Glowing in the Dark... observations from our iPad Development of Life Balance
We are adapting our Life Balance app to run on the iPad, and it is an interesting process. We are playing with some of the existing apps to get a sense of what works and what doesn't.
One thing is clear, the iPad is not just a big screen iTouch and it is not a flat tablet Powerbook either. It is its own thing.
It has its own quirks, strengths and patterns of use.
The iPad really does video and sound very well. It is pleasant to watch a movie, or a TV episode on it. I don't watch a lot of TV. I am just not a couch potato. When time comes for television viewing, I usually get up and move around and putter, and do other stuff. Nevertheless, I have been watching the series, "Castle" on the iPad. I am not sure why, exactly. I am certain that it goes beyond the obvious reason that Nathan Fillian is ruggedly handsome, and I am sentimental about Firefly.
I am watching the iPad, or listening to radio in some new circumstances. For instance, I was surprised to notice that I was watching the ABC series, from their iPad App as I brush my teeth?!! One major difference is that the iPad can follow me around the house, rather than me sitting on the sofa, and the screen is still large enough to be viewed at a comfortable distance. I do not feel that there is in any danger of it falling in the sink, and my hands are free.
After a month using the iPad, I find that it reminds me of the little beige transistor radio with the pull up antenna and the string wrist strap that I used to climb trees with as a kid. Over the weekend, we set the iPad up in a friend's kitchen to play some tunes as we chopped fruit and veggies for a shared meal, and like some high tech and yet still primal campfire, we all started to sing along. I can totally imagine hanging out in the hammock with the iPad. It is strange to think of the iPad as the book you read in a tent in the backyard as the other kind of fireflies drift by with their friendly yellow glow. At least the iPad comes with its own flashlight if you want to read under the covers.
For Life Balance, I think this means that people might use our software when they are more relaxed, open to new ideas and in more casual settings. Using the device ourselves influences our design decisions as we continue our work to release our App on the iPad. There is only so much we can learn from a simulation. Our customers might find themselves doing more of their personal planning in their shorts and flip flops, rather than in neckties and suits. That might be very pleasant too.
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Copyright @ 2010, Catherine E. White, permission is granted for this article to be redistributed and shared with others in its entirety as long as links and attribution are maintained. Catherine E. White is president of Llamagraphics, Inc., developer of Life Balance™ software for Mac OS X, Windows, Palm OS and iPhone. Life Balance provides a structure for your goals, projects and tasks that is priority driven, so you can to make better decisions about how to use your discretionary time. To learn more, please visit http://www.llamagraphics.com/
Comments
Glad you your iPad
I am happy that you like your iPad. I am still waiting to pre-order mine (I live in Canada). In the meantime, and before the availability of the iPad version, it would be nice if you could give us some indications of the features of this new version of Life Balance. Just of few clues to keep us salivating and to put a high priority on purchasing this new version.
Continue your good work!
Thanks
Martin
One specific question
Hi again,
I have one specific question that I would like to ask right now: how synchronization will work between the desktop versions, the iPhone version and the upcoming iPad version? Does the desktop will be the main version that will be used to update the mobile versions (iPhone and iPad)? Will it be possible to synchronize the iPad and iPhone versions without using the desktop?
Thank you very much?
Hmm...
Hmm.... Not sure I can really answer that until we roll up our sleeves in that exact part of the code. We will give some thought to the direct iPad to iPhone sync. Might not be completely out of the question, but we had not really given that part of it a lot of thought yet either.
Also, we are working on getting Life Balance for iPad to have all the usual suspects for Life Balance features... so... you probably know a lot about it already...
Nevertheless, I will see if I can figure out how to induce appropriate level of droolage...
Point well taken...
Best wishes and thanks again,
--Catherine--*
Synching should be easier
My dream would be that my LB would synch between multiple computers, iPhone and iPad. The current mechanism makes this difficult. A web service that all would synch to would be ideal. iDisk, or a registration on Llamagraphics.com, would be great.
The point there being that
The point there being that you want wide area network support, as opposed to having to rely on wifi and being on the same local net?
Because we do have various parts of that now, and local sync is pretty sweet.
Probably doable.
Catherine
WWAN Sync
That would certainly be the point for me. I used to use the Palm version of LifeBalance on my Treo and sync locally via cable. But now with an iPhone (and soon iPad) I can't do that any more as I can't get access to the local network wirelessly in the office.
