A Story of Two Tablets...

[stuckless]

Recently, because of something that I was working on for work, I purchased both a Samsung Galaxy Tab and an iPad (cringe). Actually I purchased the Tab, tested some things, which didn’t work well, and then I returned it, and I then reluctantly bought the iPad And so my rant begins...

First, let me say, that the Samsung was a nice unit, and it performed better than the ipad on all accounts (in my opinion), except where I needed it to perform well. We have a very complex web application that is extremely heavy on the Javascript side. While the application ran on the Tab, it was sluggish, and there some very quirky things that happened in the browser. For example, on the Samsung, when I would select a tab from a tabpane, it would open the keyboard, and yet still change to that tab in the web application. I’m not sure why this happens, and I didn’t write the application, so I can’t be bothered to get into the finer details. But I am working on an extension to that product, and I needed to show this “proof of concept” (aka POC) running on a tablet, hence why I wanted to show it using the Samsung Tab.

I was very doubtful that the application would perform any better on an ipad, and I was reluctant to spend my own money on one. (Yeah, I’m spending my own money on something that is a POC for the company I work for... that’s a whole other story). But, given the Samsung Tab couldn’t handle the application, I did return it, with a bit of sorrow... because I really did like the unit, just not enough to keep it, if I couldn’t demo what I’ve done, in a way that shows off the potential for the POC. But, to my surprise, the application did run better on the iPad, and so, I’m the un-proud new owner of an iPad.

For everyone that tells me how user friendly the iPad is... how is it user friendly that when I turn it on, I have to immediately connect it to a computer? And, of course, if you don’t have iTunes installed, then you need to install that as well. So, while I was able to use my Samsung Tab in about 30 seconds after removing it from the box, it was 30 minutes before I could actually do anything with the iPad. That’s not user friendly... and in fact, I’d love to see one of the “Get a Mac” spoof commercial shows showing an Apple iDevice and an Android iDevice during first use (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAwtBa2C4ts) (hint, the Android user is happily surfing the net, playing games, etc, while the apple user is sitting patiently trying to activate their new device )

The iPad primarily sits idle on my desk, waiting to be loved, but to be honest, I’m not really sure what to do with piece of hardware once my POC is done. I’ve installed a couple of apps.... and i’ll be honest... 300,000 apps, and I have trouble finding 5 apps to install. So far I have iBooks, Kindle, and IMDB, Netflix, and Sudoku... all free. I tried to install a simple ssh client, but nothing is free. I’m just not willing spend 4.99 on something that is so basic as to allow me to type commands to my server. I get it... if you are willing to spend money on an iPad, then you are going to pay for every little trivial thing, since SJ doesn’t make any money on the free apps. And as odd as it sounds, that I’m willing to spend my money on some piece of hardware, but I’m not willing to spend a measly $5 for an app, I just can’t justify spending $5 every time I need to do something trivial. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problems spending money on software, apps, etc, but with Apple, I feel like I did when I built my first house and the builder nickel and dimed me to death with every trivial request.

My thoughts on the iPad so far.... The browser is good... The battery is good.... everything else is sucky. I was pleased to see a native netfix app, something that I probably won’t see on an android tablet, but even the netflix client is horrible. I mean, they took a web app and wrapped it inside the web frame and called it an “app”?? Why not just have the use use the browser in the first place?? At least it’s free, but still, you can easily tell you are using a web application. The Kindle app feels the same way, which is why I reluctantly installed the iBooks app. I find the ipad interface to be hard to use... ie, in some apps, like the kindle app, I couldn’t figure out how to go back to the home screen (I really miss having home, back, and menu buttons). I like the Aldiko reader on Android much better than either of the iBooks or the Kindle reader. Aldiko makes it easy to find public domain books, and the interface has some nice features. I was able to find some public domain books on iBooks, but i couldn’t find any public domain books using Kindle (I’m sure they are there, I just didn’t find any). (Before you go, “public domain books... but why!!”, realize that there are many great classics that being turned into movies today, that are also public domain books... Sherlock Holmes anyone?)

