Brief looks with the iPad mini

 

As it’s iPad mini launch today in multiple countries, this was my first opportunity to hold and use one in the flesh.  It’s  easy to have a mental idea of the mini from the numerous articles and reviews recently, but I must say I was surprised given the 10 minutes of playtime  I had on the device at my local Apple Store.  For me, it’s an exciting device given our growing need in the smartphone and tablet space for a device which is truly portable but immersive enough in screen size.

Build
This thing is smaller than I thought.  I have big hands and it felt comfortable.  It’s light and very thin.  Both portrait and landscape feel comfortable using both one or two hands.  For all of its slightness, it feels well made and built to the exacting standards we expect from Apple.  Their continuance to use metal for the outer shell of their products marks them from the competition.  Compare to the plastic feel of the Nexus 7 which I had a play with in the summer.  Plastic rarely feels premium.

Usability
Even more surprising, is that I felt instant attraction to the mini as my main device when carrying a device in addition to my iPhone.  Touch and gestures were as expected and in line to everything I would do with other member of the iOS family.  For books, using either Kindle or iBooks this is going to be a real boon.  Add to that  Reeder and Tweebot and then the Times and Guardian and I see this is my favoured tablet for when I’m on the go.   The nicest surprise was using they keyboard.  It felt really natural.  Less awkward and more easy to use than the full size iPad. 

Performance
It’s funny I didn’t initially notice the lack of retina display, but in time I’m sure I will. It has a higher pixels per inch value than the iPad 2, given the same number of pixels are being packed into a smaller screen.  The in-store demo unit seemed fast enough for all the regular apps and I didn’t try any heavy graphics games out.  I’ll have to see what it feels like after a few weeks use at home. 

So what’s my first look gut feeling rating?  7 or 8 tops – in terms of its build and usability, Despite the pricing it’s sure to take the 7 inch market by storm finding new and existing customers alike.  It’s solves a problem I’ve had since the very first iPad – the sheer heft of a 9.7 inch tablet.  Don’t get my wrong, I love my iPad 3, but it adds weight to the rucksack everyday and it’s not 100% ideal for reading without an ache in the arms.  Hence, most of its favoured use is at home, on the plane or in the hotel room when I know I’m going to be be settled somewhere for a while.  The 7.9 inch model with only half the weight and thinness  covers those scenarios on the train where reading and tweeting can be done with real immersive advantages over a smartphone.

Roadmap
The problem I have with this device is the technology stack inside it.  For a 2012 release where we’ve seen the iPhone 5 and iPad 3rd and 4th generation, I’m not impressed with the use of the A5 chip (of iPad 2/Apple TV 3rd Generation/iPhone 4S fame) plus a paltry 512Mb of RAM, a 5 megapixel camera and lack of Retina display. It feels Apple has crafted a device from hand me downs of last years tech to maximise economies of scale and thereby maintain profit margins.  I suspect it’s a case that putting in the A6 chip, 1Gb RAM, Retina display and maintaining 10-hours of battery life may not doable at the margin required for a v1.0 product. It could be a case that, there is a required engineering breakthrough to get us that 2nd gen iPad mini in 2013 which will have the same footprint but will will add Retina glass and new levels of performance.  It seems plausible in the Apple way of continually improving products.  In the meantime, it will do for now, and sell by the proverbial bucket load.  Once the Retina version comes along, the usual cycle of obsolescence and upgrades will start.  Translation – I’ll buy one now and plan for an upgrade in 12-months time.  Or you could do the waiting thing for an iPad mini 2nd generation as other fine posts have pointed out.

The elephant in the room for me is the iPad 2.  It’s been suggested Apple are still selling sufficient quantities of this model to keep it in the line up, but it just seems odd. To continue with a 9.7 inch non-Retina display model which is crudely speaking has been shrunk down to make a mini version. Not sure who still buys this anymore.

