iPad

[Craikeybaby]

I can't see me getting one, as can't really see a gap between my iPhone and MacBook, but think it will be perfect for my Mum, who uses my old G3 iBook at the moment, all she needs is something simple that will do email, webbrowsing and iPlayer.

 

[joescrivens]

I semi agree with you, which is partly why I don't have an e-reader yet, however the iPad really isn't an alternative to e readers for the majority of people.

For example most people have an mp3 player and carry them around all the time, listen to all your music on a device that will last up to 40 hours. Also while on holiday you take your e reader with a few dozen books installed onto it, you read half a dozen over the week and don't need to charge up either the mp3 or e reader, doing both with an iPad will mean you have to charge it up every few hours!)

I plan on travelling a lot in the near future and my plan invloves getting an e-reader for reading (something the width and height of a novel for easy carrying), a slate type device for my non laptop needs (when not taking my laptop and for general lazing so web, video, games) and a small laptop (13") for my proper computing needs. This device doesn't fit in to any part of that and from the disussion in this thread an a much bigger one on another forum most people seem to think that.

I don't quite get your comment on the LED backlight. Yes they are slightly better than normal, however take two decent IPS panels and stick normal lightling in one and LED lighting in another and the only real difference you could tell between them is the LED one will get a lot brighter. Much like the LED backlit screens in shops, massively over bright and saturated to make them look better. They cannot be compared to AMLED or OLED screens however, which really are the bees knees.

It's a niche product that doesn't fit into your niche. But it's the same with AppleTV, for many people it's an expensive white box that was pointless, for me I use it every single day. I do a lot of video editing and it's the best way to watch HD video on my plasma. My wife also listens to a lot of music whilst playing with our daughter and this is on all day with the photo screensaver. So for me AppleTv really fits in my niche.

this pad will also fit in my niche. I work from home so although I have an iPhone I rarely use it outside of the house. I use it in the evenings when I am in my living room for internet browsing and watching lots of video (movies and TV) because I mainly hate most of the stuff my wife wants to watch on TV. I also watch something every night in bed.

For all of these uses this pad is going to be way better than my iphone because the screen is bigger, and way better than a laptop because it's easier to hold, thinner, lighter. In bed I can lay down and hold it etc.

so it really fits my niche!

 

[joescrivens]

Do you know, honestly I don't know anyone who has an e-book device. Not one.

I work for a technology company and there's quite a few netbooks, not one ebook. Straw poll this morning is no-one fancies an A4 ipod touch.

and yet I'm the only one in my family that doesn't own an ebook ... potatoes potartos

 

[toph101]

In a good way or a bad way? I'm not sure if I'm being mocked or being praised :bonk:

Mocked my friend, but only in a friendly way. How can simplicity be so bad? (especially when there is so much complexity hiding below the surface if you want it)

Also, Amp34 "LED backlit screens are only better in weight, size and power" only the three most important attributes you want in a mobile device.

I have to admit, I'd hoped the iPad would be more revolutionary but then again the iPhone doesn't look too much until you use it. Unfortunately for me though the iPad or any other tablet falls into the category of 'want' rather than 'need'.

 

[Amp34]

Useless at everything except for what it was primarily designed and that is consuming content. Not creating it, not editing it, just consuming it. And at that, once developers have had their grubby fingers on it for a few months, it will be untouchable, just like the iPhone is now in it's field.

Not quite the same as the iPhone. The iPhone was competing against a niche product (WinMo) that was set up for business use, so it had thousands of mainly business oriented programs. The iPhone then got developers developing games and consumer oriented content which for the first year or so forged it ahead, now both Android and WinMo development has caught up and pretty much any app/game available for the iPhone has an equivilent game/app for Android/WinMo. (Also goes to explain why a lot of iPhone users are now abandoning iPhones for the competition, the competition were left hanging for a year or so and now have essentially caught up).

Why is this relevant, well because the iPhone came into a market where there was little specific competition, especially for "fun" games/apps, the iPad is going to have to compete with full on Windows with it's millions of games and programs as well as android slates, with their associated market. That's going to make the development side much harder to crack, especially as most people already know how to use windows.

Just a thought, are facebook games flash based? Can they run on phones? If not then that is going to be a major turn off for a lot of people that may have been in the market for this device!

 

[Amp34]

Also, Amp34 "LED backlit screens are only better in weight, size and power" only the three most important attributes you want in a mobile device.

I know, I did mention that.

