The Apple iPad

[Thespis721]

Originally Posted by manasecret

I assume you meant smaller technologies.

And I revert my opinion once again. You're right, the price for how much it can do vs. the price for a Nook or Kindle and what they can do is very fair. I think it being "much better" is too subjective of a meaning, but it can certainly do more.

And since it seems to be sans Apple Tax, this looks like it might be the first Apple product I consider buying.

Agreed on this point. I don't think anyone can REASONABLY make an argument that this device is TOO expensive or has an Apple Tax. It's not the cheapest thing in the world, but when you compare it to devices in it's class, the Kindle and Nook are similarly priced at their deluxe editions and this does an amazing amount more. Also, if you look at the iPod touch, it's only a few hundred more and it has significantly more features then the iPod.

Originally Posted by Typhoid

So it's just a large iphone minus being able to call people, then?

Well it does a lot more then an iPhone does already with iWork, the e-books, etc, etc. It DOES look like an iPhone, which is is disappointing. Plus, I guarantee that you'll be able to make VoIP calls or Google Voice with it. It's already been established that you can attach a bluetooth headset to it and iCall works with it.

Originally Posted by dropCGCF

$499 for the 16 GB Wi-Fi ONLY version.

No expandable storage?
No Flash?
No camera?

NO THANKS.

Exactly my point. It's missing that stuff which makes it immature, but all technologies MUST start somewhere. Computers didn't come out of the box feature rich, neither did the cell phones, smartphones, TVs, etc. You gotta see how it develops.

Originally Posted by gekko

I don't get it. I'm already carrying a phone, and I can get an Air for a light laptop. I don't really see the market for a middle product.

I think there's a vast difference between $1500 for a laptop or $500 for an iPad.

[thatmariolover]

For all of its limitations this thing is more functional than most netbooks. Particularly when you see the productivity apps available for it and consider the hardware inside.

The iWork suite has been split into three apps, Pages (Word Processor), Numbers (Spreadsheets), and Keynote (Interactive Presentations). Each of them have gotten a multitouch rewrite that actually look more functional than their desktop counterparts. $10 apiece, down from the $99 Mac OS suite.

The only reason the hardware is so cheap (and relatively, it's dirt cheap) is because Apple is manufacturing all of the components themselves. They bought a chip manufacturing plant and designed their own mobile processor, A4 as they've dubbed it. They designed the battery. They designed the OS. It's insanely snappy, has an incredible library of apps already available, and has the iTunes store in your pocket on a 10" LED IPS screen.

Also, I can see the iPad exploding in various businesses. But none moreso than the medical industry. This is the tablet that they've been waiting for. It has the speed they need, the display they need, an SDK so they can develop the apps that they need, and more importantly, it's reasonably priced.

I really don't think this is going to be a flop. It's just going to take a little time for us to really figure out everything we can do with this device.

[Vampyr]

Originally Posted by gekko

I don't get it. I'm already carrying a phone, and I can get an Air for a light laptop. I don't really see the market for a middle product.

The same reason you would buy a kindle or a nook?

This thing will definitely not be a flop - I've already heard a ton of people in classes and at work talking about how much they want one.

[Fox 6]

Originally Posted by thatmariolover

For all of its limitations this thing is more functional than most netbooks. Particularly when you see the productivity apps available for it and consider the hardware inside.

The iWork suite has been split into three apps, Pages (Word Processor), Numbers (Spreadsheets), and Keynote (Interactive Presentations). Each of them have gotten a multitouch rewrite that actually look more functional than their desktop counterparts. $10 apiece, down from the $99 Mac OS suite.

The only reason the hardware is so cheap (and relatively, it's dirt cheap) is because Apple is manufacturing all of the components themselves. They bought a chip manufacturing plant and designed their own mobile processor, A4 as they've dubbed it. They designed the battery. They designed the OS. It's insanely snappy, has an incredible library of apps already available, and has the iTunes store in your pocket on a 10" LED IPS screen.

Also, I can see the iPad exploding in various businesses. But none moreso than the medical industry. This is the tablet that they've been waiting for. It has the speed they need, the display they need, an SDK so they can develop the apps that they need, and more importantly, it's reasonably priced.

I really don't think this is going to be a flop. It's just going to take a little time for us to really figure out everything we can do with this device.

Now that so mention it, it makes perfect sense for medical uses. My family doctor already uses a kind of tablet to check info and to write and print prescriptions.

[gekko]

Originally Posted by Vampyr

The same reason you would buy a kindle or a nook?

I would be interested in a Kindle due to the screen which is easy on the eyes. Not sure what a Nook is. I don't really like reading on a monitor, so I'd like to give one a try some day. The iPad, from what I can tell, is another LCD.

Even if I had an iPad, I would always have an iPad + iPhone, since it can't make calls (and I wouldn't want to hold it to my ear). So any minor stuff I need to do, like check a calendar, I would still do on my phone. If I have business to do, I'll need a laptop since the iPad wouldn't allow me to do any work.

