Possible iPad Potential
Yes, it resembles a giant iPod Touch. No, it doesn’t have multitasking/Flash/webcam/USB/SD/HDMI/toaster. Yes, you should probably just get a netbook with a full OS. So what’s it good for?
Amidst all the iPad hype bashing of late, it is difficult to find any words of praise or optimism for the thing. I’m not going to sit here and act like the iPad is a revolutionary device, but I do believe it is a game-changer, to a degree. It has, as far as I know, the most advanced tablet hardware out there right now (just not the most comprehensive). The combination of capacitive multitouch + accelerometer has been proven a success in the iPhone, and with the increased screen real estate comes an increase in the number of ways people are going to think about using this device. One use I have been pondering recently is the realm of remote and VNC apps.
I use AirMouse on my iPhone to control my WallMac, and have used a couple different VNC apps with my iMac just to see what it feels like to remotely control a computer with a phone. It’s cool, but the iPhone’s screen is just too small for it to be efficient for VNC.
Yes, apps like AirMouse and Jaadu would work on an iPad, but they are built specifically to run on an iPhone, and they take into consideration the form factor of the device. AirMouse is meant to be held in one hand, moving the cursor and clicking with your thumb. This wouldn’t be possible on the iPad. Not to mention a giant, pixel-doubled rendition would look pretty crappy (especially a VNC app).
The solution is building remote and VNC apps from the ground up, specifically for the iPad. Do you have a Mac Mini (or any HTPC) hooked up to your flat screen? Ditch the awkward Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, the iPad could be the perfect couch companion with a large trackpad and nearly full-size QWERTY. Can’t bring your desktop to the coffee shop, can you? An iPad with a solid VNC app would let you work on all your files remotely. And you have Flash! Neat, huh?
I can guarantee you that people building native iPad remote and VNC apps as we speak. The SDK is out, and devs have less than 60 days intil they can test their apps on the real deal. Not sold on remote and VNC apps? How about having a full controller for your house? X10 and Sonos already have iPhone apps that let you control every light and sound in your home, and I would be shocked if they didn’t re-develop them for the iPad.
Like the iPhone, I think the real “wow” of the iPad won’t hit until developers who take into consideration this new format figure out cool ways for me to play with it. No, it won’t replace the laptop, netbook, or Kindle, but it’s in that small yet vacant middle ground in which the iPad resides, and if we’ve learned anything from it’s diminutive counterparts, it’s all about the App Store.
