It took me several months to learn how to use my Ipad. It wasn’t the interface or the actual device since these are mass produced and designed to be (the Apple philosophy) easy to use. A child can pick up an Ipad and easily start playing.
the Ipad is a canvas on which I had to imprint my business and lifestyle
The problem is that the Ipad is a canvas on which I had to imprint my business and lifestyle. It challenges the user… to steal a Microsoft marketing line… with the question “”Where do you want to go today?” Yes, you can use it right away but the true experience occurs when it fits you and this takes time. Like finding the perfect outfit, you need to try things on.
While the Ipad is model of efficient production, the apps or software that drives what you do is quite the opposite. In almost every category, there are an endless number of apps because at this point no single company has cornered the market. In fact, the cost per app (often a few dollars) creates a low enough cost of entry that users can try many apps till they find the one that fits them.
It took me at experimenting with at least four task applications and probably 8 note taking applications before I settled on the ones I now use (Todo for tasks; Daily Notes for notes). My choices won’t be another person’s choices.
The good thing about this is that I am able to have a device that really fits me. Unlike in my pc world where I am constantly required to choose from a limited number of options (each with advantages and disadvantages), the diversity of apps should allow people to find the one that works for them.
The drawback is that it is work. It is not prepackaged and therefore inefficient. For me, it is nice to have a device that empowers me, not only in my work and life, but in how I use it. Forget efficiency, let’s build more products that allow us to create.