Purchase
I got in line at 8:30 and was out the door with my iPad by 9:15 (actual arrival time at the Apple store was 7:45 in case it was mobbed, but only 50 people were there and it was cold. Lounging in Starbucks was a hell of a lot better).

In the Apple Store they had moved all of their computers and iPods out. Every station had an iPad. Nothing else. It was interesting… The sensation of, “This is the future of computing… This is all you’ll see in the future” was the message I got.

Activate
The iPad required syncing to my laptop before I could unlock it. This was disappointing. I brought my laptop, but keep in mind you can’t use an iPad until connecting it with iTunes.

First use
The battery comes pre-charged to 100% and the sync was taking a while so I ditched the tether to the laptop and bounced around on various sites and downloaded apps. The experience is great. Even on an inundated public access point it was a smooth and a great web experience. If you want to call the iPad a “______ killer”, call it a mouse killer.

Look and feel
It feels good in the hands. It’s a little awkward for me to use the keypad because I’m used to the smaller sized iPhone keypad. It feels a little like a small child using an oversized adult keyboard. I’m sure this will change as one gets used to it.

Something odd… Remember when the iPhone first came out? If I you were in public and had it out people stared and asked, “Is that an iPhone?” While sitting in the Corner Bakery people mostly thought I was making strange gestures to a digital picture frame.

A real pain in the (photo) sync
After browsing around and downloading a bunch of iPad specific apps I went to sync music and photos. The sync of my photo library has been going for almost 2-hours now, and is about 60% complete. Each of the 10,000 images in my library has to be optimized. The good news is that the optimization for the iPad screen is stellar. The bad news is I’ll finish this post before the sync completes.

Reading
The screen quality is fantastic. I’m looking forward to using this as my go-to book reading device. This is a total eBook (device) killer. The Kindle for iPad app and iBooks are sure to be amazing.

Writing
Typing has been awkward. I have a feeling this is just a learning curve for a new keyboard style. It feels very similar to getting used to various ergonomic keyboards. Thumb typing in portrait mode is decent and intuitive. Touch typing in landscape will take some getting used to, but seems feasible.

Summary
A very good experience and device. I’ve expected I’d prefer using the iPad over a laptop for most tasks (email, news, misc. web, spreadsheets, docs, movies). So far that expectation seems to fit. If this is the future of computing, it’s looking to be a good future.

Here are the two best reviews I’ve found thus far:

• PCMag video review (short and sweet 5-minutes by Tim Gideon): http://vimeo.com/10595371
• AllThingsD/WallStreetJournal (Walt Mossberg): http://ptech.allthingsd.com/20100331/apple-ipad-review/

Speed. Time-to-content. That’s it.

The most elegant feature of the iPad is that it gets you to the stuff you want more quickly than any other device. Time reduction between a dark screen and destination is the game changing attribute that makes me want one. I want efficiency.

A laptop or netbook may have more features or a faster processor. But you can’t open it, resume from sleep, enter your password, and launch a desired app, browser, or site in under 10 seconds. You can do this with an iPhone. With its new processor and 802.11n the iPad is even faster.

I don’t think people realize what instant-on will do for computing. Immediate access will enable situations where you could whip out an iPad impromptu in an elevator and give a presentation or report, read news, or whatever, before reaching your selected floor. It shaves seconds or minutes off of tasks.

The iPad combines that speed with a non-mobile 1024×768 10-inch screen. You get immediate access to relevant information, with the richness of a laptop/desktop interface in a form factor conducive to mobility. And multi-touch.

Multi-touch adds to the speed. One can more quickly navigate and perform tasks with it than via a mouse or standard touchscreen. One can rotate, zoom, and crop images more quickly. One can edit and move data in a document more quickly.

It’s all about speed. It’s the speed to information and more efficient interface that make the iPad kick ass.

I do not like them, Fanboi-I-am.
I do not like iPads without cams.

Would you like them with Scott or Phil?

I would not like them with Scott or Phil.
I would not like them without vids or stills.

Would you like them in Jobs’ house?
Would you like them, they have no mouse?

