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- In Depth Look: Pages on the iPad
Apple's famous word processing application Pages has seen its first update of 2010, delivered as a touch-enabled little brother for the new iPad. But how does this version stack up to its OS X counterpart? After testing the app for almost a week, here are my thoughts.Like other iPad applications, Pages is fast. Loading almost instantly, the first thing you'll see is a Welcome document, ironically created in Pages itself. The My Documents is area where you'll see all of your synced documents, accessible by flicking left or right. It seems like managing a large number of documents in this area could be cumbersome, so it will be interesting to see how Apple addresses this UI concern with future versions. There's also options here for exporting documents to iWork.com or email, deleting documents and importing new documents.
Creating a new document is simple as well, though you are limited to 15 templates besides a blank document. I’m honestly surprised Apple hasn’t brought over the full arsenal of templates.
Navigating around Pages is quite simple. In portrait mode, you'll have a menu bar across the top with quick access to My Documents, an Undo button as well as an Inspector, Media, Settings and a Full Screen option.
Cool Pages Tip: Tap and hold the Undo button to initiate a Redo.
Tapping the lighter colored bar beneath the toolbar will present you with a traditional ruler, justification options and options to make your type bold, italicized or underlined. Landscape mode is primarily used for creating content in your document, so the toolbar remains hidden.
The InspectorThe Inspector provides an additional method for adjusting alignment, support for columns (limited to 4) and line spacing (limited to quarter line increments). In this view there are also options for formatting lists and applying (but not redefining) the default styles for titles, headings and subheadings. This particular view also changes, depending on what content you are editing. For example, if you've tapped a table and then open the Inspector, you'll see related options here.
Media BrowserThe Media Browser functions similar to the desktop version, showing photos and videos that have been synced to the iPad via iTunes. Unfortunately, none of my TV shows or movies were accessible through here, even the ones that aren't restricted with iTunes DRM.
Options for tables, charts and shapes are included as well, allowing a user to select from a wide variety of default looks, then allowing them to use the Inspector to further fine tune them. Manipulating objects is very user friendly by just tapping and interacting as you would be naturally inclined to do. Tap two fingers on an object, pause and rotate your fingers to rotate an object. It's simple.
Fine Tuning
Document Setup mode allows you to format your document with custom dimensions simply by tapping a margin and dragging it. You can also set watermark images as well as format the header or footer of your document. Unfortunately, documents are limited to a size of either US Letter (8.5 x 11) or A4 (8.27 x 11.69). There were no apparent options for adjusting the orientation to landscape.
Selecting text works the same as it does on Pages for the desktop, except you're using finger taps instead of mouse clicks. Double tapping a word will select it while triple tapping will select the entire paragraph. In the pop-up menu, you have your usual options for copying the content as well as the option to copy the style if you wish to copy and paste formatting styles between areas. There is also an option to define the word you've selected.
Other options include a traditional spell checker which functions just like the desktop counterpart by underlining the misspelled word, allowing a user to tap and see a suggested replacement.
Syncing Files with Pages
Contrary to original rumors that suggested the iPad would mount a folder and allow for easy syncing of documents, you have to sync specific documents to the iPad through iTunes. Undoubtedly Apple realizes that this process is quite cumbersome and hopefully future iterations of iTunes or iPad software will make this process easier.
Pages documents that you receive through Mail on the iPad or browsed via iWork.com can be opened, saved and edited within Pages. Conversely, documents created in Pages can be exported and sent via Mail or uploaded to iWork.com in addition to being synced back through iTunes.
The Downside
Pages on the iPad is a great application, but it's not without its share of missing features and limitations. Unfortunately, Pages is limited to a rather small collection of typefaces. While there's still enough to create content that is unique, the lack of support for adding your own typefaces means Pages won't let you easily move any document from your Mac and see the exact same thing on your iPad. In fact, you'll get document warnings if you try and open a file that includes a typeface that your iPad is missing. This is an issue that Apple needs to address before people really begin to consider the iPad as "the laptop replacement."
Additionally, more advanced features of Pages are missing. Here's a quick list of some of the features that aren't present.
