Several months ago I discovered a wonderful product, BookBook case for Macbook by Twelve South. While it was not a practical solution for me, I still appreciated the consideration to design, detail and innovation. When the iPad was announced, my first thought was, “Oh! Will Twelve South make a case for iPad?” I heard nothing about a case on release day so I defaulted to Apple’s case. I waited months. No case was released. I gave up my little fantasy and decided to order DODOcase [review coming soon]. The DODOcase served me well for about a week, until finally, this passed Monday, Twelve South released BookBook for iPad.

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The Good

This case looks even more amazing in person than I could have imagined. The vintage leather treatment is impeccable. It really gives the appearance that it’s an old book. And moreso, it feels like a book. Especially when you zip it up closed. The hardcover and weight creates a brilliant illusion. All of the small details – like the inner spine bevels, the zipper pulls and the multi-colored thread on the stitching – makes me feel like this product was carefully though out.

The interior is ultra plush… and ultra protective. Not only is the soft brown texture nice to look at, I can feel confident that it won’t scratch my iPad.

The hardcover also reinforces the strength and durability of the case. I’m convinced I can drop the case + iPad (closed of course) and my device will be safe and sound.

Overall, the material selections were an amazing and it couldn’t look any better.

. . .

The Bad

It seems as though no one compensated for the curved back of the iPad. When you set it inside the case, at first it appears to  be seated properly. Though, when you zip it closed, the flaw becomes much more apparent. It’s like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. The entire back of the case bows and bends creating a dissonance of extreme proportions. And while I appreciate the leather lace to tie back the case and assist in standing, it only adds additional imbalance when tucked away under the iPad. Otherwise the lace floats free and dangles around, creating somewhat of a nuisance.

As a segue onto the next point… When standing or flipped around for lap/tabletop resting, the zipper stretches so much, I’m afraid of it’s going to snap at any moment. I understand a taut piece of material lends itself to looking neat and tidy, but I fear this compromises the integrity of the product. I’m confident at some point this zipper will snap – so much so it makes me not want to use the case at all.

. . .

The Ugly

The leather support corners are horrible and the elastic band does nothing. At first it was a bit tricky to fit my iPad into the case. That is understandable as leather is at first quite tight. That is not what bothers me. The support corners are lined with plastic. I’d imagine this is so the iPad can easily slide in and out of the case – again, seemingly a good idea. But in real world applications when you’re lifting up your iPad and moving it around, flipping the case, opening it, closing it, the corners seem to push the iPad right out of the case. And when this happens there is nothing to stop it. The elastic band on the opposite side only holds down the iPad (to minimize that bending and bowing defect I mentioned earlier) it doesn’t hold in the iPad at all. So when holding horizontally (an orientation of preference among most) slowly, then quickly the iPad slips out of the case. Not a good feature to promote. And the zipper doesn’t even stop the iPad from sliding out. It just folds in and under the iPad.

This really let me down. And I’ve been using the case nonstop for nearly five (5) days. I’ve given myself a chance to become comfortable with using it.

I’m not even sure I want to keep the BookBook case at this point. It pains me because the aesthetic value is so high, and often times this is hard to come by (at least for a picky person like me). And it’s the exact type of case I wanted too.

. . .

So is this ByeBye for BookBook?

I’d love to hear how Twelve South responds to this. I’m sure they will make claims that my specific item is defective. But after all those months of waiting for the release, you’d think they would have spent enough time testing, ironing out every imperfection.

It’s a SadSad day for iPad cases.

We all remember that amazing interface from Minority Report. (Wow, has it been 8 years already?) Since then, we may have seen experiments and tests done that could simulate or partially recreate elements from that brilliant system. And while they were really interesting and hopeful, they were nothing anyone could actually imagine using on a daily basis. Now, John Underkoffler presents us with the beginnings of an actually useable, viable prototype for such an interface. OK, so the next new iMac won’t include this technology, but it will definitely come sooner than we think. Watch below or Watch on TED | Watch on iTunes

From TED.com:
Minority Report science adviser and inventor John Underkoffler demos g-speak — the real-life version of the film’s eye-popping, tai chi-meets-cyberspace computer interface. Is this how tomorrow’s computers will be controlled?

Is the iPad really worth it? Only you can answer that. That’s like asking – are $120 pair of jeans worth it? $25 bottle of sage honey? $400 vinyl toy?

People have a tendency to ask “the public” if a price tag can be justified. Everyone has different priorities. Some people love video games. Some love to eat out. Some love to travel. Others shop. Everyone has different opinions, experiences, preferences and needs. So please, take all those iPad reviews out there with a grain of salt. Even my own…

WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL?

When the rumors of Apple’s tablet device started to surface, the fantasies began: VIDEO CHAT, GRAPHIC TABLET, PHOTOSHOP, TIME TRAVEL, TELEPORTATION, CURE FOR CANCER… And so began the hype. There was nothing that Apple could release that would satisfy everyone. The expectations were too high. If the new device didn’t make people walk on water then it was going to fail.