So, in summary, I own an electronic gadget that’s about as useful to me as a frisbie in winter... but it does what I need for the POC, which may help my career, so the $500 investment may be worth it. I was really hoping for more, like being able to find some useful free apps, or running IM clients in the background, etc, but that’s not going to be the case. I may look at jailbreaking it, to see if has some value beyond the walled garden. (I sure hope so).

One final note... Since I own an Android phone (Nexus One), I am able to create a wifi hotspot on my phone and use the ipad (non 3g model) to surf the net through the 3g connection on my phone. I did this with the Samsung Tab as well, so it’s nice to be able to re-use my data plan on my phone for surfing the net on the ipad, when I’m not at home. (And yeah, I take it out some times, if I have spend a hour or two at a kids function, and I just want a larger browser).

I’d also like to point out that the Samsung Tab worked great for surfing the net using “normal” sites. It was just the one site that mattered to me, where it didn’t perform well, and as such, it had to go back

Bottom line, is that while I was disappointed that the Samsung Tab didn’t fulfill my needs as it related to the POC... I’m even more disappointed it the ipad

[Brent]

That was a fun post I know it must have killed you to purchase the iPad. I gave in to the iPhone and iPad thing myself and while I definitely don't think either are the end-all to user-friendliness, both are in general pretty easy to use... as long as you follow Apples rules.

The #1 weakness to iAnything is iTunes. I hate iTunes quite a bit but live with it due to my owning too many iDevices. Now that we have that out of the way you need to try a few new apps.
iBooks stinks in my opinion. The Kindle app is much better although I admit I would much rather read books on my Kindle any moment of the day. But having access to my books no matter what device is handy (Kindle, iPhone, iPad, Android phone etc) is nice.
Netflix which you have is good. But I much prefer to stream shows from SageTV using the SageMobile web app. Can't wait for movie support...

Here's a few apps to try if you care to:

• Twitter - I'm a bit of a twitter addict & the official app is pretty good
• WSJ - only if you already subscribe to WSJ honestly. I work in the finance world so it's on my daily reading ritual. Best newspaper app I've used
• USA Today - For those looking for the cliff-notes version of newspapers. Second best newspaper app for me
• FlickStakr - If you use flickr, this is the best app.
• Reeder - I have a ton of RSS feeds I follow. Reeder is the best way for me to quickly navigate these. I prefer doing this on the iPad over even Google Reader via firefox browser on a computer....
• Instapaper - The way I bookmark for later reading. I very frequently bookmark stuff I come across during the day with instapaper (on any computer I happen to be using) and then pull it up later on the iPad or home computer
• Evernote & Dropbox - I use both of these for storage in the cloud. Evernote has many uses for me work, blog and personal

Those are my most frequently used apps although I have many others. The iPad (and probably others like the Galaxy) is a great way to read stuff on the web. Newspapers, blog content, forums, sports scores etc. Yes I can do this with my super-light laptop, but I really like using the tablet form factor for this. I rarely sync my iPad with iTunes as I have little need to because of the way I use it. But yes, that is it's #1 problem.

Other than the fact it isn't shackled to iTunes, what did you like better about the Galaxy?

[stuckless]

Hey Brent... It's still killing me... knowing that I gave money to SJ

Here is what I liked about the Samsung...

* Better selection of free apps
ie, if I need a simple ssh client, I can get one for free. If I needed a super ssh client with all the bells and whistles, then I can get that too... and pay for it.

* Background IM apps
When I'm on the tablet, it's like being on a computer. If somone pings me, then I'd like to respond on that device. So for me, that means having at least google talk running and preferably, yahoo, msn and aol as well.

* Usability.
I realize that Steve belives you only need a single button for every possible operation, but really, having dedicate menu, back and home buttons on an android devices is not only practical, but it also leads to better consistency within apps. ie, when I'm in an app, and I hit the back button, I go back. If I need to do some operation, I hit the menu button, and If i need to go back to the home screen I hit home. On the apple device, it's up the app to decide how they will have a use do those options (except home). So, when I first fired up the Kindle app, I had no idea how I was suppose to go back to the kindle library. I eventually, accidentally somehow got a menu to show at the top of the book page and I could go back to the library. I find that ios apps simply aren't consistent from a navigation perspective. Saying they are "user friendly if you know how..." is like saying that "Windows is user friendly if you know how...".

