iPad

Differences between iPad and iPhone

I've been thinking about the differences between the iPhone and the iPad, and I think that with the iPhone 5 arriving and iOS 6 being rolled out this past week, there is now more differentiation between the various iOS devices than before.

I've been a big believer in both for a long time. I've had an iPhone since the first one came out on June 30th 2007. I was a little late to adopting the iPad as I felt that version 1 was a little underpowered.

Whenever someone asks whether they should get one of them, there a couple questions that I ask that hopefully help people figure it out.

  1. What do you currently do on your home computer?
  2. Do you have an E-reader?

The computer question is a big one and here's why- Both the iPhone and the iPad are really just computers. Smaller, more portable, perhaps less powerful, but computers nonetheless. The E-reader question narrows down one usage case.

Here is how I use mine.

Connectivity

iPhone is the always-in-my-pocket device. I have grandfathered unlimited data with AT&T so I don't ever need to worry about what I download, watch, listen-to or send with it. AT&T does have some limits that they've put in place after the fact, but for all practical purposes, I don't need to worry about it. I use the iPhone as an on-the-go device.

I chose the wi-fi only iPad when I upgraded to the New iPad. Primarily because of the way that I use the iPhone. Oh, there's also the fact that I'd only activated and used the 3G one time in the previous year on my iPad 2.

I've put that differentiation in place between my devices. Aside from this, it really comes down to screen size.

Reading

I prefer to use my iPad for reading. I still have Reeder, Instapaper, iBooks and Kindle installed on my iPhone, but primarily as a backup or second option in case I don't have my iPad with me or there is something I want to read when I don't have a wi-fi connection.

My wife has a Kindle that I bought for her last year. She really likes it, and a lot of people swear by the dedicated E-reader. I have yet to pick one up and try it out as I don't want to carry another device and the iPad Kindle app is great.

Email

I will occasionally look at email on my iPad, but most of the time it is easier to read and respond to it on my iPhone. There are a few reasons for this. I have always-on push enabled on my phone, so arrival of email is instantaneous. I find that unless I'm sitting down at a desk, I can type faster and less-awkwardly on my iPhone. In fact, with the exception of a couple times a week when I'm logged into Gmail from my Mac at home trying to really clean out my inbox, I think of email as "living" on my phone.

Writing

I write notes on my iPhone, but I like to sit down at an actual keyboard when I'm writing anything longer than 100-200 words. Right now, I'm using the Apple Bluetooth keyboard and Byword to write this on my iPad. The keyboard is identical in termsof spacing and feel to my Macbook Pro and my old Black Macbook before that. It's pretty nice from a protability standpoint and I also really like the fact that there's nothing to distract me.

Making Photos

Do I really need to even write this one? I capture photos with my iPhone. I DO NOT shoot with my iPad.

Editing Photos

I use both devices based on which is more convenient at the moment. Most every photo editing app I use is a universal app that works on both, and the interfaces are pretty much the same. Sometimes I'll gravitate towards the iPad app because of the larger display.

Truthfully though, I only really use the editing on these devices for images that are intended for Instagram posting. Otherwise I load it into Lightroom on my Mac. If there were an editing app with the power of Lightroom available for iOS devices, I'm sure I'd start using them for more.

Music

I have my full music collection on my iPad so connectivity isn't really an issue. I usually play music from my collection on the iPad in my office, or at home. In the car, the iPhone, as it's always with me. I don't have as much music on my phone though because of...Spotify.

I recently started using Spotify and have it on both devices. I use the phone in my office where I don't have wi-fi, and my iPad when I'm at home or in a location where I've got decent wi-fi.

Social

I use Tweetbot for Twitter on both devices. I probably use the iPhone more because of the push notifications and the smaller size of the content. The iPad app is great, but it still feels heavier to use so it is my second choice.

Facebook is probably 50/50. I use the iPad when I'm connected and the iPhone when I'm out and about. Because so much of what I do is posting higher reolution photos, I probably use the desktop browser more for Facebook than I do either of these.

Conclusion

I find that while both of these devices are really powerful, they fit different purposes. As the iPad continues to evolve over the next couple years, I predict that it will continue to replace my "real computer" for more and more tasks. It shines best for reading, writing and for anything that requires or benefits from undivided attention.

The iPhone is the exact opposite for me most of the time. It is best for at-a-glance tasks and on-the-go activities. Connectivity is one part of its strength, and though the iPad can be data connected (if you bought the LTE/3G version). It still doesn't feel quite as connected unless you stop and turn it on. I tried it with notifications turned on, but it felt inconvenient and nowhere near as good as the iPhone in your pocket.

I've heard others predict the demise of the desktop as we know it due to the iPad, but I don't think that's how it will happen. I think that we'll continue to see the iPad (and iPhone) become more powerful and capable until it really sits at a point of parity with Macs and PCs. The choice of which one to buy, will have more to do with specialized use cases, and less to do with power.

I like the way these products are developing and hope that they continue to get better and better at their respective roles. Can't wait!

iOS 6 for iPhone, iPad, iPod- Basic Overview

So, as of Wednesday, there is an operating system update for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. It is called iOS 6. You may be on top of things and are already using the new features, but I’ve already talked to quite a few friends that didn’t know it was coming and/or how to get it.

Can I upgrade?

