The “iPad Challenge” has been an experience for me so far. While this challenge is only in its second day, I’ve almost exclusively been using the iPad as my “primary computing device” since Saturday when I purchased it. The iPad has become an valuable tool for me (and a constant distraction for my staff who just can’t get over the cool factor) and it’s not just the hardware that makes it that way.

Over the last several years, Apple has built a solid reputation for being innovative in the physical look and design of their products, as well as the internal electronics that make it all work. While the iPad is cool to look at, easy to use (it’s not too big, it’s not too small, it feels just right) and the hardware behind it seems to be so well developed for a first generation product, it is really the interface and the apps that make the iPad what it is.

Apple goes to great lengths to make all applications that run on its OS look and feel like Apple wants them to look and feel. In their Human Interface Guidelines for the iPad, Apple said that best iPad applications downplay application UI so that the focus is on content; present content in beautiful, often realistic ways; and take full advantage of device capabilities to enable enhanced interaction. You may ask why, but it’s actually quite simple – a user can use ANY application quickly, if they all look and feel the same — that’s why nearly anyone who has spent 10 minutes with any Apple product can feel comfortable in doing what they need to do.

At the studio, I’ve had employees and interns come from all parts of the world, all education backgrounds, etc, many have never used a Mac. Within minutes, they feel like they’re pro’s. Ok, maybe they can’t setup a new print driver, but they can use all the standard apps that are used on a day to day basis within minutes. That comes down to the way Apple names its own software. You want to work with photos? Open the application called Photos. You want to check your Mail? Open the application called Mail. You want to look at your calendar? How about iCal? It’s simple, the applications are names that you can understand and by instinct know what they do.

This same philosophy is translated to their design of the iPad interface. A simple, easy to use, easy to understand interface, so users can get what they need to do done, quickly and with ease. It has a cool factor, but beyond that it’s slick, natural and easy. Come on you know you HATE it when the desktop on your computer has 90,000 icons from all the files you just didn’t know where to put. Just the simplicity of the way the iPad organizes the way apps are displayed in the menu makes it organic and feel “nice”.

Maybe that’s why the iPad works as that every day device that you just want to have with you everywhere. It has the information you need, the information is easily accessible and easy to understand, and well “it just works”.

Tomorrow, I’ll explore some of the Cons, or missing features, of the iPad.

About the author

Kevin Michael Reed
Kevin Michael Reed (Google+, Facebook) is a fashion & beauty photographer and producer/director based in New York City and Los Angeles, CA. He is the President/CEO of RedFOG Visual Media, a production company in New York City, and a partner in Passion of Photography, Inc, a company dedicated to teaching photographers and sharing our passion through charitable causes. Kevin has lectured and hosted workshops throughout the United States and the world teaching photographers the business and creative sides of photography. (Kevin's Fashion & Beauty Photography Portfolio can be seen here).

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