I still don’t have an iPhone. I’ve wanted one from the moment it was released, but I think I’m just mistiming my upgrades… I plumped for the iPod touch and it has been ok for me for a while. I will get an iPhone this year (I need a smartphone). But I also want to give the iPad a spin. So what do I want if I’m using both devices?

The Home Screen

As soon as the App Store got into full swing, it became apparent that the iPhone interface wasn’t quite perfect. For me, scrolling through screen after screen to find that app I just downloaded is just not going to cut it.

I’m a bit OCD when it comes to organising files and apps. I want to be able to get them quickly and organise them easily (sometimes while I’m out and about) and I’m not thoroughly convinced that the touch-hold-drag method is the best for organising many apps.

This is probably not so important on the iPad, but the facilities for organising many apps and bookmarks still need attention.

App Syncing

If I download an App on my iPhone, I may also want to use it on my iPad – if it’s compatible with both. So I want some way to easily synchronise the two without the inevitable plugging both of them into my laptop!

Files

I understand te pros and cons of storing files centrally on the iPhone, but there definitely needs to be more centralised access to files. Then these files can be kept in sync across devices using services like MobileMe and Dropbox and still be accessed by other apps.

This will become more necessary for the iPad when it comes to its usability as a productivity device with the iWork suite. I certainly don’t want to have to keep copying files across wireless networks from one device to another in closed-off pools of allocated memory.

Bluetooth file transfer from the iPhone perhaps?

Innovative Uses

I want to see both the iPhone ad iPad used in innovative ways to interact with my Mac. I want to use my iPad as a wireless keyboard/mouse for my Mac mini (which, when I get it, will be hooked up to my mega flat-screen) and also with purpose-built soft-keyboards for certain applications like Boxee.

I would love to be able to have my iPad on my lap, be watching pause-able Internet TV, and be able to see sideline info against the program I’m watching.

Multitasking

Understandably on the iPhone this is something that is best left untouched. But on the iPad, it will soon be obvious that something is missing if you can only run one app at a time. Whilst the push notifications system is handy, it still doesn’t fulfil in my view.

Even if apps had to have a separate background-only mode that had tighter memory restrictions and only a certain number of apps could run in the background, it would at least allow me to access my Twitter feed while I’m surfing the web! I envisage some sort of drop-down menu interface from the title bar, similar to the menu bar on Mac OS where some apps reside.

I feel certain that Apple will do this as the iPad purportedly has the capacity for such overuse.

Are you contemplating the iPad and already use an iPhone? What would you like to see integrated between the two? Express yourself in the comments.