Unless you live under a rock you have undoubtedly heard about the much anticipated Apple iPad. I had thought about doing a quick post when the iPad was first announced, but it seemed like everyone and their mother was covering, so I thought I would wait for some of the hoopla to die down. Over the past few weeks I have read a variety of sites discussing the iPad, with opinions ranging from it is an unimpressive product to it is a product that will revolutionize. I thought this would be a good opportunity to see what the readers of MediaSmartServer.net think.
My initial thoughts are to be honest I am not sure what to think of the iPad. I will admit I don’t buy into the whole Apple ecosystem. I do own an iPod Touch (I got it for free 
) and do own an excellent door stop known as an AppleTV. I just can’t figure out what I would do with the iPad. It doesn’t replace a notebook/netbook/desktop nor does it replace a smart phone or an iPod. Much of my video collection is high bitrate mkv/m2ts, so no luck there. I refuse to pay for another subscription service (i.e. 3G) just to have unlimited wireless, and since the iPad does not support using a cell phone as a modem like my laptop, I would be highly limited to Wi Fi hotspots when traveling. The lack of Flash support is a negative, as many of the sites I visit use Flash in some fashion (I hate seeing that broken flash icon!!!). If the iPad is meant to be a truly mobile device then I need more then just 16GB/32GB/64GB of space, and even going to the largest model (64GB) requires paying a premium. And then finally there is the price, ranging from $499 – $829 (see pricing model at the bottom of the post), which throws the iPad against netbooks/notebooks that are far more capable for the same price, if not less.
Given all the shortcomings of the iPad for my particular situation, the amazing thing is I am still very interested in the iPad as let’s face it, there is a certain “coolness” factor to it. I also know that if I were to pick one up it would instantly be a hit in my house. For the time being though I think I will sit on the sidelines and see how all this plays out. My interest is probably more towards the HP Slate or the Microsoft Courier which on paper looks to have more of the features that I am looking for.
So here is the question for our loyal readers, are you interested in the iPad, or have you already preordered one? If you are planning on getting one how do you see yourself integrating it into your setup? Are then any apps/plug ins that you hope will enhance your Windows Home Server Experience? Or maybe you think the whole tablet craze is nothing more then a fad that will fade over time.
iPad Pricing Model:
| 16GB | 32GB | 64GB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi Available April 3. | $499 | $599 | $699 |
| Wi-Fi + 3G Available late April. | $629 | $729 | $829 |
Article by Damian
Hi, my name is Damian, and I'm tech gadget addict! Although I always had some interest in technology, it wasn't until I got my EX470 and more importantly found Mediasmartserver.net, that my interest became an addiction. My goal, aside from world domination and to see the Mets/Broncos win another championship, is to set up the perfect digital home where all my media is available at the click of a button. When I am not writing for Mediasmartserver.net you can find me over at my blog at http://www.adigitalhomeblog.com or follow me on twitter
{ 111 comments }
Hello
I own Apple TV, couple of MacBook Pro’s and Iphone in my household. In my house honestly Apple TV gets used and I have installed XBMC on it as well. I do not see me getting an Ipad as it offers so little for the exorbitant price.
Hey Raj,
Interesting, that is probably the one thing I was curious about for people who use Apple products is how they view the iPad, and in particular where the price fits in versus the features. Thanks for sharing.
- Not great as a book reader due to the type of screen.
- Won’t run ‘real’ applications, only toy apps
- No connectors whatsoever, you have to buy proprietary adapters. Can’t even download photos from your camera. Can’t plug in a TV tuner or anything.
- No Adobe Flash, no Silverlight.
I could go on.
Basically the iPad is a vending machine for Apple products.
Not for me.
Me, I don’t know. If they get the magazines I buy on there then that would be a big draw.
I don’t want another data subscription so I’d go with the Wi-Fi version but I’d really like GPS and a compass built-in (these don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand with a data connection, after all) so since that option isn’t there that’s a mark in the ‘Con’ column.
Also, the lack of a front facing camera is a shame. I like the idea of Skyping from a tablet and if they added the camera, Skype would soon support it. All the talk about it makes me wonder if the next version will have one and that can’t be sorted with software. It seems to me that Apple are listening to critics and adding the most requested / moaned about features and so I think the iPhone OS will have multitasking and wouldn’t be surprised to see iPhone 4G have a front facing camera.
I think I’ll wait for the new iPhone and see which direction that’s going since I think the other models (iPod / iPad) follow where that leads.
So, to answer your question: Maybe, not yet.
I have a friend currently attending an elite university in Europe, generally populated by students from affluent families. Between the access to money and the culture of “hip” that Apple has created, as you can imagine, almost every student there has a Macbook Pro and an iPhone (my friend is an exception, he has a PC laptop and an iPhone). He tells me that the common statement amongst his fellow students is “I already have an iPhone and a Macbook Pro that I haul around everywhere with me, why would I need an iPad?” I think that’s likely going to be a common sentiment in the public.
I also think that Steve Jobs’ claim that it’s the best browsing experience ever flys in the face of the fact that you can’t view vast swaths of the web on it due to the lack of Flash support (this is less a testament to how good Flash may or may not be and more a testament to how pervasive Flash is). I ran across this link a few weeks ago and think it’s a good example:
http://theflashblog.com/?p=1703
Apple actually got caught creating fake videos of the iPad in action by showing it loading websites that use Flash and replacing the broken plug-in lego brick with images to make it look like the site fully loaded:
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/01/ipad-flash/
I think the real question is how will people react when a decent, non-Apple tablet shows up in the same price range that provides analagous features to the iPad, then piles a full OS and multitasking, a memory card slot, a web cam and any of the things we take for granted on a notebook/netbook onto it. I particularly look forward to HP’s impending slate as they’ve got a product history at this point of building finger-friendly touch interfaces and bolting them on top of Windows (See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc1PYc0pIzw ). I have to admit I like the idea of a device with a touch-friendly, custom interface that also happens to have a full OS underneath it that I can access when I choose to.
The iPad does nothing that my HP Mini 110 or my Motorola Droid won’t do. I really don’t see the point for me and will not be buying one.
No, no value plain and simple.
With all the negatives I will point out why I am considering getting one.
1. Magazines. Magazine subscriptions on the iPad are going to be truly fantastic. For a taste look at the example Wired magazine provided on how they view this technology on such a device.
2. Books. I have a Kindle and I really enjoy it, but there are entire new outlets for books with the iPad. Do a search and view the demo that Penguin Publishing gave of where they see book technology with this device. After viewing it is hard NOT to believe that future books will be on this device or a similar android device. Especially textbooks which can be enhanced with pictures, narration and video, not to mention interaction.
3. Couch surfing. My wife and I are both incredibly guilty of couch surfing on our phones when watching TV. The laptop is too big and bulky to couch surf very well, and the screen size of the phone is too small. This device will be perfect for soaking up light web content while sitting on the sofa.
4. Family games. There will be games for the iPad. Very very cool games. Lots of games. With the screen size there will be family games and possibly even board games or games where you pass the ipad between a group of friends. This is probably the opportunity I am most excited about.
All in all I think the iPad is going to be a hit. Is it a vending machine for Apple to sell you application software and media? Certainly. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. If you can get the software you want and get an excellent calendar, email app, browser, etc, all included in something that is not much more expensive than a netbook than why not.
I want to point out one more thing about this device. This device is not about downloading your family photos directly onto it. It’s not about archiving your entire media collection so that you have every episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with you every minute of every day.