One last thing - the white one with the silver back is strangely more attractive than the matt black finish which I’ve always plumped for.  Not sure what’s happening to me, it could be white shoes next :)

From smartphones to tablets

With more of us consuming our content on smartphones and tablets, our requirements for computing on the go are coming more refined. And our preferences are shifting all the time.

What started as uniform acceptance of 3.5 to 4 inch smartphones is changing. With the success of the Samsung Galaxy range, culminating in the extremely successful S3 and Galaxy Note, it seems Apple has responded competitively and is due to announce a 4inch (16:9) device this September according to trusted bloggers such as iMore and TheLoop. What's interesting for me, is less about the 4S to whatever the new model is going to be called, but seeing if there will be another opportunity to use a more immersive and more portable device to take around with me everywhere.

Like most of us my iPhone or Galaxy Nexus is my primary carry around device largely because driven by the occasional need to make and receive calls. I carry the iPad around for preferred consuming on the train, on flights, in the hotel or even at my desk in the office. It ends up being a strange problem, in that the the the iPad is perfect for web browsing, book reading, RSS feeds and video playback — however, it's not as portable as I'd like it to be. It's too heavy. As such, while suited to the hotel, couch or on your desk in the office, it's not the preferred experience when on the train or when needing to drop something lighter into the bag when you're on the move.

While smartphones by Samsung, Motorola and HTC have been increasing in size, it's the tablet space which I see is going to be more interesting. Many of us have developed tastes and preferences for different types of portable devices when we are on the move, dependent of course on where we will be.  The iPad has redefined what we do on the couch, but it's not ideal for the key things we want to do when on the move, largely due to its current mass and weight. And what is it we are doing when on the move in the main? Our access to the web has been redefined by apps, with the occasional visit to the web. Really you say? Think of mail, RSS feeds, tweets, eBay, video chatting, SIP calls, book reading, movies, TV shows and games. This is where I can see the 7-8" tablet is being readily accepted as the middle of the ground tablet device where another option of portability is required.

Nexus 7 by Asus. Great price, nice features
but lack of 3G is a poor decision

I spent thirty minutes just the other day with the Galaxy Nexus 7. Initial impressions were quite good. It held nicely in one hand, the screen was sharp and bright (although not taking on the Super AMOLED colour vibrancy which I really like on the Galaxy Nexus phone) and it was quick.  It packs some good processor power for the stuff I'm talking about. Of course, optimised tablet apps on Android are sparse, but in time this should change for the better. What struck me as how I think I would prefer to slip a tablet into may bag for my every day commute. I'm suggesting I'd carry this around more than my iPad.

Back to the Nexus 7, the let down was for two fundamental things. Wifi only specification — an odd decision when you think about it. When you want to catch your feeds on the the commute, you can't until you reach the internet. This is a seriously poor decision which will have put off many buyers since access to your cloud data and the web everywhere is where we're at. The second let down was more minor, but yet important — the lack of rear side camera. A glaring miss when we all now expect it.   Some commentators will say these features are reflected in the trade offs for manufacturing cost. It seems to me that v1.0 of this product has a couple of key improvements ahead of v2.

Of course, being heavily invested in iOS and OS X reduces the chances of accessing the data or applications I would want to use on Android, but the shortcomings of the Nexus 7 rule this out for me anyway. This  paves the way for a £200-250 iPad mini (or whatever it's going to be called) in September.

@TrojanKitten beautifully mocks up the expected dimensions of the
forthcoming iPad mini

So believing the rumours for a moment, the 7-8" tablet is going to to be redefined and at a price point which will sell by the proverbial bucket load. However, therein lies the delicate challenge. If you have a device which is portable enough, what happens to the use case for the smartphone itself?

For me, the next piece is then to work out how I don't need an iPhone anymore and can cost effectively manage the low number of voice calls in a neat and subtle on-person microphone sort of way. I can't imagine the major telco's or Apple or any other the hardware vendors looking forward to this.

