CodeSnack

A lot has been said about the iPad in the week since Steve Jobs unveiled it to the world at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. The response has ranged from jubilation from those who consider the device a must have all the way down to disdain and utter contempt from those who were somehow hoping this companion device would be able to replace their laptops. While I understand both camps (and everyone in between), I’m not going to voice my allegiance to either opinion.  To be honest, I’m actually somewhere in the middle. I would much rather discuss how important this device is to the already thriving iPhone ecosystem and why you will want to develop for the iPad.

Without divulging any specific iPhone 3.2 SDK details (and thereby breaking my NDA), I can tell you that the new APIs and features present in the SDK are very exciting. Some of them are iPad specific and others will probably be available for iPhone development some time in the near future. If you have been doing any iPhone development, you are already familiar with the tools, languages, and concepts necessary to program for the iPad. From what was shown in the iPad event, it is clear that the applications that are possible for the iPad are much more robust than anything we have seen or created for the iPhone. The split pane and popup menus provide the ability to do a lot with the copious screen real estate the iPad offers. I don’t want to spend too much time talking about the SDK because I can’t do it justice without breaking the NDA. Just suffice it to say that if you haven’t looked at it yet, you really need to. It’s exciting.

As for the hardware, I think the story there is pretty phenomenal too.  The larger screen will allow developers to create applications that are much closer to desktop functionality than the much smaller iPhone screen currently allows.  The Apple A4 processor (which is apparently based on the same ARM Cortex A9 as the Nvidia Tegra chip) appears to be very snappy which should allow for a smooth user experience.  The accelerometer is there in full force and there are speakers and a built-in microphone.  There is GPS capability in the 3G models.  This opens the door for some fantastic GIS applications. 

One last thing that is easy to overlook from a developer’s perspective is the financial impact of this device.  The people that will buy this device will buy your applications if they add value to their iPad experience.  They had the funds to purchase the device at a minimum entry point of $499 so it is almost a given that they will be willing to plunk down some money on your well written apps.  It would be wise to not leave them hanging.

So, there’s my take on the new device.  I, for one, am beginning development on my first application and hope to have it ready by launch time.  I encourage all developers to follow suit.  We are what will make this device a must have.