Writing on the iPad

All day long at work I sit at my desk looking at my computer.  When I come home from work the last thing I want to do is go into my office and sit at my desk at my computer.  However, I do want to write, and the best way to do that is by sitting in front of some sort of computing device. Since I've had my iPad it has been great for sitting on the couch and reading or browsing the internet.  Recently it has become my main writing computer as well.

When I first bought the iPad I got an Apple bluetooth keyboard to go along with it.  That is a must if you are going to do any substantial writing.  The onscreen keyboard is okay for tapping out a short email, but anything more than that would drive me insane.  There are a few keyboard cases out there that have been highly rated by users but I haven't tried any of them. These integrated cases would be more convenient than the separate Apple keyboard, but they are also smaller. I don't like to be cramped up. I think the keyboards on the integrated cases would be too small for me. The Apple keyboard is just about right. I think it is the same one you would get if you bought a new iMac. It is Apple so it is a little pricey, but it is nice.  

Google Currents news reader

Yesterday we got an updated Flipboard that will work on the iPhone. In timely fashion today Google releases its fancy news reader known as Google Currents. So far I'm not buying it. I expected more. It isn't as pretty as I thought it would be. The Google search app on the iPad is really good and I use it all the time. I don't see where Currents fits in. From what I can tell Flipboard still blows it away if you are looking to read online content on the iPad.

The gist of Currents is simple: it’s a clean, touch-friendly way to consume your favorite blogs and news sites on your phone and/or tablet. And it looks good — much better, in fact, than most of Google’s other applications."

That quote is from the techcruch article, and I would disagree with it.  Currents promised to be those things, and that is what we expected, however I don't think the finished product delivers. Maybe they rushed it out so Flipboard didn't have a chance to lock in all those iPhone users before Google even had a chance. There is definitely a lot of room for future improvements.

Flipboard for iPhone

I've heard it was coming for a while now and today they finally released the iPhone version of one of my favorite iPad apps. Here is a quote from the blog post from Flipboard.  

The moment so many Flipboard readers have asked for is here: Now you can get Flipboard for iPhone. It’s got everything you know and love about Flipboard, but now designed especially for the way you use your iPhone."

The app looks cool for sure, however it comes nowhere close to offering the utility of the iPad app. I haven't used it a ton, so maybe I haven't seen all the cool stuff it can do. I don't find the idea of reading articles on the iPhone all that appealing. It is good to browse headlines and catch up on quick news, but I have never been a fan of reading longer content on the small screen. The cramped real-estate also takes away that cool magazine feel that the iPad app has.  Still, it is a pretty slick looking app for the iPhone; one of the prettier ones I've ever seen.  Trying to use it just like I use the iPad app probably isn't the most optimal scenario. Maybe if I keep using it I will find more utility. It seems like it might be cool for flipping through pictures.