Luke's Nature of Design Class: Ipad Questions

When it comes to Industry trends we are tasked with keeping up to date with state of current technologies and how they are impacting the workplace and it's a big thing to consider in this workplace as with the constant change of technology falling behind is a dangerous thing to do in this industry. So we were tasked with the following questions regarding the Ipad and tablet based technology in general.

In your opinion how important is it for mobile applications and devices to both look good and function properly? Comment on both the attractiveness of the software and the hardware.

In such a new take on the personal computing medium it is important that both form and function take equal measure of thought in its design. New technologies, especially when it comes to computing people tend to be very wary of purchasing it without outside opinions on how they hold up for what their advertising. First impressions count a lot in this industry and how well an app or piece of tech is received initially is a strong indication of how well it is going to sell. Selling an app on its potential is almost a mark of failure in its design as proven by some of the worst tech ever released.

The easier it is for people to wrap their heads around the tech, the quicker they’ll start spreading good praise through word of mouth and positive reviews will bolster initial sales.

Who designed the iPad? Was it an individual or team? In your opinion, do people use this device because it looks good or because it functions well? Or does it do both?

When it comes to looks and function I think it’s safe to say that it’s a bit of both, if you’re viewing the iPad as a means to view through several sheets of data quickly, easily and with as little fuss as possible, there is nothing better than a tablet to get to these documents in a timely manner. Tablets are designed to look neat and tidy no matter what environment you’re using them in so its looks contribute to its popularity.

How has the iPad changed the way some businesses function? Can you find examples of where businesses have implemented the iPad into their day-to-day activities?

The ipad has made carrying large amounts of text easier since stacks of paper can now be carried and accessed at any time through the slim device. The easiest place to see where this has a huge effect is the legal system where attorneys have taken to carrying around iPads in lieu of briefcases filled with documents due to the easy storage and accessibility of any item that it has on file.

Overall, what other major flaws of this type of technology? Can you think of anyways in the future that this hardware will be improved to the point where it will compete with desktop and laptop computers?

The major flaws with this technology at the moment lie where precision is required, as the iPad doesn’t offer the same precision as external devices such as stylus/ mouse or even in the case of doing considerably more typing then simple e-mail text, a keyboard. The alternatives that the iPad offer are harder to use then the devices they are emulating.

How do you think the iPad could help your day-to-day workflow? Are the answers straightforward? Is it more a case of combining this technology with others that already exist?

In its current state I find it hard to see how it would help my current workflow other than an overly pretty external device to transport files. As further additions are added further down the line there could definitely be a use especially if more software becomes integrated into the hardware and it starts to connect to more devices, really embracing the idea of an entire home as a pc, then I could definitely see a use for this.

Consider the following–has the iPad shaped the way we do business? Or has business and technology shaped the way Apple developed the iPad?

It’s a little bit of both as there has definitely been input both ways, as new technology is developed with a mindset of fulfilling a need that the market has for the tech and it is up to the individual companies to identify this need. In this case Apple found a new way to take their mobile technology to the next level and they went for it with good results.

Is the iPad and tablets in general a passing fad? Or do you think this type of technology is here to stay long-term?

The sustainability of this technology depends on a number of factors:

First of all at this point in its life cycle tablets in general are at a stage where the ease of which developers of both external software and applications that directly interacts with the tablet is a big factor in the growth of people using tablets in their daily lives. If developers of external devices and software can jump on board and devices like the ipad become a window to controlling several aspects of our home the ipad really will be a revolutionary tool that will change the way people manage their house hold.

This leads on to the second point that I would like to bring up with ipad specifically as Apple's method of doing business with outside developers is to put them through a rigorous process of checks over the development of apps for the device all of which costs more money for the developer. Without the open source of development constantly spurring innovation the uses with which the technology could be stunted until another company comes along with a cheaper more open alternative that's still easy to use.

Many people say that the iPad is an unnecessary piece of hardware caught in limbo between a laptop and mobile phone. Do you think this consensus is accurate? Do you think that your answer could be different in five years’ time?

At the moment that statement is true to a point. A lot of the innovation that the ipad could really capitalise on hasn’t actually happened at a state where it is feasible to market to a large audience. But as these technologies come out and tablet devices become more integral in interacting with a wide variety of hardware, all of a sudden what is viewed as an unnecessary piece of hardware becomes the window to connect to everything and anything.

Conduct a discussion with the whole class and determine based on the general consensus the pros and cons of tablet-based technology.

This last question is a tiny bit tricky for someone in my position where I missed the class where this was discussed in detail, so it’s hard to list anything as general consensus when its one opinion, that said I think my opinions are pretty well fleshed out in the previous questions. In its infancy whether it catches on or not has to do with the consumers’ willingness to buy the product, to make their lives easier in a way that makes them wonder how they ever lived without one.

A fairly large wall of text to be sure for this post and the bad news it isn't over, as there are more text heavy posts to come, its a good thing I like wrkiting so much or this would actually seem daunting.