Re-thinking the iPad

I have blogged on numerous occasions about how I dislike Apple’s closed approach to iOS/iTunes.  However, I have also blogged about my search for a PDA for my wife and she chose an iPhone because she preferred its ease of use.  It is in the context of these contrasting perspectives that I have begun to ponder whether to acquire an iPad.

I am in the process of changing jobs (blog post here) and during the transition, am without a laptop.  Surprisingly, I am really missing the portable computer.  I used it frequently to surf the Internet during commercial breaks on TV or watch football on Slingbox while my kids viewed movies.  Additionally, I often found that the best time for blogging is in the evening on the living room coach after everyone has gone to bed.  Unfortunately, none of these activities are possible now since I only have a desktop computer.  Mynew job will provide a laptop, but I think that I need my own hardware.

My goals in purchasing a new system are to minimize expense and to choose a solution that best meets my requirements.  As I see it, I have three options. Continue reading Re-thinking the iPad

Android takes on Apple in tablet computing

I blogged earlier this week about the importance of a next generation smartphone OS and recently ran across this article over at the Wall Street Journal which reinforces the point.  It discusses how multiple vendors are developing iPad competitors based on Android.  The key is that Android is a next generation OS that provides the flexibility to support multiple hardware platforms.  This is similar to how the iPhone was designed.

The other element to consider is that Android is a truly open platform allowing for broad application support.  In contrast, Apple tightly controls the availability and qualification of applications for the iPhone/iPad platform.  The Android approach provides much more flexibility and openness at the expense of control.  Apple tighly controls their environment and can and does limit applications that do not meet their standards or compete with existing functionality (think Google Voice).  Consumers will vote with their wallet on the solution that they want.

Clearly Apple has a big lead in the market with its early launch of the iPad, but the openness and broad vendor support of Android may allow for more aggressive competition.  It will be interesting to see which technology emerges as the dominant one.  For me, I always prefer openness and flexibility and so would be more willing to invest in Android over the iPad.