The UX of the Apple iPad – Part II

One week in and I have some more experience with the iPad.  There have been some ups and downs.  Here is my (as of now) reactions:

1. Email Connection: I finally got it working.  I didn’t do it, my IT guy at work did.  I watched the details and it was way more complicated than I thought it would be.  Setting up Outlook on my desktop was a super simple, but the iPad was not.  However, having the email on the device is a huge improvement.  I can now be in a meeting and carry it with me rather than use my netbook.  Today, I didn’t turn on my netbook once.
2. Email Client: I don’t like it and I’m not the only one.  The mail could be described as simple and elegant;  It could also be described as way too limited for basic email use and frustrating.  I use folders and rules to separate my email for easy reading.  There is no tree so the amount of finger-clicking is maddening.  Add in gmail to the list and it becomes nearly unusable.  “Nearly” but I still managed to get what I needed done.  I will be looking for alternative email clients, but I don’t know if there are any.  Bottom line:  It’s underpowered.
3. Device Interaction: I don’t like the constant flipping between portrait and landscape modes.  I am sure there is a way to set it to landscape permanently, but I hate that it keeps flipping and flipping and flipping around so willy nilly.  I know I move around alot, but the interaction is driving me nuts.
4. Graphics: The screen is gorgeous, though it’s a fingerprint magnet.  I purchased a screen protector and immediately took it off.  The screen made everything seem pixelated and ruined the effect, so I got rid of it.  I am afraid of scratches though.  Maybe I should look for a different brand of protector.
5. Sleep Mode: I can’t figure out the right timing.  I want the battery to last, but I sorta want it on all the time while I am at work.  I wonder if I can make it dim instead of go black.  Need to experiment with that.
6. Apps: There are a ton of apps I want and $5 is pretty cheap, but still, I don’t want to go crazy.  There are so many things I would buy.  It adds up quick.  I am just exploring the possibilities here.
7. Desktops:  I hate, hate, hate the sliding desktop architecture.  I really want there to be tabs at the bottom so I can shoot all the way to the left.  Moving things around is a pain in the ass.  There are no folders, it just goes on and on.  I install an app and then can’t find it again.  I need to put the games on one desktop and business apps on another.  I wish I could name these screens.  I don’t like the complete lack of organizational tools like folders, trees or tags.  Yuck.  Don’t give me crap for this either.  This is not good and you know it.
8. Charging: WTF?!  I have twelve different little white usb plugs from ipods and other devices.  Which ones charge this damn thing and which ones don’t?  They all look the same to me!  Why didn’t they color code these things.  I need to throw away the old ones.  Argh!
9. Battery Life: So far, it lasts way longer than my crap HTC Touch Pro2 phone.  If it lasts all day, I can’t complain.  However, my wife’s kindle lasts forever on one charge.  It’s like a perpetual motion book reading machine.  Still, backlit iPad is doing fine.  No heat on my lap either.
10. Overall:  I’ve given alot of crap to Apple in the above list, but truthfully, I kinda like it.  It’s extremely limited with alot of annoyances, but damn it, it’s sexy and fun to use.  It has good UX even if it lacks good usability (in some areas).

This is a mixed review.  There are some great things and some yuck things.  Experiencing a device like this takes some time.  I still feel is a tweener that has a limited audience, but there is definitely something interesting here.  It’s awesome to play with a device that clearly is ground breaking.