has a deadly flaw for a device like the iPad; it has a screen refresh rate on par with, well a book (never mind the fact that eInk is so far only available as black and wh … err … gray).
To me, the iPad is NOT ideal for reading, for the exact same reasons why a device with eInk is; backlight and screen refresh. The backlight and screen refresh makes your eyes go tired much quicker, and, eInk having neither, it is actually like reading off darkish paper.
The book function being less than interesting to me, my interest, which, I admit, is piqued, is fading. As a websurfing device, well, it just doesn’t fo it for me. If I want an instant-on, touch screen device, I’ll use my phone. If I want to seriously surf the web, I want a computer, complete with a mouse and a keyboard.
Playing music? Sure, I could, but why not use an iPod or a Creative Zen; they’re smaller and have better power usage times. As for reading and editing documents, I’d rather have a computer to edit and either paper or eInk to read, so that’s out. Photo viewing and editing? Again, I want a computer.
The iPad
The form factor looks good, but I am still critical of both the weight and how long the battery will last. I notice that, like the iPod and iPhone, the iPad does not look like you can exchange the battery yourself, which I find a curious choice. Sure, for a tiny unit like the shuffle, I can understand it, but for an everyday usage unit like the iPhone? I don’t get it.
Using iPhone OS is an obvious, albeit exciting choice. Apple are basically saying that the iPhone OS is mature enough and powerful enough to be used on this kind of device. Also, by all accounts, it does exactly what an OS for a device like this should do; IT JUST WORKS.
While the tech geek in me goes “OOOH! SHINY!”, the sensible guy sitting somewhere deep down, right next door to the justification department, is going “Meh. Yet another device I have no use for.” And that, really, is what it all boils down to, isn’t it? The answer to the question “Do I have any real use for this?”
When all’s told, my interest is piqued, but I am not convinced, and I doubt that I will shell out the $499-$699 for one of these units. There are three main reasons for this:
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