Why the iPad is the Ultimate Hammock Media Consumption Device
Apple released the iPad just 3 days ago, but few of the first reviews pointed out what seems to be the iPad’s major flaw: Ergonomics.
I’m sure Apple and hammock fanbois will disagree, but the iPad is a little bit too big and too heavy to be comfortably held with one hand for prolonged periods of time. Typing while holding it with two hands can work only for very brief messages, assuming your thumbs are agile enough to reach for the farthest keys in landscape mode.
Holding the iPad with two hands might be the solution then, but watching movies while sitting on a couch will force you to bend down in a very uncomfortable position for your neck, especially if you lay the iPad down on your lap. Unless there’s a coffee table in front of your sofa, as Apple’s Ipad TV Ad suggests.
The iTable is by all means the #1 iPad accessory, but in an informal business environment a desk can be just as functional.
Is the iPad for You?
Personally I wouldn’t care much about the lack of flash support, because I’m not a big fan of casual gaming and I hate it when flash slows web browsing on my Mac. The absence of third party multitasking may become an issue, but since the iPad seems to grant a very immersive experience, I doubt you would use an instant messaging software while enjoying a movie or reading an iBook. Media consuption on the iPad deserves your undivided attention.
It’s clear that the iPad is not a productivity device, but rather a media consumption device. The on screen keyboard is good, but ergonomics make it difficult to use: You would definitely need a sturdy coffee table to use it, or the iPad keyboard dock.
Are You for the iPad?
You need to envision some typical usage scenarios that could tell if you really need the iPad, or it’s just a matter of taking part in pioneering computing revolution. If you are half asleep on your hammock by the pond, reading this web page on your laptop, then you should definitely get an iPad, and you could proudly call yourself an early adopter.
If you are not in the garden, but at home or at your desk in the office, I think you’d better wait for the improved, cheaper 2nd gen iPad coming out in a few months.
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