Unlock and Jailbreak iPad
This is my "blog" about the Apple iPad. Like iPhone, the iPad also has a locked down file system, and Apple is in full control of what you can do with it. Our goal is obviously to jailbreak iPad (unlock iPad's file system) so that anyone can develope all kinds of apps, system tweaks, fixes etc. Since iPad uses the same OS as iPhone, jailbreaking iPad can most likely be achieved using the exact same exploits used on iPhone.
iPad Jailbreak Solution is Probably Named Limera1n
News (April, 26th): limera1n.com has been registered by geohot - this is probably the name of his iPad jailbreak/unlocking tool. Release date is still unknown.
What we know so far about iPad jailbreak progress
Our Goals
We obviously want to unlock any locks or restrictions on the iPad, so that we can use it's full potential, without being forced to use Apple's services or iTunes. Our initial goals are:
My Critical iPad Review
After using my iPad for å few days, I've decided to write a short review while waiting for a jailbreak solution. You probably know about the awesome parts of this device already, so I'm going to focus most on where it fails, and stuff that other reviewers don't mention.
Hardware
Apple's hardware is usually very good both visually and in terms of build quality. iPad is no exception. Lying on the table, it looks really good, and the one-piece metal back makes it feel really solid. Once you pick it up, you'll notice the weight. At first, this makes it feel even more solid, and expensive, but after actually starting to use it, the weight is really a problem. More about this later. The processor is more than fast enough, and the battery life is very good. Hardware buttons are like expected - very few but good. I have a little complaint about the rotation lock switch though - I think it's a little hard to operate - the mute switch on iPhone is easier.
Software
I'm breaking this down to mini-reviews of every included Apps, again focusing mostly on the negative parts.
- Calendar: Very good - much better than the iPhone Calendar. Has most features you would expect.
- Contacts: Pretty basic. Shows a list of contacts, and detailed info on the ones you select. No integration with Facebook/Twitter etc.
- Notes: Poor. Pretty much exactly like iPhone, with the same horrible font, and no customization options.
- Maps: Like iPhone but bigger: In other words, as good as it gets.
- iTunes Music and App Store: Very similar to the Stores in iTunes on your computer. Good in other words. My biggest complaint is that it's hard to find free apps in the App store. It should be possible to browse only free apps.
- Settings: All the root elements are static in a left pane, making it very easy to navigate and see the options. Very simple, but it works perfect.
- Mail: Pretty good. It's very similar to the iPhone, but like the Settings App, you know have a left pane where you have all folders, and the reading pane at right. This makes it much faster and easier to navigate emails. Problem is still that in terms of features, the Mail app is very limited.
- Safari: Exactly like the iPhone. It can show web pages (without flash of course), and nothing more. And this is my biggest complaint about the iPad - surfing the web is probably the most used feature, yet it's equipped with a very poor browser. More about why Safari is poor later.
- YouTube: This is probably the biggest surprise - because this app is nothing like the iPhone - it's much better. It's now looking pretty much like youtube.com, except it's better. I can't think of a way to improve this. If you are a fan of Youtube, this App is a reason alone to buy it.
- Photos: Very similar to iPhone with some small but nice improvements. In other words, probably the best device there is to watch pictures on. The most useful improvement from iPhone is the new "timeline" you get at the bottom when viewing a picture in an album, which makes it easy to skip fast through the album.
- iPod: This app is also drastically changed compared to the iPhone version, to the better. It is now very similar to iTunes on your computer. You also now finally have the possibility to create and edit playlists.
- iBooks: This is actually not included, you need to download it from App Store (free). But it does what it's supposed to do, pretty well. But the lack of supported formats (only ePub - not even PDF!) doesn't make it really useful for me.
The iPad App store doesn't have that many great Apps yet, and unlike iPhone, there's very few free Apps. Also, most of the paid apps are substantially more expensive than on iPhone. For instance, I found a $20 "To-do" App. Most other Apps are priced the double of what they are on iPhone.
