# Apple tablet GAS



## Hollowway (Jan 26, 2010)

Man, I am gassing so hard for the new Apple tablet. And I don't know for sure what the heck it's going to be! Anybody else follow the rumor sites? Or am I the only nerd on here?


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## meisterjager (Jan 26, 2010)

I haven't followed any rumour sites this year for the first time in.. I dunno, 5 years?!

Because of goddamn Apple GAS.

And YOU just ruined it and I just MASSIVELY relapsed.

For shame.


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## MF_Kitten (Jan 26, 2010)

it sooo sounds like my dream computer... my ideal laptop would just be a massive iphone!


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## darren (Jan 26, 2010)

I'll be curious to see what it can do. I've already got a laptop and an iPod touch, so i'm not really GASing for it that much.


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## phaeded0ut (Jan 26, 2010)

If it could be used on more than AT&T, I think I'd get one, myself... Though I would like to see a real spec sheet first.


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## Elysian (Jan 26, 2010)

It's gonna be a big iPod Touch. It's going to have a lower resolution screen than any of the competitors, be less capable than any of the competitors, and ultimately, too expensive, making it a completely niche product. That's my prediction, though I'm on the fence as to whether it's even going to be launched, I've got a feeling it's just the rumor mill getting out of control and nothing more.


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## asmegin_slayer (Jan 26, 2010)

I'm looking forward it tomorrow... 

I'm sure its gonna be touch based device....

The key things that I think its going for are these:

-Multimedia of course (music/video/internet)
-E-Reader 
-Subscription media like magazines, news papers...
-app store ofcourse
-better games



EDIT..... 1000 POSTS!!!! W00T!!!


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## technomancer (Jan 26, 2010)

phaeded0ut said:


> If it could be used on more than AT&T, I think I'd get one, myself... Though I would like to see a real spec sheet first.



Actually since the iphone's exclusivity with AT&T is coming to an end I'd be surprised if the tablet is locked in to them.

I'm curious to see what the capabilities are, but I can't have GAS for something that doesn't even have specs or a definitive feature set yet.


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## AvantGuardian (Jan 26, 2010)

I'm curious to see what the capabilities are. I don't think I could justify getting one anytime soon though. I'm tied to a computer at work all day and I have a nice laptop at home. If I traveled more or worked from remote locations, I could see this being pretty awesome.


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## MF_Kitten (Jan 26, 2010)

the thing about apple is that they understand that specs does not = enjoyability. my new all-touch cell phone is pretty nifty, and on the spec sheet it´s superior to the iphone. yet somehow, i enjoy the iphone a million times more whenever i use one, and i love my fiancé´s ipod touch. the point here is that the operating system and the thought put behind it makes it really enjoyable to use, and they have a huge network around it, so you´re guaranteed to feel like you can tap into a large amount of resources and change it however you want. the app store is HUMONGOUS, and it just feels very proper.

so really, specs don´t matter as much as they might have done before, because if the support and software sucks, then it´s useless.


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## DomitianX (Jan 26, 2010)

One rumor I heard is that they are announcing Wednesday that the iPhone (and all future Apple products) will be carrier neutral.

I am looking forward to what they announce. If its carrier neutral and I am not *required* to use a cell contract with it, that will be a big bonus. I dont need it on the cell network, at least not right now.


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## phaeded0ut (Jan 26, 2010)

MF_Kitten said:


> the thing about apple is that they understand that specs does not = enjoyability.
> so really, specs don´t matter as much as they might have done before, because if the support and software sucks, then it´s useless.



I'm totally hip on this. I've a Samsung Omnia and have run into a few issues due to the way the OS gets installed and how you have to partition the memory to handle the OS, there need to be more install options available. Won't get into the fact that Verizon gimped the GPS in this phone in order to promote VZ Navigation. Really like the smooth transitions between apps on my brother's iPhone 3G, just wish that his iPhone had longer battery life like the Samsung Omnia. 



technomancer said:


> Actually since the iphone's exclusivity with AT&T is coming to an end I'd be surprised if the tablet is locked in to them.
> 
> I'm curious to see what the capabilities are, but I can't have GAS for something that doesn't even have specs or a definitive feature set yet.



On the iPod Touch front, I've one that I've jail broken and a second one that is "stock" that is seriously awesome and if it had the GPS and camera, it'd be the gadget that is always in my pocket/on my person. <--- This is why I'm very interested in seeing what Apple is going to do with their version of the tablet. I still very much want to see a specs/feature set that is actual vs. conjecture. 

This said, I'm kinda stuck having to use Verizon (work-purposes in my neck of the woods), but if Apple is finally going to get out of their exclusivity deal with AT&T then it'll be time for a change in cell phone.


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## Zak1233 (Jan 26, 2010)

Here's what it may look like, a guy im following on twitter who works for apple posted this, who knows if this is the real deal though...

EDIT: Taking a closer look, it looks pretty fake (placement, shadows etc)


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## asmegin_slayer (Jan 26, 2010)

MF_Kitten said:


> the thing about apple is that they understand that specs does not = enjoyability. my new all-touch cell phone is pretty nifty, and on the spec sheet it´s superior to the iphone. yet somehow, i enjoy the iphone a million times more whenever i use one, and i love my fiancé´s ipod touch. the point here is that the operating system and the thought put behind it makes it really enjoyable to use, and they have a huge network around it, so you´re guaranteed to feel like you can tap into a large amount of resources and change it however you want. the app store is HUMONGOUS, and it just feels very proper.
> 
> so really, specs don´t matter as much as they might have done before, because if the support and software sucks, then it´s useless.



That's a fucking great observation!!!


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## Hollowway (Jan 27, 2010)

meisterjager said:


> I haven't followed any rumour sites this year for the first time in.. I dunno, 5 years?!
> 
> Because of goddamn Apple GAS.
> 
> ...




Haha, sorry man! "Come on, try a little, all the cool kids are doing it..."

So anyway, what I've read on the rumor sites is:
10" screen, same thickness as an iphone.
Looks like a big iphone with a home button.
May have a forward facing camera for video conferencing and facial recognition, so as soon as you sit down and look at the screen it recognizes you.
Priced somewhere between 600 and 1000 dollars (the low end may be a subsidized amount with cell carrier contract).
McGraw Hill confirmed today that their text books WILL be on there. They also said it's the iphone OS, so the books can move between the two devices.
Will NOT be locked in to AT+T. 
Will be available March 1.


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## meisterjager (Jan 27, 2010)

So to simplify, it looks like it's taking the idea of eBooks and doing a LOT more with them, then.


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## TimothyLeary (Jan 27, 2010)

it will be nice if it can run the snow leopard. then I could have an apple tablet in my roland td-9 with a loading vst to play.


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## phaeded0ut (Jan 27, 2010)

Adding to the rumour mill: What to expect from Apple's tablet unveiling - CNN.com

Looks like it is a repeat of Holloway's (Andy's) last post.


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## DomitianX (Jan 27, 2010)

meisterjager said:


> So to simplify, it looks like it's taking the idea of eBooks and doing a LOT more with them, then.



Books + iTunes = Cash Cow.... Jobs is no dummy. With the success of the Kindle for Amazon, there is no reason for them to not get into this market.