I do not like them in Jobs’ house.
I do not like them with no mouse.
I do not like them with Scott or Phil.
I do not like them, there’s no vids or stills.

I do not like iPads without cams.
I do not like them, Fanboi-I-am.

Would you like them in Apple box?
Would you like them with a fox?

Not in the box.
Not with a fox.

They do not have a video frame, so
I will not like one on a train.
Not in the dark! Not in a tree!
Not in a car! You let me be!
I do not like their Apple box.
I do not like them with a fox.
I will not like one in Jobs’ house.
I do not like them with no mouse.
I do not like them with Scott or Phil.
I do not like them! NO VIDS OR STILLS!
I do not like iPads without cams!
I do not like them, Fanboi-I-am.

You do not like them. So you say.
Try them! Try them! And you may.
Try them and you may, I say.

If you will let me be,
I will try them. You will see.

…

Say! I like this iPad with no cam!
I do! I will buy them, Fanboi-I-am!
And I would like them on a boat.
And I would like them with a goat.

And I will buy without video frame.
And in the dark. And on a train.
And in a car. And on a plane.
They are so good, so good, you see!

So I can’t wait to get an Apple box.
And I will share mine with a fox.
And I will Twitter from Jobs’ house.
And I will buy a Magic Mouse.
And I will take them here and there.
Say! I will take them ANYWHERE!
I do so like iPads without cams!
Thank you!
Thank you, Fanboi-I-am!

Apple’s tablet is about to change the software development ecosystem and we mobile developers are rethinking existing and future projects. The tablet becomes the next app gold rush.

The App Store and the iPhone command a monstrous market share for mobile apps. There are a limited number of mobile app developers (20 million’ish) and a limited amount of devices any developer or team can target at one time. The first OS to target for any mobile product is logically the iPhone OS. That’s where the money is. After that, maybe Android or Blackberry or Pre. Maybe.

With Apple releasing a new device with new capabilities and resolution, the ecosystem changes. Teams who had completed an iPhone app and were planning to move on to an Android or Blackberry version would likely be more successful returning to the iPhone and optimizing for the tablet first.

Just as the first developers releasing apps on the iPhone had the least competition and greatest chance of success, the first optimized tablet apps will have the greatest odds. Competition amongst 10,000 apps is much lighter than 100,000.

There have been a growing number of Android starts and popularity of Android devices has steadily increased. Many of these app starts are by developers who completed an iPhone version and are now porting to Android.

The tablet changes one’s priority. Android starts will continue to grow because of handset market share growth, but will also take a hit due to the tablet. The priority of OS’s for developers to to target will likely be iPhone -> tablet optimization -> Android / Blackberry / Pre.

Related thoughts:

• Who wants to build Apple tablet apps? Not just game developers (survey) (venturebeat.com)
• If Apple Releases It, Will Developers Come? (bits.blogs.nytimes.com)

Apple is opening up the In-App purchase to free apps. This is going to change the App Store landscape drastically…

In App Purchase is being rapidly adopted by developers in their paid apps. Now you can use In App Purchase in your free apps to sell content, subscriptions, and digital services.

You can also simplify your development by creating a single version of your app that uses In App Purchase to unlock additional functionality, eliminating the need to create Lite versions of your app. Using In App Purchase in your app can also help combat some of the problems of software piracy by allowing you to verify In App Purchases.

Lite apps… Buh-bye. 2 (or more) copies of the same app but with different badges… Buh-bye. This is nothing but good.

AT&T confirms tethering is, “a matter of when and not if,” but the when is farther away than most of us would like.

As for tethering, by its nature, this function could exponentially increase traffic on the network, and we need to ensure that some of our current upgrades are in place before we can deliver the expanded functionality with the excellent performance that customers expect. We expect to offer tethering in the future.

While the iPhone has blown the doors off AT&T’s network capabilities, I don’t agree that tethering by an existing customer will exponentially increase traffic. The increased load from the iPhone has been due to mobile browsing and uploading of photos and videos.

