Quick post this morning about an iPad application called Air Display. This neat little utility turns the iPad into a 1024x768 wireless display for your Mac or Windows computer. Why not just use the built-in applications on the iPad? Sometimes you just need more screen real estate.
Probably my leading use will be Apple's Mail client. The mail client is good on the iPad, but having the full Mac email client on a secondary screen is extremely useful. Wildly, the touchscreen works as well -- tap an email and it just works! Now, I have to scour their forums to determine if the wireless display is encrypted and how to enable it with the firewall turned on for my Mac... Revision3's AppJudgment reviewed Air Display this morning and it became an easy sell at just $9.99.
Tower defense (TD) is really a great way to get your real time strategy fix on mobile and console devices with a reasonable control scheme. Although most TD games have predictable path, a more recent trend has enemies following a variable path depending on obstacles in the way. Starfall has a lot of the same TD elements, but adds some really nice alternatives to the mix. The best tower defense game on the iPad right now. Longterm playability seems to suffer with most mobile games. Four to six weeks after a game is released, the next game appears with newer features, better graphics, more interesting hook, whatever. Starfall's iteration of the tower defense genre is welcome and I hope it continues in future games.
In-game building upgrades give the game a truly RTS-lite feel. Finish levels, earn credits/money, spend on upgrades you choose at the game menu to be implemented during your next defense. Again, a certain RTS feel is imbued into the game by adding such a simple option. The science fiction theme and graphics look great. I will not go so far as to say gorgeous, but they are not assembled by someone without an eye for detail. Simple touches like the ships flying onto the platform are an interesting way to get the ships on the rail to destruction. One criticism, the units, when upgraded could benefit from more over-the-top changes in their appearance like Star Defense or Field Runners. (Edit since I originally wrote this several weeks ago -- the game was patched to add exactly this feature. Neat.) At $4.99, I felt the game was a little overpriced, but I tend to feel that way about all new games out.
Tower defense games are a fantastic way to implement a real-time strategy type game on portable platforms. Medieval HD does a pretty good job on the iPad. There seem to be two types of tower defense styled games now. One where you place turrets and troops along a given path from point A to point B. In Medieval HD's case, it is more along the 2-D side point of view.
Two castles face off on opposite sides of the screen, each with it's own flag. The enemy sends a myriad of troops from the common footman, to calvary, to catapults, and even balloons to attack your castle and steal your flag back to their side of the screen similar to capture the flag. You start out on a simple map with a beautifully designed background shooting a crossbow/ballista type weapon mounted on the top of a castle tower by dragging your finger back similar to pulling the string on a bow, shooting one of many variations of arrow, flaming arrows, and rocks at the enemy. Your arsenal doesn't end there, however. You can build support buildings that allow you to recruit land troops as well that will recover your flag or attempt to steal the enemy's as well. Simple? Yeah, right. As the levels progress, you do keep the troops or types of projectiles along the upgrade path, but will they be enough for the particular attacks the enemy is sending your way on a particular map? Sometimes your build order can work against you in such a way to make the game downright maddening. I have found it to be loads of fun for a quick get-in; get-out type of game. It looks great on the iPad. The controls are easy to pick up and gameplay is a blast. There is enough variety to keep you pulling your bow string back on the enemy repeatedly. Highly recommended for the $3. Medieval HD (iPad, $2.99) http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/medieval-hd/id387132819?mt=8
The iPad 3G 32GB arrived Friday, April 30th. The first thing to note? I barely cracked my laptop all weekend. No, really. You really can type on this dinky thing. I really thought I was picking up YAG (yet another gadget), but it really works as advertised.
Is it device that will make you stop using your laptop?! Well... no. I think you have read that in every review out there at this point. However, it is a really solid device with a really solid interface. So far... it just works. Hard to ignore things that just work. Coupled with the Apple Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard and my laptop bag suddenly sheds half its weight. If you are in IT, you MUST get these apps:
iSSH with VNC. Excellent configuration. Multiple terminal sessions.