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## sami (Jan 27, 2010)

"20 things we already know about Apple's iTablet/iSlate/iPad"

http://www.thedoghousediaries.com/


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## Elysian (Jan 27, 2010)

Frantic Steve Jobs Stays Up All Night Designing Apple Tablet | The Onion - America's Finest News Source


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## Pauly (Jan 27, 2010)

Live coverage here:
Live from the Apple 'latest creation' event -- Engadget

Personally I'm more interested in OS 4.0 and if they'll release a 3.2 upgrade later today, the 3GS's hardware is capable of doing more software-wise, so it'll be good to see upgrades in that respect. Obviously they'll probably be an iPhone release for June, but since I'd get the OS update I don't care, and I can get the one after that June 2011 when my contract expires.


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## HighGain510 (Jan 27, 2010)

Ok so watching the updating picture show at Engadget and they finally announced price (first price is just wifi, 2nd price is the 3G-loaded model):

16GB - $499 / 629
32GB - $599 / 729
64GB - $699 / 829

Not bad, looks to be cheaper than I thought it would be and I might be down to get a 3G-loaded 16GB model... hmmm....


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## HighGain510 (Jan 27, 2010)

Oh yeah, it's official... it's called the "iPad".


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## technomancer (Jan 27, 2010)

Looks pretty cool... though it also looks like Apple may have sold the opportunity to get cross-carrier iphones to get cheap data plans from AT&T for the iPad. Guess we'll find out in the next couple of months.

The next thing that will be interesting is seeing if Amazon is smart enough to write a Kindle app for it. It would allow people with Kindle content to switch, but it would also open up the iPad as a Kindle ebook market.

Overall it looks cool, but I'm not running out to order one immediately


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## Andii (Jan 27, 2010)

"Ipad"? It sounds like they've moving into self parody territory. Ha ha. 

From all the info I've seen on it, it will just be exactly what people thought it would be, a big Ipod touch. Useless IMO. For those prices you can get a laptop that can actually do things like record audio, edit video, edit photos, have 1tb+ of storage, play games, play dvds and blurays etc etc. 

A lot of people will buy these, I know that because those $300 Ipods sold so well.


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## asmegin_slayer (Jan 27, 2010)

Andii said:


> "Ipad"? It sounds like they've moving into self parody territory. Ha ha.
> 
> From all the info I've seen on it, it will just be exactly what people thought it would be, a big Ipod touch. Useless IMO. For those prices you can get a laptop that can actually do things like record audio, edit video, edit photos, have 1tb+ of storage, play games, play dvds and blurays etc etc.
> 
> A lot of people will buy these, I know that because those $300 Ipods sold so well.



I'm not a apple fanboy (even though I own a imac)

I'm sorry, I just can't see myself carrying a laptop everywhere. It's just not practical for me..

Play blue ray/dvd's? do you take a bag of dvd's and blue rays with you everywhere with your laptop?

Ideally this device was made for people who just doesn't want to deal with a regular computer.... they just want to get to the point and do what they want... But ill give you my pros and cons on this device...


Pros:
-$499 starting price for just the wifi ($629 for wifi and 3g) cheaper then the first 999.99 rumored price
-3g (14.99 fro 250 mb, 29.99 for unlimited with att) <--Data plan is a lot cheaper then any of those att/verizon usb dongles that people spend crazy amount for $60-70 for 5 gigs a month.
-IPS screen
-E-book reading and books updated in itunes..
-potential for more quality games and applications. 
-very light but solid

Cons:
-no isight camera
-no multitasking (though I believe that will change when updates come)
-no adobe (but i do believe that will change soon as well)


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## nordhauser06 (Jan 27, 2010)

what's the point if it doesn't have enough memory to upload more than one design program? I'm sorry, but I just don't see the point of an oversized iPhone that is able to function as a kindle.

although, the price point isn't too bad.

Edit: Well, for Apple.


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## technomancer (Jan 27, 2010)

Andii said:


> "Ipad"? It sounds like they've moving into self parody territory. Ha ha.
> 
> From all the info I've seen on it, it will just be exactly what people thought it would be, a big Ipod touch. Useless IMO. For those prices you can get a laptop that can actually do things like record audio, edit video, edit photos, have 1tb+ of storage, play games, play dvds and blurays etc etc.
> 
> A lot of people will buy these, I know that because those $300 Ipods sold so well.



You're missing the point of this. I would consider getting one of these to replace my Kindle, which I grab when I'm going somewhere and want something to do without lugging my laptop. For example whenever I'm going to be sitting somewhere waiting. These are not intended as a primary computing device.

I do think there are some features that would have been nice like more storage, an SD card slot, and one of the webcams they have built into their displays and laptops.


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## lurgar (Jan 27, 2010)

I literally burst out laughing when I saw the name/pic combo with Steve holding it. It's literally a giant iPod/iPhone. I'm sure that there will be plenty of people who will spend money on it though.


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## Elysian (Jan 27, 2010)

Allow me to remove my foot from my mouth for a moment, and say, I'd hit it. It looks really cool, and apparently will have a card reader:







Straight from apple.com, that makes the 16gb model worth so much more. 16gb model plus a 16gb SD card, I'd have more than enough storage for my needs.


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## HighGain510 (Jan 27, 2010)

asmegin_slayer said:


> Cons:
> *-no isight camera*



Well to be fair, it has Bluetooth so you could always grab a Bluetooth camera and run that if you really need it. Granted, it's nice having a built-in camera, and both the camera on the iPhone and the iSight camera are killer, at least there are still other options if you really need it. Probably did it as a cost-reduction feature, keeps the price point at $500 for the cheapest one.


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## MF_Kitten (Jan 27, 2010)

lots of people are hating this alreay. i, however, am in love! imagine the fun little games, the fun interactive apps, and most of all, the musical applications!

i guess i can imagine more things to do with this than most people 

i always loved browsing the internet on the ipod touch, because of the tactile scrolling and zooming and all that, but it was always too damn small...


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## technomancer (Jan 27, 2010)

Elysian said:


> Allow me to remove my foot from my mouth for a moment, and say, I'd hit it. It looks really cool, and apparently will have a card reader:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Holy shit it really is the end times


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## Andii (Jan 27, 2010)

asmegin_slayer said:


> I'm not a apple fanboy (even though I own a imac)
> 
> I'm sorry, I just can't see myself carrying a laptop everywhere. It's just not practical for me..
> 
> ...


I don't see how this will be easier to carry than a laptop. It doesn't fold in half, that's about the only difference in size. As for the Blu ray mention... I was just saying it's there. If you want to watch movies though the storage on the Ipad is pretty minuscule. I also don't see how the price point is a pro.



technomancer said:


> I do think there are some features that would have been nice like more storage, an SD card slot, and one of the webcams they have built into their displays and laptops.


There are a lot of features this thing doesn't have that should be a given. I think Apple is gotten to the point where they know they can put anything out and people will eat it up. They can release some basic features later and sell another round of them and make all the money over again.



lurgar said:


> I literally burst out laughing when I saw the name/pic combo with Steve holding it. It's literally a giant iPod/iPhone. I'm sure that there will be plenty of people who will spend money on it though.


I think I laughed out loud when I heard Ipad.


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## Elysian (Jan 27, 2010)

MF_Kitten said:


> lots of people are hating this alreay. i, however, am in love! imagine the fun little games, the fun interactive apps, and most of all, the musical applications!
> 
> i guess i can imagine more things to do with this than most people
> 
> i always loved browsing the internet on the ipod touch, because of the tactile scrolling and zooming and all that, but it was always too damn small...



To counter my post earlier, there are some issues that are definitely dealbreakers, as Gizmodo has pointed out.

8 Things That Suck About the iPad - apple ipad - Gizmodo



> My god, am I underwhelmed by the iPad. This is as inessential a product as I've ever seen, but beyond that, it has some absolutely backbreaking failures that will make me judge anyone who buys one.
> 
> Big, Ugly Bezel
> Have you seen the bezel on this thing?! It's huge! I know you don't want to accidentally input a command when your thumb is holding it, but come on.
> ...