When upgrades seem like downgrades

I've been a big fan of of the Silvio Rizzi's Reeder for iPhone, iPad & Mac for what feels like ages now. It's one of my core and most often used apps for catching up with tech and sports news on a daily basis. I'll admint, I'm an RSS guy and I'm proud. Don't get me wrong, I love curated feed apps such as Flipboard and Zite which add tremendous value to the reading experience.  But when it comes to really scanning all your news items, it's got to be an RSS reader. Reeder's interface and experience reveals a clean, functional and Mac simple-like experience in reading and sharing news feeds. It achieves a uniform experience this across the entire iOS and Mac range which is a rare feat. It's an app I wish existed on Android (although gReader Pro is very good in its own right).

The iPhone version is what I use most while on the move. Up to version 2.x it offered a quick way to read news but to share with Instapaper and most importantly Twitter followers, using my custom URL which is I set up on bit.ly.  Real nice bit of flexibility.

I've had version 3.x running for probably for 2 weeks, and while this post is not there to overly criticize the developer (who does a great job and is clearly thinking of evolving the product), the new version has left me somewhat disgruntled in terms of the overall balance of gains in new functionality versus ones which have been changed or upgraded for that matter. My main grips fall into 2 areas affecting functionality and user experience.

The functionality gripe is simple. The bit.ly support for custom URL sharing in Twitter is gone (at least for now). And the custom Twitter messaging has been replaced by the generic iOS Twitter integration dialogue:

Reeder v3.0 for iPhone - sharing to Twitter.
No visible shortened link
and no way to do it

The other odd grip relates to the design led animation to move from one article to another. It essentially mimicks moving from one piece of paper to another as if they were joined together. It's an interesting touch, but not to my liking. Again, the sort of thing which for some of us, takes away from the overall experience and enables us to moan that v3 feels like a backward step in places. You only need to look at some of the review on the Apps Store to see that I'm not alone.  

Anyway, if you are new to Reeder and have always wondered if its worth the 3 bucks (separately for iOS devices and Mac), there are other posts which provided a more rounded introduction than my moans.  I mean, I still use it daily, so that's saying something about the competition.

Recording iOS app demos

I've used Camtasia Studio in the past to better serve customers with quick fire demos for applications which I think customers should know about and use.

At the same time, and ahead of Mac OSX Mountain Lion this summer, developers have been reverse-engineering AirPlay and have found ways to get it working seamlessly between iOS devices and Mac.  MacStories picked out AirServer is a solid app which did the job and behaved well. About £10 to purchase outside of the Mac Apps store, but damn, this is useful.

Combo with Camtasia? I can now record demo's from iPhone and iPads mirrored on to the MacBook Air or the iMac and have Camtasia running in the background to capture in the background. It's post record editing, if you didn't know..is excellent.

I suggest you check it out for yourself.

A conundrum — MacBook Air vs iPad

I've been lightly using the new MacBook Air 11.6 inch for nearly 3 weeks now.  I like it. For a laptop, it has the speed and performance which was lacking on my old MacBook. Seeing how I also have the 3rd generation iPad, it's been a case of working out when I use the MBA and when I use the iPad.

I have 2 distinct use cases across all of my devices. Reading and light written updates (Consuming) and then Writing and administrator stuff (Creating).  The day job is separate and is Wintel PC based and is not included here.

Consuming
The iPad (and iPhone) are now my most used tools keeping up to date with news and managing transactions on a daily basis. iOS apps represent the easiest and more enjoyable experience in dealing with the web via my staple of daily apps; for example - Tweetbot, Reeder, FlipBoard, The Times, Guardian for iPad, FT, alongside Safari and Sparrow. Mobile banking across the main UK banks now can be done through their iOS apps dependent on how comfortable you are with a) the respective banks 2-factor authentication and application security and b) where you are in terms of connectivity (tip - I never bank on a non-authenticated Wifi spot. Even then, I'll use a VPN connection for more security). Jumsoft Money rounds off a finance application for keeping an eye on bills, spending & investments. In terms of managing the range of tasks and projects, Due and OmniFocus are now the apps of choice. Entertainment is  covered by IMDB, BBC iPlayer and of SkyGo.  Out of reach is Hulu Plus which I leave to the desktop.  Of course, as an app addict, there are countless others which I use and am not mentioning here.

