Today, in case you hadn't noticed, is the UK launch date of the much-anticipated Apple iPad. Now, I'm a Mac fan and a self-confessed gadget geek, so I've been following developments closely. Over the past decade, and particularly in the last three years, I've been seeking mobile computing nirvana, that perfect device that will make writing a breeze. Yeah, right.
Every time I buy a new toy, I'm disappointed; either the hardware is awkward to use or the software frustratingly limited. I don't want to waste more money on a machine that's not right for me, so this time I'm being cautious. Still, I want to look at the iPad with an open mind, and consider if it is of any use to a writer.
So, what is it good for?
Firstly, there's the big screen - much bigger than an iPhone and with a resolution comparable to a small laptop. Great for surfing the web, reading long emails, playing games - and no doubt pretty good for writing, at least compared to its little brother. No WriteRoom yet, but Pages is available for your word-processing pleasure. Add a bluetooth keyboard and the iPad becomes a stylish (if relatively expensive) alternative to a netbook. The downside is of course the distraction factor - something that many writers already have trouble with, according to a poll I ran last year!
Then there's ebooks. Apple have produced their own ebook store and app (called iBooks - what else!), though this service is currently only available in the US, and the absence of the app from UK iPads suggests you will not be able to read non-Apple ebooks using the iBooks app. Another thing the iPad lacks, unlike some high-end ebook readers, is a stylus for making handwritten annotations. I find this invaluable for my writer's group - no more printing out manuscripts and lugging them around! Finally there's the issue of the backlit screen, which is much less kind on the eyes than e-ink. If, like me, you spend your entire working day (and much of your leisure time) glued to a computer screen, an e-ink-based reader is a real boon.
My overall feeling is that if you already have an iPhone (or similar smartphone) and a netbook or lightweight laptop, the iPad doesn't have much to offer that you can't do better already. And if you have a smartphone and a desktop computer (or an old, heavy laptop), you might be better getting one or more inexpensive dedicated devices rather than a fancy all-rounder; for the price of an iPad you could buy an ebook reader and an Alphasmart Neo - both pretty distraction-free!
So what will be my next shiny gadget? Well, unless Apple come up with a 10" MacBook Air Mini, I think it'll be a newer, smaller ebook reader to replace my iRex iLiad. Though if a killer app for writers came along (e.g. an outliner that integrated with Scrivener), I could still be tempted...
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