Those who plug the iPhone in to a laptop are not significantly increasing consumed bandwidth (unless you’re watching Hulu?), and the number of users who tether will be far fewer than the number of iPhone-only users.

I could agree with the assumption of exponential increase based on an influx of customers from Sprint and Verizon. Those customers could migrate purely to acquire the world’s fastest VPN enabled USB modem (yes, the iPhone effectively becomes a wicked fast USB modem when plugged in – and faster/better than the USB versions available at Sprint and Verizon).

From Zillow today regarding Philly real estate:

According to the latest Zillow Real Estate Market Reports, home values in Philadelphia increased 1.7% in the second quarter of 2009, compared to the second quarter of 2008. Nationally, home values decreased 12.1% during this same period.

Mashable:

For the longest time, the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi has been the most widely used camera on Flickr. With a 10.1 MP Lens, an image sensor vibration cleaning system, 9-point auto focus, and a mid-range price point, it’s easy to see why the Canon camera has been so popular with the photography enthusiasts on Yahoo’s photo-sharing website.

But while Canon has dominated, there’s another camera that’s been zipping up the Flickr charts. Actually, camera phone would be more precise, because we’re talking about the iPhone.

It takes a lot of iPhones to overtake the Canon franchise.

Alley Insider covers the 10 most expensive iPhone apps. These aren’t your 99 cent grade of apps… All are for professional use. Cheapest in the top ten is $179.99.

1. iRa Pro – $899.99 (or Direct – $499.99)
2. MATG – SAP BusinessOne – $449.99
3. PDR Quote – $349.99
4. Mobile Cam Viewer – $349.99
5. Lexi-Dental Complete – $299.99
6. iDcrm – $199.99
7. ROSIE Home Automation – $199.99
8. Nursing Constellation Plus – $179.99
9. Interpath – $179.99
10. XA1 – $179.99

From IE6NoMore:

“We think we can have a huge impact: For those users that are just unaware they are using an old browser (mothers, grandmothers), we’d like to encourage them to upgrade and have a better experience using our sites. For those users in corporate environments, we’d like to start putting pressure on the IT department to upgrade — the more users who complain about seeing the prompts (especially if coming from the top), the more pressure the IT department will have to either upgrade IE 6 or install Firefox side-by-side with IE 6 for compatibility reasons.”

Since when do moms and grandmothers get thrown under the bus for using old browsers? I know we gotta throw IE6 out, but that’s just messed up.

From Zero Hedge:

The bloodbath at GE’s propaganda station has reached critical levels: according to Nielsen, CNBC has lost 28% of viewers year over year, and 24% in the 25-54 age group category. This is obviously a stunning failure in an environment where the top stories on any other medium are finance and economy related.

Photo of Philly air this morning

Got this in my morning Weather Channel Local Severe Weather Alerts:

Local Severe Weather Alert for Philadelphia, PA

…AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 10 PM EDT TUESDAY… THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION HAS DECLARED AN AIR QUALITY ACTION DAY FOR THE REGION…IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 10 PM EDT TUESDAY. AN AIR QUALITY ACTION DAY MEANS THAT AIR QUALITY WITHIN THE REGION MAY APPROACH OR EXCEED UNHEALTHY STANDARDS.

I remember these from Los Angeles and figured Philly’s industrial areas were as bad or worse, but this is for the whole region.

Lovely!

So says Wired in their prediction of tablets finally taking hold.

“The touch-based user interface is something we got from the handset market,” Kuittinen said. “And now that you have this innovation, it’s easier to go back to the tablet concept, and say, “Wait a minute, let’s add this.” All of a sudden the device is a lot more appealing and sexier, especially since you have multitouch.”

I’m all for an uber sleek device for mibile computing, but part of the usability of a tablet mobile phone (a la iPhone) is the shaking, gesturing, pointing, and pocketability. A tablet loses much of this and adds power, network, and protection issues.

Maybe man-purses will take on, too.

Mashable:

Now, analytics and research firm StatCounter has released their July numbers for search, and they?re telling the same story: Bing is gaining traction. According to the report, Bing has gained 1.24% market share, up to 9.41%.

