One of the big selling points of the iPad is that it doesn’t have a keyboard. All input can be entered through the touchscreen, and when the device is turned to portrait orientation it can provide a nearly full-size keyboard across the lower half of the screen. But that’s still typing on glass, lacking the tactile feedback touch typists rely upon.

Fortunately, there are a couple of options. Wireless keyboards, both those made by Apple and from other manufacturers, can connect to the iPad through Bluetooth. Another choice is the iPad Keyboard Dock.

On first glance, it looks identical to the key layout found on the Apple Wireless Keyboard, but there are actually some differences with the inclusion of iPad-specific keys in the top row (the F-keys, although they don’t carry F designations on this keyboard).

• The key that should be esc duplicates the action of the “Home” button on the iPad.
• F1 key goes to the Search screen.
• F2 and F3 are brightness. They’re both moved over one from positions on the regular keyboard.
• F4 puts the iPad in photo frame mode.
• F5 brings up the on-screen keyboard. When it’s up, the iPad will accept input from either source.
• F6 is a blank, apparently dead key. It makes me wonder if there’s a possibility for future expansion there dictated by software.

There are two ports on the back, one for connecting the standard iPad/iPod/iPhone data cable, and the other an audio line out jack for connecting external speakers.

Typing works very well, and is virtually identical to the feel of typing into any computer. Typing is faster, not only for the physical keys, but for details like not having to shift keyboards to access numbers and symbols (required on the onscreen keyboard). It should be noted that this really is for use on a desk or table, not for balancing on a lap. The iPad sits on the connector well enough if it’s standing still, but give it much of a tilt one way or another and it will fall off. If you’re looking for a keyboard to use in more relaxed positions, you’ll do better with a Bluetooth option.

When the Keyboard Dock was announced, a common question was whether it would work with an iPhone. Sad to say, an iPhone doesn’t even fit on it. the connector is too close to the back support. What about an iPod Touch? That does fit on the connector, but doesn’t respond to the keyboard input. This accessory is for iPad only it seems, but for that device, can give faster keyboard entry for larger projects that might involve the Pages or Numbers apps.

One of the things I’m really looking forward to experiencing on the iPad (and other tablet devices) is magazine reading. That was something that motivated me two and a half years ago, when I bought my first Kindle. I liked the idea of instant delivery to my hand-held device and an end to paper clutter around the house. Unfortunately, the magazine experience was pretty pale and unrewarding on the Kindle, with its text-only monochromatic presentation. The iPad is a different animal though, with the promise for an eMagazine that could exceed what’s possible in print.

One of the first to try its hand on this platform is the venerable newsmagazine, TIME.  Available through the app store, they’ve really done an excellent job with execution of the iPad edition. It has the most print-like feel of any eMagazine I’ve seen. There are ads, but somehow they contribute to the magazine feel and I didn’t find them overly obtrusive.  It’s a pleasure to thumb through. Unfortunately, the pleasure is killed by the pricing and distribution model. The app is $4.99. And look closely, that app is not a general TIME reader, it’s a single issue. Each week, you will have to come back to the app store to get the next issue, each time at a price of $4.99. As nice a job as they’ve done, very few potential readers are going to feel like paying that.

On their web site, TIME offers a half-year (28 issues) print subscription for $19.95, which comes to just a bit over 71 cents an issue. By contrast, if I wanted to get those same issues on my iPad it would cost $139.72. I would be delighted to subscribe to an iPad version of TIME for the same price they’d sell me the print edition. I’d even take the ads, no problem there.  But I’d also like to see a single TIME app that could pull new downloads automatically as they were published. I want a single icon on my screen, not a digital recreation of the paper clutter I’m trying to escape.

As conventional publishers work to move into the eWorld offered by devices like the iPad, they need to give the readers at least as good a deal as they’d get with the paper edition. TIME seems to be trying to duplicate the bad parts of the paper experience (high per-issue price and clutter) without giving the break of a subscription. It gives the impression that their hearts just aren’t in it, despite the potential of winning a new audience.

A lot of the attention directed to the iPad has been about eReading and how it would fare in that market against the Kindle, nook, and Sony readers that already have advantages of market share and name-brand stores.

