Duskpony :)

 http://www.useit.com/alertbox/ipad.html

A good one from Raluca Budiu and Jakob Nielsen.

Good to know that they are giving away their 93 page research report  for free :)

Key takeaways:

1. iPad is cutesy, but not user friendly.

2. Brings in age old usability problems of discoverability and perceived affordance - where can I Click?

3. Users cannot transfer their learning to all applications because every application functions differently :(

4. Low discoverability, low memorability and accidental activation of buttons and links - spoil the total user experience

5. Inconsistent interaction design: e.g.., touching a picture can activate 5 different actions!!

6. Print metaphor is overly emphasized. Users need homepage and search for applications. Homepage and Search are needed

7. Good points for better usability for iPad - define interactive areas, loosen up aesthetics, support standard navigation(Back, Homepage, Search)

Wonder how apple would respond!

1. iPad is less than 2 months into the market. Its too early. Another year could change things.

2. Seven Users may not be a great sample set. But still the findings are good to know.

3. More than a million have been sold already :)