iPad Longevity

Like many people, I was a little disappointed by some of the glaring omissions from the Apple iPad announcement. However, as somebody who develops for the iPhone platform, I do feel I need to at least get a version of the cheapest model for testing purposes. At least that is what I am telling my CFO ;) But as I think about the decision of buying a first generation device now and realizing Apple will probably release the version I really want next year, I started think about the longevity of the iPad especially compared to a netbook or the Kindle. Even if I upgrade a year from now, I think the iPad's form factor and weight make it increadibly useful for the long hall. As iPad's retire, I can definately see them become dedicated reading devices next to the bed or dedicated gaming devices for the kids. But I can also imagine them being mounted on kitchen walls. Maybe even mounted within a frame to hid the black borders. It could be used to display a calendar, digital photos, the current local weather, a clock or all of the above. In addition, it could be a convient means to store or look up recipes. Hmm... Maybe I should create a Kitchen App.

Magic Mouse Experience

The last two days I have been working a booth at a conference which included 4 rented 27 inch iMacs and they are just amazing. Each iMac included a Magic Mouse. I have to admit, I was very skeptical of the Magic Mouse and I have heard a fair amount of complaints but I found it enjoyable and it just got out of my way. It struck me when I heard somebody walk by and tell their friend that those are the mice with only one button. I got a chuckle since that is reason I use a Microsoft Mouse attached to my MacBook. I have just been conditioned to use the right mouse click after all my years on Windows. On my MacBook, I have also configured the touch pad so if two fingers are on the pad, it treats the button click as a right click. So, I wanted to see if the two finger gester could be configured to do a right click with the Magic Mouse. When I looked at the preferences, I realized the right click was already configured. That is when I realized I had been using the right click on the Magic Mouse for two days on a device the only has one button and it was just natural and seamless. That is how a consumer device should work.

Announcing Remarkable Ohio iPhone App

If you are interested in history, the Ohio Historical Center has erected over 1,300 physical markers around the state representing historical locations. You can learn more about these marker by visiting http://www.remarkableohio.org or by using the iPhone app I just developed for the join venture of eTech Ohio and the Ohio Historical Center. This free application identifies on a map where the 600 markers containing geo codes are. It also provides details about each of the markers. So, check out the app, I think you will be surprised how much history actually surrounds you. You can check it out in the Apple App Store at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/remarkable-ohio-app/id351524303?mt=8.