However, the one thing that struck me as odd was Apple’s redesign of the iTunes icon. To be blunt, it’s simplistic, unlike Apple’s typically beautiful iconography, and it sticks out like a sore thumb in my dock.

Apple’s reasoning for changing their icon is valid. The previous icon with the blue eighth notes and CD is a little outmoded as CD’s are on the way out (as per S. Jobs). However, is this the best replacement Cupertino’s world-renown design team was able to conjure? In stark contrast to other Mac icons (Apple’s own and 3rd party), the new iTunes stamp looks simplistic and plastic-y. Most of Apple’s icons have a semi-photorealistic look to them.

One of these things is not like the other...

It makes a person wonder whether there’s something bigger behind the redesign. Is this the first breeze in the wind of change? Will Apple be changing the look of more application icons? After all, this icon almost has a MobileMe-esque feel to it (some may remember that the MobileMe icon was scrutinized for its cartoonish looks).

In the past, Apple has used iTunes to test out new interface ideas. iTunes was one of the first apps to drop the brushed metal and aqua blue, so Apple may be testing the waters here, both in terms of icon design and interface design.

Time will tell, I suppose.

Update:

Apparently I’m not the only one who isn’t fond of the new iTunes 10 logo. In fact, someone went so far as to email Steve Jobs to let him know. Click for whole story.

Holy. Shat. I’ve seen the videos and I’ve read the reviews, but my mouth still dropped open when I tried it for myself. It’s stupid easy and it works incredibly well. Using the lasso tool, I selected an object I didn’t want to appear in the picture. Then I hit delete. Photoshop asked me if I wanted my delete to be content-aware. That was all. This is the result of 60 seconds of work.

Original

New & Improved

However, there are still a few things that I would like to say about the iPad.

Why did I buy it?

Ultimately, people will buy or not buy the iPad for their own reasons. For me, the iPad is essentially a laptop replacement. Granted, it doesn’t do everything that a laptop does so it wouldn’t be a good replacement for everyone (e.g., businessman on the road). At home, I still have an iMac. I personally prefer desktops to laptops. For the foreseeable future, I’ll continue to do all the heavy lifting on my desktop. The only reason that I would possibly need a laptop is for mobile browsing, email, and the odd bit of application-based work. For me, the iPad can do all those things almost as well as a desktop.

Furthermore, the iPad is extremely inconspicuous. I don’t have to drag any cords around. It tucks under my arm so that it’s not immediately apparent that I’m toting a piece of technology. It’s lighter than most laptops. The battery lasts all day, and it takes just an instant to turn it on and have it working.

I’m in the midst of a grand experiment to see whether the iPad can be functional and beneficial in a work environment. I’m facing a lot of resistance (read brick wall) from my IT department at work. I’ve been told that it’s a liability and security issue…bla bla bla, so I’m not currently able to access my email or calendar using the built-in applications. I do use it to take notes during meetings. It’s a start, I guess.

Lastly, it’s an Apple product, and Lord knows I need more of those.

Why it’s a giant iPod Touch

Invariably, people want to look at and hold the iPad. Upon playing with the device for 3.7 seconds, the most common comment I receive is, “It’s exactly like a big iPod Touch.” Ultimately, I can’t dispute that fact. It looks like one and it runs on the same operating system. If you know how to operate an iPod Touch or iPhone, there will be nothing difficult about transitioning to an iPad.

When the iPad was nothing more than a rumour, some analysts speculated that Apple’s “tablet” device would come with Mac OS X installed. IMHO, that would have been a fatal error. Spend any amount of time working with a touch-screen PC at your local Best Buy, and you’ll soon realize that the interface was not tailored for multi-touch input. Desktop operating systems (e.g., OS X Snow Leopard, Windows 7) are best suited for a mouse and keyboard. The iPhone operating system is best suited for fingers and therefore, the best option for the iPad.

Why it’s different

The size of the iPad is exactly what sets it apart from an iPhone or iPod. The increased screen real estate brings with it a whole new realm of possibilities. With the increase in screen size, app developers are not as constrained. In iPhone apps, one is constantly sliding from screen to screen. There is often too little space to display content and a menu, so the entire screen has to swipe away to make room. On the iPad, there’s usually enough space to show more than one thing.

Not only that, but apps look quite a lot different. For example, take a look at these contrasting screenshots:

Summary

In their promotional material, Apple pays the iPad every compliment imaginable. They only barely stop short of saying that the iPad cures cancer (they’re probably reserving that feature for 2011). They say that the iPad is magical and revolutionary. So, is it? It certainly is well-designed. It is very useful to many people. Is it revolutionary, though? Yes and no. The iPad builds upon the very solid foundations of the iPod and the iPhone. In that regard, there’s nothing new. The iPad isn’t even the first tablet computing device. However, it is revolutionary in that I predict that one day we will look back and realize that the iPad marked the first time that people gave a crap about a tablet computer.