The description for the SD card adapter says only photos and videos can be imported, so if music can't be imported, then its pointless.


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## HighGain510 (Jan 27, 2010)

Elysian said:


> Allow me to remove my foot from my mouth for a moment, and say, I'd hit it. It looks really cool, and apparently will have a card reader:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The only problem I have with forcing you to use those big adapters is that, especially considering the dimensions of the unit, if you drop it or it catches on a table ledge or something that adapter can TOTALLY break off.  I have to use their little micro-DVI adapter on my macbook and I've nearly snapped it off a few times just moving my laptop.  It's awesome that they allow you to add external storage space but I would have preferred an internal card-readed personally.


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## Elysian (Jan 27, 2010)

Looks like Gizmodo added a #9... the 4:3 screen... That means its horrible for anything in any kind of widescreen format.


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## asmegin_slayer (Jan 27, 2010)

Andii said:


> I don't see how this will be easier to carry than a laptop. It doesn't fold in half, that's about the only difference in size. As for the Blu ray mention... I was just saying it's there. If you want to watch movies though the storage on the Ipad is pretty minuscule. I also don't see how the price point is a pro.



LOL, dud its over 1 pound!

Still I don't see the point of watching a blu ray on a laptop, i'd rather watch it on my 50 inch plasma and load the digital copy into itunes 

Plus since there putting out the developers SDK out, it would be awesome if Netflix made an app for it to stream movies.



Andii said:


> There are a lot of features this thing doesn't have that should be a given. I think Apple is gotten to the point where they know they can put anything out and people will eat it up. They can release some basic features later and sell another round of them and make all the money over again.



*cough* http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/1833370-post10.html



MF_Kitten said:


> lots of people are hating this alreay. i, however, am in love! imagine the fun little games, the fun interactive apps, and most of all, the musical applications!
> 
> i guess i can imagine more things to do with this than most people
> 
> i always loved browsing the internet on the ipod touch, because of the tactile scrolling and zooming and all that, but it was always too damn small...



I'm not hating it, actually I really want to get one... I'm really looking forward if netflix and skype will be making an app for it..


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## Pauly (Jan 27, 2010)

It's....pretty good.

As a 3GS owner, I could see myself owning a non-3G one to avoid having to pay for a data plan and just keeping it at home to use with my wifi network. It's middle ground greatness relies in the fact things like web browsing, social networky stuff, reading ebooks (using popular open source ePub format), playing games, youtube, and apps that I use a lot at home on my phone/laptop can be converged into a device. 

Sitting at a computer I feel is something these days that only needs to be done when you have a task to do that requires fiddling or a lot of horsepower, i.e. playing Crysis, rendering in Maya, doing some HD video editing, heavy Photoshop work e.t.c. If you just want to browse YouTube, go on Facebook, read a book or do your finances, the future indeed points to devices you can just sit on the couch with that require little fiddling. Which is where this comes in. Now I can do some of those things well on my phone, but for say, reading a lot of text or browsing the Tube, a more or less 10 inch 1024x768 screen wins. I think they tried to demonstrate that with the couch being there for Steve to sit on.

Basically if I had money to burn, I'd get one because it's much less hassle than a laptop/netbook and does certain things better than the iPhone (i.e. reading my Stanza collection and using this new iBook store). One thing that Apple have always gotten right is text/font. This device makes the Kindle look like a relic when it comes to reading both books and potentially newspapers/mags. It looks sweet.

My main disappointment was no OS 4.0, but never mind. I suspect that will include limited multi-tasking, but because the hardware on their devices is pretty nippy and it saves what you were looking at last, I've never really found it much bother switching in between apps.



Elysian said:


> To counter my post earlier, there are some issues that are definitely dealbreakers, as Gizmodo has pointed out.
> 
> 8 Things That Suck About the iPad - apple ipad - Gizmodo
> 
> ...



Dude, use Simplify 2 or something and stream your music over wifi or 3g from your computer/network storage. I only got the 16gb 3GS because I knew I'd never fill it up with music. Using Simplify I have all my music available wherever I am, without having to clog the memory up with gigs and gigs of actual music.

Also those 8 things (and I'm no Apple fanboy, promise):

Big, Ugly Bezel - yeah it's kinda big

No Multitasking - er.. you can listen to your iPod at the same time as doing other stuff.... lol yeah I know, the lack of m/t is annoying but it'll come with OS 4.0 (hopefully), even if it's limited to having 3-5 open at the same time. This is the only real failing IMO.

No Cameras - I don't think this is a big deal, people have their phones to take pics on the move, and although I'm sure the hardware could handle cam to cam IM'ing, off the top of my head nobody has made any apps yet that allow two people to use their iphone cameras to stream video to each other, even non-app store JB ones. Software challenge with the OS possibly. How many people with front-facing video-call camera on their phones use them?

Touch Keyboard - the iPhone's keyboard murders 95% of other touch screen phones, it's a doddle to use. They showed you can add a physical keyboard to it with a connector/adapter thing on Engadget, maybe they weren't looking.

No HDMI/HD Video Out - missing the point of the thing I feel. You can get YouTube on TVs these days anyway, and if you favourite something on your mobile's Youtube it'll be on your main Youtube too. No camera to take videos you'd want to transport off the device. Syncing + streaming + internet means physical transfer is getting phased out anyway.

The Name iPad -*shrug*

No Flash - Apple have already made it clear they don't like Flash and are avoiding it until Web 2.0 gets going and everyone uses something else. I'll live, it can be annoying though.

Adapters, Adapters, Adapters - as said, this is an internet/cloud device. Why do you need to plug stuff in when you have the internet and syncing? Say you want a bunch of your phone camera pics on your Pad: 

Take pics with phone > upload via Photobucket/Flickr/Picassa apps (if using an iphone, if not, using the mobile's web browser) > open appropriate app on iPad > voila all your pics are there.


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## Andii (Jan 27, 2010)

I think the Ipad is a worthless piece of junk that is crippled to brick. You can't even listen to music and browse at the same time, there is no usb port so you have to get an adapter etc.. And with the inability to import music with the card adapter(lol) how do you even get your music on the thing? I sure hope it at least can connect to a real computer and sync with your itunes library. 

The only reason I'm commenting on this subject is because this useless crap is going to get mass produced and sell like hot cakes. What a waste of pollution to make such a worthless device. If people would just get one powerful laptop and use it for everything and not buy a huge load of junk like this thing it would help the environment. I guess that's why this thing in particular got my attention. I've totally never found myself giving a shit about all the mac vs. PC discussions because they both work and actually do things and have a point of existence.

With every company it seems like once they get that status where people are brand loyal and everything they make will sell, they will eventually take advantage of it in a big way. I was reading the engadget article about how useless this thing is and I wouldn't be surprised if the device's uselessness overpowers apple's marketing enough to make it fail a la apple tv.


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## zimbloth (Jan 27, 2010)

I *love *my iPhone/iPod and respect Apple's ingenuity, but I think the iPad really fails and fails hard. I can't think of one practical use for this item if you already own an iPhone and a modern laptop. It really seems like an iPhone with a bigger screen and less features.


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## lefty robb (Jan 27, 2010)

zimbloth said:


> I *love *my iPhone/iPod and respect Apple's ingenuity, but I think the iPad really fails and fails hard. I can't think of one practical use for this item if you already own an iPhone and a modern laptop. It really seems like an iPhone with a bigger screen and less features.


