What Will Ballmer Think Mary-Jo?

[Jeff Campbell]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/i-confess-i-bought-an-ipad-and-so-far-i-love-it/6912' target='_blank'>http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft...-i-love-it/6912</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"I bought an iPad. Big deal, you say... So did 3.3 million other people so far this year."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1279903421.usr105634.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>As you can see from the image above, Mary-Jo Foley writes for a column called "All About Microsoft" for ZDNet so yea, I think it's a big deal too Mary-Jo! And not only because she is a PC, but also because it is the first Apple product she has ever purchased. I'm a little disappointed in the reception she received from the Apple Store employee though, you would think that once she told them she was a Windows user they would have bent over backwards to help her navigate through what she needed. Even with that, she pressed on and is still enjoying the iPad. She hits the nail on the head when she writes that she is using it as a "consumption" device rather than a "creation" device, because I think that is really what the iPad is about. How about you? If you have an iPad, are you a consumer or a creator?</p>

[Sven Johannsen]

Consumer. It's great for that. I have played with creation using a MS BT keyboard (http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=016&active_tab=overview) and it works fine. I'm just not thrilled by the apps available to use. I have all three of the Apple ones, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, but they were very well designed expecting you to use your fingers. There is no real support for keybord shortcuts, though some things work with the arrow keys. Obviously there is no mouse support, and I would guess both PC and Mac folk are pretty used to using a mouse when creating. It is akward to be going alonfg and reach for the mouse to do something, find it is not there and wind up having to poke the screen. It would be cool if some keyboard shortcut support were provide, even to the point of doing some navigation, closing/openning apps, etc.

The lack of a file system is a bit of a drawback as well. Not so much on the device, as eacjh application provides reasonable access to thinga that are appropriate, but it is cumbersome to get things on and off the device. Typically I wouldn't create on the iPad to consume it there. You can move stuff via iTunes, but each application has it's own conduit, and sometimes unique access via WiFi. Many suggest mailing yourself a product and that is just silly. The file sandboxing is also an issue. If I have one application that can work with a word document, another application that can, can't work with the resulting doc.

It would be interesting if Microsoft produced Microsoft Office for iPad, maybe even building in support for a BT mouse, and typical shortcut commands using Ctrl/Alt/Win keys, open apple shortcuts.

[Michael Knutson]

Mostly consumer. I've purchased the docking keyboard, and, when plugged-in, the iPad is pretty good for creating some content. The keyboard is designed for the iPad. I agree with Sven's assessment for the most part, but, there *is* a file system, it's just not easily exposed. Where is Finder for iPad? Or a Windows Explorer equivalent? I agree that it's silly to have to mail myself a file, or install code to allow an attachment in email to be added to some app that can't be seen by any other app. Sandboxing is a good feature for the novice user, but, come on, mature OSes allow an escape from the sandbox with the right controls ...

I keep reminding myself that this is a version one product. Think of the first iPhone; and the capabilities of the iPhone 4. We'll see these type of changes, just not overnight.