This device is designed for streamed content. All of your content will eventually sit in the cloud and high speed wireless access will be ubiquitous.
The future of home computing is increasingly looking like an environment in which a family might have one very powerful workstation, one home “server” and a variety of these small mobile devices for access of content and light content creation.
I’ve preordered the ipad. I think it will be great for gaming, photo management/editing, web surfing/email, and viewing photos and movies from my mediasmart server.
I like the idea of having a large instant-on device. A lot of my computer use comes in quick bursts throughout the day and having a device that i can just push the button on and it’s ready to go is great.
I think the large size will bring forth apps that we can’t even imagine.
It’s going to be a lot of fun.
@ Jmpage2,
Thanks for the comments. If the iPad is really designed solely for streamed content I believe that is where part of the problem lies. I think it is meant for both streamed and stored content, no different then an iPod. Wireless performance is still hit or miss. For those who don’t want to pay $30/month or whatever the 3G fee is you are left scrounging around for a Wi Fi hot spot when you are traveling, and even then there is no guarantee that it will be able to sustain streaming content. Maybe one day cloud computing will be the norm and free wi fi will be everywhere. That to an extent is the problem though as you say the iPad is designed to take advantage of something that is still scarcely implemented currently. I could definitely see myself just sitting on the couch surfing the web with an iPad, but as a mobile device while I travel for work and personal I just can’t see where it fits in as of now. At a minimum the iPad should have been built with the capability to use a mobile phone as a modem (as I do with my laptop if there isn’t a Wi Fi hotspot in the area). I guess only time will tell. I am still not sold that this tablet movement will have any traction. For me the tablet (whether it be the iPad, Slate, etc…) needs to be something that replaces the need for a laptop/netbook, not just a complimentary device.
Damian,
I guess we travel in different circles. Pretty much everywhere I go, from my house, to my office, to the airport or hotel, I have access to wifi.
I think that the idea of carrying the iPad everywhere you go is less the idea. The idea is probably more as Jobs put it “go to the kitchen, grab your ipad and buy movie tickets”.
In other words a relatively inexpensive tablet computer that is instant on and can do a lot.
Too many people are busily ticking off checkboxes and comparing this to their laptop and getting frustrated that it can’t do everything that their laptop does.
It’s designed to do some things your laptop does better and doesn’t even try to do other things that your laptop does at all.
Imagine doing a home improvement project such as tackling a small plumbing project on your own. Now imagine that there are three ways you can get access to the info you need to complete this project.
1. A book. Obviously cheap (if you get water on it), but limited information, no multi media, no online access, etc.
2. A laptop. Big, clunky, expensive and very difficult to interact with.
3. An iPad in a suitable case. Small, light, touch screen, and access to a hypothetical plumbing app that gives you narration, video, 3D models of plumbing methods, etc.
Clearly option 3 is the most flexible and probably the easiest to interact with. The $499 16GB iPad of today is the $299 32GB iPad with video conferencing of tomorrow… it will just take another year or so for it to go more “mainstream” for users such as yourself.
Again, I think that this is revolutionary technology, the apps just don’t exist yet.
In a year or two people will be thinking of how they got along without one of these things (Apple, Android or otherwise) and we will all be chuckling about the doubts about how the technology would be useful.
For me I have wifi at home, but aside from that it is not easily accessible. I agree that the iPad is not necessarily meant to be compared against a laptop/netbook, but then again how can you not just based on the price. I could see if the iPad was at $299, but when the starting price is $500 and you could spend up to $900 I feel doing a comparison is justified. For me I am looking for a device to replace at least one of the devices I carry around (Laptop and phone), not add a 3rd device into the mix. The one interesting thing to watch is how the other manufacturers follow suit with their tablets. With both the iPod and iPhone I think Apple really caught much of the competition off guard and by the time everyone else caught up Apple was too far ahead. This may not be the case with tablets though as many players will be entering the market at the same time with potentially more feature rich products. Should be interesting to see how this all plays out!!!
I agree that it will be an interesting next couple of years with this product segment.
Even if the product does not go mainstream (but I believe that likely) it will last as a niche product in many industries such as medicine, shipping, etc.
I am a long time Apple lover. I love every system that comes out of Apple. I have had all the iphones, two iMac, MBP, and even a MacPro.
Two tell you the truth i think the iPad is the only product from Apple that i will never buy.
I does the same things my iPhone does (iPhone does more). I have a Dell mini that cost me 299.00 and its 110% more functional than the iPad.
I think i would buy the macbook for 999.00 which has everything.
When it come to integreating tje iPad to my home server or even the network i have no use for it.
Probably not. It’s too big. It won’t fit in my pocket.
Get bigger pants
I have my iPad reserved and will be making a road-trip to the Apple Store in Buffalo from Toronto with a few of my buddies to get it since it won’t be available in Canada on Apr. 3rd.
Why am I stoked about the iPad?
I read eBooks and just sold my Sony eReader to help finance the iPad. The 16GB iPad is $499. For the same screen size, the Kindle DX is $489. The iPad is a COLOUR device with more functionality than a Kindle DX. The experience will be great. ‘Nuff said.
What were you doing before reading this comment? Likely browsing the web or reading email. Quite simply, that’s what the iPad allows you to do. Combine that with reading eBooks and you have the perfect device in the iPad.
Have you tried using a laptop without sitting up in bed? I’m expecting the iPad to be a better experience than using a laptop in bed.
While having Mac OSX on the iPad would have been nice, really, what for? I wouldn’t use the iPad to use Word and Excel on it. That’s what a computer with a physical keyboard is for.
I don’t expect HP’s slate to be successful because it’s another PC with an underlying Windows OS in a different form factor. If you’re going to do that, you might as well get a netbook or laptop with a full keyboard. I don’t want another PC. I have enough of them in my life.
For what many folks use the computer for, the iPad will be more than sufficient plus you’ll have access to applications and music at the Apple Store.
Many laughed when the iPod was first introduced. I bet they have one now. Those same people will come around and will want the iPad. Wait and see.
It’s going to be great. Apr.3rd couldn’t come soon enough.
I should also add that the iPad will not replace the computers I already have and I wouldn’t recommend that one makes the iPad their main computer. The iPad, in my view, is to enhance the computing experience with the computer that you already have.
I think I know the words to this promotional Apple video for the iPad word for word. Take a view. You’ll want an iPad afterwards.
http://www.apple.com/ipad/#video
Haha All4Fun, been waiting all day for your comments. This post was partially written with you in mind
i have pre-ordered an iPad and i cannot wait until the 3rd for it to get delivered.
i have no other reason for wanting one other than i use my iphone all the time while i am relaxing at home and would like a bigger screen.
All4Fun The fact that the HP slate is “another PC with an underlying Windows OS in a different form factor” is likely exactly why it, and other PC tablets coming out soon, will sell. You’re already starting off with a massive potential market (everyone who wants a slate PC that doesn’t want to buy Apple or, specifically, the iPad) and giving them something the iPad doesn’t have…an actual OS with install flexibility. I’ve lost count of the number of people I know who bought a netbook and immediately ripped Windows out of it and installed any number of alternate OSes, and there’s plenty of those people who’d buy a touchscreen slate PC. I doubt it’ll take very long for legions of *nix fans to buy up non-Apple slate PCs and do this to them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MLoNhK7qds
Also, at this point nobody knows what the actual interface on the HP slate will be like. Windows 7 will obviously live on the machine, but what “special sauce” sits on top of it could be anything from the Touchsmart interface or touch-enabled Netbook remix HP already has out there, or something completely new. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
While it is true that there will be hobbyists who will buy a slate PC, such as the HP and then put an OS on it, this is a tiny number of people. The number of people running Linux, etc, on netbooks is tiny.
