What should I grab as a development platform, an iPod or an iPad?

Question

Hey all,

I've recently gotten into the world of contract programming, and two of my clients have indicated that they'd like to do something 'trendy', like ipod touch/iphone/ipad development. I have a mac laptop (first gen macbook pro) that I'll have to upgrade to snow leopard to do the development for any of them, from what I've read. So that's already a bit of a commitment, given all the stuff I have on that laptop I'll have to make sure is recoverable from backup.

My budget is limited, but I think I need to learn this skill. Which device should I get to learn this kind of development, an iPod touch or an iPad? I don't have the money for an iPhone.

I think that the iPhone/iPad SDK has an emulator mode, but I like to have the device I'm going to roll out on available to make sure that everything works as I'd expect, ie, what's easily readable on a laptop screen is still readable on the touch, etc.

Answer 1

iPad - since you can simulate the others on your mac and the iPad.

Answer 2

Right now, there's way over a hundred thousand apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch, so I'd suggest developing for the iPad. There's a lot fewer apps to distinguish yourself from.

You can use iPhone apps on an iPad, but I wouldn't recommend pushing them out without testing them on a real iPod Touch or iPhone. The feel will be much different. For example, I type on my iPhone one-handed while holding the phone in one hand, but the Ars Technica review of the iPad says this isn't really feasible on the iPad.

Answer 3

I'd get the iPad. I've been using an iPhone and now an iPad for dev work, and the iPad will run iPhone only apps at the iPhone screen size. Unless you need a camera its the best choice in being able to run apps developed for any iPhone OS device. You just should remember that app performance on an iPad will be much better then on a iPhone/iPod touch. Since it's contract work I assume its more along the lines of utilities, or basically their site as an app. So 100% performance testing isn't as crucial as a 3D game.

Answer 4

Ideally, you would always test apps on the actual target device. So, if you want to build iPad apps, you get iPad. If you want to build iPhone apps, you get iPhone or iPod Touch. iPad will run iPhone apps, but you will not be able to test for performance neither in simulator nor in iPad. Performance is always a concern on iPhone-class devices. Plus you cannot really evaluate the full iPhone user experience on iPad, because the physical form factor and screen resolution/pixel density and many other details are different.