 

No Doubt bro, i love my iPhone and couldn't live without it, but this thing should be called the iFail. I don't want a giant iTouch that has a propriatary OS that you can only use iTunes apps on, I want OSX or open source linux so I can use programs I can buy off the shelf or download from websites, just like a normal netbook, I mean, come on, they make cellphones that run full blown Windows Vista Buisness, FUCKING VISTA!!. I don't want to have to buy 50 different dongles for this thing to use features like a camera either. Not having Flash is the worst thing in the world for this, and I think they just shot themselves in the foot, but even worse is the NO FUCKING MULTI-TASKING, are you fucking kidding me, you have quite possibly one of the most powerful chipsets for something like this, but can only run 1 app at a time, come on apple is 2010, get with it.

oh, and who wants to add another $15-$30/mo for 3G access when we are already paying $90-$100 just for an iPhone.

Fail fail, FUCKING FAIL.


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## DomitianX (Jan 27, 2010)

technomancer said:


> Looks pretty cool... though it also looks like Apple may have sold the opportunity to get cross-carrier iphones to get cheap data plans from AT&T for the iPad. Guess we'll find out in the next couple of months.
> 
> The next thing that will be interesting is seeing if Amazon is smart enough to write a Kindle app for it. It would allow people with Kindle content to switch, but it would also open up the iPad as a Kindle ebook market.
> 
> Overall it looks cool, but I'm not running out to order one immediately



There is a kindle app for the iPhone/iPod Touch already. Its been out forever. They dont have a Mac Kindle app though.


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## technomancer (Jan 27, 2010)

DomitianX said:


> There is a kindle app for the iPhone/iPod Touch already. Its been out forever. They dont have a Mac Kindle app though.



Yeah I'm wondering if they'll update it to take advantage of the larger screen on the iPad though. The only thing I see as a problem for this is the lack of multitasking but it seems to be effectively worked around on the iPhone / iPod touch already  Then again the next OS version is supposed to add this, so it likely won't be a huge deal by the time the 3g versions of this are out anyways.



Andii said:


> I sure hope it at least can connect to a real computer and sync with your itunes library.



Perhaps you should stop complaining long enough to actually read a summary of the release event  It syncs everything for all the apps it uses.


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## DomitianX (Jan 27, 2010)

Andii said:


> I think the Ipad is a worthless piece of junk that is crippled to brick. You can't even listen to music and browse at the same time, there is no usb port so you have to get an adapter etc.. And with the inability to import music with the card adapter(lol) how do you even get your music on the thing? I sure hope it at least can connect to a real computer and sync with your itunes library.
> 
> The only reason I'm commenting on this subject is because this useless crap is going to get mass produced and sell like hot cakes. What a waste of pollution to make such a worthless device. If people would just get one powerful laptop and use it for everything and not buy a huge load of junk like this thing it would help the environment. I guess that's why this thing in particular got my attention. I've totally never found myself giving a shit about all the mac vs. PC discussions because they both work and actually do things and have a point of existence.
> 
> With every company it seems like once they get that status where people are brand loyal and everything they make will sell, they will eventually take advantage of it in a big way. I was reading the engadget article about how useless this thing is and I wouldn't be surprised if the device's uselessness overpowers apple's marketing enough to make it fail a la apple tv.



You can listen to music and browse at the same time. Thats a feature of the iPhone and iPod Touch. This is the SAME OS with some modifications for the hardware. You bring music into it the same way you do with any other Mac device. iTunes.

If it runs on the iPhone/iPod Touch it will run on this device.

Also, few people skipped one of the coolest thing about Jobs speech, it will work with other carriers. The comment he made saying that "if the carrier uses a Micro GSM SIM card, it will probably work with this device." He's basically saying its unlocked already. Have fun!

Yes, its a big iPod Touch with 3G built in for certain models. Thats all I ever expected. I want a color Kindle with all the features of my iPhone/iPod Touch. And thats what they are giving us. They never promised more. I held off buying a Kindle once I heard they were coming out with a tablet. 

Also, I have no need for a camera on it. I never use the camera on any of the other Macbooks, Windows Laptops or any other computer I have. I use it on my iPhone for taking drunk pics, but I wont be dragging this thing out the bar so I have no need for a camera on it. Why would you want a camera on a tablet? I dont get that part. I can understand on a laptop where the screen is tilted up and towards you etc. Theoretically a tablet is always on it back on a table or your lap. I personally dont see any need for a camera.

The key will be to see what the developers will do after its out. 

It already has Skype, it already has a Kindle app. The lack of Flash support sucks, but it will come. Its too big of a complaint. 

The one thing I am looking forward to is scoring music/tabs on it. Guitar Pro on a tablet? Awesome. I hate using a mouse to score or write tabs. Its cumbersome. I prefer the old school paper and pencil and with this I will be able to basically do the exact same thing, but have it already in electronic form.

I look forward to using at work as well. It will be much easier to take notes, etc with it than a laptop. Especially once there is a handwriting recognition app for note taking. 

Anyone that expected a MacPro or a MacBook jammed into a tablet format is expecting way too much. Thats nearly impossible. And Apple would never create a device that would take any market share away from their current lineup of devices. Once there is a few software revisions out and once the developers start writing some cool apps for the form factor, it will be a damn cool device.

I remember people saying how dumb the iPod Touch was. "Who is going to game on this thing?", "Who is going to surf the web on a regular basis with this thing?", etc. Look where its at now.



technomancer said:


> Yeah I'm wondering if they'll update it to take advantage of the larger screen on the iPad though. The only thing I see as a problem for this is the lack of multitasking SOLELY to be able to listen to music while doing something else. Then again the next OS version is supposed to add this, so it likely won't be a huge deal by the time the wireless versions of this are out.



Where does it say you cant listen to music while you use it? You can on the iPhone/iPod Touch, you will be able to on this device. Its the same OS.



technomancer said:


> Perhaps you should stop complaining long enough to actually read a summary of the release event  It syncs everything for all the apps it uses.



People dont seem to get the fact that it will behave pretty much like their iPod Touch does not. It is literally a large iPod Touch with 3G data built-in.

How ever you manage music/photos/apps on your iPod, thats how you will do it with the tablet.



technomancer said:


> Yeah I'm wondering if they'll update it to take advantage of the larger screen on the iPad though. The only thing I see as a problem for this is the lack of multitasking SOLELY to be able to listen to music while doing something else. Then again the next OS version is supposed to add this, so it likely won't be a huge deal by the time the wireless versions of this are out.



I forgot to add, I think if the app doesnt automatically scale to the larger format, the tablet will for you by double clicking the bar along the top of the app.

If you see Jobs open up the FaceBook app, its sits in the middle really small and then he taps on it and it scales full screen. I assume it will be the same for every other app that is not designed to.

He said EVERY SINGLE APP will run on this device just fine.


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## asmegin_slayer (Jan 27, 2010)

DomitianX said:


> Yes, its a big iPod Touch with 3G built in for certain models. Thats all I ever expected. I want a color Kindle with all the features of my iPhone/iPod Touch. And thats what they are giving us. They never promised more. I held off buying a Kindle once I heard they were coming out with a tablet.







DomitianX said:


> Also, I have no need for a camera on it. I never use the camera on any of the other Macbooks, Windows Laptops or any other computer I have. I use it on my iPhone for taking drunk pics, but I wont be dragging this thing out the bar so I have no need for a camera on it. Why would you want a camera on a tablet? I dont get that part. I can understand on a laptop where the screen is tilted up and towards you etc. Theoretically a tablet is always on it back on a table or your lap. I personally dont see any need for a camera.