By comparison Apple will sell an estimated 1 million iPads within a few months of the product launch. This is a lot of computers. If the momentum persists then Apple will effectively define what will be perceived by consumers as a new product category.
Inevitably there will be competition (and I think competition is good!), but I don’t see much of that competition coming from Microsoft, at least not until Courier comes out, which might be the end of the year if they are firing on all cylinders.
“The number of people running Linux, etc, on netbooks is tiny.”
December 9, 2009
“…ABI Research published some new data last month and the results may surprise you. They place the 2009 market share for Linux on netbooks at 32% with 11 million units preloaded with Linux shipping this year. In an interview with DesktopLinux.com, Jeffrey Orr of ABI makes clear that dual boot machines (i.e.: the Acer Aspire One AOD250-1613) and machines that are purchased with Windows but later have Linux loaded do not count in the 32% number. That number is pure Linux sales. This data confirms comments made first by Jay Pinkert and later by Todd Finch of Dell that one third of their netbooks sales are Linux machines and that there is no higher return rate for Linux systems than there is for ones sold with Windows preloaded.”
http://broadcast.oreilly.com/2009/12/linux-regaining-netbook-market.html
“While MSI told us a few months back that Wind netbooks running SuSE Linux saw 4x higher return rates than that of XP machines, Dell has had quite the opposite experience with its Inspiron Mini 9 offering with Ubuntu. “A third of our Mini 9 mix is Linux, which is well above the standard attach rate for other systems that offer Linux. We have done a very good job explaining to folks what Linux is,” says Dell’s Jay Pinkert.”
http://blog.laptopmag.com/one-third-of-dell-inspiron-mini-9s-sold-run-linux
There’s a whole lot more data out there about this, go have a look.
Well done Seth.
I have a dell mini with linux on it and i love it. At first i ordered the xp version but it was super slow so i decide to switch to the linux one.The best choice.
No interest in the iPad here. For books (and MP3 music) I have a Kindle. For photos, videos and music I have an Epsom P-3000. Not in love with my wife’s laptop (old and slow) but I’ll replace that with either another laptop or with one of the new Archos units. Undoubtedly it will be something that runs Windows. (More likely, I’ll just keep procrastinating.)
And if I do leave Windows it will be for Linux, not Apple.
I am trying to find a way to talk myself out of getting an iPad. I certainly see it’s faults. I wish it had an SD slot. But Apple will likely never add that b/c it will not sell the 32GB and 64 GB models if it has an SD slot. I don’t care about a front facing camera, don’t use the one on my Macbook Pro, didn’t use the one on my Toshiba. It really needs multitasking to be a viable computing device. That will hopefully be fixed in iPhone OS 4.0. Of course it’s not for everyone. Especially those who like to tinker and alter the computer OS. But thats a small portion of the computer purchasers. The iPad will outsell any other slate device that comes out. Microsoft tried that years ago. They failed because they ran Windows. The Slate will sell a few devices b/c of the iPad bonanza, but it still runs an OS not designed around a touchscreen. It gets spyware and viruses. The only thing you needed to fix a hiccup in the iPhone OS is to reboot.
1. My wife has a Kindle, the iPad will replace it. I am hoping for magazines to take off on it. I have canceled most of my subscriptions last year. Got tired of them just piling up.
2. The iPad will be my second browsing device. I only have a Macbook Pro and a HP MSS. My wife fusses when I take the MBP with me for something. The iPad will solve that b/c she only uses the MBP for browsing.
I won’t consider it all. First generation from Apple lacks a few key features. Apple doesn’t need ALL the features of a laptop, only a few to begin with. Sorry but Apple’s first generation of iPads misses. I, like others have a laptop, smartphone and some type of server (HP MSS). So, I am having a hard time figuring out where it would fit. I did read the comments of the people who are buying and still not convinced. Maybe second generation iPad or if the HP Slate delivers. What is really interesting about the iPad is you can’t write on it, correct me if I am wrong, not trying to put it down. So, how could a student use it if “digital ink” isn’t supported? This is where I was excited about the potential as I plan to go back to school and want something really light to carry around. Again, maybe second generation.
The iPad is more about content consumption and transportation than content creation. Where’s the ink? It has a virtual keyboard which will probably suffice for short notes. I would expect there will probably be a whiteboard application which will let a student do scribbles on it and then offer to convert them into text.
If you look at text books and fast forward a few years you can see where this thing, once it’s more reasonably priced does a great job of replacing text books for students. Instead of spending $600 for a semester’s worth of physical texts that weigh 80 lbs you spend $300 on digital versions which add multi-media, the ability to immediately link to footnoted documents, a built in discussion board for questions, etc.
For the heavy content creation people will still use keyboards, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a compact BT keyboard eventually make an appearance for this, coupled with some kind of case that would prop it up if you wanted to record everything your instructor said. Also remember that it has a voice recorder so you could simply record your lecture and then transcribe later.
For content creation heavy roles, such as architects, designers and engineers I would see a device like the MS Courier making more sense since it is stylus based. I think when you compare content creation vs. content consumption in the mobility space, there are far more consumers than creators which means the iPad, being geared towards content consumption should do pretty well.
Here’s an example of “books” on the iPad from publisher Penguin;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdExukJVUGI&feature=player_embedded
Here’s an example of “Wired” magazine on the a slate device like the iPad;
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/23/videos-wired-vivmag-showcase-ipad-offerings/
If an iPad does not turn your crank then there’s little reason to buy the 1st generation. It is inevitable that future generations will be less expensive, with more storage and capabilities. Initial versions will have limited content but will likely have FAR MORE content available, via iTunes and the App Store than any other tablet.
It is the ability to read books, magazines, play games (with family), etc, that will likely make me an iPad early adopter.
We have had some good dialogue here so keep it going
Unfortunately it has been a while since I was in college, but as a college student I would think the goal would be to have a device that replaces the need for a laptop, not a device to carry alongside. And let’s face it, a physical keyboard still rules, so whether an iPad or other Tablet device it is a tough sell (at least to start until they become so cheap that there is minimal financial impact on a college student owning both a laptop and a tablet, at some point I am sure we will get there).
I know for me I still want something that can replace my laptop when traveling for business or pleasure, which in its current form the iPad does not accomplish. Since Apple is very controlling over its ecosystem I doubt in my situation I would ever get there with an iPad.
Consider the pros and cons of getting all of your textbook information on a laptop vs. a tablet device.
The laptop has a keyboard, that’s a nice thing. It does not have a touch screen. It is much larger and heavier, it has a shorter battery life and it is not instant on (although admittedly you can hibernate or sleep it between uses).
I guess the question comes down to how many notes you take. I went to college prior to the current habit of every student taking a laptop everywhere.
If I had the option of an iPad and Laptop both having their limitations, I might be included to go with the iPad if the textbooks were more versatile. I could always carry the iPad and a single legal pad for sketching notes, then I could reference the documentation as needed while note taking and do it with a very small and lightweight option.
Too many people are hung up with the idea that the iPad is so limiting that you must constantly have another computer immediately accessible to tether it to or to supplement its function.