- Inserting Table of Contents & Footnotes
- Inserting Section or Layout Breaks
- Inserting Merge Fields
- Tracking Changes
- Saving as Templates
- Adjusting Styles
- Adjusting Type (Tracking, Ligatures, Baseline, Capitalization)
- Printing
- Document Statistics (Word Count, Number of Pages, Page Location)
Pages is a very functional app but for those who really wanted it to replace the desktop version, you'll be desiring a more featured packed update from Apple. Originally I'd planned to use the mobile version to put the finishing touches on documents (if I'm on the go) but it looks like the best workflow is to create your documents on the iPad and apply finishing touches when you are back on a Mac.
One last little bit to note about this application, and everyone is mixed on this, but typing on the iPad keyboard, even in landscape mode is still awkward. Personally, I’m comfortable with the full size keyboard layout on my Mac and so I find myself aiming for certain keys that just aren’t there. I strongly recommend investing in the bluetooth keyboard if you’re planning to use Pages or any of the other iWork apps on the iPad.
Check out our gallery of Pages below. Have you used Pages for the iPad? What are your thoughts?
Picture 1 of 17Pages on iPad: Document Browser
Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub req’d):
Переслать - iPhone OS 4: Device Compatibility
iPhone OS 4 has over 100 new features. However, some of those features (or all of them) won't be available on older versions of the iPhone/iPod touch. Wonder how you’ll fare? Read on.iPhone 3GS/iPod touch Third-Gen
Both of these will get full compatibility — the whole shebang. Note that the third-gen iPod will only support all the new features on models with 32 or 64GBs of memory; the 16GB model was really a second-gen iPod, which is discussed below.
iPhone 3G/iPod touch Second-Gen
Some compatibility. Multitasking will not be available due to a lower amount of RAM (128MB vs. 256MB on the newer models) and a slower processor. It’s not clear yet whether multitasking is the only new feature that’ll be missing. Nor is it clear as to whether Apple will be charging iPod touch users a fee to upgrade like it did with the iPhone OS 3.
iPhone/iPod touch First-Gen
Apple hasn't officially said anything on these two yet, and that's likely a sign that you won't be able to run OS 4 at all. At least those of you still using these dinosaurs have a new iPhone to look forward to in June.
iPad
Obviously, the just-released iPad will be able to run the new OS. It’s worth mentioning because the update won’t be available until the Fall, which seems like a long time considering that the iPhone and iPod touch are getting the update this summer.
How do you feel about Apple’s compatibility decisions? The inevitable course of progress, or a slap in the face?
Переслать - iPhone OS 4.0: Details, Details, Details
I’m downloading iPhone OS 4.0 right now, and the reason that I’m doing so isn’t the big multitasking feature, which grabbed a lot of attention but won’t actually be implemented until devs start including the features in their apps. I’m doing it for the little things.
Little things like Bluetooth Keyboard support and tap to focus for video. And medium-sized things like the introduction of folders. Home screen wallpapers I could actually take or leave, but everything else sounds pretty awesome. Including gloating to my iPad-toting friends when I get the features well before them.iPhone OS 4.0 comes out for the iPhone and iPod touch this summer, as new iterations of the OS generally do. But iPad owners will have to wait until the fall to see the same features implemented on their devices. The operating systems must be fairly different to merit such a gap between the two release dates, although at least a few of the end user-targeted features introduced are iPad originals.
Developers will no doubt be excited about OS 4.0’s new APIs, including full video/still camera access, support for in-app SMS, calendar access, in-app SMS, 5x digital zoom and carrier info access. But that’s not what’ll really have devs salivating. That’d be Apple’s new iAds platform, which aims to revolutionize mobile advertising. iAds promises to provide a much more interactive advertising experience, right from within apps, and without leaving them. It certainly has a lot of potential, but it remains to be seen whether users will bite. Apple will be using an industry standard 60/40 revenue split for iAds, with devs getting the lion’s share.