Like on iPhone, the iPad apps are very limited in what they can do, due to Apple's strict rules, so I can't wait for an iPad jailbreak solution to appear, so that we can get some of the great jailbreak apps we know from the iPhone.
Where iPad Fails / What I Really Hate About iPad
I'm going to skip the most obvious things, like Apple's lock down, lacking USB/Memory cards, Flash etc.Physical Problems with iPad
iPad is heavy, and it doesn't have any support or holder on the back. Also, although it's not exactly Apple's "fault", I'm having slight problems holding this device in a comfortable way. Unlike laptops you have to use your hand to hold it, and the weight makes you tired in your arm when holding it for longer periods. The best way to hold it is with both hands, but that makes it hard to use the touch screen. Especially when browsing web pages, when I try to scroll with my thumb, it often recognize it as a touch, and it loads up the link I touched.
The software keyboard is surprisingly good in landscape mode - but again there's a problem that you don't have anything to hold it making it hard to type with both hands. You basically have to change your position to make sure you sit straight and rest it in your lap. While hoping it doesn't slide off your lap while typing - the smooth backside doesn't exactly help.
The screen is a mirror. If you are really satisfied with your own appearance this is probably a good thing, because you will see yourself most of the time while using it in daylight. Forget about using it in direct sun light.
And let's not forget the huge bezel. I guess we all noticed that pretty fast when iPad was presented, but I read that it made sense because you would rest your hand there, and it would avoid accidental touching on the screen. Well, after actually testing it, I totally disagree. The bezel could be less than 50%, and still not be a problem at all. The iPhone has a very small bezel, and that has never been a problem.
Safari is Ruining the Browsing Experience on iPad
Safari is my biggest disappointment of the apps on the iPad. Let's start with what you see every time you open the browser: When you open Safari, you are presented with a big blank screen (unless it continued from last session). This is ridiculous. The sensible way is to show you your favorite web sites so that you can just tap on the site you want to visit.
Like iPhone, when going back or forward it doesn't load fully from cache - instead it downloads and redraws the page. I can't even describe how stupid this. An example: When I browse my favorite news sites, I obviously go back and forth between articles and the front page a lot. On my netbook computer, using Opera browser, it takes 0.1 seconds to go from an article and back to the front page. On iPad, it takes between 15-20 seconds (1Mbit connection, measured on two different news sites). This completely destroys the entire browsing experience for me.
The browser is not particularly fast either - I did some speed testing on various websites, and my 2 year old netbook (oldest Atom processor) running Opera, loaded pages between 50-70% faster than Safari on iPad (real life tests).
So here is of all my complaints about the Safari browser on iPad:
- As mentioned, it does not load directly from cache when going back/forward - it reloads the entire page! (like iPhone)
- There's no startup screen/speed dial with favorite sites.
- In general, it loads pages much slower than my very old netbook.
- No support for gestures - you have to click the tiny icon all the way at the top to go back for instance, while you could have just swiped from right to left for instance. Shaking it could reload page etc.
- No possibility for a tab bar, you have to press the tiny button to see your pages, and then look for your tab.
- You can't save files, not even PDF's!
- No full screen mode.
- No favicons. All bookmarks have the same icon.
- No proper bookmarks/settings synchronization service.
- No support for custom searches.
- I would rather have the address bar, and especially the icons to the bottom of the screen - this would make them a lot easier to access.
All in all, Safari on iPad is very poor, and ruins the internet browsing experience for me.
Conclusion
iPad is a great device, but unlike iPhone it's not a game changer. It's definitively not a replacement for a laptop or netbook. But if you like to have the newest gadgets, and have the money ready to spend, you will probably not be dissapointed. But i wouldn't waste more money than $500 for the base model - remember that next year you will have to buy a new one, when Apple release the next iPad which probably have most of the stuff this one lacks.