05-04-2010, 06:30 PM
Since I've had one since the 3rd of April (yes, I preordered it), I think I've spent enough time on one to actually have a real opinion.
1. I bought it as a test device. I will have a board game out for it (German-style) by sometime in June. I have what is essentially a minis game (spaceship combat) out of design and hope to have it out for Christmas. For games of this style, it's amazing. It's easier to take this with me for Small World, Hive (Carcasson soon) than a bunch of boxes. This removes some of the barrier of entry to game designers (publishing and distribution costs).
2. As a book reader, it's fine. I've finished 3 books on it so far (first two Song of Ice and Fire and the latest Dresden book) and had no trouble using it as a reader. It's outselling the shit out of the kindle btw...
3. It's perfect for media consumption. Most of what we do on a computer, it does well. It web surfs great (don't give me shit about Flash, I stopped going to sites that used it as an interface element over a year ago, I don't give a fuck about flash ads, and I haven't run into a single video I couldn't watch on it if I wanted to). I use it as my primary email server. I watch video on it (quite a bit of Netflix instant, Dr Who episodes). I do NOT use it as an iPod, though it works fine as one. I just don't see the need (I do use it occasionally to RDP into my computer to change a tune playing through my sound system). I read books on it (as stated above).
4. I actually finished my design documents on the Pages App. I did all the logical models on the iPad. I created the graphics on it (as an experiment). The only part I'm not doing on it is the code itself. I'm doing that on my macbook.
Basically, 99% of the time, I don't boot up my main computer any more(I use it to sync my phone and dial into work when necessary). I only use my laptop (the macbook) when I need to write code. It's pretty much replaced the majority of my home computing needs. Not bad for a device that's specifically NOT made to replace one. Oh yeah, the true test is, are people actually buying it, or is it hype.....1 million units sold in the first month. That's not shabby (and that means 1 million potential customers for my game).
1. I bought it as a test device. I will have a board game out for it (German-style) by sometime in June. I have what is essentially a minis game (spaceship combat) out of design and hope to have it out for Christmas. For games of this style, it's amazing. It's easier to take this with me for Small World, Hive (Carcasson soon) than a bunch of boxes. This removes some of the barrier of entry to game designers (publishing and distribution costs).
2. As a book reader, it's fine. I've finished 3 books on it so far (first two Song of Ice and Fire and the latest Dresden book) and had no trouble using it as a reader. It's outselling the shit out of the kindle btw...
3. It's perfect for media consumption. Most of what we do on a computer, it does well. It web surfs great (don't give me shit about Flash, I stopped going to sites that used it as an interface element over a year ago, I don't give a fuck about flash ads, and I haven't run into a single video I couldn't watch on it if I wanted to). I use it as my primary email server. I watch video on it (quite a bit of Netflix instant, Dr Who episodes). I do NOT use it as an iPod, though it works fine as one. I just don't see the need (I do use it occasionally to RDP into my computer to change a tune playing through my sound system). I read books on it (as stated above).
4. I actually finished my design documents on the Pages App. I did all the logical models on the iPad. I created the graphics on it (as an experiment). The only part I'm not doing on it is the code itself. I'm doing that on my macbook.
Basically, 99% of the time, I don't boot up my main computer any more(I use it to sync my phone and dial into work when necessary). I only use my laptop (the macbook) when I need to write code. It's pretty much replaced the majority of my home computing needs. Not bad for a device that's specifically NOT made to replace one. Oh yeah, the true test is, are people actually buying it, or is it hype.....1 million units sold in the first month. That's not shabby (and that means 1 million potential customers for my game).
Rizxen - Master of Clones