Featured
The GBM iPad Series: One Tablet PC Veteran’s Persepctive
Obviously from the get go, the Apple iPad should in no way be confused with what many of us here on the pages of GBM think of as a Tablet PC. It is a different kind of device and intended to be so. If you are not clear on that, you haven’t been paying attention. Steve Jobs is pretty emphatic about the use of a stylus being a big no-no, but then he also has been emphatic in the past about users not wanting to see video or read books on small screens. We all know how that turned out.
If there is anything the iPad resembles it is the UMPC or perhaps some of the MIDs we never saw come to market. But I think those kind of comparisons are actually a bit silly given how technology has evolved to a point where the iPad is actually possible. We’re not just talking apples to oranges, we’re talking apples to artichokes. All of that said, this second part of my review/coverage of the iPad is going to look at the device from a Tablet PC perspective and how my experiences with that platform affect my reactions to the iPad today. Let’s get started.
So, if I told you I had a device that I could tote around with me, access the Internet anywhere I could find a WiFi signal, view media, play music via iTunes, allowed me to create documents, read eBooks and magazines you might think I was referring to the iPad. Actually I’m referring to the Toshiba Portege 3505 that was my first Tablet PC, as well as the Toshiba Portege M200, and the many other Tablet PCs I have used and reviewed since then.
Now flash forward a few years and add a touch screen to that, and I might be talking about an Asus, TabletKiosk, Samsung UMPC, or any number of current market Tablet PCs that offer touch screens. What the majority of these devices had that the iPad doesn’t is digital Inking in some form or fashion. They all used the Tablet PC bits supplied by the various Windows operating systems that they employed. Success with Inking depended (and still does) on the digitizer.
Technology has advanced to such an extent that what we saw back in the early days seems almost archaic currently. Let’s take a quick look at some of the legendary complaints about the Tablet PC form factor from those early days.
- Processing speed and power: We all wanted more, more, more.
- Instant On: We all wanted it.
- Battery Life: We couldn’t get enough of it and went to great lengths to save every ounce of juice we could.
- Lighter weight: We lived for combing over specs looking for a fraction of an ounce shaved off each new model.
- Less heat: Some of those early Tablet PCs could heat up a room.
- No fan noise: For some, fan noise drove them crazy.
- Price: We wanted them to be cheaper.
- Market Awareness: We wanted to see better marketing of Tablet PCs to consumers.
- Hands On: We knew that one of the keys to any future for the platform was allowing the curious to touch and use them in stores.
- Inking: We wanted to see Inking incorporated more into the core of the OS. It was the The Holy Grail.
With the exception of that last item, I would argue that Apple has managed to deliver, or come close to delivering, the remainder of the list with the iPad. But there is that little thing about Inking.
I first bought a Tablet PC for one reason and one reason alone. I wanted a better way to take notes in rehearsal for the plays I directed. I had used legal pads for years and have boxes of them stored away. I joked that it was the most expensive legal pad I had ever purchased tipping the register at over $2000. But I got more than a digital legal pad, I got a full laptop in the bargain. Once I started taking notes in Microsoft Journal, and later OneNote I would never look back to notes on paper again. I still won’t. With improved search capabilities notes in Ink became like any other bit or byte on the device. It could be searched and found, and this was a key. This meant you didn’t have to write correctly, or beautifully, or to any standard. All you had to do was scrawl away. And believe me, I did and do scrawl. There are chickens out there who are embarrassed by my chicken scratch because it gives their scratching a bad name. But I was always able to find what I needed when I needed it. In my opinion, too many got caught up with handwriting recognition, which at its best worked OK, and that was the beginning of the death of Inking. But, I’ve covered all of that before and written (and Inked) more words about it than you can imagine. I find it somewhat humorous to read blog posts and tweets today from some of those who poo-pooed Tablet PCs because it was too difficult to Ink on, but they are enjoying trying to learn how to use the virtual keyboard on the iPad and bragging about their success with their below 60 WPM typing skills.
The bottom line with the first iPad is that Inking, the way I use a Tablet PC for note taking, is not possible. The capacitive screen forces you to hold your hand above the device as their is no palm rejection. The OS at its core isn’t equipped to do this correctly. When I am taking notes in rehearsal I don’t have time to think about how I’m using the stylus, I just Ink. That said, we’ve seen capacitive digitizers work well for those who do drawing and artwork in the past, and already we’re seeing apps available that allow that to happen on the iPad. But when it comes to digital note taking, the iPad is not the device for my arsenal, and I can’t imagine it will be for anyone else who uses a Tablet PC in that way, even with a sausage or pencil wrapped in a sock. There are those, like Sumocat and his acolytes, who might discover with patience that they can be reasonably successful with some third party apps, but Tableteers know that Inking starts in the OS and ends with the digitizer. I’m anxious to see what the Evernote folks crank out, as they say Inking on the iPad may be a part of a future release. A recent post by Brett has generated a lot of comments on this, and while he’s accurate as far as he goes, Brett leaves out the fact that the OS has to be ready to receive and act on the signals from the digitizer before any Inking can take place.
I’m not surprised by exclusion of Inking on the iPad, nor should anyone be. Microsoft long ago relegated Digital Ink to a second class citizen in its vision so there was and is no pressure for Apple to think about including it at this point.