LogMeIn Ignite. Remote access to my laptop, media center, servers, and 'rents computers.
iBooks, GoodReader, and Kindle. Documentation in PDF, EPUB, and Kindle formats. O'Reilly provides electronic books in multiple formats.
Numbers. Imports Excel spreadsheets which are great for documenting tables. Sorry, I still think it is monumentally stupid of Apple not to support the applications from iWork 08.
Pages. Word processing and Microsoft documentation imports.
Twitterrific. Follow technical rockstars for the gems they post from time to time.
NewsRack. Follow technical blogs for gems they post from time to time. Hmm. Deja vu.
Palringo. Instant Message client. I hear good things about the other multi-service clients too. Push notification is a huge must.
Textie. SO much easier to send texts (SMS messages) this way.
Dropbox. Share necessary files between multiple clients safely.
Parallels. If you are a Parallels user, this isn't a bad thing to have installed; however, I have never found a reason to use it.
iTunes. Technical podcasts running in the background.
Skype. Instant messaging and VOIP that works fairly well.
TWiT. Stream technical podcasts, sometimes live from Leo's cottage.
1Password. Passwords are good. Strong passwords are better. Encrypted lists of passwords are even better. Password you can't remember? Useless.
Google. Voice search is ah-mazing.
Mail. Fantastic app, but can't wait for unified mailbox.
I'm thinking about this from a personal perspective. Compared to when I started wz almost a decade ago, I use computers in completely different ways. When I started, I was a PC Windows/Linux user and thought Mac was a waste of time. Then about the time I started school for my graduate degree, discussions with Giles and Aaron convinced me to make the switch.
Personally, I was no longer interested in PC games. Plug an XBox into a TV, put a disc in and play. I was no longer interested in the security nightmare that is Windows. I was no longer interested in struggling with making Linux work well with Laptop A or desktop B.
While the Mac platform isn't the second coming, it is clearly working for me, except Jeffrey has convinced me over the last couple of years that I want lightest thing I can carry. I would like to be more mobile again. Recognizing that hauling a 6 lb laptop plus gear isn't a terrible burden, I no longer wish to do so. I keep it docked with my 24" screen almost all the time now.
I know better than to buy a 1.0 product. I managed not to get an iPhone until version 2. I believe my current laptop is the 2nd or 3rd generation of its model.
Kevin sent me this link.
From reading it, I'm in completely. I want to know if I can leave my computer/laptop/desktop at home and use my iPad to make me even more mobile. I have stopped Hoboing around and deeply miss it. I long thought, "If I could only tether my iPhone to my laptop, I would be all set!" What a pain.
Now I imagine driving over to Shawn's for a couple days, keyboard in the trunk and iPad in my messenger bag. Remote desktop in, check Zenoss monitoring, touch, swipe, secure login to a system, fix issue X, read books from O'Reilly. (BTW, my Kindle never handled PDF very well.)
Could I get to a point where I no longer need a full computer to do my job? How about manage my personal music, photos, and movies? Can I work on 2 pounds of gear? I guess I will find that out soon.
I try to get really excited about the iPad. I am a fanboy of Apple products at this point, but I just can't seem to get on board completely. I get that it is for people who do not want the complexity of a full computer, but I don't get how this new category is better. In any way. I won't say it is crap. I can't since I haven't put my hands on it. Who knows? The sleek and sexy Apple hardware might seduce me once released.
On the other hand, every time I think of a reason to buy the thing, I think of an equally if not more important reason not to buy it. To quote Huey Lewis, "I want a new drug." I love gadgets. I want this gadget in my hands, but I just can't justify it. You really can't work on the thing, so I can't make a business case. I wonder how many folks get gadget lust, drop $500, and then feel buyer's remorse.
All I can is at this point, this should not be a preorder item for anyone. Wait until it hits the Apple stores. Go use it. Wait. Go use it again. Think about how you could find it really useful. Go use it again.