I’m still using Google, personally.

Idiot move…

The criminals probably didn’t realize that they were installing their ATM in a hotel that was soon going to be flooded with more than 8,000 security professionals.

Good points by Gary North on how to market yourself as an author and the basic steps of getting your first book in to print:

Book publishing is getting expensive. Profits are way down. Readership is declining for printed books.

Ebooks, yes. POD books, yes. But books published by a profit-seeking publisher are limited to low-risk authors. High-return authors are best.

If you have something to say, blog it. After a few years of blogging, write your first book. You will have an audience.

If your blog does not attract an audience, neither will your book. Publishers know this.

Bottom line: Start a blog and prove you can attract an audience… If you’ve got traffic, you are infinitely more likely to get your book published.

Gary’s full post is, So, You Want to Write Your First Book. Here Is How to Do It.

Mike Arrington of TechCrunch claims he is quitting his iPhone as soon as he can port his number to Google Voice. I don’t think he realizes someone could have a web app that solves the Google Voice and iPhone interaction within days.

We don’t need a full blown Google Voice application on the iPhone. A simple web app would do. In fact, it would probably be better for overall adoption because only a small percentage of people update their apps religiously.

Given Google’s API for GV, and the speed at which the native apps were developed, this isn’t a stretch. A couple decent web developers could get this launched by Monday… In time to save Arrington and the world from an unnecessary rant on the failings of Android.

I made the jump from the iPhone’s included mail application and may swap out the Phone app for a Google Voice web app later, too. The above image is my iPhone dock. Sean McKeever on Facebook asked how I get notifications for new mail being received. Here’s how I do that…

First off, with the iPhone Mail app I never used new mail notification. There’s just too much email every day and having notifications on would turn the phone in to a jumping bean. The little counter of unread messages is nice, of course.

That changes with Gmail and filters. One can receive customized notifications via SMS of new messages based on sender, subject, account, or any other attributes.

1. Create a filter for a desired message type.
2. Have the filter results be “Forward it to:” and set your_number@txt.att.net (it’ll cost you a text message if you’re not on an unlimited plan).

This nicely sets up important alerts if you need them. I use these for messages I need to know about immediately… Typically messages sent directly to me and sent from somebody important.

There’s a lot of noise about Apple rejecting the Google Voice application in the App Store. While a native app would be fantastic, I’d be fine with a good web app. The existing rev is little more than a WAP site and requires three clicks to dial a contact.

It would be incredibly simple to mimic the iPhone’s phone app interface in a web app. It’s just a list of favorites, list of recents, list and search of overall contacts, and voicemail. With HTML5, all of these features from a single web app are simple.

With HTML5 and SQLite the images and local databases can be cached, too. This would allow extremely fast load and minimize any network traffic for initiating a call. I’d probably even swap out the iPhone icon on the home screen for a GV web app shortcut.

I’ve wrapped up my set up and migration to Google Voice. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I’m linking to Paul Stamatiou’s review. He sums up my impressions, likes, and dislikes perfectly and has good instructions and screenshots, too.

His experience of getting calls intended for prior phone number holders hasn’t been the case for me. And even if undersirable callers are dialing, one can block, screen, and take control so easily that it becomes a non-issue.

My new number is 707-659-6864 (70s-oly-oung).

“I believe I’ve done all I care to do here at this point. Flesh and reality and silence are calling.” @trent_reznor, July 17th 2009 (account deleted)

It’s a stylish and absolute completion. What would your last words be?

Mike Shatzkin put up an article yesterday around the various stakeholders (authors, retailers, distributors, and readers) in the ebook industry. It describes the history of the ebook market and his thoughts on coming changes.

In the “vision” stage of ebook adoption, which ended with the launch of the Kindle in November 2007, authors were virtually powerless. With ebook sales even for established books struggling to make triple digits, publishers were gunshy about accepting digitization costs for books other than the biggest sellers and it hardly made sense for authors to make the investment on their own.

Check it out: http://www.idealog.com/blog/aside-from-the-publishers-how-the-other-stakeholders-fare-as-ebook-adoption-continues