Considering that we haven’t even seen the kinds of applications that will be available this seems like a weak argument. The only thing we truly know is that you will need to tether the device to back it up, it should be able to do most other tasks over a network connection.
I think whether it be the iPad, Slate, etc… if I was a student one important thing would be the ability to print (whether it be pages from a textbook, notes written, etc..). Will these tablets have this ability, who knows, but an important feature nonetheless. Another feature, how can you transfer notes or files, there is no SD slot with the iPad and I am assuming to transfer files it would have to be to a computer running iTunes (I am talking more from the standpoint that you want to transfer something to a computer other then yours, are you required to have iTunes running on that computer and then sync up, seems undesirable). I know when I was in college and in particular when working on group projects I may start something on my PC, but copy over to a disc to work on elsewhere. I am just thinking out loud here, but these are things I would think from a student standpoint would be important, the ability to transfer files back and forth without having to go the extra mile or have extra software involved. I definitely don’t like the fact that you are completely locked out of the battery, and are required to either send away or make a special trip to get replaced. At a minimum Apple should stop that nonsense.
The comments of the iPad as a textbook approach being ridiculous. Even as a magazine reader it is just plain silly.
Ebook readers are only good for linear documents, such as a novel. For anything else they stink. Ebooks are hard to “jump around” in, they are hard to just browse looking for information, notes on paper margins are far superior. Has anybody here actually ‘read’ a magazine on a computer screen? Only acceptable if you can’t possibly get your hands on the real thing, otherwise it stinks.
This whole “embedded multimedia” and “hyperlinks” being included and improving a textbook forget that we already have a far superior format for that kind of thing: webpages. So if we wanted it now, we could have highly effective textbooks residing online. But we don’t, because paper textbooks, supplemented by online information, is a much more effective learning combination.
Here is a description of a device that was sold back in the year 2000. Let’s see if you can tell the difference between this and the iPad:
“The xxxx is a touchscreen, passive matrix LCD device and came equipped with a stylus. All applications were touch-enabled. Since the standard infrared keyboard was only needed for typing tasks, it could be hung out of the way on the rear of the unit. The stylus was to be placed in a receptacle on the top of the screen with an LED that flashed when email arrived. Buttons on the right side of the screen were used to access the web browser, email application, and calendar, and a wheel knob at the bottom selected different “channels” of push content.”
No, not an early iPad… above is a description of the 3Com Audrey. Basically the same as an iPad but waaaay before it’s time in terms of hardware capabilities. My father had one, and he loved it, since he was old and not ‘keyboard and mouse savvy’. But the device was utterly impractical for people that needed to do real work, and it failed miserably.
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3Com_Audrey )
All I can see the iPad being actually practical for is browsing the web and twittering while sitting in bed or on the toilet… for everything else there are better solutions. Listen to music on your iPhone, watch a movie on your real TV connected to a computer or from online (which iPad’s won’t do)… what else is left… read a book? Buy the darn novel on paper… it is more convenient.
Pee-Wee Herman demonstrated it best:
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/f7a03edbd7/pee-wee-gets-an-ipad
Print and file handling are already in the SDK for the iPad. It will be up to the software designers to incorporate them in their apps.
Remember that the iPhone and iPod touch intentionally obscure the file system but the file system is still there.
A likely file management system for the iPad will be the ability to email a project document from the device to an email account so that it can be retrieved on a “real” computer. Another option would be cloud sync of files/projects from the tablet to a cloud service (Mobile Me or others).
As computer ninjas we often forget that most people don’t care about this stuff. They don’t want to know that they put project1.doc in \home\user\projects\project1.doc. They just want to print the file or send it somewhere (often just send it to another user).
Print functionality, if it is incorporated might be handled by support/certification of specific printers with iPad functionality via bluetooth or wi-fi or the use of a 3rd party print terminal server that can talk to the iPad.
Remember that when Apple eliminated floppy disc drives the computing world thought they were insane and we all know how that one turned out.
You can already print some things directly from an iPhone/iPod Touch so yes you can print from the iPad. Note that it’s not a function native to iPhone OS and currently requires a Windows-based PC running the client app (supposedly an OS X version is coming soon).
http://www.activeprint.net/
@ Seth,
So currently you would need a Windows-based PC (and/or eventually OS X) running the app, and then this computer connected to the printer you want to print to, correct? It will not talk to a printer directly (i.e. thinking a wireless network printer).
@Awake;
Calm down partner, geez. You can disagree without necessarily having to belittle the opinions of others.
Whether you like it or not, ebooks are taking off. My wife got me a Kindle as a gift a year ago and I’ve since downloaded and read over 20 books on it. This is far more than I normally read and a big part of that is the convenience of getting a new book any time I like with a simple mouse click. The screen quality rivals actual paper and it’s worth pointing out that Amazon has already identified that the Kindle is their most popular product EVER.
iPad is like Kindle on steroids. It does not have an e-ink display but that won’t bother people who do lighter reading (say 30 minutes at a shot) which is probably many casual readers.
If the iPad and other tablet concepts are such a dud then why are major companies like Penguin, Nat Geo, Wired, NYT, NPR, Wall Street Journal and many others getting ready to release content? It’s just a fad? Maybe they know something about trends that you and I do not. Just because a 1/2 baked previous incarnation of a product like this (the Newton comes to mind) did not make it does not mean that the format is doomed forever.
There were probably cranks running around when they started binding books screaming and yelling about the advantages of scrolls and why on earth do you want to have to turn pages! You are far more likely to get paper cuts with that nasty book paper compared to good old fashioned parchment! No one needs that many pages bound up! A scroll is in a more practical shape, you can put it in a scroll tube and beat up a hyena with it!
@ Awake,
I forgot about the toilet factor, I am pre ordering one right now
You are correct and I don’t see how it could talk directly to a printer unless the printer companies start cranking out apps that are basically printer drivers. I don’t see that happening anytime soon, to be honest.
Of course is possible to print from the ipad. If the iphone can so can the ipad. I have a app that connects to my network printer using the ip address. It works great.
It’s interesting that we’ve had tablets available in some form or another for YEARS, yet Apple releases the iPad and literally thousands, if not millions, will want one. Apple must be doing something right for this segment of users. We’re not all drinking Apple’s Kool-Aid.
Remember, this is a version 1 product. Apple definitely has a road-map for this product and it will evolve over time. Very likely, there will be a version 2 iPad the same time next year with more goodies.
It’s interesting to hear what folks want out of the iPad (like printing) yet don’t demand the same thing from the Kindle DX that is similarly priced with the low-end iPad. The iPad is not a traditional personal computer and not intended to compete with it.
While I don’t necessarily agree with Apple’s control, it certainly has avoided having poorly developed apps bring down the OS or present instability to the environment. For those will Apple hardware, I’m sure they can attest to how little they need to reset their hardware. Like other Apple products, the iPad will just work.
The e-ink argument blows. I owned a Sony Reader (similar to a Kindle) and you can’t read that thing at night without a book light or a lamp. I read off a PC monitor all day and my eyes are fine. I don’t plan on spending hours reading books on the iPad and, even if I did, my eyes will be fine. I’d rather read my content in colour please.
The iPad will not be for everyone and I can appreciate the arguments against it. However, an earlier commenter said it best; the iPad is for media/data consumption – not creation. If you want to create, look elsewhere.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the device is targeted at the 30+ age crowd – those with the disposable income. Generally, those who don’t have time to tinker with Linux and Windows and just want to pick up a device to read eBooks, read email, or browse the web.