First off, it only works on some devices. On the iPhone, if you have a 3Gs, a 4 or a 4S, you are able to upgrade. It will work on the iPad 2 and The New iPad (aka iPad 3). iPod touch users on either the 4th or 5th generation can upgrade as well. If you have an earlier device, Apple has determined that the hardware isn’t adequate to handle the updated OS.

As of iOS 5, updates are available over the air. If you have iOS 5 and have updated in this way before, this upgrade will feel no different. If you are still syncing with your Mac or PC, or have an operating system previous to iOS 5, you will need to plug into your computer to upgrade. Once plugged in, you’ll be prompted to upgrade.

Wait, before you upgrade…

One other feature of iOS 5 was the addition of over-the-air backups using iCloud. You should backup before updating the operating system.Even though the process is easy and safe, things can go wrong and it's nice to have a backup.

If you haven’t turned this on yet, I recommend it because it eliminates the hassle of needing to remember to sync on a regular basis. It does a full backup of all your data each night when it is plugged into a power source and connected to a Wi-fi network. If you were to drop your device into a lake and needed to replace it, you just type in your appleid on the startup screen and the new phone downloads everything from your last backup.

One good thing to know is that it doesn’t actually create clones of your apps and music, it just keeps a list of what you had on the phone. You can then download them again over the air from iTunes or the App store. You can also plug into your computer to get these which may be faster if you keep a lot of apps or music on your device.

So, What’s New?

Apple has a list on the upgrade screen if you want all the details, but I’ll give you a few highlights.

  • Brand New Maps app
  • Siri is expanded with sports, Restaurant and Movie info and is now available on the New iPad and the 5th generation iPod touch
  • Facebook Integration system-wide
  • Passbook
  • Phone updates-updated options when you need to decline a call.
  • Mail now has pull-down to refresh
  • Safari now has synced tabs with Safari on your desktop or laptop Mac
  • Camera now has a Panorama feature
  • New iTunes and Appstore designs that are way easier to use.
  • Updated privacy controls
  • Do Not Disturb feature for keeping things quiet when you're trying to sleep.

Should you Upgrade?

Yes. The simple answer is that you should always upgrade when Apple rolls out a new OS.

I have yet to really dig in and spend tons of time with the new OS, but it seems really nice, and is more of an incremental upgrade to what was already a very stable and full-featured predecessor.

If you want an in-depth review with tons of photos, I recommend Rene Ritchie's over at iMore.com

Have Fun!

Chrome for iOS is Available (Updated)

20120628-164618.jpg Just installed it on both my iPhone and iPad. I can't wait to put it thru it's paces. I love that simply logging in gives instant access to all my bookmarks. I use Chrome on the Mac so all the Safari syncing of bookmarks did me no good.  Here is the link

Feels awfully fast too!

Updated- I mentioned bookmark syncing already, but I didn't mention that it allows you to pull up the  tabs you have open on other machines.  This, my friends is, a Killer Feature!

Apps- Balancing Between Form and Function

Matt Gemmell just posted a great article about a concept in app development he calls "Augmented Paper" -sort of the idea of having what's necessary from a functional standpoint, but being "more natural citizens of the real world". He also gets at the idea of not making design decisions for the sake of design, or function decisions for the sake of function. People aren't that absolute and their apps shouldn't be either.

 

I really like this whole article, but especially this part towards the end-

Apps are only incidentally software; software is an implementation detail. Instead, apps are experiences.

Design an experience. Make it as beautiful - and as emotionally resonant - as it can possibly be. Then adorn the core experience and content with only as much functionality as is absolutely necessary. Functionality - and software-based thinking in general - is like seasoning. A little is an enhancement; any more destroys the flavour, subsumes the artistry of the chef, and may well be bad for you.

Matt says in the article that it is tricky to pin down what makes an app truly great in the way that he calls "Augmented Paper", but I think the above paragraph does just that.

Bible App For Daily Reading

I've been a Christian for a lot of years and I've read through the bible a few times now. The one thing that has always been difficult has been staying on track in a way that gets me through in a set amount of time. Every time someone who is a believer gets a new iPhone, iPad or iPod touch...or even an Android device, I always recommend the same bible app. It is simply called "Bible" and is produced by the folks at lifechurch.tv. It is part of their YouVersion network and there is a version available on most phones and tablets.

Though I've been using the YouVersion bible app for at least 3 years, I just recently started using one of their reading plans. It has helped me stay on track for 43 days now. It has a few really great features that make it work really well for me.

  • Push notification alarm to remind you that it is time to read (I set mine for 6:30)
  • Check list that shows you what you will be reading today and when you are done.
  • Today's reading is presented uninterrupted so you can just turn the page to go to the next section. No looking for the next passage.
  • I highly recommend trying out this method for daily reading.

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    "It's Better Than Anything Else- But I'm Still Not Impressed"

    My wife asked me on Friday when I got home, "Did you see the Gizmodo review of the new iPad? Sounds like they weren't too impressed." I think I replied something to the effect of , "They don't get it."

    I'll link to two things:

    Gruber-

    Joe Brown, Reviewing the New iPad for Gizmodo:

    "And there are many things the iPad New is not. But we’re going to skip right to the end of that list and hit you with the main point:

    It is not worthy of a press conference."

    “… that we didn’t get invited to.”

    Myself last week- The iPad is a Grown Up