We review the iPad as a control device.
Taking into account everything we know about the Apple iPod touch, imagine something with a screen 4 times the size and you’re just scratching at the surface of the new Apple iPad. A larger screen allows easier email, web browsing, and music. It's also a ton faster!
What makes the iPad different is the “touch” experience. Typing is possible for those of us with average size fingers and thumbs thanks to the new screen size. Movies look great, though best enjoyed through headphones, not the built-in speakers. It’s really hard to believe how far we’ve come with such a capable device in our hands.
As a control product, which is mostly what our concern is here at Sound & Vision, it is very capable. We were having a few issues keeping a strong connection over a complex wireless network, but we are sure that these kind of bugs will be worked out quickly by Apple engineers. The Kaleidescape app worked great allowing the ability to easily browse our DVD and Music collection stored on the Kaleidescape Media server. It even had some fun features that were very well executed like the ability to shake the iPad to shuffle the cover flow view. On regular Crestron control system tasks it worked well, and even seemed snappy. Like it is always eager to get to what you want to do next. Controlling the lighting system, changing the temperature, selecting audio from the Kaleidescape server and watching movies was all a breeze once we were in the app. That would be the only downside that we could find, the fact that if we were messing with another aspect of the iPad like reading a book, we had to exit that app, launch the Crestron app and wait a short bit before it all loaded. That would be one of the advantages of an installed Crestron touch screen or dedicated handheld device.
The iPad is great for work as well. Everything that fits in the palm of your hand today can send and receive an email, that’s nothing new. How about viewing or modifying a word document or excel spread sheet? Well, in the Apple world, it’s Pages instead of Microsoft Word, and Numbers instead of Excel, but this is a mobile device you can actually use for these types of files. Anyone who has tried to open an Excel spreadsheet on a Blackberry knows where I’m coming from. You can even connect the iPad to a video projector for presentations on a larger scale.
The iPad appeals to kids, big and small. Games with the larger screen are much more enjoyable with the iPad. More impressive is the reading applications available. Disney makes it possibly to not only read books, but the ipad makes the stories totally interactive. While flipping through pages, the reader can look-up a word in the dictionary, turn the page into a coloring book, and even bookmark where they left off last. For the big kids, major publications like the Wall Street Journal are at your finger tips. There is no need to wait until you are at your office desk, or for that laptop to finishing its windows start-up. It’s perfect for couch reading or commuting on that long train ride to the office.
As more iPads are sold everyday, I’m sure there are more new applications being designed specifically for this device that will make it more powerful and desirable.
Still, when you hold this light powerful device in your hands you can’t help but think “WOW!”
We have packages ready to provide you with the power of the iPad or your iPhone and iPod touch in your Crestron control system right now! Starting at $499 for basic control of up to 6 rooms of audio.
Contact us today to get your iApp!
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