This is a technology discussion forum, so I’m not surprised by some of the comments I’ve read where folks here want to play and tinker with something. For the most part, those days are behind me now and I just want something that is low maintenance and allows me to “consume” media.
Just so it doesn’t go unsaid, we’ve all collectively failed to discuss the large number of slates scheduled to ship this year that will be powered by Android. Just to throw a bit of gas on the conversation fire…
http://eu.techcrunch.com/2010/03/19/apple-ipad-how-about-a-little-german-innovation-instead/
WePad looks interesting. A lot of talk though and no ship date (after originally saying it would be in German stores at a lower price than iPad in April).
Android tablets should be interesting for certain.
Thank you all for making this a mature discussion without the personal attacks that you tend to see elsewhere.
Android, being open-source, is great and I hope it can evolve and compete with anyone out there.
IMO, an Android tablet will need to be priced right to compete with the iPad. Also, if released today, it will not have the breadth of apps available in the Apple Store. Over time though, it should improve.
I wish the Android platform well though. Will keep Apple honest.
@All4Fun “For those will Apple hardware, I’m sure they can attest to how little they need to reset their hardware. Like other Apple products, the iPad will just work.”
And I can also attest to you just how little my non-Apple hardware has needed to be reset. Conversely, I can rattle off endless stories about spinning beachballs of death under OS X, numerous iPod resets I’ve had to do with my own hardware, point you at first-hand accounts from die-hard Apple users about their hardware self-destructing (this is my younger brother – http://www.rinzai.com/2007/02/21/the-curse-of-the-early-adopter-part-two/ ) and can describe in detail the incident where the Mac Cube at my old place of work literally burst into flames while sitting there powered on.
I’d suggest we all limit our discussion to facts and not claims that are unprovable or smell of fanboyism/urban legend-propogation or this is going to degenerate into OS wars which is helpful to nobody.
Funny that you make a plea to keep things fact based and avoid an OS war, right after you post a bunch of mis-information about OS X.
*facepalm*
@seth
Sounds like “bad luck” to me. That hasn’t been my experience with Apple products (a MacBook Pro, iMac, iPhone, and iPod Touch), the user’s at my workplace’s experience, or those that I know with Apple products experience. I manage an IT environment with Macs and PCs. Guess which ones cost our org more to support? Those are all facts to me.
Could we really be naive to think that Apple hardware doesn’t fail from time to time? I’m sure we can cite many examples on the other side too. That’s not my argument when I also own more PCs that I’m almost too embarrassed to mention and, of course, a first generation MediaSmart EX470.
Please, let’s not make this discussion go down the toilet. It was going well to this point.
First off I want to second All4Fun’s comments and thank everyone for keeping this conversation at a mature level. If it isn’t obvious already I wrote this post specifically because I knew it would illicit a great deal of dialogue which has proved true (48 comments already in less then two days). I was a little hesitant as if anyone has read discussion of Apple vs Windows vs Linux on other sites it almost gets handled more passionately then discussing religion or politics, and inevitably leads to people making Yo mama comments! So thanks once again for making this site what it is, as I believe there is a certain amount of respect exhibited amongst members here and on the forum that you just don’t see anywhere else. Or maybe it is just because of my boyish good looks
OK, enough of my sermon and back to business, couple of points that have come to mind while I was working out this evening (even when I am pumping iron I am still a geek at heart!):
- From reading around since the iPad was announced I keep coming across the term Revolutionary. I would argue that the iPad is as far from revolutionary as you can get, as in its current form it is nothing more then a big iPod. The iPhone and iPod I would consider revolutionary, but taking an existing product, making it bigger and maybe adding a few extra bells and whistles is in no way revolutionary. If the iPad or other tablet devices take off you can argue that they are Evolutionary, but the technology already exists and has been around for a while (just poorly implemented).
I also think as I have mentioned as well as others, by no means is the iPad a slam dunk. It will face a much different competition then when the iPod or iPhone was first released given the onslaught of tablet pcs that will hit the market in the very short term which may be more feature rich and at a better price point. There is no reason to think that the iPad can’t just coexist with other tablets, but I am not ready to subscribe to the notion YET that everyone will fall in love with the iPad and it will become as common in the household as a fridge. Maybe the iPad will be what the iPod/iPhone is, or maybe it will be what the AppleTV is (ouch). I prefer to take the middle ground and see how this all plays out with great interest.
Cheers
Damian
I dont believe the iPad is going to be the next iPhone or iPod when it comes to sales and popularity.
The reason why the iPhone was so succesful is because at the time there was nothing that could compare with what the device was offering.
The iPad, just like Damian said, is just another iPod touch but bigger. Its going to find a market flooded by the iPhone and the iPod.
I think one of the main reasons i think people are not feeling the iPad is the absense of a flash player. Almost 95% of the websites have flash content. I think i would even consider buying it if it supports flash.
Flash is the issue du-jour but it won’t be an issue for a terribly long time. It was noted today that CBS is already converting their website from flash to HTML-5 in preparation for the iPad launch. I fully expect other sites to follow.
If you have 10 million iPad users out there then it’s in your best interest to move to a standards based system like HTML5 that they can use, or they will just go somewhere else.
Flash is really just a crutch at this point since nothing better had been available to enable video on the internet. I won’t be sorry to see it go bye bye.
You can assume though that Adobe isn’t just going to lay down and let Flash go bye bye. Just saying don’t count them out. Maybe over time there will be the transition but at least near term Flash still rules. The assumption you are making is that the iPad will rule all, and who knows maybe, but if the other tablets come in swinging and have full Flash support, there may be less of an incentive to just bow down to Apple.
Personally I don’t necessarily subscribe to the idea that most businesses will change their web sites to support HTML5. First off the HTML5 spec isn’t even complete and approved yet. Second, once the spec is finalized and approved it needs to be integrated into all of the commonly used HTML editors. While aspects of HTML5 may already be in many/most of these editors, there’s no guarantee that the spec is up to date. Changes to these editors will need to be added to development calendars and that takes time to complete. Third, and in my mind most importantly, while many large businesses may have the development staff to start work on wholesale conversions of their web site, most small businesses don’t have the luxury of having web developers on staff. As such they may not be in a position to do these conversions right away. And with the economy being in the state that it’s in, some businesses simply may not be able to justify the cost of doing web site re-development until the economic situation improves. Fourth, I also agree that Adobe isn’t going to sit idle while this happens. Who’s to say that Adobe doesn’t get their hands on a few iPad’s and work on developing a third party flash application for it.
In reading the HTML5 spec, I find it amusing to see that the two documented editors of the new spec are employees of Google and Apple. Sort of makes one think that these two companies have something to gain by getting HTML5 to become a standard.
Not all sites have to adopt HTML5 and not all sites have to be completely re-written. You can detect that the device is an iphone or ipad (or other HTML 5 capable mobile device) and then direct the device to a version of the site with basic HTML5 capabilities for viewing video or animation.
There’s no question Flash is big on the web today, but it has major issues, such as the lack of being standards based, bugs that take months or years to fix (if they ever get fixed), major security problems, etc.
iPhone has been available for years and if Adobe wanted to bring a Flash application to it they probably would have dropped it into the Cydia jailbroken community by now.
There’s no question that there’s bad blood between Apple and Adobe over Flash. Apple wanted Quicktime (which is standards based) to be the media delivery mechanism for HTML but MS and Adobe teamed up on them and pushed Flash, bundling it into Explorer and Windows, pretty much knocking Apple out of the business.