The other big thing that Tablet PCs offered was mobility. Yes, it can be argued that you could carry a notebook/laptop with you, but Tablet PCs, whether they were a slate or a convertible, or even a hybrid, gave you the ability to work just about anywhere without having that hinged shield in front you. You could curl up on a sofa with a Tablet PC and read through a magazine or eBook, watch video, or surf the web. UMPCs promised to give us all of that and more in a smaller form factor that made touch a part of the mix. Unfortunately, UMPCs died on the vine for many reasons that have been well chronicled before. The iPad gives you this mobility portability in a form factor that eliminates many of those early concerns about the Tablet PC form factor. It ups the ante with its screen size. And, equally as important as the hardware and software, it comes from a maker that has the muscle, the know how, and the guts to try and create a market for the device, even though many still question what they will use it for.
I know many Tableteers have their eyes set down the road on the HP Slate, the Notion Ink Adam, the Microsoft Courier, and possibly other Tablets as well. Everyone hopes that a good Inking solution can be found. This recent video showing pen and touch working together got a few hearts to beating faster, but I think we’ve got a ways to travel before that ever finds its way into a product.
So, from a Tablet PC perspective, I think the iPad is a big story in the ongoing evolution of computing towards a more natural human interface. I don’t think by any stretch of the imagination it is the story to end all stories and I”m anxious to see how it impacts future development. But I’ll close this section of this multi-part look at the iPad by saying this. We might see many slates or tablets or media devices or eBook readers come down the road. But at some point, there is going to be one of those devices that lets a user pick it up, grab a stylus and ink out a quick note, or sign a document, or mark up a PDF on top of all of the features we’re beginning to see today. For those who acknowledge that Inking is important to a great many who want to use these mobile devices, that will be an important day. For that manufacturer, they will have deliver a differentiator that could lead to a big success.
Just remember, Steve Jobs says that using a stylus is a sign of failure in Tablet design. But this is from the guy who is quoted as asking what a Tablet was good for besides surfing the web on a toilet. But we’ll save that for the next post in this series.
Other Posts in This Series
Tom Mac
04/13/2010 at 10:35 am
+1 on the article…
I like the fun of the Ipad., but I’m not giving up my old Fujitsu 1620!
Sumocat
04/13/2010 at 10:43 am
Good gravy! How did you find time to write this since last night? I don’t even have time to read this. :)
FYI, I will be analyzing my inking samples and posting my thoughts later (when I can find time). For now, I will say I enjoyed inking on the iPad, but the quality of the ink is very subpar, possibly due to quality of the apps being used. My premium inking could require a premium app. ;P
Gagan Saxena
04/13/2010 at 11:42 am
Great summary. Speaks for me – as a satisfied Toshiba Tablet PC owner for 4+ yrs. Just hope the Courier prospects are not as dismal as you imply.
Rodfather
04/13/2010 at 11:43 am
Great read.
GFL
04/13/2010 at 12:14 pm
Thanks for a well thought out, non bashing article. I couldn’t have said it better. So I won’t. Now if my 3G iPad would just get here in the meantime while I further wait for the god-like tablet someday. Maybe an iPad + active digitizer/multi-touch display, on iPhone OS 5.0 running cloud-synced OneNote for iPad?? ;)
Gary
04/14/2010 at 11:42 am
Warner – why couldn’t something like FastFinga on the iPhone be scaled to be functional on iPad. Wouldn’t restricting the writing into a very specific area of the screen allow you to ink more naturally? So for instance on FastFinga, you have a thumb enter button and you keep handwriting in that one space??
I’m also curious to see what Evernote comes up with here.
Warner Crocker
04/14/2010 at 11:50 am
Gary,
A solution like FastFinga might work for some, but keep in mind my note taking depends on fast scrawling in rehearsals. As I stated, I can’t focus on being accurate in those situations.
Doctor_Roe
04/14/2010 at 1:20 pm
Great article. Fat crayon in 1st grade! Blue was always my favorite!
Zeuxidamas
04/20/2010 at 1:52 pm
I somewhat agree with all of it. I am in the throes of selecting an ultra-portable device to replace my Fujitsu U820. I have realized after many months of self-analysis over whether or not the iPad is a good fit for me, that what I want is the same experience that I get with my TabletPC (HP2730p) and active digitizer. But now I want it in a slate package that is 10″ or less in size. While the iPad may not fit the bill, I cannot find a device that meets these parameters. So I am giving up on the active digitizer. And since I want instant-on, the iPad is the device currently in my sights. I’ve thought about picking up one of the Motion LS800’s over at Froobi for $380, but I can not stomach paying that much for a device that is no longer supported. If anyone knows of a device on the market this small, with an active digitizer, I’d like to know. Otherwise, I’ve resolved that I am only going to get that experience in a 12″ or larger form-factor, and for tablets smaller than that, I need to just give up on the hope of finding one.
– Vr/Zeux..>>
Zeuxidamas
04/20/2010 at 2:00 pm
I should add, cannot find anything that meets these parameters + “….for less than $600”. I know there are slate tablets out there with active digitizer in the 12″ form factor that retail for $2000+, but that is not where I am willing to go right now.
Lynette Reid
04/20/2010 at 10:45 pm
Hey Warner, Olga and Lyn here, who long ago lost their tabletology website to a server crash. Excellent analysis you’ve got here. Our ancient TC1100s are dying-to-dead, we have a new iPad in hand, despite being in Canada. It’s incredibly lovely, light, quiet, and cool–and we constantly are stopped short by finding it can’t do the things we assume it should do. (Ink, full office productivity, intelligent file sharing, etc.) But nonetheless it has some of the holiest of grails nailed (light, light, light, and the rest of your list). Such a pleasure-pain combo!