After spending some quality time with the family iPad over the past two weeks, I’ve discovered some key usability challenges that are hard to ignore.  A major issue with the device is the lack of consistency between applications. Although Apple claims to have a stringent review process, the experience and the behaviours vary considerably between apps. At one extreme you have the infinite page scrolling of the Gap 1969 Stream application, which is nothing more than a massive page that you can navigate through and click on items to view. At the opposite extreme, you have the Flipboard application that transforms a simple RSS reader into a new type of interactive magazine.

Here are my top five usability observations with the iPad: (more…)