Also in this use case are the lighter types of updates which involve typing. These are mainly tweets and small documents using DocsToGo for DropBox files and the iWork set for iCloud files. Nothing complex, just general stuff to knock out. Comms-wise, this is rounded off by FaceTime and Skype video calls. WebEx will be added soon, since the office is adding this facility.  Blogsy is a new app which I will be be trying out for blogging creation fairly soon.

Creating
On the MBA (and iMac in the office) tweeting is taken care of by Osfoora.  Sparrow for mail.  Chrome for browsing,  Reeder for RSS feeds and office stuff through an array of apps such as Office 2011 for Mac, Evernote, Mindjet MindManager, OmniFocus, Due and ConceptDraw.

In this use case, I feel most confident on the MBA in getting stuff done when I'm on the move.  All key document creation is saved for the MBA. Key system admin tasks also are saved for the MBA or the iMac if I'm at the home office.  Again, there's a myriad of apps I occasionally use which I'm not mentioning.

Video streaming (particularly Flash based services such as FoxSoccer.TV, Hulu and Vudu) happen in this space.  It will be even more interesting when we get Airplay mirroring via the Mountain Lion this summer.

Conundrum
So why the conundrum? Since by use cases, it seems pretty clear cut. Essentially, it's about the gap in experience between the products.  I recognise it's always easier to be coloured by the newer product.

On the one hand, the MBA is a pure delight to use and the best laptop I've ever used.. The illuminated keyboard is great. It's essentially narrowed the gap on the better parts of the iOS world, with SSD performance to provide instant on capability with a battery that covers about 5 hours worth of juice.  It has a solid 16:9 display. It boots within a minute or so and is portable enough to slip into the man-bag or whatever you want to call it nowadays.  I'm writing this post on it right now.

However, the new iPad as I shared previously, has set a new standard for display quality and UI performance. It feels strange to say how iOSification from the mobile world, is now affecting the perceptions and expectations of the traditional laptop - no matter how perfectly formed and great to use the MBA is right now.

I now view the ability to do some level of direct screen gesturing on the MBA as a must have. I want voice Siri voice control of apps and common tasks. I want to see the iOSification of apps via my Pad and Phone data available on my MBA. Dare I say it, the lack of Retina display leaves the MBA somewhat lower in value in my perception of things.

On the iPad side, a better access to a Mac-like keyboard is required to be better able to handle the more full-fledged document creation side of things. Of course, the apps and cloud integration aspects need to compatible with each other to allow the user to choose where to access their stuff, regardless of device (read Dropbox and iCloud need to talk to each other).

Apple are clearly working on this. As OSX and iOS are distinct and separate, their experience must be unifying for the user.  Mountain Lion is a clear enabler of this direction.  Additionally, it got me thinking, perhaps an Apple execution of the hybrid PC & tablet is really where Apple and other hardware makers are ultimately going with the same mobile chipset and OS across all form factors in portfolio. The first to market have been Lenovo and Asus with Android and Windows variants, but as we know this is never just about the hardware.  From an Apple standpoint, it's the sort of story that gets the usual  rumour & speculation. Strategically it would make sense for Apple to combine its OS and applications platforms across multiple mobile devices as a longer term goal. Each of them with emphasis on voice, touch and typing for either consumption or creation. It may also pave the way for other utility devices and applications to be added into the ecosystem in order to strengthen it. Windows 8/SOA anyone?