So far the device frustrates me more than I enjoy it. Everytime I have to learn the navigation in an app... it get even more frustrating.

* The weight of the device
The ipad is freakishly heavy. I can read with it, without resting it on something. The Samsung was heavy and it was a little over half the weight of the ipad.

I am considering buying a Kindle reader as well. I think that for books the Kindle will be a better device.

[flavius]

Why don't you sell that iPad? You'll get a good prize on ebay.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by stuckless

* Better selection of free apps

Well, people do have to pay $99 per year to have the privilege of making iOS apps, in addition to having a Mac...

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

Well, people do have to pay $99 per year to have the privilege of making iOS apps, in addition to having a Mac...

see, it's not just the 'users' that are the suckers... it's the programmers too!

[sportera]

Hey stuckless, got a question (or maybe requesting clarification).

You made mention that you needed to test a device that would work with a Javascript application. I'm kind of in the same situation as you as I test components and applications that interface with my company's building automation systems. In my case we have a new web based system that I want to access with my iPhone and then with an iPad. I haven't bought the iPad yet because I cannot access the system with my iPhone. From what I tell so far is that my application requires Java to be loaded at the PC accessing the web based automation system. And my research has told me that Apple does not currently support Java on the iPhone (so I'm assumming the same for the iPad).

The above said, I'm wondering how you are having success accessing an app using Javascript.

[mayamaniac]

A few points:

- There are plenty of free apps on the iPad. If not free, you can try the "Lite" version for free and have the option to pay for the full version.

- My 3 year niece can navigate the iPad without much trouble. So I think it is extremely easy to use. Apple has UI guide lines for all apps, so most apps have similar UI, such as swipe left/right to bring up the Delete button.

- You can also turn your iPhone into a Wifi hot spot, it has the capability. It just that they locked it, probably due to AT&T. So you have to jailbreak it to make it work.

Overall, the iPad is an excellent device. AirVideo, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Slacker, Netflix, Hulu Plus, and the plethora of apps and games make it a great device. My number one complaint is that it doesn't have a built-in camera (front/rear), no SD card slot, no HDMI out, and no USB port. I also have a problem with the weight of the iPad. It does get tiring holding it with one hand for a long period of time.



But I agree with you that the Samsung is the better device. I don't own one but from everything I've seen and read, it is a more complete device than the iPad. As for your javascript problem with the Samsung, did you tried running it in other browsers than the default?

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by flavius

Why don't you sell that iPad? You'll get a good prize on ebay.

That's probably what will happen... but I suspect that I could unload it fairly quickly, even on kijiji, and not have to worry about shipping and paypal expenses. But for now, I need to keep it, since it's critical the POC work that I'm doing. But after that... It'll make a nice frisbie for someone else

Originally Posted by Fonceur

Well, people do have to pay $99 per year to have the privilege of making iOS apps, in addition to having a Mac...

And I agree, SJ doesn't want free apps, and Apple will do everything they can to ensure that the selection for "free" is very meager. I understand their business model.

Originally Posted by sportera

Hey stuckless, got a question (or maybe requesting clarification).

You made mention that you needed to test a device that would work with a Javascript application. I'm kind of in the same situation as you as I test components and applications that interface with my company's building automation systems. In my case we have a new web based system that I want to access with my iPhone and then with an iPad. I haven't bought the iPad yet because I cannot access the system with my iPhone. From what I tell so far is that my application requires Java to be loaded at the PC accessing the web based automation system. And my research has told me that Apple does not currently support Java on the iPhone (so I'm assumming the same for the iPad).

The above said, I'm wondering how you are having success accessing an app using Javascript.

Despite the name Javascript, it has nothing to do with Java. So while the idevices don't run any VM type languages (java, flash, etc), they do run Javascript. HTML + Javascript is fairly common these days on just about any web site you visit.

If your application requires a Java plugin in the browser, then it will not run on the ipad... but it also will not run on the Android devices as well.

