Kyle LeBoeuf

In case you live under a rock, the iPad was released today. I got word that my local Apple Specialist was carrying it and had demo units so I made the drive down to check it out. Here are my first impressions:

IT IS INCREDIBLE!!

That sums up my first impressions, but I’ll go into it in detail:

1. The display is gorgeous. The built in 9.7-inch screen is stunning. It renders the colors and images very very well. This is definitely the ultimate visual media consumption device.
2. The iPhone OS and multi-touch interface translates almost perfectly to the larger display: Since it’s an updated version of the iPhone OS, the iPad is entirely touch-based and this works well for the device. Performing tasks or browsing through apps and features on the iPad is a breeze.
3. The keyboard is terrific. When rotated into landscape mode, the iPad keyboard is pretty natural, really only slightly smaller than keyboards found on Apple’s MacBook laptops today. I found it really easy to type large amounts of text.
4. One of the best features by far on the iPad is the new Safari. I love using Safari on my iPhone because of the ease of the touch interface. The only problem I have with it is the tiny size. The iPad solves this problem thanks to its full-sized display. I can view websites such as the NYTimes and the full version of Facebook in full-resolution. Videos (non-flash) play within the browser window, rather than popping up the video player over your browser window like it does in the iPhone. All of the features that you are familiar with on the iPhone when it comes to browsing is all here on the iPad, just way WAY better.
5. There are ton of little odds and ends that bring huge improvements to the iPhone OS. One of these features is the ability to lock the orientation of the device into a single mode. This allows you to maintain a normal orientation (portrait or landscape) when you’re laying on your side. You can also change your home screen (think desktop wallpaper for the iPhone OS) background and have more then 4 apps for quick access at the bottom of the screen.
6. One of the coolest features is the “Photo Frame” mode: If you lock the iPad and go to the lock screen, you’ll notice a little picture button the bottom right next to the “Slide to unlock” bar. Touch this button and iPad instantly converts into an automatic photo frame slideshow, complete with iPhoto like transitions between slides. Interesting feature.
7. The iBooks app is nice: The iPad includes a copy of Winnie the Pooh for your reading pleasure, and it gave me a chance to play around a little bit with the iBooks application. The pages are very easy to read and the text is very clear, though I imagine that prolonged reading on the iPad’s LCD display will cause some slight discomfort. You can rotate the iPad and move between looking at a single page or two pages at a time (like an open book).
8. The Mail app on the iPad is terrific: It will instantly be a fan to many business types and other people who are use to mail formats like those found in applications like Outlook. When in landscape, mail takes on a very Outlook like appearance, with your inbox being in a column on the left and a full preview of the email being shown in a reading pane on the right. When viewing emails in full size in portrait mode, your inbox can be access via a popup menu that appears when you hit the inbox button in the upper right.
9. The device definitely has a different feel to it in terms of handling and weight: At 1.5 pounds, the iPad can be awkward to hold in one hand, which is required if you wish to use the device if you’re in a standing position, or if you want to hold it upright like you would a book. But it feels very solid, and I don’t necessarily worry about bending or breaking the device when I hold it.
10. Overall, the device is a pleasure to use: The demo units that the reseller had were not loaded with very many dedicated iPad apps, so there were many features on the device that I did not get to explore, but just from what I’ve seen so far, the device is absolutely amazing.

This device is going to change everything. After using it and sitting down at my MacBook Pro to type up this article, I already feel a little sad that I am not typing it on the iPad. I didn’t get to try out everything that I wanted to. For example, I wanted to spend more time with the Pages app. I also wanted to sit down and take a good look at the some of the iWork apps. I got a chance to play around a little bit with the Pages app but I really didn’t get as much with it as I had liked. My dad went out and picked up a 64GB model at Best Buy, so I may get more opportunities to play with it tonight. I’ll update this post with more impressions.

Can’t wait till the day when I can finally get my own.

Kyle