Apple has their own issues with proprietary closed off crap, but the case of what MS and Adobe did to screw them with Flash is pretty well documented.
I don’t expect the interweb to change to Flash overnight but it will happen and it won’t take as long as people think. Look at how much work has been done in just the past few years with XML, etc, and it’s hard NOT to believe that an HTML5 migration could happen in just another couple of years.
The bottom line is that if you’re going to die without flash on your mobile device than the iPad is not the device for you. My guess would be that the large majority of people buying the iPad won’t know what Flash is or much care about it. If they visit a site and the Flash features don’t function they might complain about it but I don’t think it will dampen their experience very much.
Maybe flash wont be the iPad killer but storage capacity might be. Most people think that 64GB is a lot but its nothing. You would think that storage being so cheap this days Apple would add at least 120GB to the iPad.
If you going to use it just for books and web browsing it might take some time to fill up the memory. But when you have music, apps, books and docs you realize that you need more than that.
Don’t know what to think about this yet, but supposedly the JooJoo is shipping on Monday:
https://thejoojoo.com/sites/
did joojoo ever have a large media event describing what that thing does?
one thing for sure. that joojoo device is HUGE. at over 2 lbs and only 5 hours of battery life, it will be a major fail.
why apple wins with iphone, itouch and ipad is very very simple…. content.
in another 3 years, i think android will over take them, but until, apple is king.
@ Cubanblood,
Completely agree. I have a 32GB iPod and just on my music alone I am nearly full. I hardly use my iPod to be honest (only when I go to the gym), but I see no way possible to get my full compliment of media on there. That is where having an SD slot would come in handy to add storage
@ Geoff A,
JooJoo has been a mess. There was some sort of lawsuits and a lot of issues. I would definitely not have high expectations for the JooJoo until it proves its worth
@Damian,
Why would you want to take all of your music, movies, etc, with you on your iPad whenever you leave home with it? Isn’t that what streaming is for?
I have a 60GB music collection but I only take about 10GB of it with me on my iPhone at any given time, I handle the selection through dynamic playlists and it works very well.
I don’t see many people plugging in headphones or using the speakerphone on the iPad to listen to a months worth of music, but I could be wrong.
One thing is for sure, storage gets cheaper every year. This years 16GB entry level iPad is next years 32GB model.
Thank God Apple did not try to to shove a hard drive in this thing to satisfy the pack rats out there. It would be larger and get terrible battery life. Hard drives are fading away, specifically in the mobile space.
@ Jmpage2,
Very simple, I don’t want to have to pick and choose what I need to add to my iPod when I sync it, mess around with playlists, etc…. Right now my entire music library gets synced up to my iPod. To me if every time I have to travel I needed to sort out what I wanted to take with me, well that is just a terrible waste of time (just for my particular setup).
I think you are making this out to be a bigger deal than it is. As I said, I have 60GB of music. There is no flash based device that has enough space to handle all of it.
I have a “three star” dynamic playlist in iTunes that gets sync’d to my iPhone. All I have to do to add a song to the playlist is rate it 3 or more stars. If I’m listening to that song on my iPhone and decide I am tired of it, I rate it two stars on the iPhone and that song gets removed from the playlist the next time I sync the phone.
It is EXTREMELY easy and there’s no “management” to do at all.
The argument you have is “I want all of my media with me all of the time, no matter what”! The problem is that many of us have close to 1TB of media between movies, music, tv shows, etc and we all know it is impractical to take all of this with us all of the time.
Dynamic playlist is just one easy way to handle this, other ways are streaming from a home device to the mobile device, etc.
I’m not dismissing this point of view, but I think we all know the “pack rat” argument is thin. No device is capable of taking all of your media on the road, regardless of storage space….
Besides, there is a 64GB iPad available, it’s not like Apple is forcing you to go with 16GB. What’s more, the 64GB iPad is only $350 more than a comparably sized iPod Touch. For that extra $350 you get a much larger screen, etc.
So because my setup is different or I don’t want to do things like you I am making a big deal out of it???
To clarify, I am talking specifically about my music and photos, not my video collection which is in excess of 10TB, I am not that stupid to think I should be able to carry that around at all times…
Also, keep in mind, for myself I avoid iTunes wherever possible as I find it to be bloatware, I just use it to sync my music and photos, and that is it. I just want to connect my iPod every once in a while, let is sync, and move on to more important things. I am not saying my setup is the same as everyone else, just highlighting my setup.
As I have said in almost every post, I prefer to just sit on the sidelines and see how it turns out. I don’t drink the Apple Koolaid but I still acknowledge that Apple has had some great successes, and along with that failures (but what company hasn’t). Maybe the iPad will be great, maybe it will just be another device. I don’t follow why you are so quick to defend Apple at all costs??? It is actually ok if we don’t agree
I have well over 10000 songs in my music collection. it would take me 26 days non stop to listen to all of them. The reason why i have a 160GB iPod classic is because i want all those with me so when i want to listen to something in particular i have it right there. I know there is the istream app, but i don’t always have a steady 3G signal to stream without problem.
@Damian
I’m certainly not getting hot and bothered, this is a friendly discussion. I’m also not an Apple “fanboy”, I’m just as quick to criticize them when they make a boneheaded move (no blu-ray in their Macs, Apple TV is a joke, etc).
What I’m trying to get you to realize is that while you joke that you’re not “stupid enough to want all of your video” that’s just your own personal preference. There ARE people that want all of that video with them all of the time and make the same criticisms you are making about not being able to carry it with them all of the time. The fact that you limit your choices to music and photo wouldn’t matter at all to those people, they are as irritated as you that they can’t take ALL of their media with them, video or otherwise.
The reason I think Apple will succeed is that Apple understands consumers and the consumer market better than any other tech company out there. Their devices pass the “grandma” test more often than not, meaning that my grandma could pick up one of their devices and start using it fully in a matter of a few minutes without special training. This is a stark difference from companies like Microsoft that seem to design their products for tech aficionados most of the time and as a result, discover that users are confused and frustrated with the product.
I think that the one thing we can all agree on is that the iPhone was a game changer. The iPad might not be a game changer, or it might be. Personally I think it will be a game changer, for reasons I have already outlined. As to my defense of Apple and their iPad strategy, I think I make decent arguments… as the saying goes “if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen”.
@ Jmpage2,
No worries. I follow where you are coming from. I don’t disagree with ALL your points
My setup is different from your setup which is different from the next person, so who knows what matters most??? I just don’t think this is a slam dunk. I remember when the AppleTV came out words like revolutionary and game changer where thrown around left and right, and we both know how that turned out. I also feel there is a much different level of competition with the iPad then what the iPhone and iPod ever saw. If the iPad was $299 I would consider it, but because the price point comes in at anywhere from $500 – $900 you have to factor in the competition, and you have to look at alternatives like netbooks/notebooks, at least as a consumer I have to. To an extent the iPad does compete with the iPod/iPhone as well. I think we both make solid arguments and are just coming from different points of view, no harm in that. As far as the kitchen, I usually have PB&Js for dinner so no heat needed 
If AppleTV had 300,000 or more pre-orders in the pipe within a week of becoming available then that might be a valid comparison. There were also zero content deals for the Apple TV whereas every day we are seeing more and more content and distribution deals for the iPad.
It might be a big flop, you might be right. It certainly is not for everyone, for reasons already mentioned in these comments. It can’t do Flash. It doesn’t have hard drive type storage capabilities. No keyboard. It does appear that it will do some things well and that it will sell but only time will tell.
it will not be a flop. apple just ordered another 3 million screens for iPad from Samsung.
