Thoughts on the iPad
Today Apple announced their much anticipated tablet computer – the iPad. With a 9.7 inch screen, the iPad is a supersized iPhone; and it’s already inspiring both love and hate from Apple fans worldwide. Comments so far have ranged from “I want it now” to “I was expecting a lot more than an XL version of the iPhone with no phone capabilities.”
So what does the iPad mean for developers, testers, and Apple users? Here are a few thoughts:
Layout now matters for iPhone developers.
Up until now, an iPhone app was one size fits all. Every iPhone has the same resolution, meaning apps didn’t have to worry about scaling up or down. Not anymore! The iPad is a larger device, but it runs the same iPhone apps. While it can automatically scale up an app designed for the iPhone, the results are kind of ugly. The bigger screen real estate opens a lot of interesting possibilities, but for iPhone developers now is the time you need to start worrying about how your app will look on a larger screen that isn’t 480×320.
New interface means new challenges.
If it’s not enough that the iPad comes in a different size, now developers will also have a slew of new interface widgets to work with. Whether or not those widgets will be available on the iPhone remains to be seen, but whatever the case developers will have their hands full making sure their apps look correct on each platform.
Testers needed!
Both of those first two points mean testers will be needed now more than ever. Making sure apps work correctly on all of Apple’s devices will be even more challenging, and good testers will be critical. Of course, we know of a software testing company that’s all about matching mobile developers with smart testers.
Other thoughts:
Custom hardware creates uncertainty.
With the iPad, Apple is introducing the 1GHz Apple A4 microprocessor. Details are unknown at this point, but Apple is clearly aiming to regain some of the hardware mojo they lost when they switched to Intel several years ago. Using a custom chip likely allows them to do things like boost the battery life (10 hours!), but it also introduces uncertainty about compatibility. Most iPhone apps should be hardware agnostic, but time will tell how true that really is.
No flash, no fun?
Apple left Flash off the iPhone, claiming that Flash was too power hungry to include. However, the iPad also appears to lack Flash, meaning it will still be impossible to enjoy sites like Hulu and Vimeo on the iPad.
GSM 3G means AT&T in the US
There’s little love for AT&T’s iPhone service in the United States, and pre-launch rumors were all over the place about Apple supporting other carriers. With the iPad, they do – kind of. They’re launching the iPad with a pay as you go data plan using AT&T – which means it’s optional and there are no contracts. They’re also unlocking the SIM, meaning you could theoretically use it with T-Mobile (the other GSM carrier in the US). Of course, nobody has any idea how that would work at this point.
The App Store abounds.
The iPad still seems to require the app store. There’s no word on whether or not apps can be loaded without the app store – something that Apple originally created so that they could review apps to make sure they were safe for AT&T’s network. Since the iPad doesn’t require AT&T anymore (and some models will even lack 3G support entirely), it’s not clear what purpose the app store serves.
Hardware interface unknowns.
Steve Jobs hinted at the ability to use a projector, and Engadget is reporting that you will be able to purchase an external keyboard and camera. But according to Apple, the only input/output mechanism (other than headphones and a SIM card slot) is the dock connector. Time will tell how those pieces will work together and how expandable they will be. (edit: maybe Bluetooth? Dongles?)
iBooks oh my!
Apple is also introducing iBooks – their new online book store. Much like iTunes, iBooks could completely reinvent the publishing industry. Books will use the ePub format, which hopefully means it will be easy for anyone to write and share books and documents for the iPad.
What do you think of the iPad? Will you be first in line in 60 days when it goes on sale? Do you have $499 burning a hole in your pocket? Tell us what you think below!
I want to be near the front of the line when the iPad hits the Apple store.
Paul – tell me what you like about it? How do you see yourself using it?
Just looking over the new dev guide for the ‘Pad’. Yikes. Looking forward to much greater testing requirements especially if an app is built for both phone and pad.
I will be getting one as soon as available in Canada so I can provide uTest customers my mobile testing skills on the device.
With it being unlocked, I hope that means I don’t need Rogers as a carrier (Virgin, FTW).
What really scares me is the fact that in this hype of apps we are getting into a more controlled and closed door arena of personal computing. Apple remains the master of the grounds, an innovative cool app needs the master approval to get in, if it conflicts with apple’s interest it gets rejected. The entire distribution will be controlled by apple. Utilities are what keep a computing device in the market, apple is very intelligently outsourcing this and controlling the platform with gates (I applaud facebook for giving developers the freedom). Slowly apple will introduce a payment system, ad system and control the whole eco-system, seems like circa 1980′s IBM plan. All innovation is tied up to a cool hardware and we are going nuts about touchscreen forgetting the fact that intelligent systems need open platform to innovate. Customer is being locked in the name of visual design, touch and UI experience. All this hype and we are forgetting to analyze the danger of this hardware, software and platform control by one party….No camera, no flash, no PDF support, not even direct USB connectivity- why do I need a bigger iPod touch?? oops iPad
@Stanton Champion,
It looks cute to me and nice thing about is portability of carrying it with ease. But as you mentioned there are people who like it and who do not at the same time. According to me, Apple has launched iPad may be for several reasons and one of that could be “Stylish / Fashion”. Many people do own it to look stylish to match their personality and some for some other purpose *smiles*. Also, as Apple is introducing iBooks in iPad may be it would be better than iPod in terms of readability. Will I be buying it? Absolute no. Because I do not see myself having a need for it. We have to wait and watch how it sells in the market.
@Rohit Nallapeta,
Your points were good with respect to showing what iPad doesn’t have and why should you go for it when you already have iPod. From your points one of the point that is dissimilar than iPod is having 9.7″ screen.
Thanks,
Santhosh Shivanand Tuppad
As an app developer, the introduction of the Motorola Droid with its high resolution screen made me realize that Apple’s displays were going to be changing a lot sooner than I planned for. I stopped programming my UI related code and started using Apple’s visual design tool, Interface Builder. It has already saved me a ton of work. Now I don’t have mounds of view related code cluttering my application which otherwise would have required maintenance to fully support the iPad. By not writing software in the first place I have avoided the need to test that code. Or did I?
What further complicates everything in addition to laying out new UIs is that I will have to write new controllers and models for what may be an entirely different UI for the iPad version. It’s not so much the graphical interface that has become a testing problem, it’s the controller and model software. I don’t even know how I am going to begin redesigning my apps to take advantage of the iPad display. I really do not want to fork my own projects and maintain parallel iPhone and iPad versions, but what choice do I have? Twice the code, at least twice the testing.
The topic Thoughts on the iPad | Software Testing Blog is absolutely new for me, but it sounds very interesting. I have to read more about this topic and make me my own opinion. Thanks, Mary Wein
[...] my recent post with my thoughts on the iPad, I noted that while the iPad will run iPhone apps, they won’t look that great. Instead, [...]