Another new intriguing platform-wide feature is Game Center. It looks to accomplish what OpenFeint and Plus+ do now, but across all games (that use the API, I imagine). It’s bad news for those fledgling gaming networks, but it promises to be a much more unified and comprehensive game ranking and matchmaking system for iPhone end users. And it’ll have achievements, too.
It wasn’t all good news for iPhone owners today, though. Owners of 3G and older model iPhones, and of second-gen and older iPod touches are going to be a bit sour following the announcement. They’ll get some of the benefits of iPhone OS 4.0, but not all. The hardware isn’t up to the task of multitasking, for instance. Apple’s probably not losing too much sleep over this, since it provides a mighty nice upgrade incentive.
Many more details will no doubt emerge as the summer go-live date approaches, both about the iPhone OS and about new iPhone hardware. I know I’ll be keeping an eye out for new features as I explore the developer preview.
Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub req’d):
Why 2010 Still Won't Be the Year of Mobile Advertising
Переслать - iPhone OS 4.0: Mail, Folders & iBooks
iPhone fans around the world will rejoice with the improvements coming in Apple's iPhone 4.0 OS this summer. Support for organizing applications within folders, an improved Mail app and the new iBooks app are among the most notable.
FoldersMany have desired a way to better organize apps on their device. When Apple introduced the App Store, it also gave us multiple home screens. Organization got a bit easier with iTunes 9 which allowed for organizing home screens directly from within iTunes. Taking the idea even further, device-wide Spotlight made it easy for users to find apps no matter which home screen they were on, or even if they couldn't be displayed because of display limitations. When iPhone 4.0 launches this summer though, users can also organize their apps into folders.
As you'd expect from Apple, the process is quite simple. Just tap and hold an app until it starts to wiggle, just like you were going to move its location. Then drop the app on top of another app's icon and a folder will be created. The device will use the genre of app (Business, Games, etc.) to define the folder name, but this is, of course, changeable.
Allowing organization within folders will mean that users can now keep many more applications on their devices than before. In fact, Apple says that you could, in theory, store over 2,100 apps on the phone now.
MailIf there's one thing that constantly seeing "Sent from my iPhone" has taught me, it’s that iPhone and iPod touch (and now iPad) users all love checking their email. The next version of the iPhone OS will bring some improvements to this much-loved app. The one I'm most excited about is support for multiple Exchange accounts (which is great since I have two at work).
Like Mail.app on the Mac, this new version will also support a unified Inbox, allowing you to see messages from all of your accounts in one view. It will also support threaded messages, making correspondence easier if you’re an email junkie. It's also easy to switch between inboxes with "fast inbox switching."
Finally, the new version will also allow you to open attachments that are associated with third-party applications.
iBooksThe success of iBooks on the iPad is unquestionable. With the iPad not even a week old and only available in the United States, Apple has announced that over 600,000 iBooks have been downloaded.
Just like it's iPad cousin, the iPod touch and iPhone version if iBooks will allow you to browse and buy books directly from the iBookstore. If you've already been buying content for your iPad, all of that will sync up through iTunes to iBooks on your iPhone. In addition, your bookmarks and information on the last page you were on will be synced as well.
What do you think of these announcements? Some of these features may only be available to iPhone 3GS or third-generation iPod touch users. Is it time for you to upgrade? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Переслать - iPad Launch: The Official Apple Numbers
Before Steve Jobs moved into the details of iPhone OS 4.0 today, he paused to share some of the positive news about the iPad release from last weekend. Apple sold quite a few iPads on launch day and customers have responded to the device by downloading lots of apps and e-books.
iPad By the Numbers300,000 iPads were sold on the Saturday and as of today, 450,000 have been sold. For comparison the original iPhone sold 250,000 units on opening weekend in June of 2007. About 1 million units of the iPhone 3G were sold in July 2008 when that revision launched.
The iPad launch compares very well to the original iPhone. The two devices are also close in that they had US-only launches and really mapped out a new category for Apple. The comparison to the 3G launch will only be interesting when the next revision of the iPad is launched simultaneously in several countries.
iPad Apps
Customers were also quick to embrace iPad specific apps and books. About 1 million iPad apps were downloaded on the first day. 3.5 million have been downloaded through today (about 7.8 apps per iPad). This number is a bit higher than I expected. Every iPad is prompted to download iBooks, so that bumps the number a bit.