I was hoping it would have it, especially with Skype



DomitianX said:


> The key will be to see what the developers will do after its out.



OH GOD, it will be nice to have netflix



DomitianX said:


> It already has Skype, it already has a Kindle app. The lack of Flash support sucks, but it will come. Its too big of a complaint.



I was wondering about this, now i have an excuse to purchase the 3g+wifi version... 



DomitianX said:


> The one thing I am looking forward to is scoring music/tabs on it. Guitar Pro on a tablet? Awesome. I hate using a mouse to score or write tabs. Its cumbersome. I prefer the old school paper and pencil and with this I will be able to basically do the exact same thing, but have it already in electronic form.







DomitianX said:


> I look forward to using at work as well. It will be much easier to take notes, etc with it than a laptop. Especially once there is a handwriting recognition app for note taking.







DomitianX said:


> Where does it say you cant listen to music while you use it? You can on the iPhone/iPod Touch, you will be able to on this device. Its the same OS.



I think some people in engadget/gizmodo are directing more to the inability to hear streaming music like pandora while doing something else...


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## lefty robb (Jan 27, 2010)

DomitianX said:


> I forgot to add, I think if the app doesnt automatically scale to the larger format, the tablet will for you by double clicking the bar along the top of the app.
> 
> If you see Jobs open up the FaceBook app, its sits in the middle really small and then he taps on it and it scales full screen. I assume it will be the same for every other app that is not designed to.


 
There is a major glitch with this though, sure for something text based, its ok, but for detailed games it gets very grainy when you enlarge it, because the iPad just doubles the pixels, which means the developers will have to create a iPad only version of there app just for this, and who wants to pay again for an app you already have.


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## DomitianX (Jan 27, 2010)

Netflix would but stupid to not create an app for this. They have Netflix apps for Plex, XBox 360 and a ton of other devices. Now they have a great form factor.

Also, if everyone is going by what is reported on the web and other sites, I recommend you watch the keynote address. I watched it live today and it cleared a lot of things up. You see it being used and answers a lot of the questions people had about how to use it.


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## technomancer (Jan 27, 2010)

lefty robb said:


> There is a major glitch with this though, sure for something text based, its ok, but for detailed games it gets very grainy when you enlarge it, because the iPad just doubles the pixels, which means the delelopers will have to create a iPad only version of there app just for this, and who wants to pay again for an app you already have.



Except developers are already writing new versions for this, and they've already confirmed there will be "universal" apps that roll an iPod Touch and iPad version into the same package... so you only have to pay again if the developer wants you too. It's also not like you're talking about shit like MS Office Pro for $500 or anything 

Also my bad about the multitasking thing, I updated my earlier post 

Basically I'm waiting until I can play with one of these in stores to see how it feels and how I like reading off the screen. Then I'll make up my mind on whether I'm buying one.


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## DomitianX (Jan 27, 2010)

lefty robb said:


> There is a major glitch with this though, sure for something text based, its ok, but for detailed games it gets very grainy when you enlarge it, because the iPad just doubles the pixels, which means the delelopers will have to create a iPad only version of there app just for this, and who wants to pay again for an app you already have.



Thats up to the developer if you are charged again or not. All they need to do is update the app to support the higher resolution the same way they provide updates to apps already.

I havent seen the SDK yet, but I assume its more than just "doubling pixels". I assume its some sort of interpolation. The same way that any other app that is not designed for 1600x1900 usually scales fine.


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## lefty robb (Jan 27, 2010)

technomancer said:


> Except developers are already writing new versions for this, and they've already confirmed there will be "universal" apps that roll an iPod Touch and iPad version into the same package... so you only have to pay again if the developer wants you too. It's also not like you're talking about shit like MS Office Pro for $500 or anything
> 
> Basically I'm waiting until I can play with one of these in stores to see how it feels and how I like reading off the screen. Then I'll make up my mind on whether I'm buying one.


 

They better.

and yes, all reports are saying its just pixel doubling for now.


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## DomitianX (Jan 27, 2010)

lefty robb said:


> They better.
> 
> and yes, all reports are saying its just pixel doubling for now.



Very very few people have seen the SDK yet so I would put zero faith into anything anyone has to say unless they have seen the SDK. They did mention int he keynote that its pixel doubling by default, but I imagine that developers that have a need will be quick to update their apps.


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## lefty robb (Jan 27, 2010)

DomitianX said:


> Very very few people have seen the SDK yet so I would put zero faith into anything anyone has to say unless they have seen the SDK. Merely pixel doubling would be moronic and I would not expect Apple to do something so caveman like. Almost any GUI/Interface scaling uses interpolation these days.


 

see 3rd video down the page, it is interpolation, but it will still make it fuzzy, I thought he said interpertation at first, LOL.

Apple Blog - G4tv.com


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## DomitianX (Jan 27, 2010)

lefty robb said:


> see 3rd video down the page, it is interpolation, but it will still make it fuzzy, I thought he said interpertation at first, LOL.
> 
> Apple Blog - G4tv.com



Yeah I amended my comment but I still stand by that any app developer that gives a shit will update their app for the larger format.

You cant fault Apple for any developers that lack determination to make their apps better.


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## troyguitar (Jan 27, 2010)

Big deal. I've had a tablet for 2 years. Nothing new or exciting here.


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## m3ta1head (Jan 27, 2010)

So let me get this straight, this is a "magical" and "revolutionary" device that is essentially a big fucking iPod touch with reduced functionality? Not to mention the proprietary processor (apple loves fucking over their software developers)....lack of USB ports, no true GPS, poor battery life...what is so special about this? IBM/Lenovo has been putting out badass multitouch machines for years that you can use an ACTUAL OS on...

So yes, to sum it up, this is a big iPod touch. Whoop de do.


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## TemjinStrife (Jan 28, 2010)

Meh. My netbook was $350 and kicks this things ass in terms of functionality, power, and versatility, durability, and likely even battery life. Even the basic Kindle costs half as much as this thing and comes with unlimited free wireless internet (albeit in a very limited browser format.)


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## lefty robb (Jan 28, 2010)

m3ta1head said:


> poor battery life...




That's actually the one thing it doesn't have. They are saying 10 hours of video playback which is nothing short of amazing if it holds true.


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## m3ta1head (Jan 28, 2010)

lefty robb said:


> That's actually the one thing it doesn't have. They are saying 10 hours of video playback which is nothing short of amazing if it holds true.



I heard 10 hours of general usage, not 10 hours of video playback...in any case, if this is supposed to compete with the Kindle as an ebook reader, it doesn't even come close (the Kindle has a 10 DAY battery life).


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## TemjinStrife (Jan 28, 2010)

m3ta1head said:


> I heard 10 hours of general usage, not 10 hours of video playback...in any case, if this is supposed to compete with the Kindle as an ebook reader, it doesn't even come close (the Kindle has a 10 DAY battery life).



Depends if you have wireless on and how often you use it. With wireless off, the device basically only really uses power to 'turn the page' and lasts two weeks plus with light reading. (I have one.)

My netbook (9 hours of battery life listed as spec) only lasts about 3 or 4 Top Gear episodes before running dry (that's about 3-3.5 hours) since video eats processing power. It would probably pull an extra episode off if I dimmed the backlights a bit.