For now, my distinct use cases, I think I'm fine to swap between the MBA and iPad, dependent on what I need to do at that moment, where I am and what kind of connectivity I'll have.  I'm sure Apple wouldn't have it any other way :)

Nearly a month with the new iPad

It's amazing how our perceptions and expectations of technology and gadgets change so quickly.  I had an iPad 1 on the day it was launched in the UK.  That was May  2010. I sold it on March 2012. During that time, it had been at my side as my trusted tool when I attended seminars and conferences as part of my job. It had been my bathroom and couch companion on a daily basis (Confirmed - I am a guy).

The first iPad got through 2 major iOS releases during that time.  It started at iOS3 before the iPhone 4 came out. I finished using at iOS5. Apple are very clever with their design and of devices. They future proof the device to a certain extent (2-3 years) to ensure it can run a number of future software releases before obsolescence starts to show up by virtue of new iOS features which will no longer be supported.  We saw this on the iPhone 3G when you upgraded to iOS4. Glenn Fleishman's argument on Apple's incremental improvement approach talks to that point.

That said, I had grown tired of my iPad 1. It started with the zippier performance seen with the iPad 2 with the dual core graphics chip and doubling in memory to 512Mb. My daily apps started creaking such as Guardian, The Times, dJay, FlipBoard and others.  I saw app crashes a bit too often. I would kill open apps sometimes just to reduce the chances of a large app launch going wrong (even though iOS memory management is completely seamless). Then I upgraded my phone to the 4S, which I posted previously. It became very apparent that in less than 2 years, I would want to upgrade to the new iPad as soon as I could.

For an iPad 1 user, it's like going from the iPhone 3G to the iPhone 4 for the first time. Read the reviews from Gruber, Dalrymple, and Anandtech  on what feels like a huge jump in performance. There's been enough said on the Retina display, so all I will say is that this device has the potential to take publishing and new PC displays to a whole new level.  It's that good and most of all satisfying to use. I suspect it narrows the value add of the Kindle e-Ink displays, such is its clarity and brightness.

[FAO - owners of the Guardian and The Times apps. I'm sure you have it in hand. But please upgrade your iPad apps to Retina as soon as possible.  Right now and in places, they look terrible.]

On a day to day basis, the old irritants on the iPad 1 are gone. Apps like the ones I mentioned strangely do not crash any more (at least very rarely). I suppose this is because the new chipsets and the 1Gb RAM on board can cope with everything thrown at it and still have room to manoeuvre. I do understand that the 1Gb is not purely dedicated to the apps, but in part for the retina display. Of course, all this may change when iOS6 comes out and can do more on newer hardware which we will see in the fullness of time.

Typing on the new iPad is much, much more responsive. Fast typists like me now feel the new iPad keeps up with their speed, allowing for anyone being accustomed to typing on the iPad in the first place.  I've taken the new iPad on a couple of business trips, preferably over my 11" MacBook Air and I've been surprised at how fast I can do my surfing, social, document management, mail and calendaring and task management. I'll be sharing more on my comparisons with the MBA in a coming post. One of the themes coming out of this is that iOS apps on the new iPad seem to more often have an edge over the OSX counterpart.  Take OmniFocus for example, an application I have been looking at for task management. The UI experience on the iPad is miles superior to the OSX version, which is ok, but cumbersome in places. Of course, the OSX app will see another upgrade and for that matter, so will Lion, starting this summer.

Watching HD movies is simply fantastic. The detail is eye-popping on the Retina and very satisfying when on a plane.

The other big surprise was pairing the new iPad with the 3rd generation Apple TV. Airplay Mirroring has the possibility of becoming a staple device is most enterprises for presentation and learning and development. Great little device.

Downers? Possible LTE this time next year, since it won't work on the planned UK 4G frequencies. But if the incremental improvements for iPad (4) have anything to go by, this new one will be back on the market in no time :)

Woke up this morning...

..and got ready for my early morning run.  Fired up the Apple Store app on my iPhone.
Ordered the new iPad and Apple TV.

Nice start to the day.