I wonder if Apple is including Universal Apps (contains both iPhone and iPad binaries) that iPhone users have downloaded but have not installed on an iPad. Technically, I am not sure there is a way for Apple to distinguish when a user downloads an app with iTunes so I suspect these numbers are artificially inflated by iBooks and Universal apps.
iBooks
Books have also been a big success. 250,000 books were downloaded on the first day, and 600,000 books (1.3 books per iPad) have been downloaded through today. If the bundled Winnie the Pooh book is included in those numbers, it is less impressive. Since Winnie the Pooh is not actually downloaded, I would guess that these numbers represent additional books downloaded through the store, but the other caveat would be the free samples for paid books. Those might bump the numbers slightly. With all the free books available through the Gutenberg Project I would have expected a higher number per iPad.
I know I have downloaded 6 books myself (2 paid). It would be really interesting to see the usage patterns here. I suspect that there is a small number of people that have downloaded 5-10 books and a large number that has not downloaded any.
While some of the usage numbers for downloads are a bit of a mixed bag, the number of iPads sold is impressive, especially for a new device category. I suspect that the iBooks downloaded will increase even further as iPhone users pick up the app in iPhone OS 4.0.
Переслать - iPhone OS 4.0: Multitasking and App Switching
From an end user perspective, few of the announcements at today’s Apple iPhone OS 4.0 media event were likely as welcome as was the arrival of multitasking. It’s a feature that people have been looking for since the launch of the platform itself, and it looks like we’ll now be rewarded for waiting so long.While the OS 4.0 implementation of multitasking doesn’t actually run an app in the background, it does something much better in terms of efficient power and resource usage. Apps can take advantage of seven background services to enable crucial functions without putting too much strain on your device. Unfortunately, you’ll have to have a 3GS or third-gen iPod touch or later to use any of these.
7 Services:
Music Playback
Radio apps like Pandora or Last.fm will now be able to continue playing their audio streams in the background. You’ll even be able to control playback from the lock screen. Maybe your inline headphone controls will also work? Wasn’t specifically mentioned, but makes sense.
VoiP Support
Want to use your Skype credit instead of depending on AT&T’s ridiculous rates? Now you can, all the time. Skype can remain open in the background, and still take incoming calls. In theory, it could become the only phone you need. Skype was demoed, but every VoiP app in the business will likely get on board.
Location
Turn-by-turn navigation apps will be able to use your GPS location even when you’re not actually in the app, so your phone can continue to give you directions while you endanger yourself by playing Plants vs. Zombies in traffic. Also, apps will be able to access Wi-Fi and cell tower positioning to lessen the drain on your battery if they don’t need the accuracy of GPS.
Local Push
Apps can push out their own reminders locally on the iPhone without needing to access servers. Great for to-do reminders, among other things.
Task Completion
Set something in motion, like downloading a new track in Tap Tap Revenge, and the app can now make you aware when it’s completed even after you’ve left it. This could be a real time saver.
App State Save/Restore
Switching apps quickly will be a lot easier now that you can freeze the state of an app and quickly switch to another, then switch back and resume exactly where you left off. This is the easiest to implement, and I imagine all developers will include it eventually.
That’s the story of iPhone OS 4.0’s multitasking capabilities. Regardless of its limitations, it will be a hundred times better than things currently are, especially if the developer community embraces the new features, which I’m sure it will. What multitasking service are you most excited about?
Переслать - When Will the Millionth iPad be Sold?
Via Apple 2.0, online advertising network Chitika now estimates that more than 600,000 iPads have been sold, doubling first day sales as reported by Apple on Monday.If this rate continues, Apple will likely sell its millionth iPad before both the international and 3G iPad launch. That’s good news, both for current iPad owners, and for the future of the platform.
Chitka Research bases their estimates on the number of iPads seen coming through the Chitika ad network multiplied by “how much of the Internet we see at any given time.” Chitika serves some two billion monthly impressions over 80,000 websites.
