Couch Computing
2010/08/16 // Leeds // // Feed
I’m a little late to the party on this one, but it’s still worth noting;
Being a programmer, I spend a lot of time in front of my laptop. It’s brilliant for getting the job done, and to still say that after using it almost every day (for 10 hours a day) is pretty impressive. But it’s not made for reading those lengthy blog posts whilst having some down time.
People who don’t get the iPad complain by saying that they can’t do X, Y or Z on it – but that’s not the point. It’s a brilliant consumption device, a definite improvement on its not so distant cousin the iPhone.
It means a lot for social computing too. I’ve seen it used as a replacement for the family computer, swapped as an interface to DJing software in night clubs and used as a digital notepad in meetings. You can’t see it as a desktop killer, you just have to see it as a lifestyle device that you’ll more often than not want to be using over a desktop computer, not to mention it has plenty of other more serious uses too.
The support for iPhone apps are a cop out, initially a quick fix for a lack of native iPad content. There are however, some apps that make the device a proven investment – Instapaper, BBC News, Things and Mail are all I really need when I’m away from my ‘real’ computer.