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## lefty robb (Jan 28, 2010)

m3ta1head said:


> I heard 10 hours of general usage, not 10 hours of video playback...in any case, if this is supposed to compete with the Kindle as an ebook reader, it doesn't even come close (the Kindle has a 10 DAY battery life).




see the link I posted above, they talk abut it with the video playback, it has something to do with the new processor. And there's absolutely no reason to compare this battery life to a kindle, when doesn't even have a real screen, its just eInk which takes almost no power at all and isn't backlit.


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## m3ta1head (Jan 28, 2010)

lefty robb said:


> see the link I posted above, they talk abut it with the video playback, it has something to do with the new processor. And there's absolutely no reason to compare this battery life to a kindle, when doesn't even have a real screen, its just eInk which takes almost no power at all and isn't backlit.



Valid points, but the new A4 processor they are using in the iPad is about on par with modern cellphone processors like the Cortex in the Droid. So in actuality, the Nexus One will probably outperform this device...

Sorry, but I'm really not seeing the niche this product is targeting...it doesn't do anything a decent netbook or cellphone can't do.


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## Elysian (Jan 28, 2010)

DomitianX said:


> Also, few people skipped one of the coolest thing about Jobs speech, it will work with other carriers. The comment he made saying that "if the carrier uses a Micro GSM SIM card, it will probably work with this device." He's basically saying its unlocked already. Have fun!



Actually, you are incorrect, at least, in the US. It will only work on AT&T, it's apparently not T-Mobile compatible.


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## Pauly (Jan 28, 2010)

m3ta1head said:


> Valid points, but the new A4 processor they are using in the iPad is about on par with modern cellphone processors like the Cortex in the Droid. So in actuality, the Nexus One will probably outperform this device...
> 
> Sorry, but I'm really not seeing the niche this product is targeting...it doesn't do anything a decent netbook or cellphone can't do.



It's an nVidia Tegra 2 but dressed in Apple clothing.

EDIT - on par with the Snapdragon processor in the Nexus. They're both 1ghz multi-core CPUs, so the performance should be identical.


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## asmegin_slayer (Jan 28, 2010)

Elysian said:


> Actually, you are incorrect, at least, in the US. It will only work on AT&T, it's apparently not T-Mobile compatible.



hhmm, the device has a gsm chip in there... I don't see why T-mobile wouldn't accept it.... Now with verizon that maybe another issue since there mostly CDMA.... correct me if I'm wrong.


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## Elysian (Jan 28, 2010)

asmegin_slayer said:


> hhmm, the device has a gsm chip in there... I don't see why T-mobile wouldn't accept it.... Now with verizon that maybe another issue since there mostly CDMA.... correct me if I'm wrong.



T-Mobile operates at 1800mhz, AT&T 1900.

I posted this on mg.org, but think it deserves cross posting.



Elysian said:


> Lets talk about some of this things biggest downfalls then.
> 
> Gaming. It is not going to be a good gaming platform for many reasons. First and foremost, the bezel. The controls would have to be very close to the edge of the screen for any kind of control, meaning this is not for people with small hands. It also means your fingers are going to be constantly going out of the touch area and into the bezel, which will make fps's virtually impossible. Racing/accelerometer games?  How long do you really think someone could hold this thing up for to play one? Not to mention, who wants to sit there and spin around some 10" wide piece of plastic that weighs well over a pound? It is not very well thought out, accelerometer gaming is absolutely idiotic with this thing. What games will it be good at? Board games, card games, games you can sit it on a table and play, but are you really going to spend 500 bucks minimum to play Monopoly or Scrabble? This is not a gaming machine, and never should have been marketed as such.
> 
> ...


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## Pauly (Jan 28, 2010)

Also yeah the new SDK lets you bump up the res for your apps, so devs can either be lazy and not bother so it just gets pixel-doubled, or they can use the scaling and new features (e.g. the 'Brushes' demo).

Actually, I've decided. This device is clever. Very clever.

Here's why.

This is not really a product for work, its more for entertainment and leisure with a few things that help you throughout the day. If you want to do photo editing, you are better off with a Quad Core, 4Gig of ram and 24inch screen than a 9.7" portable device. Yes, there are other products that can do more for the same or less money but remember the public are not very tech savy. They will see this does the internet, email, books, photos, watch videos and its pretty, and all on a practically idiot proof OS. You plug it into itunes, and it'll update everything for you, back up it all for you and if it goes wrong, restore it for you. Zero faffing. A device that pretty much anybody can pick up, surf the net, share photo's, read an iBook, read an eNewspaper etc etc on a decent screen, without having to squint at a smart phone, sit in front of the TV with a laptop cooking their legs or dissapear up to the study to use the desktop. A lot of people do very little with a computer other than facebook, youtube, some light browsing and instant messenger programs. If they see they can do all this without having to pay more for a desktop they're bound to for use, or a laptop that gets hot and requires manual installation/maintenance and so on, this is a no-brainer.

The iPhone is too small and awkward to compose long e-mails on, or read for extended periods. This device obviously fills a gap for casual users, at a similar price to large eReaders and cheap netbooks.

Note, this wasn't called a MacPad. It's not meant to replace your laptop/Macbook. Where this will undoubtedly shine over other tablets is the idiot-proof OS, which by being the same as the iPhone iPod Touch ones, means that everyone who has one of those will already know about the App Store and iTunes and have the same access to it. Devs will no doubt create apps that will make this stand out more, and the App Store and iTunes are exactly the reasons why the iPhone still destroys the plethora or smart phones out there with better technical specs and hardware.

Btw, using my iphone I've decided LCDs CAN be used for reading. On Stanza, the combination of crisp fonts and glare-reduction via brightness adjustment means no eye-strain. EInk might give you better battery life, but at the end of the day something like that New York Times app they showed DESTROYS newpaper articles on tradition eReaders because you have full colour, embedded video and internet linky stuff. A Kindle might give you tons more reading time, but how many people sit and read for 6 hours straight these days? A lot of people I know read for 30 mins on their morning commute on the train twice a day. This would be fine for that.

P.S - even if there's no multi-tasking in OS 4.0 (which i think there will be), there's always jailbreaking, which is both perfectly legal and relatively quick and easy to do.

All this aside, it still could have been better, but it'll sell well. Example:



> I'm haven't decided about this yet, but a thought did occur to me: This would be PERFECT for my mum.
> 
> My mum has a crappy wee £400 laptop at the moment. She surfs the web, sends and receives emails, listens to music, watches some videos, looks at photos, and types out documents and spreadsheets.
> 
> If I got her one of these £500 jobbies for her Christmas, she'd have something half decent to replace her laptop with. If I got her the keyboard dock thing, she could type out her documents and emails fast, exactly how she does it now. It's safe, secure, easy to use, easy to install new apps on (With thousands already available). And when she's not using it she can have it sat on her sideboard like a picture frame.


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## phaeded0ut (Jan 28, 2010)

I was a bit let down... I was honestly hoping that it was more of a MacBook with iPhone features, instead of a souped up iPod Touch with a GPS and greater WiFi capabilities.

Also, it looks like it won't be until either 2011 or 2012 when Apple finally comes out with a Verizon product, dammit! Seems that they're waiting on 4G, now... sigh...

At least (took me until 2AM) I was finally able to fix my current phone... Pardon the tangent, here's a little glossed over version of what I had to do:
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/computers-electronics-it-and-gaming/108258-windows-mobile-6-connecting-to-64-bit-windows-vista-7-a.html

Bah humbug!!!


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## 7 Dying Trees (Jan 28, 2010)

People with iphones suck the life out of me as they are obsessed with them.

People with these are going to annoy me even further.

I really do think this is a complete piece of rubbish, and lets not forget apple have launched really bad products before.

To me they've just been extremely lucky at making two products which people really liked, the iPod and iPhone.