Chitika may even be conservative in their estimates. On the day Apple announced 300,000 iPads sold, Chitika estimated 270,000. As to where those iPads were sold, not surprisingly the largest states have seen the greatest sales, with California, Texas, New York, and Florida accounting for more than 20, 8, 8, and 6 percent respectively.
As for when Apple will sell its millionth iPad, it seems increasingly likely that the second wave of iPad shipments for April 12th will help the company reach that milestone. This would be well in advance of a rumored international launch on April 24th, and likely before the 3G iPad ships in “late April.” To put a million iPads sold in a month in context, in January USA Today interviewed IDC analyst David Daoud, who estimates sales for slate and tablet-convertible PCs to be 1.25 million for all of 2010.
For those undecided on purchasing an iPad because of concerns over the viability of the platform, your credit cards can rest easy. The more iPads sold, the more apps and accessories created and sold, which means more iPads sold. The only possible downside of iPad success might be price reductions being less likely. However, that means better resale value when Apple releases the next iPad and you want to upgrade. The greater the iPad sales, the more impetus given Apple to improve the hardware, with things like a faster CPU and more RAM, maybe that rumored camera.
Next up, ten million iPads. How does Christmas sound?
Переслать - 10 Things Not to Expect in iPhone OS 4
With the Apple Event less than a day away, there’s no shortage of speculation and wish lists for iPhone OS 4, but what about less optimistic lists? For the jaded Apple fan, there’s no reason to wait until tomorrow to start bitterly complaining about what should have been in iPhone OS today.Not that most Apple fans will be complaining, but expect the continued lack of Flash to be widely reported tomorrow. Some complain that HTML5 lacks the tools that Flash has, and that’s true. Too bad.
For the rest of us, there will be far more annoying features missing in iPhone OS 4. Here are ten of them.
- Wireless Syncing: Perhaps Apple has usage data showing most people charge their devices by plugging them into computers, that wireless syncing is the kind of “complexity” Apple eschews, or maybe it’s greed. After all, MobileMe is Apple’s wireless syncing option at $99 a year.
- Tethering: It’s been promised in one form or another for years, but we will never see iPhone tethering in the US. The last chance for that died with the 3G iPad. Both Apple and AT&T would rather have consumers buy a new device and plan than have tethering as an iPhone add-on.
- Mobile Finder: Considering the moribund state of the Finder in OS X, don’t expect a file management initiative on casual computing devices. For good or ill, mostly ill, iTunes is the new Finder for mobile devices.
- iPad User Accounts: Clearly, Apple does not care about traditional families, because after monetary problems I believe the lack of user accounts for the iPad will be the single greatest cause of divorce in 2010. Unfortunately, every user account on an iPad is potentially one less iPad sold, so forget it.
- Unlocked Bluetooth: Sad to say, but Apple letting the iPad use any Bluetooth keyboard is good news. The iPhone and the iPod touch can’t even do that, just headphones, and Apple isn’t going to relinquish control now.
- Custom Lockscreen: After three years of seeing the time and date, it’s hard to imagine Apple allowing users the ability to see e-mail or text messages, or the weather, or news headlines without at least swiping first. Of course, we are allowed iPod controls, so we should probably be grateful for that.
- Apple Todo App: Even if you pay for MobileMe to wirelessly sync you personal information, you won’t be getting your tasks from iCal. Again, after three years, it’s hard to imagine that changing.
- Apple Notes Redesign: Instead of a text editing tool like WriteRoom, we get cartoon icons on a yellow paper background and Marker Felt font. Obviously, Steve Jobs does not use Notes.
- Delete Default Apps: It’s a small thing, but why not allow the removal of the default weather app, or stock app, or the horror that is Notes? Who knows, but after three years, not happening.
- iPhone OS Moniker: Why not call OS X “iMac OS” or “MacBook OS”? Because it would be stupid, just like iPhone OS for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch is stupid. How about iOS, or OS X Mobile, or OS touch? Looking at the invitations for the iPhone OS 4 preview, that’s not going to happen, but it should.
That’s my bullet list of bile for what not to expect in iPhone OS 4. How about yours?
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