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So I finally got my hands on the iPad so here are some of my thoughts.

Some people say, “it’s just a large iPhone”. People that say that as a negative have never used the device. The bigger screen resolution enables UI and design that simply were not possible on the iPhone. It’s like saying that a 27″ iMac is just a large netbook or that a 55″ tv with a PS3 is just a large Sony PSP. It’s a completely different experience is all I’m trying to say.

Keyboard is surprisingly useable but not that comfortable. I’m writing this post on it right now but I’d rather do it on a real keyboard or on the iPhone (which I actually find quite nice). The iPad keyboard is just too large to thumb fast like the iPhone and the fact you can’t rest your fingers on it make it somewhat uncomfortable to “home row” type.

The screen is really beautiful and so are the iPad native apps that are made for the new resolution. From the developer standpoint, the new controls they added are really cool.

iPhone apps that are pixel-doubled are a mixed bag. If they are very text heavy, they look like shit. Games and apps that have less text and more pictures/web views look decent enough, though the controls are always gonna look comically big.

Video is gonna be BIG. The YouTube, Netflix, and ABC apps all work great (at least over wifi) and with sites like vimeo.com starting to add support for html5 video, video looks and plays great on the newer, better looking screen.

I’m not much of a comic book fan but the Marvel app is pretty fucking slick.

The “killer app” is Safari. Browsing the web is something we all do but the iPad manages to do it in a way that is more intuitive and natural than any other device, including the iPhone.

A lot of the pictures from Hawaii are now up on flickr @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/acburk/sets/72157623490886615/

I normally love when Adam Curry or John C Dvorak mention the Pocket No Agenda on any of the shows but I will admit that I was a bit stunned when my coworker told me about the last five minutes of this latest No Agenda #170.

PLEASE allow me to explain!

The culprit here is the iTunes payment system. The system basically works like this: You get paid each FISCAL month from each REGION that is over $150 (USD). The thing that sucks is the region part, which I will go into more later. Here is the fiscal calendar:

Read more

Cool software I found here.

I WANT A TABLET. I WANT ONE NOW.

I think this will be the year the tablet computer really takes off, one reason being the hardware is now mature enough to create a great device. Tegra2 looks very promising http://www.macrumors.com/2010/01/08/ces-2010-nvidia-tegra-2-to-power-tablets-in-2010/.

The other reason being that Apple will release theirs this year, be crazy successful, and the clones will follow. But I will predict that what nobody but Apple (and maybe Google with Android) will understand is that OS UI needs to be redesigned to be, not just ‘finger-friendly’, but designed for touch-input from the start. This is why the iPhone OS feels so natural and has been a success and Windows Mobile as fallen into obscurity. In a touch interface, people do not want to manipulate windows that were designed to be clicked on with pixel-precision.
The JooJoo tablet also looked very interesting to me but I predict it will fail to have the polish that Apple tablet will surely have.

• Sean Connery
  • The Rock. Enough said.
• Danny Glover
  • Dan, you’re not to old for this shit.
• Steve Buscemi
  • This guy is just fucking insane looking.
    
• Samuel L. Jackson
  

  The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

  Word.

• Jon Bon Jovi

Well, it was a long road, but my No Agenda app is finally out.

You can find it here http://bit.ly/pocketnoagenda. You can find more information about it here.