What I was replying to was the comment that they made viewing the screen far more fantastic, which they actually don't when compared with a like for like cathode screen.

Stick AMOLED in though and that really is an eye turner.

 

[joescrivens]

Not quite the same as the iPhone. The iPhone was competing against a niche product (WinMo) that was set up for business use, so it had thousands of mainly business oriented programs. The iPhone then got developers developing games and consumer oriented content which for the first year or so forged it ahead, now both Android and WinMo development has caught up and pretty much any app/game available for the iPhone has an equivilent game/app for Android/WinMo. (Also goes to explain why a lot of iPhone users are now abandoning iPhones for the competition, the competition were left hanging for a year or so and now have essentially caught up).

Why is this relevant, well because the iPhone came into a market where there was little specific competition, especially for "fun" games/apps, the iPad is going to have to compete with full on Windows with it's millions of games and programs as well as android slates, with their associated market. That's going to make the development side much harder to crack, especially as most people already know how to use windows.

Just a thought, are facebook games flash based? Can they run on phones? If not then that is going to be a major turn off for a lot of people that may have been in the market for this device!

A big thing about these devices though is, you don't need to know how to use mac osx/windows or anything in order to use them and thats why they are so successfull.

 

[ding76uk]

I think this is a massive device, or will be. I can see the flaws, and no OS sucks, but that could happen in future generations.

OLED screen is better than LCD, but then people would be complaining even more about the cost, as OLED is still stupidly expensive, so that is why it is not there, again when prices come down, you will see it.

We need to give it time to see apps. Have people thought that MS Office, Photoshop, Aperture et al may be working on an app for this? Now all of a sudden it doesn't seem quite so useless with Photoshop on it. No Multi app is annoying, but again in future versions it will be there. Taking this to clients to show your portfolio will guarantee some oohs and aaahs.

Widescreen comment about the picture being in the middle of the screen, do you not realise that unless you made the device wider, it would still be that size, just without the black top and bottom.

10 hour battery, amazing, perfect for browsing web, reading a book, watch a movie, play a game, every teenagers dream is in this machine.

This is ideal for everyday users, those who don't need the things the more techie amongst us do. I can see my mum using this, or teenagers, it is very simple, likelihood of problems you see on a netbook will be non existent, it will just work and do it's job very well and very simply. Which is what people will want. It will look good on the side or coffee table, doesn't take up much room, I can see this selling big style.

Do I want one? Would have to say no at present, but as this progresses more possibly 2nd generation I can see this as a must have.

What I would love to see is the ability to hook this up with photoshop on my mac, use this as a tablet with it. Now that would be amazing, and I can see it coming.

It may not be amazing now, but give this time and it will change the game!

Wish list:

Multi App
MS Office
Photoshop
Aperture/LR
Tablet ability with PS on a mac (using bluetooth etc.)

Give it time before you all lay into it, or you may just end up with egg on your face.

 

[joescrivens]

I know, I did mention that.

What I was replying to was the comment that they made viewing the screen far more fantastic, which they actually don't when compared with a like for like cathode screen.

Stick AMOLED in though and that really is an eye turner.

well this is a matter of opinion not fact. To me it does make a massive difference.

 

[Syx]

Whilst I can see the market that apple is aiming at, I really don't know if one exists. The iPhone wins for me because it has the features available in a small form factor - one that fits in my pocket. The iPad doesn't, it's the size of a small netbook, meaning that I would be unwilling to take it anywhere. And at home, I've already got a laptop. I admit that I'm talking from my own needs, but are there really that many people out there who can justify the expense of this device?
With no feedback on reliability and if it "just working" is actually the case, I'm skeptical.

 

[joescrivens]

the camera connector will make this really appeal to people as well. You can connect your camera to it whilst on holiday to browse the pics you've taken without having to take your bulky laptop. sweet

 

[joescrivens]

Whilst I can see the market that apple is aiming at, I really don't know if one exists. The iPhone wins for me because it has the features available in a small form factor - one that fits in my pocket. The iPad doesn't, it's the size of a small netbook, meaning that I would be unwilling to take it anywhere. And at home, I've already got a laptop. I admit that I'm talking from my own needs, but are there really that many people out there who can justify the expense of this device?
With no feedback on reliability and if it "just working" is actually the case, I'm skeptical.