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/03/25/apple_inks_240m_deal_with_samsung_for_3m_more_ipad_displays.html
Here is a link with more info on the lawsuit issue around the JooJoo (originally called the Crunchpad):
http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/11/techcrunch-sues-fusion-garage-over-the-joojoo-we-break-it-dow/
Just came across on Engadget, link to OpenPeak’s OpenTablet:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/25/openpeaks-opentablet-7-hands-on-moorestown-has-found-a-friend/
here is my $1.05
I think the iPad will have more use for students/college. I also believe you are going to see a lot more use for digital books in the classroom. I also assume some of this is already going on. Since it will have a book store think of the possibilities. Instead of carrying a giant book bag you carry your iPad which has all your books, homework,..etc right on it. Then you take it home at the end of the day and plug it up to your mac or PC and you have everything you need.
As always i am sure you apple fan boy/girl is going to buy one because it is the latest and greatest thing. For me personally i will not be buying one because i really don’t have a use for it since i already own a laptop and a PC.
Here’s something to help you make up your mind:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI99t9k4aEE
OK, the iPad is just a giant iPod Touch.
The iPad lacks any expandability.
The iPad doesn’t have a camera.
The iPad doesn’t run a version of OSX.
The iPad is controlled by the evil Steve Jobs
etc. etc. etc.
All the negativity and yet the iPad pre-orders will be over 240,000 for a device not even released to the public yet. The iPad will easily sell over a millions (or millions) in its first year.
Yet the naysayers will still call the iPad a failure. Go figure.
I guess all of us buying the iPad are either fanboys/girls, dumb, or both.
The iPad will be easily a success.
I don’t think people here are saying that it will be a failure. I have no doubt it will be a success, the question is whether it will be as big of a success as the ipod/iphone (devices that have absolutely dominated), will it be a success but just keep par with other like devices, or will the tablet market just be a fad.
For me the price being asked is what forces me to see shortfalls. Case in point I am traveling oversees in a few months and would rather bring my own portable device instead of my work laptop which I have limited access over. The price of the ipad for me forces me to look at alternatives such as netbooks/laptops, and as appealing as the design of the ipad is I will probably choose.a comparably priced laptop with much more functionality. Sell me the ipad at 299 and I would think different.
I find it interesting that the iPad comes out and its shaken the whole netbook/ebook reader segment even though these devices have been out for years. Companies are now being forced to rething their hardware and pricing strategies when the iPad is really an over-sized iPod Touch with nothing really revolutionary or evolutionary to it. The disappointing thing to me is that, after so many years, it’s taken Apple to shake things up when they originally didn’t want to produce a variant of a netbook device. At the end of the day, this can only be good for the consumer long-term
Will the iPad be as successful as the iPod/iPhone? Nobody knows but I doubt it. But, I also think it doesn’t have to be. Apple now has a product in just about every segment for any user out there. While Apple does want the iPad to be successful, I don’t think they really care if someone buys any other Apple product instead just as long as consumers are buying their products and not their competitors.
The pricing model of the iPad really couldn’t have been any cheaper vs. netbook/ebook reader pricing already out there. You add the Apple tax and you have the pricing model for the iPad. Personally, I’m surprised it wasn’t even more expensive when it was announced.
7 more sleeps to go till release!
Ideally, and I don’t know how practical, I would love to see a tablet that has some sort of physical keypad (built in, maybe slides out?). I like the idea of a tablet if I am in bed and trying to keep up with posts, blogging, etc… but at least from my limited experience with the iPod touch it takes me way too long to type on the touchscreen (and make way too many errors). I guess having a physical keyboard to an extent defeats the purpose of a tablet, don’t know.
More importantly, 9 more days until opening day for baseball
More importantly, 9 more days until opening day for baseball.
Mets or Yankees? Indians here…
Unfortunately a die hard Mets fan, life would be so much easier if I was a Yankee fan lol
One word
bad ass sonos controller!
I use sonos throughout my house and currently use my iPhones to control it, but will be usin the ipad in the future. Plus as others stated websurfing and checking email will be better than running my iPhone battery down at home.
Plus possibilities image being able to view your mymovies collection on a ipad in a coverflow view pick a movie an it starts playing on your hd200 or client pc
very possible…
Hey Plucky,
I like your idea about starting up a movie in the hd200, if only I knew of a developer who was willing to implement
Sonos is definitely on my list, possibly for the summertime. All depends if I have to cover any costs for water damage to my home
I am looking at the iPad as a replacement for my Kindle. While I love the Kindle (I own a Kindle and a Kindle2) and it works great for books, purchased from Amazon.Com, formatted specifically for the Kindle it does a poor job with most other formats and the lack of color can be a problem. Most PDF documents I have tired to use were too small to see. On the plus side for the Kindle, there is no cost for the downloading books purchased from Amazon and no monthly costs for wireless (3G) plans. And the battery life is great (I put it on charge about 1 or twice a week and only turn-on the wireless modem when needed.)
Since I am mostly satisfied with the Kindle, I am going to “wait and see” how the iPad fairs in the market. I also will need to actually try an iPad before purchasing one.
-Georeg
is there XVid support? I suppose I’ll have to wait for a jailbreak to get it…
Good little piece on all of the tablets about to drop;
http://gizmodo.com/5495946/ipad-alternatives-the-main-contenders
iPad press is heating up (if you watch Modern Family you know what I am talking about):
http://abc.go.com/watch/modern-family/235331/256466/game-changer
All I know is 1 more sleep and I’ll be making the trek to the Apple mecca bright and early.
@ All4Fun,
So what is the verdict?????????
Damian, it’s magical.
I’m just driving back now from Buffalo back home to Toronto. The experience at the Apple Store couldn’t have been better. Lots of people but well organized.
It’s a giant iPod Touch but that’s not a bad thing for me.
I bought the iPad version of Times magazine and the experience is amazing on the 9.7″ iPad screen.
Reading books will also be an amazing experience. They give you a free copy of Winnie the Pooh and I enjoy reading ebooks on the Ipad than on the Sony Reader device that I previously had and sold.
So far, so good.
I should buy Apple stock. I think they have a winner here.
I caved in and got mine today too. Two friends joined me and also bought 32GB iPads today.
The iPad is a game changing piece of equipment, no two ways about it.
It is extremely responsive and the screen is marvelous looking. The aluminum back feels rock solid.
More comments to come, I just synced a bunch of data to it, 10GB of movies and music and it only took about 5 minutes to complete. Now time to play with it and test it out.
So, I’ve been home for an hour and the iPad hasn’t been in my hands since as it’s being passed from person to person in my household (3 others) as if it’s a newborn baby.
My single biggest criticism is that it’s a fingerprint magnet which should come as no surprise.
For me, the iPad supplements the computing devices I already have. I purchased it to replace my single function Sony Reader device and to quickly surf the web, check email, and use a few apps in a tablet form factor. If I need to do more than that, I will go to my desktop/laptop/netbook as my “heavy lifting” machines.
If you have the need to tinker with the bits and bytes of an OS, the iPad is not targeted for you. That’s where the Windows, Android, Linux variants might better appeal to you.
I would not have purchased the iPad as my single computing device or to replace a laptop/netbook.
As is already happening, the iPad is now the bar that everyone else will need to beat.