In all honesty, i have no idea why I'd want one of these at all. But hey, maybe it's marketed at all the people who blindly buy anything apple makes... This is a truly shit product, overpriced as well...


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## synrgy (Jan 28, 2010)

I can't understand what the point is. I've seen it explained, but it still makes no sense to me.

If you can afford it and you want it, more power to you I guess.

As for me, it would take me at least a few months to figure out what use I would possibly have for something so utterly useless, let alone be able to justify paying for it.


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## Randy (Jan 28, 2010)

Would be 1000x more useful if it had more hard drive space, USB/firewire/HDMI inputs, and a mostly capable port of Snow Leopard. The way it is right now, it falls within the margin between PDA and netbook, which I don't think there's much of a need for. I don't think $500 is _that_ bad *although the upcharge for the 3G models is atrocious*, but I won't be buying one of these until they tumble to ~$300 so I can use it as a media playing device out on the patio or something.


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## Elysian (Jan 28, 2010)

Adobe Responds to the iPad's Lack of Flash - apple ipad - Gizmodo



> It looks like Apple is continuing to impose restrictions on their devices that limit both content publishers and consumers. Unlike many other ebook readers using the ePub file format, consumers will not be able to access ePub content with Apple's DRM technology on devices made by other manufacturers. And without Flash support, iPad users will not be able to access the full range of web content, including over 70% of games and 75% of video on the web.
> 
> If I want to use the iPad to connect to Disney, Hulu, Miniclip, Farmville, ESPN, Kongregate, or JibJab &#8212; not to mention the millions of other sites on the web &#8212; I'll be out of luck.
> 
> Adobe and more than 50 of our partners in the Open Screen Project are working to enable developers and content publishers to deliver to any device, so that consumers have open access to their favorite interactive media, content, and applications across platform, regardless of the device that people choose to use.



DRM'd ePub? Great move Apple.


MSI is also releasing a Tegra powered Android tablet that looks like what the iPad should have been. Likely will have an SD card slot, USB, and it's widescreen, not this 4:3 crap.

MSI reportedly has $500 Android tablet coming later this year | Android Central



> Want a 10-inch tablet with a big black bezel for $500, all without that Apple/AT&T baggage? MSI has one in works, says Digitimes, source of all things sometimes true. The as-yet unannounced and unnamed tablet would run an as-yet unidentified version of Android, powered by a Tegra-based processor. And unlike the iPad (which you guys weren't too keen on, by the way), this one would feature "all the functions of a regular notebook."


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## Elysian (Jan 28, 2010)

Ahhh, the HP Slate looks slick as hell, Windows 7 on a tablet, very nice.


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## asmegin_slayer (Jan 28, 2010)

Adobe and Apple have a history of this "he says, she says", so this doesn't surprise me one bit...

As for the HP Slate....

seems like a nice device... I'll give it that... but that is more of a UMPC then anything else..

I think its been proving many times that UMPC's just didn't do it for anyone... 

Remember this guy?







Even the cheapest ones that were going for $1000 were total shit...

A few things to say about the HP slate:
-Hp hasn't announced a release date
-Not much info as far as specs is concern
-I honestly think HP are still figuring out the hardware and software kinks for it and they're rushing it to be released
-No price confirmed


But anyhoo, the thread already went to shit...

Let's have a good laugh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTzhXMbOWHE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw2nkoGLhrE


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## phaeded0ut (Jan 28, 2010)

asmegin_slayer said:


> But anyhoo, the thread already went to shit...
> 
> Let's have a good laugh




Oh man, these two skits were soooo awesome! I rather liked the first one, seemed like something that Apple would do. LOL!

Rather liked this one: 

Somehow it is even more apropos.  Especially from a company that was big on "you won't have to update your hardware every few years, ... unlike the other guy..." 

This said, I will partially agree with some folks that there is a modicum of hope for the ebook readers, but I'm rather doubtful that this version of the product will have as great an impact as was hyped. For me, the iPod Touch was one of the best gadgets to come out of Apple and I can't say enough good things about it. An over-sized one, however, does not pique my interest.


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## Pauly (Jan 28, 2010)

Apple are waiting till html5 becomes more widespread, so Flash and other website plug-ins will become obsolete. That's my understanding anyway. It's a dumb move in a sense because right now there's a lot of Flash content, but at the same time, plenty of Flash content would be useless on an iPhone. How could you play the games if there are no buttons?

Windows Mobile is awful, 6.5 was supposed to be a step in the right direction, and...it's crap. HTC did a decent job of papering over it with their UI on the HD2, but it's polishing a turd. 7 has a huge amount of work to do, not so much in the up front stuff but how friendly to fingers it is when you get down into the depths of the menu systems, consistency in gesture use and so on. WinMo 6.5 looks pretty at face-value, but it's once you delve a few screens in that it all falls apart, 7 needs to fix that.

We'll see how it is when it comes out (eventually). It's been delayed forever!

Right now though there's Android, which is the only real competition, and it's good to see they keep improving the OS with each update. Means Apple will have to come up with something good for 4.0 and beyond, so the non-fanboy consumer will have more to decide between. However their Market isn't nearly as good as the App Store yet, and it doesn't feel as fully integrated into the phone experience as on it's rival.

Everyone and their mum moaned about iTunes restrictions when the iPod came out. It didn't stop it eating up a huge share of the market. You can wag your fingers at all the iPod owners for being slaves to the Apple machine, but most of them are quite happy using it and wouldn't want to use anything else. I'm too fussy about sound quality however, and iPods don't play FLAC, so I'm saving for a HifiMan and several 32GB Micro SD cards!

I have a shit ton of books already in ePub format, and a ton in a variety of other formats that can easily be converted to ePub using Calibre, and transferred over. I do this a lot with my 3gs. I am probably in the minority who do that, most just use the Stanza or Kindle app's stores and buy stuff on there in 2 presses of a button (and typing out your password confirmation). Ebook readers at the moment suffer from two problems, 1) too many different formats 2) they're tied to certain publishing companies. 

What I suspect the iBook store will do, is converge a massive amount of content and become iTunes baby brother because it'll work for joe public in a similar way. They just want a minimally fussy, idiot-proof experience, even if it comes at a cost in terms of freedom.

For some it's too tied down, too restrictive. I agree, it can be. But for a lot of people, they don't care because it does what it says on the tin and they're not fussed about having more customisation and control.

This device is going to be one of _many_ this year, and a lot of companies were rushing their announcements out before Apple's as to gain headway, so there's little point in throwing your rotten vegetables at just the iPad (other than for their humorous sales tactics). Everyone is going to be trying to sell you an internet tablet this year, the only difference with this is it looks shinier and has the usual forced Apple integration with other Apple products. 

When looked at in the right context, these devices do fill a niche. It probably looks like I'm harping on trying to defend Apple here repeatedly, but I feel people aren't quite 'getting' what the point of touchscreen MIDs are, how this is just one in a wave that are coming or how they could be useful. Obviously if you didn't like Apple before, this device doesn't do anything to quell your disdain though!


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## Xaios (Jan 28, 2010)




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## phaeded0ut (Jan 28, 2010)

Pauly said:


> This device is going to be one of _many_ this year, and a lot of companies were rushing their announcements out before Apple's as to gain headway, so there's little point in throwing your rotten vegetables at just the iPad (other than for their humorous sales tactics). Everyone is going to be trying to sell you an internet tablet this year, the only difference with this is it looks shinier and has the usual forced Apple integration with other Apple products.
> 
> When looked at in the right context, these devices do fill a niche. It probably looks like I'm harping on trying to defend Apple here repeatedly, but I feel people aren't quite 'getting' what the point of touchscreen MIDs are, how this is just one in a wave that are coming or how they could be useful. Obviously if you didn't like Apple before, this device doesn't do anything to quell your disdain though!