A major tent-pole in Apple’s plans for the iPad is the iBooks software and store. It’s available as a free download from iTunes (it doesn’t ship with the device).  iBooks comes with one free book, “Winnie-the-Pooh”. This freebie includes the original’s classic illustrations in color, which shows off the advantages of a color screen for an eReader. Up until now Kindles, nooks and Sonys have been a pretty monochromatic experience. iBooks gives a large single-page view in portrait orientation, or a two-page view that looks like an open book if it’s turned to landscape. The animated page turns are nice, but not really necessary.  iBooks also incorporates page numbers, which are calculated depending on type size and screen orientation, and gives a more book-like experience.

Left to right, Amazon Kindle, iPhone, iPad, Kindle DX.

I’ve heard people express concerns about having large investments in Kindle libraries and whether they would lose all that if they moved to the iPad, and its native reader and store.  The good news is the iPad is a great convergence device and that extends to eBooks. You won’t be reading your Kindle books through iBooks (incompatible file formats), but you can definitely read them in style on the iPad’s Kindle app. Amazon did a very nice large-screen redesign to the iPhone app, and you won’t have to buy anything again. If you’ve already got the Kindle for iPhone app, the iPad version will download as a free update.

The one place Kindle has a big advantage over iBooks (and any other eReader out there) is Whispersync. The ability to move seamlessly between devices while reading the same book is a great convenience. In fact, I called it my favorite technology of 2009 in a previous post, so the absence of a syncing system could definitely effect future decisions on whose eBooks I buy.

As of this writing, the Barnes and Noble eReader app had not been updated for the larger screen of the iPad. On some apps, that’s not so bad, and the 2x upscaling can be done without a usability problem. Unfortunately, for an eReader, the upscaling is deadly, producing text that’s nearly unreadable for any length of time. It can be run at its native size, but then you might as well be viewing it on an iPhone or Touch.

Given all this, my eReading strategy will be to continue to buy books from Amazon (with a much wider selection and generally lower prices), and reserve iBooks purchases for graphically intensive books that have been given a good treatment in the Apple-published versions.  I’ll do most of my reading on the iPad, with the iPhone Kindle app available for when I’m somewhere without the larger device. It means splitting my library between two apps, but they’ll be on the same device, so that seems pretty manageable.

It’s an interesting thing to watch a new device completely polarize the tech and gadget community well before anyone has gotten their hands on it. Apple’s new iPad did exactly this as soon as it was officially announced in January. Mostly, people cried out about what the iPad doesn’t have: Multi-tasking, a camera, and support for Flash video and websites heading the list.

There was also a consistent criticism that the iPad was nothing but a big iPod Touch.  That’s really a true statement for the most part, but framing it as a negative neglects all that can be done with a big Touch.  If I had to name a favorite gadget, it would probably be the iPhone. Apps have propelled it far beyond the platform originally released almost three years ago.  Think about the iPhone or Touch, as they originally hit the market: They were pretty lightly featured, but they had enormous potential, and nearly two years since the App Store opened, developers continue to make them do things we wouldn’t have originally imagined. The smaller form factor device has a simultaneous curse/blessing: It’s small.  That means you can put it in a pocket or purse and likely have it with you at all times. That’s fairly unprecedented for such a versatile information tool. But that small screen isn’t always optimal for use. Things like maps, photos, comics, and newspapers are all a bit on the difficult side to consume on that 3″ screen.  All those things work wonderfully on the iPad’s 9.7″ screen.

Another thing that works pretty well is on-screen, two-handed typing. When the iPad is in landscape orientation, key sizes and spacing are almost identical to that of a Mac keyboard (with a reduced key set). Of course, there’s no tactile feedback, so touch typists are likely to be at a disadvantage, but those of us who never learned to type properly can finally feel vindicated. If you really don’t like the feeling of typing on glass, the iPad can be paired with a bluetooth keyboard, and it doesn’t have to be Apple-manufactured. I tested successfully with both an Apple Wireless Keyboard and a diNovo Edge keyboard, made by Logitech.  Another physical keyboard option is the Apple Keyboard Dock, which has begun shipping, despite previous reports that it might not be available until May.

Apple says that almost all the apps available in the App Store will work on the iPad. Those that were written for the iPhone and iPod Touch show centered on the iPad screen at the same size as an iPhone screen. There’s a small “2x” button in the lower right corner of the screen that will double the image to fill the large screen. Unfortunately, there’s no pixel smoothing, so any angular lines look jagged. Apps that have been built specifically for the iPad, however, are generally gorgeous.  One thing to keep in mind about iPad-specific apps, though: These were mostly written by developers who only had access to emulators, not working iPads. Some behaviors and the way the real unit uses system resources are likely to be different, and might result in some instability.  I expect to see some fairly quick updates now that real iPads are available for testing.

