After testing both of these devices I felt I should write a bit about the experience.
First and foremost: the iPad 2 is brilliant. I was really happy after using a Mac with OS X for the first time and the same goes for one of their iOS devices.
The eee Pad, on the other hand, was a different kettle of fish.
That says it all but for those who want details…
UI (User Interface
eee Pad: Google have tried to make a unique UI with Honeycomb, but they’ve made a few errors. The basics of what make Android phones great like the notifications bar at the top with slide-down functionality are gone. Google have chosen a bottom right placement for notifications like on WIndows, which is very unusual for Android and iPhone users and was, in my view, a bad decision. Honeycomb generally feels like Google didn’t quite know how to fill the space that a tablet provides in a logical manner.
The eee Pad is also missing about a third of the customisation options that make ANdroid phones like the Desire so popular and user friendly.
The UI was jittery at first but a software update sorted that. The smoothness is still lacking in some small way, though, and it’s hard to put your finger on it. The on-screen keyboard is only about 90% good too, and there’s way too much lag when typing quickly.
iPad 2: The UI is fabulous. Everything is smooth and feels like it was meant to be there. The simplicity of the whole UI is striking and makes for a very engaging experience. I haven’ noticed any jitter or lag at all, other than delays caused by my internet connection.
The on-screen keyboard is excellent. I’ve always admitted that the iPhone has a briliant on-screen keyboard compared to Android devices, and this is even better.
There are a few customisation options missing that you kind of get used to using Android devices. One in particular is system font size. The accessibility options are ok but only really cover in-app/browser font size when I actually want to change the folders font size.
On that note, the smart folders are absolutely brilliant, being able to just drag on app over another and an intelligent folder name comes up.
Hardware quality
eee Pad: This pad weighs more than the original iPad, but the plastic back cover has a small cavity under it that makes it depress when gripped. It doesn’t feel altogether sturdy.
The proprietary connector made especially for the keyboard is silly. Why ASUS couldn’t somehow make a strong micro-USB connection is beyond me. As there’s no micro-USB slot anywhere, you can’t use cables you got with your other Android devices.
Another rather ridiculous constraint is that you can’t charge the keyboard separately. This is woeful as I don’t always want to plug them in together, and I don’t always use the keyboard.
iPad 2: Very sturdy, thin, relatively light and a less-reflective screen than the eee Pad.
For charging and Mac/PC connection the Apple connector is common to all portable devices, so I can use my girlfriend’s iPod charger to charge my iPad. Nice. It’s always good to have at least two charger sets as one invariably goes wandering occasionally.
Apps
eee Pad: There are few tablet apps for Android and there’s no categorisation in Android Market. Multi-device support is a massive challenge for developers, one which I think is too big for most which is why there are so few apps. Some “tablet-optimised” apps are not – and Google let developers say what they want so you can pay for a mediocre app that is an up-scaled, pixelated version of a phone app.
I must point out again how dreadful Android Market is for tablets. It feels half-finished, and doesn’t rotate to your orientation. The search engine is awful, bringing up lots of irrelevant results like Google used to ten years ago. There is no excuse for this as Google are the world leaders in search engine technology.
iPad 2: Tons of apps. They’re easy to search for, reasonably priced or free, and categorised excellently into iPad, iPhone or both. You can still use iPhone apps on an iPad and the interface is not too bad if you really need it.
Overall
I’m disappointed that as an early adopter of a Honeycomb device, it’s been so disappointing. Within a couple of days of using the eee Pad, the bad ergonomics, UI lag, very few apps and wacky UI element placement made me stop using it. I’d waited months for this device and felt very let down.
The iPad 2, although not quite as customisable as I’d like, is so good in every other area that I’m even thinking of getting an iPhone rather than an Android for my next phone.
I feel like Google have screwed up with Honeycomb and unless they completely re-design it, Apple will have no competitors very soon. There’s a very good reason why HTC chose Gingerbread for the Flyer – it’s a better OS.
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