The fact of the matter is there isn’t anything else on the market right now to compare it to. So we get a chance to focus and hone in on what new content gets created and pushed out. We are at the beginning of this digital push for a new way to discover and  interact.

WHAT IT DOES WELL

It Uses iPhone OS

I think this is great. This is an operating system users are familiar with. Mac OS X is too hefty and complex for these types of portable devices and why have another OS altogether? Just keep it simple.

Simple Tasks and Mobile Computing

Browsing the internet, reading email, scheduling events, storing contacts and taking notes feel like they were made to be done on the iPad. And Apple’s native applications are perfect for the job. I don’t need much more than they provide, and I think neither does the average user.

When performing other tasks like twittering, instant messaging, RSS feeding, etc. there are some other third party apps make that stuff perfect for consumption.

Iconfactory has done a great job of getting us a solid, nice looking client for Twitter feeds, Twitterific, and it has subsequently be added to my dock. (Though I’ve secretly still got my sights set on Tweetie, my app of choice.)

AIM‘s chat client is actually pretty good as well. There are a few glitches, and no image sending support, but it’s decent enough to use. (FYI: The app I’m waiting for is Beejive. Pricey, even on the iPhone, but well worth it.)

The iPad is also great for productivity tasks, word processing and other jobs you don’t really need a laptop for, but couldn’t possibly manage on an iPhone. Any great amount of typing or reading is not that comfortable or efficient on an iPhone.

Things is a wonderful app. I use it on Mac, iPhone and now iPad. It syncs with your Mac as did the iPhone version. LOVE IT.

Apple has given us a fabulous suite of apps to wet our appetites – iWork – completely designed from the ground up and specific to the iPad platform. The interfaces are great and usability is high. Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are must-buys.

Point is, there’s some pretty good stuff out there on Day 3 – and that’s pretty impressive. AND it’s only going to get better.

New Content Delivery

The iPad isn’t just a big iPhone/iPod Touch.  To start, it’s a much more powerful machine. Everything is faster and more responsive. Battery life is excellent. (I can perform a whole day of computing and still have juice for more.) The screen is definitely larger, yes. Ah, but the better to see with. Interactions on a large screen are much easier and more fluid if there is more physical space. Take the keyboard as an example: Typing becomes worlds better now that the keys are nearly the size of a physical keyboard. Just think of how clicking items in a game or on a website will be… quite a different experience.

One application I’ve seen that is definitely a step in the right direction is Yahoo Entertainment. The content is basic – TV guide, news, videos. The presentation is fabulous. Not only do we get amazing design and information architecture, the experience and simple interactions are great.

If other developers follow suit, we’re headed into exciting territory. This not only elevates the content and overall immersive quality an application can give, it elevates design as a whole. That is great news for us (designers) out there. I’m very eager to work on unique interfaces for this new platform.

And then we have the publishing industry… We have yet to see how magazines and newspapers (and books) will really be expanded upon (I’m looking forward to WIRED, myself). Right now we have a few applications, but honestly I don’t think they take advantage of the platform. They’re all a bit boring in my opinion. I mean, can we do more than have a page flip animation? Can we give users a richer experience than a page swipe/scroll?

The news apps are quite stale and leave much to be desired. Sure some may think they are merely “no frills” but I’d also say they are “no fun.” I’d rather point my browser towards their home pages instead. USA Today has one of the better apps, and it is probably worth checking, but it’s still lacking creativity.

I downloaded the first wave of digital magazines as well – Time, Popular Science, GQ, and Men’s Health. I must say, overall, I’m not impressed. They mostly look like ports of their analog (printed) versions. Very predictable. At times, frustrating – you’re given a tiny printed magazine layout (facing pages), which you have to zoom in and pan to read – annoying. Some layouts even change (quite drastically) depending on the orientation of the iPad. That may sound like an interesting idea, and it does help readability in some instances, but it has yet to be resolved. Again they need to push forward to create a special and seamless experiences for users.

I’ve been reading that many people have been gravitating toward Popular Science magazine, but I just don’t see the fascination. To me the interactions are a bit uncomfortable and drab. OK , so you hide the text and see the background imagery. It’s the same every single time. Maybe it needs to grow on me?

Fun Stuff

After work is done we’ve got a whole barrage of fun stuff to play with. iPad gives us movies, music, books, pictures, games, and much more. Too much to go through, but we all know Apple handled these things well.

As with the iPhone, we’ve learned it’s really limitless. We can create whatever kind of apps we want.

Other Highs and Lows

1. Glossy Glass Screen – Bothers many, still doesn’t bother me. I actually like it.
2. No Flash – Yes, this is pretty frustrating for us all, but at least now we are seeing other technologies being utilized.
3. Size – screen size feels enormous, but the device is quite small and thin. It’s so light and easy to tuck away. I don’t now why people keep saying it’s heavy! It isn’t!
4. Keyboard - Amazing in landscape mode, practically feels like a “real” keyboard. I’m using it right now (and this is a long post!)
5. Capacity – Brilliant. You can really dump a lot on the iPad and still have space leftover, no matter what size you choose… Although bigger is always better, right?
6. Battery – Thus far it’s performance has been pretty impressive (especially considering that huge screen). Whole day, going strong.
7. Charging – My main computer is a 2007 MacPro. Apparently the USB ports don’t supply the iPad with much power. Charging is so minimal, “Not Charging” appears in the title bar. Even a powered USB hub didn’t do the trick. Fortunately everything syncs just fine.
8. Slippery – Not a deal breaker but as much as I love the aluminum casing, it tends to want to slip out of my hands.
9. No Camera – Yea, this is kind of sad. It’s not going to make me hate the iPad, but it really seemed like a no brainer. The funny thing is, Apple had created space for it in the frame. Not really sure what happened there.