I'm one of them. iPhone for portability as you said but it's a pain in the backside getting my laptop when all I want to do is watch a movie or check my emails or show my wife some photos. This will live on the table next to my couch and i can just grab it and use. It doesn't need to rest on my legs and heat up my groin, I can hold it in one hand whilst I'm laying in bed (leaving my other hand free whilst I am watching porn! ha ha joke). I think once people have actually got a chance to hold one it will make more sense.

for me it's all about the experience, I work for a company that makes interactive whiteboards which use touch recognition and navigating your content through touch is so much nicer than using a trackpad, i think thats where the digestion of content will be a better experience through this than a laptop

 

[aligibbs]

the camera connector will make this really appeal to people as well. You can connect your camera to it whilst on holiday to browse the pics you've taken without having to take your bulky laptop. sweet

You can already do that on an ipod (ok, its a smaller screen).

 

[joescrivens]

You can already do that on an ipod (ok, its a smaller screen).

thats the whole point though, it's a bigger screen. that enough is better. Why bother looking at them on my ipod when i can see them at the same size as my lcd on the back of the camera?

size matters here!

 

[aligibbs]

thats the whole point though, it's a bigger screen. that enough is better. Why bother looking at them on my ipod when i can see them at the same size as my lcd on the back of the camera?

size matters here!

For me, I can backup my images from my camera > ipod (and check they got there ok).

 

[joescrivens]

For me, I can backup my images from my camera > ipod (and check they got there ok).

yeah I used to do the same with my ipod video, the device I had doesn't work on my iPhone though. But it's better to be able to do that same functionality and see it larger.

 

[wingo]

I was really looking forward to this but when I saw it was essentially a giant iPhone I was disappointed. I wish it had mac OSX so could at least do a bit of photoshop, illustrator work or even watch some avi films!

 

[nass]

* No camera
* No multitasking
* No flash
* £100 extra for the 3G version
* 16GB storage for a laptop replacement?
* FPS gaming w/o a controller.
* eBooks on an LCD screen.


iPass

This Microsoft courier looks like a better device imo

 

[joescrivens]

* No camera
* No multitasking
* No flash
* £100 extra for the 3G version
* 16GB storage for a laptop replacement?
* FPS gaming w/o a controller.
* eBooks on an LCD screen.


iPass

This Microsoft courier looks like a better device imo

lol, iPass, I like that

i'd buy a microsoft tablet if I knew it wasn't going to crash and seize up every 5 minutes

 

[amyliz]

Apparantly os 4.0 has multitask and the ipad will ship with that (they couldnt announce that yet as it would let the cat out of the bag about os 4.0 coming out in a month or so)

Only a rumour but a likely one

 

[amyliz]

lol, iPass, I like that

i'd buy a microsoft tablet if I knew it wasn't going to crash and seize up every 5 minutes

And thats why apple will eventually overtake microsoft.

 

[neil_g]

lol, iPass, I like that

i'd buy a microsoft tablet if I knew it wasn't going to crash and seize up every 5 minutes

like the ones we have had in our warehouse for 2-3 years that have XP and only have user issues.

 

[Amp34]

I think this is a massive device, or will be. I can see the flaws, and no OS sucks, but that could happen in future generations.

OLED screen is better than LCD, but then people would be complaining even more about the cost, as OLED is still stupidly expensive, so that is why it is not there, again when prices come down, you will see it.

We need to give it time to see apps. Have people thought that MS Office, Photoshop, Aperture et al may be working on an app for this? Now all of a sudden it doesn't seem quite so useless with Photoshop on it. No Multi app is annoying, but again in future versions it will be there. Taking this to clients to show your portfolio will guarantee some oohs and aaahs.

Widescreen comment about the picture being in the middle of the screen, do you not realise that unless you made the device wider, it would still be that size, just without the black top and bottom.

10 hour battery, amazing, perfect for browsing web, reading a book, watch a movie, play a game, every teenagers dream is in this machine.

This is ideal for everyday users, those who don't need the things the more techie amongst us do. I can see my mum using this, or teenagers, it is very simple, likelihood of problems you see on a netbook will be non existent, it will just work and do it's job very well and very simply. Which is what people will want. It will look good on the side or coffee table, doesn't take up much room, I can see this selling big style.

Do I want one? Would have to say no at present, but as this progresses more possibly 2nd generation I can see this as a must have.

What I would love to see is the ability to hook this up with photoshop on my mac, use this as a tablet with it. Now that would be amazing, and I can see it coming.

It may not be amazing now, but give this time and it will change the game!