Acceptance of the iPad and differing people’s takes on its usefulness makes me think about what I believe is the most interesting aspect of personal technology.  Everyone’s looking for something a little different. I like the video and eBook-reading capabilities of the iPhone, but both of those things are done better on the iPad. Others are likely to have no genuine reason to invest in an iPad, but for me it’s a valuable addition to my gadget repertoire. If the iPhone was notable for being a convergence device that brought many functionalities together, the iPad expands on that by doing many of those things better with a larger screen.

The iPad has so many potential uses, that a single can’t post can’t really start to scratch the surface. In the next few days I’ll be posting about specific areas like eReading, video, maps, digital comics, and news periodicals. Check back throughout the next week for more looks at the strengths and weaknesses of the platform and the ways content providers are addressing the potentials.

During his introduction of the Apple iPad, Steve Jobs spent a bit of time addressing one of the most obvious uses for a tablet device, eReading. Until now, that market has been pretty well controlled by the Amazon Kindle, but as a user of all the Kindles since their initial launch, I can tell you the monochrome world of conventional eInk is a mixed blessing.

Battery life on eInk devices tends toward the amazing. The standard Kindle delivers about a week of normal use on a single charge and turning the wireless connectivity off can double that. The iPad has a stated 10 hour battery life with WiFi use, and that can likely be extended by turning wireless off during use as an eReader.

Selecting a book to read on a Kindle can be a dicey proposition, largely due to publishers’ frequent inclination to leave out graphics and photos, even monochrome or grayscale ones the Kindle could reproduce quite well.  My rule of thumb is usually that novels (not known for much image content) are pretty safe Kindle picks, but non-fiction books that might have photos, illustrations, maps. etc., might be better to buy in a bound paper format. If I’m uncertain about the suitability of a book to be eRead, I usually try to check it out in the real world before making a buying decision. It’s reasonable to think the iPad will make buying graphically-rich books in electronic form safer, but that will ultimately depend upon how much effort (and expense) individual publishers (and maybe Apple) want to put into specific titles.

Another simultaneous positive and negative is the eye strain issue. An eInk display produces no light, making it easier to read for long periods of time. I’ve talked with people who can’t read books on a back-lit display for very long without starting to develop a headache, but they have no such problems with eInk. The lack of backlighting, though, means you need to bring your own page illuminating light, one way or another. The iPad is already being touted as “easy to read, even in low light.”

Users of existing eReaders (Kindle, nook, Sony Reader, etc.,) should have a reasonably smooth transition should they choose to go with an iPad. There are currently ways to read all the popular formats on the iPhone or Touch, and that means those reader apps will be available on the iPad as well. It does mean your library may become a bit fractured, with different books requiring different apps on the device. It may not be elegant, but you shouldn’t lose any part of your existing eLibrary.

One strong element I’ve seen in the iBooks app is the speed of virtual page turns. It’s an LED display and that means it can refresh at a much faster rate than eInk. For me the biggest requirement of an eReader is that the device must become unnoticeable, giving way to whatever is being read. Slow page turns pull you out of the book. The iPad will be not have this problem (and if it matters, it looks to have some absolutely gorgeous page turn animation that can vary depending on the speed at which you flip your finger across the screen).

One final comparison to make is the presence of wireless connectivity. In the Kindle, it’s provided free with the purchase of the device, but it’s of limited use for anything other than browsing and buying from the bookstore, and Whispersyncing between Kindle format devices. The iPad will provide WiFi, but if you anticipate a need for connectivity away from a hotspot, you’ll need to Pay $130 extra for the 3G version and a monthly (non-contract) service charge of $15 or $30. But with that, you’ll get web options that go far beyond those offered on the Kindle.

Before we get too excited about the promise of a full-color eReader, we have to note the saddest part of this story, that the iBooks app (and associated iBookstore) are currently listed as available in the United States only. Obviously there are international copyright and electronic publishing deals still to be hammered out, and that could happen before the iPad lands in users’ hands two months from now, but I don’t think anyone is making large bets that it will happen that quickly.

Ultimately, for eReading to really gain acceptance, it must deliver an experience equal or superior to that pulled from a printed page. A lot of bibliophiles say that’s impossible, but I think “book” is a word on the verge of redefinition, in a good way.  The iPad is the second of many needed steps before that can happen.

