iPad Tinnovation
April 29th, 2010
Ok so the iPad arrived to a much anticipated fanfare and to kick-off we thought what better way to try out than run a Tinnovation session. We had three key areas to look at:
1. To capture everyone’s first impression & initial understanding of purpose
2. To discuss expectations of its impact in the marketplace
3. To decide what we (TheTin) were going to do with it
So we went round the table and asked everyone what they thought it was for…in brief the results were:
Tim - Consuming media whilst watching telly
Dave - For controlling the & selling product under the guise of a modern revolutionary device allowing user to consume entertainment
James - Apple’s latest cash-cow – An attempt to capture and consume the netbook market
Iain - Two purposes, to bring digital content to new audiences and to solve the ‘information junkies’ need for two screen input i.e. the TV and internet at the same time
Jamie - Really not sure as yet, want to try it out
Landry - New tool for communication & consumption
Jason - Coffee table computing
We then went on to discuss the general perception of it role and value in the marketplace. Whilst there were obviously to distinct camps the general feeling was one of we may need to wait and see. i.e. Can Apple revolutionise another market or have they bitten off more than they can chew?
We then looked at what we as Tinnovators could do with the iPad. The discussion led us to an interesting conclusion in that we decided to develop a multi-app (until we can think of a better word). The thought process being, as we have already built Nubbin and a game why not continue to develop small mini projects and build them, into a single showcase, multi-purpose app to show off our new found skills. More details coming soon.
Finally first impression scores were given with a view to re-scoring after everyone had a good weekend trialling it out. Initial scores were:
Tim – 8
Dave – 6
James – 3
Iain – 8
Jamie – 5
Landry – 9
Jason – 8
Watch this space for follow-ups.
UPDATE from Jamie
OK so I had the iPad over the weekend to give it a proper test…
Now to be fair I was in a fairly anti-apple frame of mind what with the CS5 anti-flash walled garden approach of Apple of the previous couple of weeks (See Mike Chambers response here) and so was gunning for Apple and their new device.
Did it have a purpose, what is it for, is it over-priced, will it bomb? And I have to report (much as it pains me to say it) a unanimous thumbs up all round – Apple have nailed it again.
Over the weekend I found multiple uses for the thing that indicated to me that yes a new category, a new market has again been forced open by Jobs and his gang.
Firstly I had a 4 hour train journey to endure from London Paddington to Cornwall. This journey passed in, what felt like, a matter of minutes with a combination of testing out all the apps we had downloaded, to actually getting stuck in and playing a few in more depth.
Even without any browsing capabilities there was plenty to keep me interested. I eventually split the time between fiddling with the Korg emulator and driving game NFS Shift. At one stage I removed my headphones to find the people opposite me staring at me! They then actually apologised so god knows what I was doing (mutter-swearing under my breath?) as I titled the iPad back and forth to get the car drifting. I don’t know but I got off the train red-faced and sweaty!
When we then got back from the pub later on (I probably should have taken it!) it again came into its own. With music on and the conversation ranging across various subjects time and time again it proved useful. From showing everyone Google images that we were searching for to YouTube clips and Wikipedia entries as a consumable, great to use internet/media device its simplicity and quality shone through. The usage again was no different than has been standard with my iPhone but the screen is just too small to make it easy to share with friends in that situation. The iPad wasn’t and everyone there especially including the non-techy people amongst us were very impressed with it as a device.
The next day on the journey home again it came into its own – yes 3G would have been better (but it is coming) and it not having flash for some websites is annoying but the battery lasted the whole journey( there and back) and as a movie player the screen quality meant I was more than happy on the way home to mainly watch episodes of Mad Men.
Now we are on to Sunday and having tried out a few of the apps on Bertie (my 3 year old) in the morning he was very excited. From the drawing apps, to Dr.Seus audio books even to NFS shift he loved using it. When we got to the pub for some Sunday lunch later that afternoon, once we had eaten and played around a bit, he was totally happy to sit in his buggy and watch Toy Story till we left – I even managed a normal conversation with a grown up!
So again to recap – yes it’s really annoying to see Apple’s attitude to Flash and other third parties, yes it’s annoying that this iPad doesn’t have a 3G, a bigger hard drive or a camera (all things that are coming thanks to Apple’s merciless money grabbing attitude) but as a device it has really hit the spot – I’ll give it another run through next weekend when I journey to France via Eurostar with Bertie on my own, but right now I’m upgrading my score from 5/10 – 8.5/10…..