2010-04-03

iPad hands on

I went to the Apple store today and played with the iPad.  I came away more impressed than before, but still have some reservations.

The screen is great and the device is extremely fast.  I noticed very little lag in loading apps (other than a 3D game) and the interface was very snappy.  But as many have said, it is just a big iPhone.

Using it as a book reader doesn't seem practical to me, the screen is just way too bright.

Typing on the device is truly awful.  I generally can type at over 140 WPM but with this device I'd be lucky to get 30 accurate words out.  It is that bad.  And I don't think it is the lack of tactile response, it just doesn't recognize fast typing.  It does its best to autocorrect, but I found this did not solve the problem.

I would not buy an iPad now, but version 2 will hopefully improve on some of the above issues.  The biggest problem for me is the lack of good input device.  I don't care if they offer office type apps for this, they are unusable with the current interface.

But if all you want to do is go online, then the iPad could be a good choice, but the price will likely come down soon.

2010-03-31

Do not buy a house in the next 30 days

If you are in the market for a house, you might want to take a break for the next 30 days or so.  Why?  The first time homebuyer credit, which will give most people $8,000 for buying a house, is due to expire on April 30.  There is also a smaller credit of $6,500 for those who are repeat buyers.

Technically you don't have to own the house by April 30, you just need to be under contract.  The contact will still need to be closed by June 30 though.  While there has likely been a run-up in prices over the last several months due to this credit, with 30 days to go you can bet people are feeling antsy.  Many homebuyers are counting on this $8,000 to buy new furniture, pay back relatives loaning them a down payment, etc.

So you can expect a flood of buyers this month, especially since you can bet the National Association of Realtors will blitz the airwaves.  With the pressure on, people are more likely to get into bidding wars, just to make sure that that contract is signed by the end of the month.  But with average home prices close to 200k, even paying as little as 4% extra (or allowing a deal to go through without a 4% seller subsidy) will wipe out that $8,000.

For those of you who are able to wait a few extra days, and forgo the cash, you will likely find a decent buyer's market.  $8,000 is equivalent to $40,000 of house value, if you figure a 20% down payment.  I'm not saying prices are going down by $40,000, but the average will likely be north of $8,000; representing significant savings.  Additionally, with many buyers likely dropping out within the next 30 days, supply will probably continue to outpace demand.

iPad reviews trickling in

The two big names in tech reviews, Walt Mossberg and David Pogue have reviews up here and here for the iPad.  The verdict seems to be lukewarm acceptance.  Neither of them are going to go Steve Jobs on us and call it "magical" but they both seem to see more positives than negatives for this polarizing device.

And maybe that's what Apple wants.  If public perception is indeed very polarizing, it could be a home run.  Better to have 50% of your audience love it, and 50% hate it, than for 90% to say "so what."

The official launch is April 3, but good luck getting one.  It is likely going to be like the iPhone, with people paying hundreds more than list price to be the first dork on the street seen with the device.  The only thing I can see that will hold back wider acceptance is that most people won't see one in the wild.  With an iPhone, people would have them on their belts, in their hands, out in public.  I don't see many people toting around the iPad conspicuously outside of a coffee house.