. . .

The iPad is not just a “Big iPod Touch…” It’s got everything I need and more – Now if I could only find a nice case…

Ah, Magic Mouse. How beautiful you are. How I’ve dreamed of you… I’ve had three days with Apple’s new mouse, Magic Mouse. Check out my review.

Concept:

Pushing the boundaries and redefining products has always been on Apple’s agenda. I think they’ve outdone themselves yet again with this mouse. No physical buttons and no scroll wheel/ball? Pretty amazing. And with the Multi-Touch surface, Apple sets a new benchmark in mouse usability. They give users the fluidity that previous products did not achieve (industry-wide, not just for Apple).

Design:

People always underestimate the power of simplicity. Simplicity is not simple. Reduction is one of the most difficult tasks in design. It’s easy to add functions or buttons – but try to take them away, scrape the design down to it’s bare bones. It’s not as easy as it seems.

I really don’t have any major complaints about the design. It’s fantastic. A minimalist dream. It feels modern, progressive, and smart.

Ergonomics:

Some users feel the mouse is too thin. Some don’t like the multi-touch surface, they need tangible buttons. Somehow, for me, the mouse feels great and intuitive. Maybe that’s because I’m so used to the new glass trackpad on my MacbookPro. Maybe it’s because I don’t have large hands. Maybe it’s because I want to like it so much.

Battery Life:

Not sure about this one yet. TBD. It says about 87% after only been a few days. This thing is supposed to last a few months, yea? The outlook is bleak.

Cost:

Competitive pricing. It’s definitely worth the cost of just $69.

Precision:

It’s really worlds better than the Wireless Mighty Mouse. I didn’t have a problem with the wired predecessor, but the wireless version lacked the precision and control that I need when designing. This mouse comes close to the Wired Mighty Mouse but just doesn’t hit the mark.

I’d say if you are a casual Mac user, then definitely check this one out. Browsing the web and doing everyday functions are a breeze. But when you really need to get down to the nitty gritty, a laggy mouse just won’t cut it. I’ll definitely give it more time before I consider reverting back, but just something to note from an early adopter.

Function:

The right and left clicks work perfectly despite the allusions of appearances. 360 degree scrolling is excellent. Scrolling with momentum is a nice addition. Two finger swipe is definitely a step in the right direction, though its applications are a bit limited right now. Other than in Apple’s native applications, there’s not much use for this. (I don’t even use this function on my Macbook Pro.)

It would be fantastic for Apple to add some alternative (or additional) multi-touch gestures. I’d love to have a command to show the desktop (much like 4-finger swipe up on Mac Laptops). Perhaps 2-finger swipe could be programable?

Also, I don’t think removing a Middle/Third Click was smart though. There should be some way to have 3 button options. Right Matt? Know what I’m sayin’?

Summary:

Many years ago, I had the Kensington Studio Mouse with its trackpad-like Scroll Sensor. While it seemed revolutionary at the time, it was kind of a hot mess and never evolved.

Since then I’ve autonomously decided to use Apple mice, and it worked out pretty well. They seem to keep making strides in the right direction. Shall I continue that trend? Should I stick to the Magic Mouse? I think it’s worth trying.

But what about everyone else? Well, if you can work at a moderate pace with no care for lag, this is the perfect mouse for you. If beauty and ergonomics weigh more heavily than precision and speed, go out and grab the Magic Mouse.  Or wait and see if they release a wired version.

Now if only Apple updated their displays…

Epilogue:

I returned to the office today (Rokkan) and to my good trusty Mighty Mouse. I didn’t think I’d notice any difference when using it, seeing as how I wasn’t using the Magic Mouse for very long. I was 100% wrong. It feels like a big blob under my hand. While clicking around in Photoshop was fine, holding the thing was a bit uncomfortable. Who would’ve thought?! Now I’m not even sure what to do. Keep using the Magic Mouse at home, become more comfortable with it, and eventually switch my mouse at work? I feel like I need to just “deal” with the lagging and precision issue. I never imagined reverting would be this bothersome. Crazy.

I’ll keep you updated…

It feels so fun and fluid. Sure there are some additions that would be nice. Double-tap to zoom out, or to undo. Different brush styles (tips), or more control with opacity when painting. Small stuff.  Here is my first painting. Hey, I’m not a pro, but it’s still fun.

Check the developer’s site for a gallery of fantastic artists. Some amazing pantings not featured on the site by Disney artist Stef Kardos: