iPad

There are a million and one iPad reviews, though if you are interested in communication, then this could be the only review that you come across that mentions the terms ‘PECS’, ‘symbols’, ‘switches’, ‘communication’ and’ iPad’ in the same review.

Accessability

The iPad (and iPad 2) has a beautiful 10inch touchscreen that allows input to the device through touch. Unfortunately, there is currently no guard available for those with very poor targeting skills and I reckon that is there is to be, then this will take some time to reach the market.

Since there is no support for USB devices, current USB switch interfaces such as Cricks switchbox, Smartbox’s joycable and so on, will not provide a solution for people who use scanning to select. There is a solution though and this is by the way of Bluetooth. Bluetooth switch interfaces are few and far between, mainly down to the previous lack of need down to the fact that USB did the trick.

The lack of Bluetooth switch interfaces has therefore been reflected in the lack of switch support in iPad/iPhone Apps. AssistiveWare have mentioned that they have been working on making their Proloquo2Golink communication App switch compatible – watch this space for more!

Staying power?

Apple boast a 10 hour battery life for the iPad and iPad 2. This of course has the proviso that you aren’t spending all day surfing the Interweb, using either WiFi or 3G or 4G for 3rd generation model (if you have the 3G or 4G model), having Bluetooth switched on will also compromise battery charge.

We have taken our iPad to exhibitions where it has worked almost as hard as we did and I must say I’m impressed! We usually flag and run out of batteries after about 6 to 7 hours, however, the iPad still has 30% to 35% left in the tank. This is also with WiFi on and even more impressively, without it being allowed to go to sleep and turn the screen off! One question is, that with the iPad being such a new product no-one can answer how long the battery will keep its charge 2, 3 4 or 5 years down the line, though if the iPhone batteries are anything to go by, I wouldn’t worry too much about that.

Picture this!

The iPad 2 introduces not just 1, but 2 cameras, something that was missing from the original iPad. The reason for having 1 camera on the front (screen side) is mainly so that the iPad is brought in-line with the iPhone 4 and its ability to utilise FaceTime (video calling), the camera on the back of the case is handy for taking pictures on the go. This is a huge benefit for communication. Having the ability to use photos within the cells within a communication grid has been utilised for a few years now and is one of the reasons behind the huge uptake of the PECS system for communication,. I ask you, if you are unable to read and need a pictorial way of recognising your mother, would a symbol for mother be as recognisable as a photo of your mother?

The process of grabbing photos for communication grids with the original iPad, was to either grab a photo from the Internet (not many pictures of my mother exist on the Internet) or take a photo on a digital camera and transfer it to your PC (or scan a photo), then use iTunes to Sync (or copy) over the photo to the iPad. With the iPad 2, if you see something whilst you’re out and about, then you can take a photo of it with your iPad and import it into a cell within your communication app within 1 to 2 minutes.

Hey, it’s an iPad too!

Let’s not forget, that an iPad isn’t just a communication device, it’s an iPad too. What I mean is this – you can make video calls on it, you can play any of the 1.5 million Apps on it, many of which are free and are entertaining (many are also a bit naff, but if it’s free, then you haven’t wasted any money). Of course there’s email and the Internet and all that that brings to the table, the iPad has the iPod/iPhone’s music software built in as well and let’s face it, it looks pretty cool!

Speak up, we can’t hear you!

One of the few problems that technology has often struggles to answer is the ability to produce a small, portable device that has a big sound. Think of a laptop, any laptop, play music through it and crank up the volume. They all have the volume of a person with advanced laryngitis and often the quality to match. This goes the same for any mobile phone and we can add the iPhone and iPad to this list.

This is partly why there is a market for producing portable speakers. At Aidis, we have used many portable speakers to help with our courses when we need to demonstrate music , digitised speech, sound effects and just general noise. This means that we have tried a few. In my humble opinion, portable speakers need to tick 3 boxes

1. Does the speaker actually amplify amply?

2. Is the portable speaker portable? Is it small and light-weight?

3. Does it use a battery and if so how easy and/or cheap is it to keep charged?

Armed with these 3 points (or is it 4?), I have come up with my favourite to date - the XMI X-Mini II Mini Speaker. The X-mini is round, until you open it up, when it becomes more egg-shaped and it ticks the boxes. Box 1 – It is surprisingly loud and fit for our purpose. In a fairly noisy room, your iPad/communication software will be heard. Box 2 – it’s vital statistics are 60mm x 60mm x 44mm when closed and weighs in at a measly 83 grams. Having said that, I’ve only pencilled in the tick in the box as We’re scratching our heads on how to attach the speaker to the iPad, other than using Velcro. Box 3 – 11 hours on one charge will mean that this egg shaped beat box will easily keep up with the iPad’s battery charge, with the battery being charged by USB, you can use the same charger that you have with your iPad.

Is it tough enough?

The iPad and iPad2 are very slim and light and this usually equates to ‘not drop-proof’. I must say we are not brave enough to test this theory, so we have been looking into protective cases that may save your iPad from that accidental drop or collision.

Many iPad cases are made of leather, or flimsy plastic concoctions that, let’s face it, won’t stand up to much abuse, or a slippery handed carer (sorry carers’, we love you really) dropping the device. This is why we have looked into more sturdy options to help keep your iPad safe and sound.

Griffin Survivor case

At around £45, the Griffin Survivor case states that it's been tested by the American military (take from that what you wish). They also claim that your iPad will withstand a fall from 1.8 meters onto a concrete floor (we haven't had the guts to do this yet, though I know some of my colleagues are quite clumsy, so it's only a matter of time). Added to this, it is also water-proof to an extent, though I wouldn't go swimming with it either.

There is a stand that comes with it to allow you to angle your iPad to around 65%-75% angle. I've put in this angle range because it's so unsteady that it wobbles between these angles. Basically, you'll end up ditching the stand - it doesn't stand up to much!

All in all, it's a good, sturdy case and in my view, preferable to the OtterBox Defender case. 

OtterBox Defender case

At around £50, the Otterbox Defender case offers a good standard of protection. Included is a polycarbonate shell that comes in 2 halves that slide together, encasing the iPad. Then there is a rubber case that fits over the shell, covering the back and the sides, whilst allowing for all the sockets to be accessible and buttons ‘pressable’. There is also a protective film supplied that sticks to the screen to help prevent against scratches.

Finally, there is a polycarbonate cover that can fit to the back or the front for safe transportation. This cover also doubles up as a nifty stand, to allow the user to place it on a table or wheelchair tray to access at a comfortable angle. Although the stand seems flimsy, when in place, it is very sturdy.

Overall the OtterBox case is good product and very durable. Having said that, I managed to rip the rubber shell at its thinnest point near the wake-up button. This was whilst I was taking the iPad out, so please watch out for that.