I can't disagree with your assessment, the McGraw-Hill endorsement and I want to say that there was another pair of scholastic publishers who were also on-board with Apple relative to the iPad's release. There is a definite niche that this device will fill, as will the several other ebook readers. Plastic Logic and a few others are more for business folks than students. The different tablets that were debuted in CES 2010 look like they were something for a student/hobbyist market than anything else. I'm not knocking Frog or Apple at all outside of my disappointment/dashed hopes in getting away from my Windows Mobile phone. Again, the rumor mill was suggesting that Verizon might be an option, and instead this is something that will take a few more years patience on my part. Sigh... 

Actually, I thought that you were overly kind and gentle with your treatment of Windows Mobile 6.* and the proposed 7 version. Because you can't control the partitioning of your memory, there are tons of issues abound that become very frustrating very quickly. Won't get into registry ticking time bombs that were supposed to have been resolved with 6.5. <Comments removed due to graphic content.> 

The other thing that would be a bit kinder on the Windows Mobile side would be a better repository/listing of software for this OS.

Android is interesting, as was WebOS in the Palm phones, but I'd like to see a few more apps their respective ways before jumping on board. Won't talk about Blackberry's, just don't like the way they operate.

One of the applications that is a MUST on my smart phone/PDA is Epocrates: http://www.epocrates.com and I highly recommend this application for those folks with allergies and/or taking multiple medications at one time. The paid for versions give you access to quite a number of updates from the CDC and a few other agencies. <-- This is more for folks working in the Health Care Industry than not.


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## Randy (Jan 28, 2010)

Funny you mention Epocrates, as I was just thinking about it. My mother's an RN and she had a Palm IIIc with Epocrates loaded on it, for work. It was great but it was a bitch to update and the docking and syncing system on those things was always a bit of a nightmare. I've been trying to get her into the modern handheld market, since more of the issues with her old PDA are no longer valid. /offtopic


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## lefty robb (Jan 28, 2010)




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## asmegin_slayer (Jan 28, 2010)

^^^


One thing that I do wish the ipad had was a similar "multitasking card" function like the palm pre has... That would be fucking awesome!!!

But u know what, maybe someone will develop it, or the new OS4 will have something similar.


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## Elysian (Jan 28, 2010)




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## asmegin_slayer (Jan 28, 2010)

lol, this is never gonna end...


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## Bungle (Jan 28, 2010)




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## -K4G- (Jan 29, 2010)

^

It would be cool if it could somehow link to an iMac via bluetooth or what, so i could lie down and continue to do work.


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## phaeded0ut (Jan 29, 2010)

^ It may be able to handle viruses, but how about worms and trojans? Oh man, this thread and my mind have seriously deteriorated.


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## Pauly (Jan 29, 2010)

phaeded0ut said:


> I can't disagree with your assessment, the McGraw-Hill endorsement and I want to say that there was another pair of scholastic publishers who were also on-board with Apple relative to the iPad's release. There is a definite niche that this device will fill, as will the several other ebook readers. Plastic Logic and a few others are more for business folks than students. The different tablets that were debuted in CES 2010 look like they were something for a student/hobbyist market than anything else. I'm not knocking Frog or Apple at all outside of my disappointment/dashed hopes in getting away from my Windows Mobile phone. Again, the rumor mill was suggesting that Verizon might be an option, and instead this is something that will take a few more years patience on my part. Sigh...
> 
> Actually, I thought that you were overly kind and gentle with your treatment of Windows Mobile 6.* and the proposed 7 version. Because you can't control the partitioning of your memory, there are tons of issues abound that become very frustrating very quickly. Won't get into registry ticking time bombs that were supposed to have been resolved with 6.5. <Comments removed due to graphic content.>
> 
> ...



I confess my understanding of the more techy elements of WinMo is lacking rather than me being kind!

Yeah, I saw that app but haven't installed it, there's a good one for emergency medical advice too. There was a good TED speech by the techy guy at the New York Times about technology and functionality, and in either than or an article I read recently, they thought applications had a bright future in terms of streamlining the internet experience and delivering specific content in specific ways rather than having to use a web browser.

I've seen a few people complain that it's not a full OSX type thing, you can't do this or that on it, they wanted a portable beast computer. Why?! I think it's that desire to have something that does everything, so people wouldn't need a desktop, a phone, a camera, a tablet.

First off, using a full operating system with your fingers is clunky, it's inefficient, even using a stylus doesn't help that much except for writing/drawing. Full OS's weren't designed for finger use. Would it be easy or practical to do HD video editing, playing MV2 or WoW with your fingers? Some 3D work in Maya? Not by a long shot (yet)! On my iPhone, I can tinker with some basic image editing in Photoshop Mobile, I can use Reel Director to do basic video editing, I can use Beatmaker to make songs. For a phone it is quite powerful stuff, however it is still baaaaaaaaaaasic as hell compared to using Photoshop CS4, Vegas and your Pro Tools/Ableton/Reason of choice. If you want to do serious work, you use them.

Desktops and 'proper' (by which I mean moderately powerful and above) laptops are now primarily for work and serious play (fast processor, tons of RAM, high-end GPU, hooking up surround sound e.t.c.). It's for tasks that require precision, horsepower and the ability to manipulate a lot of menus, windows and stuff at the same time. Stuff that's not practical/possible on handheld devices.

These things, interwebz tablets, are for play/entertainment, and, especially in the iPad's case, mean you never have to deal with things like antiviruses, firewalls, plug-ins, updates, defrags, registry cleaning e.t.c. like you would with either a notebook/netbook or a tablet running a full OS. Obviously some of us enjoy exercising full control over every detail of our computers, but I know a ridiculous amount of people who are total computer n00bs and don't know how to do some of the most simple things. There's all sorts of other things they're interested in and don't have the time/inclination to sit at a desk and learn. It's easy to say "they should!" but if all they want to do is the basics, and they can get a device that does the basics while being intuitive to use and requiring virtually no knowledge, more power to the manufacturer. It's about delivering an enjoyable, frustration-free experience to the consumer, something which Apple are good at doing most of the time.

It's like Avatar (the movie), a popular armchair critic response for it being so successful is because of the 3D hype, it looks pretty, alien side-boob, you're all sheep going to see it e.t.c. Er... no. It's been successful because overall, it's a great film that people saw, enjoyed immensely and either went back to see again or told other people to go and see it, even if it's not perfect. Smug self-congratulatory directors too!

P.S - if multi-tasking doesn't come with OS 4.0, someone will CERTAINLY do it via jailbreaking, which is both perfectly legal and easy to do. Personally I hope Apple do it, even if it's, say, a 5 program limit. Having the web browser open, whilst using an IM client, a game... maybe a docs program. To be honest, how many times do you need about 100 things open at once? I can't think of any situations where I'd NEED more than a couple of things open myself. Music doesn't count since you can listen to iTunes while you do everything on the phone already.

Also those pics are amusing but miss the point somewhat. You can read a book on the sofa, browse the NYT app, show the person next to you pictures/video on an iPhone, but it will look x100 better on the iPad whilst being lighter, easier to use and pass about and less thigh-cooking than a laptop. I can imagine laying the Pad out on a coffee table and playing Scrabble or Monopoly on a large multi-touch screen with a few people could be amusing too.


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