“It’s just a big iPod Touch.”
Few words have puzzled me more during the weeks leading up to the iPad launch. Let’s break down exactly what it means to be a “big iPod Touch.”
First, it means a large, bright, colorful display, coupled with an amazingly thin enclosure and amazing battery life. Second, it means a user experience based on the world’s most popular portable Internet device.
Perhaps the most important aspect of being a “big iPod touch” is that it is a device designed to be controlled by human fingers. Every aspect of development is centered on touch interactions. Quite simply, the iPad is a multitouch device that is 100% dedicated to running applications that you control with your fingers.
Terrible, isn’t it?
Less than a month after the iPad launched, Apple has sold more than a million units. It’s reassuring that people still recognize and embrace innovation. It also means that there is no end to the opportunity that the iPad affords to you, the developer.
The iPad is an open canvas. On the iPhone, there are plenty of apps, but less of an opportunity to experiment with user interfaces. On the iPad, apps take on new life. The display begs to be touched, and complex gestures are fun and easy to implement. Computing truly becomes a personal experience, similar to curling up with a good book.
Our hope is that this book will bring iPad development to a new generation of developers who want to create large-scale multitouch applications. Sams Teach Yourself iPad Application Development in 24 Hours provides a clear natural progression of skills development—from installing developer tools and registering with Apple, to submitting an application to the App Store. It’s everything you need to get started in just 24 hour-long lessons.