Wish list:

Multi App
MS Office
Photoshop
Aperture/LR
Tablet ability with PS on a mac (using bluetooth etc.)

Give it time before you all lay into it, or you may just end up with egg on your face.

TBH I don't think it would be powerful enough to run a proper version of photoshop and as for using it as a tablet forget about it, the screen will almost certainly be a standard capacitive screen and therefore nowhere near as accurate as you would need. That's the thing, if it did allow these things then I would probably snap it up as soon as I had the money, problem is I don't think it will, it's essentially a phone/pedia player, not a portable computer.

the camera connector will make this really appeal to people as well. You can connect your camera to it whilst on holiday to browse the pics you've taken without having to take your bulky laptop. sweet

Other devices just have USB connections of card slots in the side, trust Apple to actually charge you for the privilage of actually being able to stick your own photos on...

This is also the major issue I have with the device, the photo/media issue. How exactly do you stick your media on to the device? There is no USB slot or card readers so unless you buy the other device how do you do it? Not bluetooth that's for certain (going by apples previous form), maybe a dock that syncs with iTunes? Then you have the usual trouble of having to install iTunes everywhere you want to go.

Other options include email and downloading from the web (possibly?), whichever way it looks to me like unless you spend a bit of money on that camera connector for photos (will it do video as well?). As for video, are you going to have to purchase all videos through iTunes on the device? If so and you can't just download AVI's to it then that is insane!

The thing is the other slates that are coming out all have the abilities to do the things that this slate looks like it doesn't, so why buy this one? Unless you love the Apple symbol...

 

[joescrivens]

like the ones we have had in our warehouse for 2-3 years that have XP and only have user issues.

I was thinking more like the 4 pc's I've owned in my life that ran 98 and xp that I ended up binning

 

[Amp34]

like the ones we have had in our warehouse for 2-3 years that have XP and only have user issues.

And that one phrase explains why he is raving about this product so much (unlike most of the rest of us...)

 

[neil_g]

I was thinking more like the 4 pc's I've owned in my life that ran 98 and xp that I ended up binning

like i said.. user error..

 

[aligibbs]

And thats why apple will eventually overtake microsoft.

Urgh, apple has a closed hardware system. If Microsoft had the same, they wouldn't have anywhere near the same problems. Apple only has to write drivers for like 50 hardware devices- yet MS has 500,000++.

It's a totally different system and apple will never overtake microsoft- not selling what it currently does. Take a look at its "business" market. As in, there isn't one!

 

[Amp34]

* No camera
* No multitasking
* No flash
* £100 extra for the 3G version
* 16GB storage for a laptop replacement?
* FPS gaming w/o a controller.
* eBooks on an LCD screen.


iPass

This Microsoft courier looks like a better device imo

I think i just ca..

That video is epic, I have no idea how I would really use it but I sooo want if it is like that!

Why do they make us wait so long.

 

[Kaouthia]

I haven't read all the comments, but some of the stuff I briefly scanned through I agree with and some I don't.

I'll definitely been keeping a close eye on this one though as more information gets released as we get closer to an official UK release date.

It would certainly be a handy tool for me depending on camera interactivity and features that don't require me spending money on the iPhone app store. Not convinced I'll need 3G connectivity, but I will be going for a 64GB version if I decide to get one.

No camera built in... well, big deal? I've got a mobile with a camera, I've got a D100, D200 and D300s.

No multitasking. Not really all that bothered. It's not a laptop replacement.

No flash. No care. I wouldn't be getting it for browsing the web. The few sites I would be accessing with it don't use flash anyway.

3G... haven't decided whether I need/want it or not yet.

16GB storage for a laptop replacement. Again, it's not a laptop replacement for every circumstance, and it also has 32GB and 64GB flavours.

FPS gaming... that's what my PC is for.

Display... 7.9" LCD with IPS. That's going to be much better, imo, for watching movies or viewing images than a laptop costing even twice as much with a standard non-IPS display. The fact that it's not 16x9 does bother me a little though.

It would be nice to see some form of Photoshop or Lightroom on this so that if I'm on a long train ride home from a shoot I can start working on the pics, although not really all that essential.

Re camera connectivity : "You can already do that on an ipod (ok, its a smaller screen)." Well, yeah, or I could not waste money on an ipod and just use the LCD on the back of my camera.

 

[joescrivens]

And that one phrase explains why he is raving about this product so much (unlike most of the rest of us...)