I'm running into the same types of issues myself, since some of the "controls" that I need/want to use are actually java applets... so I'm in the process of building native html+javascript versions of these controls for my application. The issue that I have, is that there are years of legacy javascript code in there, there is not well optimized, and as such the browser experience is quite slow, in some areas.

Originally Posted by mayamaniac

- My 3 year niece can navigate the iPad without much trouble. So I think it is extremely easy to use. Apple has UI guide lines for all apps, so most apps have similar UI, such as swipe left/right to bring up the Delete button.

Both of my kids could speak french before they were 6 years old, while neither my wife or I could speak french at all... Using the same logic, I assume that french must be an easy language to master...

I find that, like any platform, people that use it all the time find it intuitive. Windows people find windows to be intuitive. I find linux to be intuitive. Mac people find Macs to be intuitive. But, since my wife just got a Mac laptop a couple months back, my favorite query lately is, "How do I INSERT_OPERATION_HERE on a Mac" Once I find the answer, it's usually "intuitive" from that point.

- You can also turn your iPhone into a Wifi hot spot, it has the capability. It just that they locked it, probably due to AT&T. So you have to jailbreak it to make it work.

I think that the general sentiment about idevices... they are great devices... if you jailbreak them

As for your javascript problem with the Samsung, did you tried running it in other browsers than the default?

I didn't try an alternate browser. I suspect the real issue was actually that the OS is running 2.1 and the JVM performance increases didn't come until 2.2. My phone runs 2.2 and it actually runs the application as fast as the ipad (ie, only marginal javascript issues), but there are still "quirks" in the browsing experience with this application. An alternate browser probably would have fixed those issues.

[madpoet]

Honestly I mocked the iPad before launch and then I got one... and I use it 3-4 hours a day. At my work we are firewalled off from all the good sites on the internet like mail So my iPad churns away letting me surf the sites I want, listen to music, catch up on a Hulu show, etc; My wife uses it all the time at night to check email, Facebook, whatever. I read all my books on it now (and I read 4-5 books a week). I load my agenda items on it when I go to my Board of Ed meetings. And I even use it for work with the Citrix Receiver. Is it "magical"? No. But it's pretty damn handy. No Windows or Linux tablet has come close for me, and I test a lot of them as part of my job. Ultimately the place they all fail is battery life. The 10 solid hours of use on the iPad is no lie.

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by stuckless

That's probably what will happen... but I suspect that I could unload it fairly quickly, even on kijiji, and not have to worry about shipping and paypal expenses. But for now, I need to keep it, since it's critical the POC work that I'm doing. But after that... It'll make a nice frisbie for someone else



And I agree, SJ doesn't want free apps, and Apple will do everything they can to ensure that the selection for "free" is very meager. I understand their business model.



Despite the name Javascript, it has nothing to do with Java. So while the idevices don't run any VM type languages (java, flash, etc), they do run Javascript. HTML + Javascript is fairly common these days on just about any web site you visit.

If your application requires a Java plugin in the browser, then it will not run on the ipad... but it also will not run on the Android devices as well.

I'm running into the same types of issues myself, since some of the "controls" that I need/want to use are actually java applets... so I'm in the process of building native html+javascript versions of these controls for my application. The issue that I have, is that there are years of legacy javascript code in there, there is not well optimized, and as such the browser experience is quite slow, in some areas.



Both of my kids could speak french before they were 6 years old, while neither my wife or I could speak french at all... Using the same logic, I assume that french must be an easy language to master...

I find that, like any platform, people that use it all the time find it intuitive. Windows people find windows to be intuitive. I find linux to be intuitive. Mac people find Macs to be intuitive. But, since my wife just got a Mac laptop a couple months back, my favorite query lately is, "How do I INSERT_OPERATION_HERE on a Mac" Once I find the answer, it's usually "intuitive" from that point.



I think that the general sentiment about idevices... they are great devices... if you jailbreak them



I didn't try an alternate browser. I suspect the real issue was actually that the OS is running 2.1 and the JVM performance increases didn't come until 2.2. My phone runs 2.2 and it actually runs the application as fast as the ipad (ie, only marginal javascript issues), but there are still "quirks" in the browsing experience with this application. An alternate browser probably would have fixed those issues.

