An Analysis of mine Apple iPad Hardware

I recently inherited an Apple iPad of a recent model.  My first instinct was to respectfully decline
it, but repeated machine failures had me accept it to use for whatever purpose would present itself.

I'll provide no photographs for this analysis, as Apple Computer provides more than could be needed.

An oddity, although truly all too common with all software, is the lack of any direction as to how I
should use the device; I discovered many conveniences and shortcuts by happenstance during use.  The
device has a software manual, which I've lightly inspected, but it seems to be not so comprehensive.

I began using the device from a total software reset, and this wasn't inconvenient beyond the needed
high-speed Internet connection.  I've so far refused to create an Apple Computer account, although I
oft-times see the device ask me to make one.  This limits me to only the pre-installed applications.

Of those pre-installed applications, I mainly use the device for its WWW browser, which suffices for
me to use the device in ways I figure normal people tend to use their computers.  I've noticed fewer
CAPTCHAs have been presented to me, none at all in fact, and this apparently results from deals made
between Apple Computer and the various different cartels which provide the challenges.  I've noticed
many things about the device require both the Internet and a steady stream of information from Apple
Computer, and are otherwise useless; this disconcerts me and puts an obvious lifespan on the device.

The device seems to be optimized for spending money.  I now use it as my designated device for such,
not that I buy things often, but it provides good cover and allows me to avoid the usual annoyances.

The name of the device disgusts me, aesthetically.  I know of no other nouns in the English language
for which the usual capitalization rules apply not; that Apple Computer sees its products as special
in this regard is just another way in which corporations are destroying the sickly English language.

As the hardware stands, it's fine.  The battery can easily last through several days of light usage.

I eventually tired of writing long texts with the device, as this is unpleasant even with use of its
prediction and suggestion software, which occasionally stalls and fails to make suggestions for some
unknown reason.  I eventually tried the voice dictation functionality, which works nicely, and I may
soon prefer it for some writing.  A related issue I've faced is getting data back out of the device,
however; I purchased a special cord to connect it to my machines, to find I can't treat it as simple
storage, and I've so far been unable to find a special cord to let it use such dumb storage, but see
that as the final solution to the storage problem.  I've noticed several solutions require a program
to be installed, which makes them unsuited to it.  Related to voice dictation is text recognition in
images, and this works fairly well, and is fairly neat, although it's mostly but a little curiosity.

The device's WWW browser is like the others I've used, in that it works acceptably with a high-speed
Internet connection and otherwise poorly.  I disable JavaScript to avoid advertisements and whatnot,
rather than use any complex additions, and this suits me almost so well as selective enabling would.
The Apple Computer motto is supposedly user empowerment or something or another, yet I've found some
of my usual vocabulary, or whatever one wishes to call it, to be missing.  I'm accustomed to viewing
the source code or other details of my WWW browsing sessions, and have noticed none of this to be an
option under the device's WWW browser.  It's no wonder that stupidity such as relying on client-side
input validation or hiding supposed secrets in the source code works so well, for idiots, since many
people use a client that prohibits them from interfering in any way, and this is fairly frustrating.

Every time I use a proprietary system, or even a newer ``open source'' system, I'm first amazed with
how smoothly and well it works, and I'm second not surprised when I see the cracks form and watch it
break down.  The Apple iPad is better than other systems in this regard, as it mostly works and I've
yet to see any catastrophic failure.  I've noticed that, whenever it fails, the program in use tends
to become unresponsive before some system process kicks it into compliance; I've seen this behaviour
mostly with the WWW browser, but also at times with the PDF viewer when trying to search for text in
large documents.  The Apple Computer dream of removing all physical buttons will remain but a dream,
until the software works, and I doubt it can ever be made to work.  After odd animation errors, I've
also noticed the tags which the software invited me to use for managing files could disappear for no
reason, only to return for the same.  Still, the software tends to work well for its basic purposes.

Some of the software is very obviously and purposefully gimped; as the device is of my few remaining
machines capable of using the Internet, and now the one such machine with a recent WWW browser, I've
downloaded some of my music to the device, and can only play it using the file browser.  That player
has no ability to, say, play song after song or even to repeat a song.  I'm expected to download new
programs for this, or to register the music with another machine, to then reupload it to the device.
This is obvious malice to force certain behaviour; at least the music playback hasn't yet stuttered.

I can recommend the Apple iPad if, like myself, one gets such a device, without having purchased it.
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