I can totally see why lots of people don't get this product. It's very niche, just happens to fit my niche. I really like it but I can see why lots of others won't.

 

[Chappers]

If the USB adapter will accept card CF readers, and it will read RAW files I could be interested

 

[joescrivens]

like i said.. user error..

funny those same user errors haven't stayed with me on my apple products though, must have magically stopped making errors the minute I threw my last pc away, damn should have bought that 5th pc!

 

[aligibbs]

Re camera connectivity : "You can already do that on an ipod (ok, its a smaller screen)." Well, yeah, or I could not waste money on an ipod and just use the LCD on the back of my camera.

Sorry- my point was that I use it as a backup device

 

[Kaouthia]

If the USB adapter will accept card CF readers, and it will read RAW files I could be interested

That's one of the things I was wondering too. Sure, there's an SDHC reader, but I only use the SDHC slot on my D300s for recording video. I still use CompactFlash for the stills.

I would hold my hopes up for it shooting RAW though. I might consider configuring my camera to shoot RAW+JPG though and have it put the RAW files on CF and the JPG files on SDHC automatically. That way I can at least do quick reviews of the images with clients quickly on a display better than the camera's built in LCD.

That would mean I'd have to fork out for a faster (probably much more expensive) SDHC card though. I only went for a 16GB class 4 SDHC card as the D300s only uses about 3MB/sec (or thereabouts) for recording HD video.

 

[ding76uk]

TBH I don't think it would be powerful enough to run a proper version of photoshop and as for using it as a tablet forget about it, the screen will almost certainly be a standard capacitive screen and therefore nowhere near as accurate as you would need. That's the thing, if it did allow these things then I would probably snap it up as soon as I had the money, problem is I don't think it will, it's essentially a phone/pedia player, not a portable computer.

In this 1st generation, you are right, but next year/next generation, who knows? it is easily possible if you think about it.

A lot of people want a device for general things and not a computer. Teens, non techie people etc. My mum would be able to use this no probs, as the OS is so simple, and that is where this will succeed, several are talking of it as a tablet computer, it is not (in current incarnation anyways) but will have several people wanting to use it because it does essential things like the web and is easy to work with little possibility of crashing.

I think of the iPad like Sky Plus, many people couldn't programme a video or dvd recorder but love sky plus due to it's ease and use it all the time. Is it the most powerful/Best solution? Not technically no, but so many use it because it does what "most people" need it to do. This is where the major market for the iPad is.

 

[aligibbs]

That's one of the things I was wondering too. Sure, there's an SDHC reader, but I only use the SDHC slot on my D300s for recording video. I still use CompactFlash for the stills.

I would hold my hopes up for it shooting RAW though. I might consider configuring my camera to shoot RAW+JPG though and have it put the RAW files on CF and the JPG files on SDHC automatically. That way I can at least do quick reviews of the images with clients quickly on a display better than the camera's built in LCD.

Just 16gb on the lowest spec and 64gb on the highest spec....

 

[joescrivens]

Urgh, apple has a closed hardware system. If Microsoft had the same, they wouldn't have anywhere near the same problems. Apple only has to write drivers for like 50 hardware devices- yet MS has 500,000++.

It's a totally different system and apple will never overtake microsoft- not selling what it currently does. Take a look at its "business" market. As in, there isn't one!

agreed, they will both co-exist quite happily. Microsoft will continue to make products that fit well into buisness category and Apple will continue to make products that fit into the entertainment category. Apple will just grow and take share from microsoft in the entertainment and home use category but it won't take over the business space where microsoft will happily exist.

The education space however is a different place entirely where I think microsoft will lose share, not just to apple but to Linux. Schools are already getting fed up with paying so much money for operating systems they are looking elsewhere more and more. Ubuntu will gain more and more space in this field

 

[Kaouthia]

Sorry- my point was that I use it as a backup device

Again though, for what it costs to get an ipod touch of any useful capacity + camera kit, I'd rather go buy a dedicated backup device like the Epson P2000 or something (which also has a more useful sized LCD, although probably not with as much clarity as the ipod/iphone/d300s displays).

 

[neil_g]

I think i just ca..

That video is epic, I have no idea how I would really use it but I sooo want if it is like that!

Why do they make us wait so long.

indeed.. now THAT id buy.

 

[Kaouthia]

Just 16gb on the lowest spec and 64gb on the highest spec....

huh? sorry, I don't get how that was in response to what you quoted.