The samsung tab is supposed to be running 2.2. If it was running 2.1 I'd be wondering why it didn't ship with the os it was supposed to.

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

The samsung tab is supposed to be running 2.2. If it was running 2.1 I'd be wondering why it didn't ship with the os it was supposed to.

I just assumed because it was more sluggish than my phone, that it was running 2.1... but you are correct, it does look like it ships with 2.2,and so I probably was using the 2.2 version.

[wayner]

I am writing this response on an iPad, in my car, while I wait in line to get my winter tires installed. The iPad, or another tablet, are ideal for situations like this but there are still very few decent competitors to an iPad - the Galaxy Tab is one but I don't think I would be that keen on the smaller screen size.

But you are totally right about having to activate with iTunes ans iTunes does totally suck, at least on Windows, and isn't the right framework for transferring all of your content from computer to iPad.

[tchapin]

I don't have an iPad, but I do have an iPhone 3GS. I like the Stanza book reader.

There are tons of free apps in the iOS store, but perhaps not a lot of free iPad apps? Most of the apps on my phone are free.

I'm not sure why you can't run IM apps in the background. Are you updated to iOS 4.x? On my phone, I use Beejive, which while paid, is great and runs in the background. You could try Meebo, which is multi-platform and free.

So try looking for free iPhone apps that fit your needs.

I also have a DROID (v1) and have many of the issues that you have with the iPad. The selection and quality of apps is fairly poor. I have to force kill apps fairly regularly. I had to root it and install Android 2.2 myself. The touch screen seems to be less accurate and behavior is kind of finicky. This is especially noticeable when doing things that require zooming, such as images or maps.

However, there are some things that I like better about the DROID. There are some types of apps that are not available on iPhone, such as wifi analyzer.

We'll see where Android is when my contract is up this summerr. Perhaps I'll switch.

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by stuckless

I just assumed because it was more sluggish than my phone, that it was running 2.1... but you are correct, it does look like it ships with 2.2,and so I probably was using the 2.2 version.

Interesting. The only thing I can think of that would cause the slow down is something samsung may have done to the os. If you rooted the device and put vanilla android (like the nexus has) I bet it would work better, but you don't have it any more so never mind...

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by tchapin

I'm not sure why you can't run IM apps in the background. Are you updated to iOS 4.x? On my phone, I use Beejive, which while paid, is great and runs in the background. You could try Meebo, which is multi-platform and free.

I find it interesting that I don't need to pay for IM apps on any other device except iDevices And while sites like meebo sound great, I don't want (or trust) to give a site like meebo all of my credentials for all of IM connections.

Originally Posted by panteragstk

Interesting. The only thing I can think of that would cause the slow down is something samsung may have done to the os. If you rooted the device and put vanilla android (like the nexus has) I bet it would work better, but you don't have it any more so never mind...

The samsung was heavily modified from the stock ui. Everything about it, screamed... "I'm trying to be an ipad"... Personally they could have done so much better if they could see beyond being just another ipad knock off.

At the end of the day... I don't like either tablet very well... but I like the ipad less than the samsung tab, mainly because I see the tab as being more versatile. The ipad is basically a $500 web browser

[bialio]

I want one of those tablets they have on Stargate Atlantis - still haven't found anyone selling them.

[flavius]

Originally Posted by stuckless

The samsung ..Everything about it, screamed... "I'm trying to be an ipad"...

Yeah, I found that quite off-putting. Just look at those back ground images. It looks like a decent device, though.

Originally Posted by stuckless

The ipad is basically a $500 web browser...

Really? I paid like a grand altogether for mine.

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by flavius

Really? I paid like a grand altogether for mine.

The other $500 is the e-reader

[mistergq]

Originally Posted by stuckless

For everyone that tells me how user friendly the iPad is... how is it user friendly that when I turn it on, I have to immediately connect it to a computer?

Something was not right with your Ipad. I picked up my Ipad from Best Buy, we went to dinner, and while at dinner, turned on the Ipad, without a computer, and started playing. Had it connected to my Exchange server in seconds, and then started downloading an app. So I am not sure why you had to connect to a computer, but that is not normal.