iPad: What Is The Verdict 1 Year On? We Asked 4 Influencers

It’s been 14 months since iPad was launched in the US and from the very beginning the predictions were very mixed, both for and against it. Apple revealed in June that iPad sales have reached 25 million in just 14 months and in 1st July the number of apps available on the App Store crossed the 100,000 mark. This puts iPad way ahead of its competitors. So what is it that makes iPad so popular and what do people actually use it for?

We decided to ask 4 top iPad bloggers and influencers about their personal insight and experience so far. Likes, dislikes, and favourite apps all covered in the 5 questions we asked them. Our panel of experts participating are:

• Rob LeFebvre, Editor 148Apps.com and ThePortableGamer.com
• Patrick Jordan, founder and editor in chief at ipadinsight.com
• Jonathan Norman, blogger at theipadfan.com
• Michael Vallez, chief blogger CrazyMikesapps.com

Question 1. When did you buy your iPad? Which version?

Answers

Rob LeFebvre: I bought a Wi-Fi only 16 G model, then quickly sold it locally to purchase the 32 G 3G model. I still have and use my iPad 3G daily.

Patrick Jordan: I bought the original iPad on its launch day back in 2010. I was Number 7 in line at my local Apple store. I bought a 64GB WiFi model, only because at the time the 3G model was not yet available. I upgraded to a WiFi + 3G model as soon as I could get one, and the WiFi model was passed on to my wife and daughter.

Jonathan Norman: I preordered the iPad 1 at the first opportunity. I knew from the specs and keynote that this was a device that would change everything.

I ordered the 16GB WiFi version, along with the Apple Case. I now have an iPad 2.

Michael Vallez: iPad – day of release came by FedEx day of. iPad 2- Waited in line at Best Buy for 7 hours, 1st in line both 32 GB Black, Wi-Fi only model.

Question 2. What do you use it for mostly?

Answers
Rob LeFebvre: Mostly, it’s my travel computer. I use it for writing, gaming, book reading, net surfing and social media.

Patrick Jordan: Oh, for so many things, for work and play. Email, note taking and writing for app and accessory reviews, keeping up with news via RSS and the Flipboard app, reading books and iPad newspapers and magazines, tracking site stats, photo editing and adding effects to images, managing my tasks, watching screencasts and videos, playing games on my own and with my daughter, reading eBooks with my daughter. It’s also where I most often enter and edit calendar items. I sometimes write blog posts directly from it as well.

Jonathan Norman: I use the iPad for just about everything anymore (like this). I write and respond to emails, create posts and drafts for theipadfan.com as well as items for the school I work for. I watch movies via the Videos app as well as Netflix, and listen to music through the Music app and Last.fm/Pandora. Gaming has never been a huge part of my life, but I have found that I play a pretty good amount of games, including Angry Birds and Words With Friends. Of course I also do web browsing and read news via RSS apps as well as Flipboard and Zite. On occasion I will read books as well, and find that I spend a good amount of time using Facebook and Twitter.

Michael Vallez: Games, games, web surfing, reading, more games and yea some email

Question 3. What are your top 3 most favourite apps?

Answers
Rob LeFebvre: That’s a tough question, as my favorites fluctuate with my mood and the needs I have at the moment. I use GigBook, a musician-entric PDF app, all the time in my band, Informant HD to manage my several gCalendars, nook and iBooks to read anywhere, and currently am enjoying playing through Atari’s Greatest Hits on my iCade. I’m also really enjoying Days of Wonder’s board games, like Ticket to Ride and Smallworld.

Patrick Jordan: Ouch. That’s such a tough question. I have a lot of big favourites, for very different purposes. I’m guessing I’m not allowed to weasel out of answering this though, so I’ll pick these three as all-time favourite:
Flipboard: ‘social’ news magazine that is highly customizable to my tastes and sports a gorgeous UI.

Aweditorium: Fantastic music discovery and just plain music enjoyment app.
Plain Text – superb note-taking app that I use tons every day.

Jonathan Norman: I’m not sure if this is referring to favorite as in “best” or favorite as in “most used”. There is a difference. My favorite apps are, GarageBand, Star Walk, Flipboard. Each really are amazingly well done, and have shown me just how powerful the iPad can be. The most used apps on my device are, Mr. Reader (for Google Reader/RSS), Twitter, and the iWork Suite. Sorry I cheated a little. Or a lot actually…

Michael Vallez: 1st- Drudge Report for news, Penultimate (use this everyday for notes), Asphalt 6 Adrenaline

Question 4. What is iPad best for?

Answers

Rob LeFebvre: Entertainment, net connection, email, web surfing, video watching, travelling with, and games.

Patrick Jordan: Again, I don’t think there’s a good single answer here. It’s an incredibly powerful and versatile device. It can best at most anything you want it to be, thanks to the superb array of apps available for it. Among its best uses for me are: reading (books, magazines, newspapers, research material etc), writing, and education and learning with my daughter.

Jonathan Norman: It’s hard to narrow this one down into a single answer. It’s so good at just about everything I need it to do. So I’ll go generic here and say, “The iPad is what it needs to be for the user at almost any particular time.”

Michael Vallez: Entertainment, whether that be gaming, reading, surfing the web, it is nice and portable, personal and easy to use.

Question 5. What is iPad worst for?

Answers
Rob LeFebvre: Multitasking is rudimentary, and TV mirroring hasn’t come into its own, yet. Soon!

Patrick Jordan: Sorry, I’m stumped on this one.
Jonathan Norman: This is the “almost” from the above. So I’d say reading eBooks. While iBooks, and even the Kindle and Nook apps, are great, and I have no issues with them for short bursts…reading for long periods of time has proven less than perfect. Doing so outside is pretty much impossible.

Michael Vallez: Blogging, I have never even tried to use it for blogging, why because it would not work, not the way I blog. I create and upload 3 to 4 videos a day and none of this could be easily accomplished on my iPad.

In the second part of our interview, to be published next week, we will be asking: What do you think about the future of iPad and the tablet market? Make sure to subscribe to our posts for a reminder.

Profiles of our panel of experts

Michael Vallez: Social Media Strategist for USIS, President and chief blogger CrazyMikesapps.com, Husband, Father, app addict with over 3,600 apps purchased and downloaded to date.

Patrick Jordan, founder and editor in chief at iPad Insight, and iPad-focused site offering in-depth iPad app reviews, iPad accessory reviews, iPad tips and tricks, and insight on all things iPad. Site URL: http://ipadinsight.com/. Twitter ID: @iPadInsightBlog

Jonathan Norman. A secondary computer education teacher and a ridiculous technology geek writer for theipadfan.com and regular attendance at iOS developer/enthusiast meetings in Charlotte, NC, due to being involved with the site.

Rob LeFebvre: Editor 148Apps.com and ThePortableGamer.com