In the moment I have my home LifeBalance install accessible trough my firewall, but that means running the machine 24/7, making sure I'm logged in and LifeBalance is started, and the security concerns that come with a port that is accessible from the wider internet.
Having Llamagraphics provide a sync point that is secure yet accessible would be great. Ideally accessible via a webservices API on a standard port (443 SSL) so that people behind restrictive corporate firewalls could get to it.
Agrees with Laird above. A
Agrees with Laird above. A web sync would be the best thing for syncing multiple devices. And, also, please make the syncing process automatic, instead of having to go through the settings to sync.
/P
LB for Android OS?
Your iPad observations remind me of how much I enjoyed the Newton MessagePad, which was where I first used Life Balance. Hurray!
My current PDA is an Android device. Are there any plans to port LB to the Android OS?
Tom
P.S. I see that you've addressed this in a reply I had previously overlooked:
http://www.llamagraphics.com/drupal/forums/discussion/lb-android-version...
I also started using LB on
I also started using LB on the Newton and look forward to this level of flexibility again on the iPad. After leaving the Newton platform for Palm and iPhone, it was never quite the same and my LB usage dropped. I guess it's because of this;
"For Life Balance, I think this means that people might use our software when they are more relaxed, open to new ideas and in more casual settings."
Somehow, relaxed and tiny screens didn't quite add up.
The iPad version will be more than welcome;-))
iPad version
When might this be, or do I sound too anxious?
Seamless is critical for my purchase
Once it can sync between my computer, iphone and ipad (i know...) then I will most def consider purchasing. Until then, it'll get lost among the shuffle.
iPad
In science fiction you see depiction of devices that we will carry around in our hands and do everything for us. That device is no longer science fiction, it is current and it is the Apple iPad.
Thanks - iPad Tablet
Can't Wait Any Longer
I've moved over to the iPad for almost everything now, and Life Balance is the only thing missing. I know I can use the iPhone version, but it really isn't the same once you've gotten used to other iPad apps (even OmniFocus for iPad is out now).
I kept checking for news about your development, but there's been NOTHING for almost 4 months now. Even a word or two would have been great. Creating a universal app, with NO NEW FUNCTIONALITY, would have been even better, until the "real" version was ready. I'm sure there's been many demands on your time, but I feel as if I need to move on.
So, with not even a word to go on since the beginning of May, I'm afraid you've lost a customer.
Best of luck to you and thanks for all your past work.
Can't Wait Any Longer
I've switched over to my iPad for almost everything now, and LB is the last thing. I know I can use the iPhone version, but it really isn't the same, once you get used to other iPad apps (even OmniFocus for iPad is out now).
I kept looking for news on your web site every week or so, but there's been nothing for almost 4 months now (about any version for any platform). A word or two would have been great, or a universal app with no new functionality (until the "real" iPad version was out) would have been even better.
Unfortunately, with no news for quite awhile, I'm afraid you've lost a customer. If you want your software to be used for more than "entertainment purposes", people need to know that you're serious about what you do, and will eventually have something coming out.
However, thanks for all your past efforts, and good luck to you.
Oh my! Yes there are recent updates posted!
Oh My Goodness!
I do see your point that our home page looks like not too much has happened since May. So if you were only scanning that, you would not know.
The problem of coordinating "news" in the new realm of Social Media is a struggle for me. I am sorry that you missed the various news items that I've posted on Twitter, Facebook, on the downloads pages, and in our newsletter. I definitely need to add a news story to the front page too!
Be that as it may, I am glad that you decided to go ahead and ask what's up here.
Yes, there have been recently posted updates... including a new iPhone/iPod Touch version!! That includes a bug fix for the iPad people using that version to make sure that that slider works properly. The desktop versions also work better with the iPad when there is a Firewall in place.
And more generally, iOS4 support.
http://www.llamagraphics.com/LB/MergedReleaseNotes.html
Best wishes,
--Catherine--*
Just a vote of support
Excited to see the iPad version when it's ready. Can use the iPhone version for now 2x, but it would be so great to use all that extra beautiful screen!
Agreed. Native version for iPad
Glad to know that you are managing to work with the iOS4 iPhone version for the time being while we continue to work on a Native version of Life Balance for iPad!
Thanks again for kind support and gentle nudges of encouragement!
Best wishes,
--Catherine--*
IPAD - IPHONE3/4 and College Planner
any comments on best place to purchase and/or if Iphone 3 vs 4 is much of a difference?
Anyone use this for college planner? Considering getting this for my ADD'er son in college, his mom is trying it out first