Update: Check out my hands-on thoughts about the iPad as an eReader here.

It’s probably predictably human to compare a new device to attributes of existing ones we know well.  As Steve Jobs introduced the Apple iPad to the world, my thought was that I was looking at a fairly compelling blend of an iPod Touch and a Kindle DX.

If you’ve ever held the larger version of Amazon’s eReader in your hands, you’ll have a pretty good sense of what it will be like to hold an iPad. The iPad is about an inch shorter than a DX, but the widths are very similar. Both have a 9.7 inch screen, although the aspect ratio is different, with the iPad screen a bit wider when both are held in portrait orientation.  The iPad is just slightly thicker and a few ounces heavier. Obviously the biggest differences are the color multi-touch screen (1024 x 768) and the lack of a physical keyboard. The most stunning similarity is the price. As of today, the lowest-end iPad, at $499, is just ten dollars more than the DX.  For that $10 you’ll get four times the storage (16 GB as opposed to 4), video playback ability, a rich web browsing experience, and all other features you’d find on an iPod Touch.

There are a few things missing from the iPad that are worth noting: There is no camera, forward or back facing. No Flash support, which means certain web sites and videos will not play correctly (or at all). There’s no evidence of a native chat client like iChat, although iPhone chat apps already available should run on it.

As on Touch and iPhone there’s no multitasking.  I strongly believe that tablets will one day replace notebook computers in our daily lives, but multitasking is a must before that can happen. This device won’t replace your netbook if you ever do more than one thing at a time.

An interesting accessory is a keyboard dock that looks very much like an Apple Wireless Keyboard. If the virtual keyboard (an expanded version of what’s used on the Touch and iPhone) doesn’t work for you, plug the iPad into the dock and start typing on physical keys.

The iPad will come in six different price points  and configurations: WiFi-only in 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB sizes for $499, $599, and $699, or with 3G added to those capacities at $629, $729, and $829.

I’ll have hands on reviews of both the Wi-Fi and 3G models when they ship in two and three months, respectively. Tomorrow I’ll be back with a more in-depth look specifically at the positives and negatives of the iPad as an eReader.

Maybe one thing we’ll learn this year is just how many different things in the gadget world can be called a tablet.  We still don’t know exactly what Apple’s entry to that named category will be able to do, but eReading, media playback, web browsing and games all seem likely.  However, if you just want to jot down non-permanent notes, Improv Electronics (a division of Kent Displays), has something for you that will get the job done for a lot less money.

The Boogie Board is a $30 LCD tablet that only uses power (supplied by a watch battery) to erase itself. Writing is done with the included stylus, or just about any hard object, including the user’s fingernail. The writing surface is pressure sensitive, so you can vary line width easily. The tablet’s size is 8.8 x 5.6 inches, it’s 1/8 inch thick, and weighs 4.2 ounces.  As of now, the device is sold out at Amazon, but the company’s web site predicts it will be back in stock within a couple of days.

It won’t play back your iTunes library, but if you’re just looking for an alternative to lots of temporary notes written on paper you’d just throw away, the Boogie Board might be worth the minor investment.

Here’s an idea that’s incredibly simple yet elegant and useful.  Have you ever wished you could snapshot a web page, either for later offline reading, personal archiving, or some other reason? Screenshots are an option, but they can be a bit unwieldy, as several files are usually required for any but the shortest pages.

PDFmyURL.com does just what it sounds like it would. You go to the site, enter the URL that interests you and click Enter. In a couple of seconds a PDF file containing a full image of the page (in however many PDF pages are required to capture it all) is downloaded to your computer. It works like a charm and is going on my link bar.

Via Red Ferret Journal

Ever wished there was a faster, easier way to share files between your computer and your iPhone or iPod Touch? Mobile computing is increasingly being split between notebook computers and phones, but the data transfer isn’t always easy. The AirStash is a WiFi-enabled USB flash drive that stores data on SD cards up to 32 GB. The idea is that you can get files on and off the device in a number of ways: By USB connection, WiFi, or SD Card. You can load it up with files before going to a meeting, then allow those in the meeting access to your portable hotspot to read the files. The wireless feature can be encrypted with WPA2. The drive is a bit bigger than a non-hotspot USB drive, measuring about 2 by 3 1/2 inches. It carries a lithium polymer battery that recharges when plugged into a computer’s USB port. No exact price is indicated, but the web site compares it to one month of iPhone service.