Feb
8
Will the iPad become the tool for designing on the move?
Just in case you didn’t know Apple’s new gadget/toy recently made it’s debut and promises many things to many people. Opinion about the multi-touch tablet has been divided. Apple fanboys/girls making it a must-have item while tech journlaists and commentators aren’t quite so keen. So, what does the iPad have to offer web designers? Will the tablet spark a new generation of web-building apps, will it become an expensive photo frame or will consumers buy one just because it’s pretty.
Tell us what you think the future holds for the iPad and web design. Plus, if your getting one, tell us why, we would love to know. Email us at webdesigner@imagine-publishing.co.uk
I think as it stands the iPad isn’t necessarily as exciting as all the hype led us to believe. However I think once developers have had a chance to get their hands on it and truely have a play around with it, we will start to see the full potential of this device. The iPad will be made by the applications that can be created for it. The iPhone has some lovely applications but developers will be able to do much more with the bigger screen on the iPad.
As mentioned above I think the iPad will spark a new generation of web-building apps. Yes, it is pretty but arn’t all of Apples products! It is something that I will definately be buying and not with the intention of it being am expensive photo frame.
I think once people get hold of them and developers have released some exciting applications, people will start to change their minds about the usefulness of this product.
Are you serious? Designing on a phone OS? It’s a piece of expensive CRAP
I’m not convinced at all that it will prove to be a useful developing tool, I do however think it could change the way we approach navigation. Although a lot of developers have all ready fallen into the “I’m not developing my websites for the iPhone, so I’m not developing my websites for this!”, I think they’re missing the point. The iPad and the subsequent assortment of imitators we’ll no doubt see arriving this year will bring a large amount of consumers screaming for websites with “easy finger navigation” – Which means developers will *have* to find a happy medium between visitors using a mouse, and a finger, rather than just dismissing mobile & portable browsing as a fad.
I’m not convinced at all that it will prove to be a useful developing tool, I do however think it could change the way we approach navigation. Although a lot of developers have all ready fallen into the “I’m not developing my websites for the iPhone, so I’m not developing my websites for this!”, I think they’re missing the point. The iPad and the subsequent assortment of imitators we’ll no doubt see arriving this year will bring a large amount of consumers screaming for websites with “easy finger navigation” – Which means developers will *have* to find a happy medium between visitors using a mouse, or a finger, rather than just dismissing mobile & portable browsing as a fad.
The iPad really isnt what I was expecting…
I was expecting a full working OS rather than the ‘diluted’ iPhone OSX.
To think that this could be useful for web design and development is a big ambitious thought. Yeah sure a coding program like Coda would be very useful but the design aspect such as using photoshop layers and then slicing it up is a huge ask of a mobile device OS.
One of the biggest let downs in my opinion (and many others too) is the lack of flash support so those who have flash sites wont be able to view their websites on this device that was described and advertised as being “The internet in your hands…”
Sort it out Apple… You know Microsoft will make something similar but have far better features…
Verdict: I wont be buying one unless wacom come out with an app that allows you to use it as a graphics pad lol
I think the iPad will become a useful tool but being able to use it as a design tool is asking too much of the spec as it stands.
Being a designer myself it is rare that I have less than 5 applications open at one time, sometimes up to 10. This multi application working approach is essential to being productive and you need to be productive during your working day.
The iPad is an interesting start point but it really needs to be more powerful especially if it is intended to run apps like Photoshop and other proffessional design programs.
Being able to deliver the full internet experience is also going to be essential if the iPad is going to be used for design, not just Apple’s version of the internet. The reason Steve Jobs gave for there being no Flash support on the iPad were pathetic. (HTML 5 is going to take some time before it can deliver the same experience as Flash.) The Apple Adobe spat over Flash on Safari is historical and goes back to the iPhone, YouTube and the QuickTime codex.
Don’t get me wrong I love Apple products and have been using them for 20 years but I think somethings, especially the internet should be about the user experience and not about large corporations trying to control things for their own personal reasons.
Ok so it’s not as ground breaking as we were lead to believe but I think it could be useful. Most net books aren’t very good and if you want more power then you might as well buy a full on laptop.
The way that I would use it would be to display concept designs to clients. For the price I think that it would be worth it.
To improve it Apple will change it from iPhone OS to Mac OS and add full Flash support, only then will it be seen as a full internet browsing experience.
One may be convinced that it will prove to be a useful developing tool,but if thought in a positive way, we can have a innovative approach in navigation. To improve it Apple may change iPhone OS to Mac OS, full internet experience can be achieved this way.
How can you expect to design on a machine where you can only open one app at a time? Plus with the ipad not supporting flash i think it’s already shooting itself in the foot!
I am whole heartedly let down by the iPad. How can something with an diluted OS ever be useful to any designer/developer.
I had visions of it running coda/dreamweaver and even in the back of my mind illustrator. I’d have hours of fun drawing vectors with my finger. Alas its not to be and its nothing more than a Amazon Kindle with a colour screen.
I think people are missing the purpose of the iPad and getting upset it’s not what they wanted. It is an in between device with NO intention to be a full blown computer. I see this version as a test ground for the new technology used to create it. If the hardware stands up to public abuse I can see a future version running OSX.
I recently got rid of my macbook for an iMac because I needed more screen space. The only thing I miss is being able to be portable for my clients, not for myself. I never did any mobile computing unless I sat in front of a client to review work. As with most products, if it doesn’t suit your needs, don’t buy it. The iPad will work great for me. This bridges the gap for me to display concepts, add notes and keep tabs on things until I get home.
Yes, iPad will be useful for Web designers, as a platform for testing in the near to immediate future if nothing else. No way will we as Web designers be able to ignore iPad. Also, given time, I am sure some good apps will show up for development. No, Illustrator or a full-featured Photoshop aren’t available, yet, but Brushes and Inspire will be as soon as the first iPad is sold. Web development tools can’t be far behind.
Not unless it gets a USB port and supports flash! The iPad is just an overblown iTouch for all the Apple fan boys.
What's your opinion?