If you agree or disagree or just want to say something, leave me a comment below.

First, I’m the proud new owner of an iPad. Shortly after dabbling with one in my last post, I made the purchase of a 32 GB 3G model (my carrier is Telus). I’ve been exploring the feasibility of using the device at work, an expensive yet fun experiment. I plan on writing more on this topic soon.

During the World Cup in South Africa last month, I was glued to FIFA’s website. Much to my delight, the Netherlands advanced all the way to the final game. To my dismay, it ended there. Still, the ordeal ignited a football/soccer passion in me. Count me among the fervent converts to the beautiful game. Hup Holland!

I nearly broke my back (again) while cliff jumping south of Jasper, Alberta. I’ll post some pictures of this in the near future.

On July 31, I stood in line at the Apple Store in West Edmonton Mall and bought an iPhone 4…for my wife. Yes, she deserved it more than me. Why? I have the iPad and she was still sporting an iPhone 3G, an iPhone that wasn’t at all appreciative of the fact that I had “upgraded” iOS 4. Let me be the 2 millionth person to say, “The screen is incredible!” If you haven’t seen it, you must. If you’ve held on in your hand and you still can’t see what all the fuss is about, hold the phone a little lower so your trusty Seeing-Eye dog can see the uber-crisp screen.

I think that’s everything of significance that I have to report for now. It feels good to be back! I plan on writing and posting more this weekend, as it’s one of the first weekends that I am actually at home.

I hope to post a few pictures each day if possible, so don’t turn off your set entirely. Tot straks.

The Wrong Way!

Everyone likes kittens, right? They’re cute and they look innocent…at least in photographs. In fact, kitten pictures can make great wallpapers, unless the desktop wallpaper looks like this:

This picture is a tragedy. It’s stretched and horribly pixelated. If it doesn’t look bad to you, click on the image. If you still think it looks fine, please consult your local optometrist.

Another desktop wallpaper faux pas is using any of the sample pictures or wallpapers that ship with Windows XP (Microsoft ships some pretty solid choices with Vista and 7). Here is one example:

Watch Out!

In my opinion, a person should not pay for desktop wallpapers. There are lots of free, quality images on the world wide web. If you’re on a site that only gives you higher-resolution images for a price (e.g., Webshots), you’re on the wrong site. I’ll get to the free sites in just a minute.

If any site requires the installation of a piece of software before you’re allowed to access or use their desktop wallpapers, walk away. The risk of malware (viruses, trojans, etc.) is too high. Never give out your cellphone number, unless you like getting your cellphone spammed.

Great Resources!

Now that I’ve spend 6 paragraphs outlining ways in which things can be done wrong, I present to you a list of great wallpaper sites:

Interfacelift

This is easily my favourite desktop wallpaper site. Interfacelift has a huge collection of superb wallpapers that are user-submitted and user-voted. There are no commercial images(e.g., Toyota, Bose), celebrity images (e.g., Hannah Montana), or images featuring humans. All images are free and available in a wide range of sizes. Everything is PG rated.

Mandolux

A very simple website, Mandolux has a large archive of very artistic wallpapers. Many of the images are formatted for dual- and triple-monitor setups. All images are created by the website’s owner and are available for free. Everything is PG rated.

Smashing Magazine

Every month, Smashing Magazine features some pretty neat calendar desktop wallpapers. The desktops include a calendar and an image that suits the “theme” of the month. The images are user-submitted and each month dozens of wallpapers are made available for download. Everything is PG rated.

Customize.org

Viewer discretion is advised. Although not all the images on this site are family friendly, there are a lot of unique images and wallpapers to be found. The selection is quite large and a lot of widescreen images are available for download, free of charge.

Desktopography

The desktop wallpapers found at Desktopography are geared toward designers, those who tend to spend 90% of their waking time in front of a computer. The designs are categorized by the year in which they were released and aim to combine the beauty of design and nature. The desktops are available in an array of sizes, free of charge. Everything is PG rated.

Flickr

Viewer discretion is advised. As one of the world’s largest photo sharing sites, Flickr hosts a lot of images that can be used as desktop wallpapers. There are several groups that are dedicated to desktop wallpapers. Not everything is worthy of being used as a desktop, and not all images are large enough to fill a display, but there are some gems too.

• Wallpapers (1024×768 minimum)
• 1680×1050 Desktop Wallpapers
• Apple Widescreen Display Wallpapers

deviantART

Viewer discretion is advised. deviantART is to original artwork what Flickr is to photography. The two sites share a lot in terms of how they can be used as a desktop wallpaper resource. There are a lot of great graphics available to download, but you will have to be discerning. Here is one of my favourites.