[ZebraRampage]

I don't see myself ever wanting to use this, even if it gets more applications added to it in the future. I really have no desire to have any screen being touched by my fingers either. Steve Jobs actually said that, everyone has a laptop and a smart phone these days. I JUST got my laptop on Tuesday, and I don't have a stupid smart phone. I don't want to live my life on my phone like most people do who have them. Also, whoever gets this iPad isn't going to use it for its full potential. It'll just become another device to go on facebook with, or whatever applications most people use these days. I know that this doesn't apply to everyone, but you can't disagree that a lot of people get this new stuff just because it's new and looks shiny and allows them to do the same few things they do on their computers anyway.

[Acebot44]

[Vampyr]

Originally Posted by gekko

I would be interested in a Kindle due to the screen which is easy on the eyes. Not sure what a Nook is. I don't really like reading on a monitor, so I'd like to give one a try some day. The iPad, from what I can tell, is another LCD.

Even if I had an iPad, I would always have an iPad + iPhone, since it can't make calls (and I wouldn't want to hold it to my ear). So any minor stuff I need to do, like check a calendar, I would still do on my phone. If I have business to do, I'll need a laptop since the iPad wouldn't allow me to do any work.

I spend the majority of my time reading off of monitors, so I'm either immune to the effects or they are way overhyped.

And like I said, I can't imagine anyone carrying this around with them outside their home, other than on road trips or flights, so no real need to even mention it's calling capabilities.

The only thing I consider "bad" out of all the things I've heard about it is the battery life. 10 hours in "optimal"...so average will probably be a lot less than that. Not bad for use around your house, but if you were on a long trip or something that would be annoying.

[TheSlyMoogle]

Originally Posted by Vampyr

I spend the majority of my time reading off of monitors, so I'm either immune to the effects or they are way overhyped.

And like I said, I can't imagine anyone carrying this around with them outside their home, other than on road trips or flights, so no real need to even mention it's calling capabilities.

The only thing I consider "bad" out of all the things I've heard about it is the battery life. 10 hours in "optimal"...so average will probably be a lot less than that. Not bad for use around your house, but if you were on a long trip or something that would be annoying.

Mmm well the iphone eats batteries like candy as well, so this doesn't surprise me. And I can guarantee it wont get 10 hours even at optimal setting. Probably apple sat in a room with optimal temp, optimal lighting, and optimal assholes to predict this number.

Still think the only product apple has made so far that I still consider a good investment is the iPod. So much time spent with music, and my 30 GB video iPod is still rolling along. iPod is so tasty.

My thoughts about iPad:

It will be hella useful for so many jobs.
Those uber douche types will buy it because it's from apple.
I really expected some serious innovation from Apple. Hate them as I might, they're always the first to make new things, and then other companies improve those things for me later. Giant iPod touch/iPhone. I actually don't understand why this wasn't created a year or 2 ago bar from the fact that the internal parts might have been quite a bit behind. I remember one day being like "Lol, probably should just make this iPhone 10x bigger and sell that shit to people" Tah dunh! They're doing it now.

Also Lack of Flash = Lack of pretty much the internet anyway.

[thatmariolover]

No, 10 hours is realistic for basic music listening and whatnot. Particularly if you're not constantly using your wifi/3g. For what it does it actually has really good battery life. Namely because Apple built both the battery and the super efficient A4 processor that they put in it.

[dropCGCF]

Originally Posted by TheSlyMoogle

Also Lack of Flash = Lack of pretty much the internet anyway.

DING DING DING.

Let's pay all this money for technology that we *may* get some free apps for someday.



It's honestly like licensing hardware, which BELIEVE ME, is a bad idea.

[Thespis721]

Again. I think you can make calls via VoIP with a bluetooth headset. But regarding the Flash and calling issues, I think that'll be corrected soon. Adobe is a little pissed they haven't been included yet, however, the only phone I've seen with Flash has been the Pre, and it's not released yet, and it SUCKS. I think Apple is waiting till the technology is a little more refined.

Even still, this is a GREAT read. Really captures my point of view that while this iPad may not be for you, the iPad is the first step towards a lot of potential.

http://www.stephenfry.com/2010/01/28/ipad-about/

[Angrist]

This thread needs more pictures. I've yet to see this 'iPad'.

Also, I don't get it. I've had a Sony iPad for ages!

http://img352.yfrog.com/i/478z.jpg/

[thatmariolover]

Flash isn't on iPad for the same reason it isn't on the iPhone.

The single leading source of application crashes on Mac OS X is Flash - a component that Apple can’t fix. And ignoring crashes, it takes a much more powerful Mac to play HD flash videos than on a PC - all because of Adobe's bad programming.

Flash has widereaching capabilities, and would have to be able to access the memory of any app in order to display something in them. Imagine if your favorite apps were suddenly slower and crashed more often just because Apple introduced a poorly written implementation of Flash. It doesn't make sense. Adobe needs to get their stuff together and prove that they can develop a version of Flash that Apple is willing to use.

Edit:
According to Tom's Hardware, the iPad can handle 10 hours of HD video without a recharge.

[KillerGremlin]

And that sums up my thoughts.

Also, reading on a computer is a bitch on the eyes. This won't be the Kindle killer unless it comes with a lifetime supply of free Aspirin.