Human Computer Interaction That Make the Ipad So Attractive - Essay Example

Design Review Of ipad 3 Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Name Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Course Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Lecture Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 14th March, 2012. Introduction The apple Ipad is a revolutionary new innovation in the field of information communication technology consisting of new devices called tablets. Tablets are flat panel computing devices with a breadth of up to 1 inch, length of up to 10 inches and width of about up to 10 inches (Sperling 2010). The apple Ipad was not the first computing device of this type but after its launch it soon became the most dominant device in the tablet market. The apple Ipad was launched by “apple’s iconic CEO Steve Jobs on April 3, 2010”, during its first 3 days it sold more than “300,000 units” (Wrenn 2012). The ipad have gained wide popularity worldwide with people putting away their desktops and laptops in favour of the new device (Altaboli and Yingzi 2012). In this paper we discuss the Human computer interaction that make the Ipad so attractive to millions of information technology users. The apple Ipad has evolved through two generations to give rise to the present recently launched Ipad 3 (Wrenn 2012). Human computer interactions with the Ipad 3 are numerous and may include but are not limited the following activities. Carrying the device around, handling it, Switching on the device, security verification, Watching images both still and moving on its screen, typing text onscreen or by ordinary keyboarding, or dictating words so the ipad can input it as text in text editor, charging the devices battery, getting geographical directions, browsing webpages, posting updates, comments and photos on the internet, taking photos, playing games among a host of other activities. To look at each of these interactions in depth would take a lot of time, so this report adopted an approach that looks at the ipad as a system that has various components (Shneiderman et al 2009, pp.49). This review looks at some of the components of the Ipad system and how use interact with them and their effect on the level of comfort a user experiences when interacting with the ipad-3. Discussion Physical design The apple ipad three is a slim tablet but with a little more weight than its predecessors from apple, the devices smooth outer covering is made of aluminum making it durable while limiting the devices weight. The ipad 3 is a lightweight rectangular shaped device of slightly above half a kilogram with a height of 9.5 inches, width is 7.37 inches and a slim breadth of 0.37, its screen is made of glass that is scratch-proof. It has four physical switches on its surface that are: the home button that returns the user to the main OS interface, and on the top left-hand corner: the wake/sleep button switches the Ipad off or on and volume up/down, finally there is a variable switch used in the ipad 3 .The Ipad 3 also has a camera fixed on its upper side, the ipad has no bottom or upper side as it supports screen rotation. The ipad is sleek with smooth rounded edges, giving it sophisticated cool look. It has a 30-pin dock connector port and a 3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack. What needs Improvement? The external design of the device has been faulted for being too smooth and sometimes can slip out of control (Streitz Kameas and Mavrommati, 2007). The touch screen also is made of glass and shatters on impact at high velocity on hard surfaces. Some Users of the ipad the ipad have been complaining that it has been overheating showing that there should have been grills near the processor to let in air (Streitz Kameas and Mavrommati, 2007). Input Devices The ipad’s main input mechanism is by the use of the touch sensitive screen that contains various icons that one can click or expand to follow. The display works much like input using a mouse on ordinary computers, to key in data one activates an onboard keyboard which appears on the screen and the characters are input by touching them. Additionally the Ipad three can recognize human voices using siri- voice technology through “3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack ”where one can dictation to input instruction. “A 30-pin dock connector port” is used to connect to a hub that can connect to other input and storage devices (Apple.com 2012). The ipad can also take input from other environmental variables such changes in light to adjust the lighting intensity to a condition that is not harsh to the user’s eyes, an accelerometer to senses a rotation in the ipad and changes orientation accordingly to either portrait and landscape modes so a reader can be able to use a program that is horizontal or vertically oriented. Although the more than 40 languages can be input through the keyboard the ipad still has a number of problems associated with data typing. Text editing on the Ipad can be done directly or by use of a wireless keyboard, the Ipad 3 predecessors had trouble in typing of characters, the new device does not bring any significant improvement and you have to tap the screen many times to reposition the cursor. The ipad onscreen keyboard also leads to undesired result like typing at random parts of a document, deleting sections or even closing the document you are using, this is a result of touching the screen when you don’t have an intention too. The Ipad 3 comes integrated with a “5 megapixel camera” that can record moving images at “1080 pixels” thus it can record a high definition video and takes excellent photos (Apple.com 2012). Manipulating the camera is easy using the “multi-gesture hand movement”, like pinch to zoom in on an image (Apple.com 2012).. Improvements needed Apple iOS should come up with a virtual keyboard that is not sensitive light touches just like the normal computer keyboard, to minimize cases of a user inputting the wrong characters when it was not their intention (Javier A. et al 2011, pp.8) In terms of input design the ipad lacks a Universal serial Bus (USB) port a must for any computing word where USB devices are used widely Output Display The screen displays in 2048 × 1536 pixels, it fingerprint and scratch proof, the Device has the best display resolution among the tablet market. The Ipad 3 displays images clearly in colors that would be hard to tell apart from real life colors. Making it a excellent device for taking, viewing and making alterations in photos A 30-pin dock connector port is used for connecting to storage devices and can also be used to extend the display to other devices like projectors. A 3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack is used for listening and an on board speaker are used listen to audio output (Apple.com 2012). What needs improvements? Some users of the Ipad 3 complain that its music plays too softly, thus the sound should have the capability of rising to a higher tone. User interface The Ipad 3 uses an operating system developed by the apple the manufacturer of the device, it is called the i-phone operating system the IOS. In the OS the user manipulates the various icons by using Multi-touch gestures using sliders, buttons and switches; manipulation is by use of bare hands only. The commands to the Ipad’s OS has a very fast response time and gives immediate output once you swipe you scroll up and down a page, a pinch is used to zoom out on images while a reverse pinch is used to zoom in on images, a tap is used in the produces the same effect as a click in normal Personal computer operating systems (Techradar.com 2012). What needs Improvement? The Ipad 3 comes with the iOS software which in some quarters has been thought to be too simple and thus does not support features that enable people to set up their interaction with the device in a way they are most comfortable with (Borchers 2001, pp.28). Conclusion The apple ipad 3 introduction in the tablet market marks a major step in computing technology. Some software reviewers argue that the Ipad 3 is the future of not just future of tablet devices but also that future of computing. The apple Ipad’s weight, sleek and slim design means the device that is easier to travel with and work remotely. Its smooth outer covering and overheating problem may see the Ipad 3 lose its popularity and lose customers to other competing tablet products. By dealing with the issues pointed out in the review apple can further increase the popularity and sales of its Ipad 3 and tablets that it manufacturers in the future. 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Smith, C. 2012, New ipad caught running at 116 degrees Fahrenheit, TechRadar, 30, March, 2012, http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/apple/new-ipad-caught-running-at-116-degrees-fahrenheit-1072568. Sperling, E 2010, Rise Of The Tablet,Computer, Forbes Magazime [online], 30 March 2012, http://www.forbes.com/2010/09/10/ipad-apple-blackberry-technology-cio-network-tablets.html. Streitz, N., Kameas, A., Mavrommati ,2007, The Disappearing Computer: Interaction Design, System Infrastructures and Applications for Smart Environments (Lecture Notes in Computer Science / ... Applications, incl. Internet/Web, and HCI) , Springer, New York 304 pages. Techradar.com 2012, Interface|fromTechRadar’s expert reviews of Tablets, 30 March 2012, http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/new-ipad-3-1071369/review/page:2#articleContent. Wrenn, E. 2012, More than 750 gadget fans queue outside Apple's flagship store in New York to get their hands on latest tablet as ipad fever spreads around the world, Daily Mail (New York). Read More