One bummer is that the iPad requires so much juice that it cannot be charged via some USB devices, including the powered USB hub on my desk. Fortunately the ports on my computer do provide enough juice to charge it.
^^^ very true indeed. Also using the USB ports on your computer will take twice as long to charge the iPad as they output only 5 volts. The power plug provided with the iPad outputs 10 volts.
Just read about the USB charging issues as well. Strange but makes sense. Have you guys tried typing, how does it feel (landscape and portrait)? That is my biggest concern with any sort of tablet device. I struggle with the iPod Touch typing, and even though in theory the iPad should be better for me due to its larger size I can see just as much a problem typing (I would assume you can’t thumb type like you can with the iPod, so comfort of hand placement, etc…).
It is funny how overhyped the media made this launch, talking about expected long lines everywhere, Best Buy selling out before open, etc…. Not saying that the iPad didn’t sell well, but from what I am reading not the frenzied purchasing that the iPhone saw and Best Buy has a readily available stock.
I can’t lie, it is very tempting to just head over to Best Buy and pick one up and if there is one thing I am known to make impulse buys with it is definitely gadgets. There are just too many gaping holes for my use to throw caution to the wind. At a minimum, and as All4Fun mentioned, the iPad will force other manufacturers to step up their game which can only be good for the consumer.
It feels heavy in the hand. Since it feels heavy, typing is not easy. I feel I have hold it in my left and type with my right. But again, it feels heavy so doing this is not very comfortable.
Land scape mode, I think the keyboard is too big.
For me, the problem with typing on these touch screen devices is that you don’t get any tactile feedback – your fingers are just hitting a screen. Some people are OK with them, some hate them. Kinda like how I prefer the blackberry with a physical keyboard over the touchscreen Blackberry Storm.
While I don’t condone taking advantage of a merchant’s return policy (like returning a big screen HDTV the day after the Super Bowl), stores like Best Buy and Apple do have a liberal satisfaction or return policy if you’re not satisfied. You could buy the iPad, similar to any other consumer electronic device, and try it out. If you’re not satisfied, bring it back to the store for a full refund and not look back.
Yes, I do believe the iPad was over-hyped by the media. It’s also the media that may stand to benefit the most by a device like the iPad where printing newspapers and magazines on paper is going the way of the do-do.
Admittedly, I’m a slave to the newest gadget or toy but I do believe the iPad has a place in my arsenal.
It is just heavy enough that typing on it in bed (as I am doing now) or laying back in a chair is a bit difficult. I end up just propping it on a leg or something for a bit of extra support and that seems to help. I bought the apple brand case with mine which is a nice folio kind of thing but the edges are a bit sharp so I might have to find another case eventually. This case does prop up the iPad pretty well though if you tuck it around there is a slot to tab it in and make a little stand for it if, for example you wanted to bang out a lengthier email on it. Battery life is outstanding. I have been goofing with mine for hours on a single charge and even left a white noise app running all night while sleeping and the battery is still at 58%.
There where about 100 people that got them at my local apple store plus another 50 pre orders or so. They did run out of stock before the end of the day apparently. It is selling well. Over .5M this weekend alone in all likelihood.
Did I mention I was banging this post out on the iPad? :). Took about 5 minutes.
jmpage2,
I appreciate the comments that you’ve made about the iPad. They come across as being very candid and fair. I tend to agree with your comments and feedback about the iPad thus far.
Too bad we didn’t have a forum thread for these comments for anyone interested in feedback about the device.
I won’t be using the device for any real word-processing. While do-able, I tend to believe that will be a very slow experience for me as a touch-typist.
It’s may be too early to talk about the next version of the iPad but I would like to see it a little lighter.
Yes, I agree. If it was about one pound it would be almost the perfect weight. I type 90 words per minute so I also occasionally get annoyed with the touchscreen keyboard. You can’t beat the utility of this thing though!
@ All4Fun,
You could always start a thread in the Media Streaming forum since I am sure there is much interest in using the iPad to stream media from the WHS/MSS
@ All4Fun/jmpage2/etc…
Following up on my comment above, I would love to hear from anyone about if you plan on access your media content from your WHS to your iPad your experience (what software you use, etc…)
Airvideo
I also heard from the dev they will be supporting the iPad soon….
I hope to be able to acces my MSS content. I just discovered Air Video this week and haven’t set it up yet. I certainly hop te make a better iPad version. Any tried WinAdmin to try and RDP from the iPhone? They already have an iPad version out I was hoping would work.
Air video will be optimized for the faster CPU and wireless speeds of the iPad very soon and will hopefully be an excellent way of streaming video and other content. I think we will be seeing a flood off these apps in the near future. I would love to see an iPad optimized mss app from HP soon too. Typing is getting easier the more I work on it. Actually easier in portrait using the keyboard as a “thumb board” than in landscape mode. The screen is definitely a fingerprint magnet.
I haven’t explored the idea of streaming content yet although that is the natural thing to do for those with the MSS. Glad to hear some of the ideas here about Air Video. Didn’t here about it till now.
Not sure how effective this software will be on the first generation EX470 because of it’s low end CPU.
I’ll start a thread and report back.
I really do think also that the iPad and devices like it from Android, MS, etc, are going to completely change print.
I’ve been playing with the Marvel Comics app and it’s spectacular. Eventually you’ll be able to re-read any of those old comics that you had (and lost) as a kid as well as new stuff, graphic novels, etc.
[img]https://home.comcast.net/~audi-fan/ipad/spidey2.png[/img]
[img]https://home.comcast.net/~audi-fan/ipad/spidey1.png[/img]
I’ve started a new thread in the forums here:
http://www.mediasmartserver.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=7757
If folks are willing, we can consolidate our thoughts and comments there where they can be searched by others.
No Apple maxi-pad for me. I’d rather have an HP Slate.
The Slate looks like an interesting device. It’s worth noting that it has a smaller, lower resolution screen than the iPad and runs for 1/2 (or less) on battery yet weighs the same 1.5 lbs.
The advantage of the Slate is that it runs a desktop OS. The drawback of the Slate is that it runs a desktop OS.
It would be far more helpful for the discussion if you didn’t disparage the product you are not purchasing, it makes you look a bit juvenile.
@Jmpage2. Lighten up, man! Just having a little fun with the name! I’m sure that the iPad will have legions of faithful followers, I guess I just too old to “get it”. I’ll bet it’s a neat device, I just don’t have a need for such things.
The daughter’s iPod soured me Apple anyhow. The software stinks, and the battery life is nil. All this and it cost more than any other product out there. I just do not understand what people are so crazy about these things.
I got my ipad 64g 3G last week. I agree I dont “need” it, but I have to admit it is a very cool machine. yes, its a machine. I bought a dell netbook a year ago and the ipad is faster. hands down. it found my HPMSS with no problems and hooked up to my wireless with only the encrypt key. have not used the 3G because I havent taken it anywhere that doesnt have wireless. I am an options trader and its much faster than my blackberry for content streaming (options chains). again, I didnt need it, but it was worth every penny of $829. yes, all of my 4 machines are HP until the ipad.
Minus the flash disappointment, the iPad does what I was looking for. My main apps are quick access to the net from the couch. So many times I wanted to look up something without leaving where I am. Second app is VNC access to my PC. Backup solution if I have to have flash, access to all my apps and files, plus a nice remote to change playlist, volume, tv stream. I mainly run my PC playlists through a FM transmitter ( look online ) which I can easily pick up on a few receivers around the house. Third is the distracting games.