Loads of people use the iPad for casual web browsing, but just how well does it work? A usability study suggests that users browsing on a tablet make far more errors than on a computer. Conversely, those using specific apps browse through more content.
Research firm Miratech tracked the experience of 20 people using iPad in its research lab. The results suggested that browsing on the iPad was less effective, with users making four times as many errors compared to browsing the same sites on a PC. A particular problem was accessing smaller interface elements, a situation exacerbated by the reluctance of many test subjects to use the zoom function. (There’s more examples in the video above.)
Conversely, when browsing content using an iPad-specific app, users viewed more pages per minute than on either an iPad or PC browser, and the “fun” element made up for any minor annoyance with accessing specific sections. How does that match up with your iPad experience?
It’s hard to browse the web with an iPad [Miratech]
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