Other The iFail- wait sorry, iPad, is officially out

Apple have been claiming all kinds of nonsense since their inception. I clearly remember them proclaiming the G5 the worlds fastest personal computer, when it clearly wasn't. Lying about the improvements in performance (they were quicker, but no where near the figures they were claiming) from Core 2, they must have believed them as they are still selling laptops to muppets with nearly 4 year old processors in them for thousands of pounds/dollars. People lap this stuff up, folk on Mac Rumours stating things like a Core 2 Macbook Pro will always outperform a Core i7 Dell, because its Apple.

Seemingly marketing products with features missing so they can then sell them mk2. and rip them off a second time.

 

I think we've seen the fail of 2010 already.

Ta apple!

 

Looks like a touchy feely photo frame. However, although I wouldn't buy one on release I would be tempted once prices drop quite significantly. (Ha.)

 

Okay, I'll skirt over the fact you tried to make an intelligent post using nigh on nothing but sarcasm but here goes.

I was drawing a very simplistic comparison to a piece of technology which is roughly of a same form factor, use and price, - considering we are yet to see the emergence of the all mighty slate/tablets from CES.

Also in no way did I say that this 'magical new piece of technology' is better at any of its many roles than an iPhone or Macbooks, for all we know at this point it may not be, however one thing I know is that nearly every Apple product I've used has been intuitive and does what it's meant to do.

I would be interested in your specific views as to how it lacks in comparison to netbooks, especially considering not only are they completely different platforms and architectures, but you (nor I) have seen any form of benchmarks for the Apple A4 processor so cannot possibly speculate on performance. But to give rise to some validity in your rash claim; which netbook do you speak that has 10hr battery life, ability to play 720p video with a 9inch screen which also happens to be multitouch with the ability to charge from USB.

To address my clearly "optimistic attitude" towards the inclusion of Flash in the final release (or subsequent releases of the OS as I believe I may have said), it was based upon observation, of if you'd have read my post properly before attempting to script a fork-tongue'd rebuttal, of the plugin icon for an applet, which gave rise to my suspicions that it may be in the pipeline. This notwithstanding my evident naïvety to any such developments will remain stedfast.

As for having seen Adobe and Apple 'snuggled' up together, well I can't think of a possible thing besides the fact that Adobe develop primarily for the MacOS platform in addition to Windows, and have quite a constant relationship with one-another... After all Adobe don't make graphical design apps that are the main reason people have always and still do buy Apple's products for such work.... Or do they?

Hope that adequately addressed your concerns towards my obvious impending disappointment.

 

What is the point of this product?

No, seriously; what are its practical applications?

 

I can see the average punter with more money than technical sense buying into the hype of a hand held browser :/

I would have given it serious consideration if it had the capability of replacing pen and paper for note taking in lectures. Being able to piece together bits of stuff from a digital sourse with hand written notes in a searcheably format would be incredibly useful personally. No chance with current handwriting recognition

 

I agree, if my HTC hd can run googlemaps in the background, have the net open and be calling someone and mid call open a callendar/txt up, I would have thought a ipad could easily do it. Although 1ghz, was kind of hopping for 1.6, I think i'll stick to my phone with it's camera, and more open os. Maybe the ipad 2.0 will be a little better, although I was kind of hopping for something which was more laptop less phone.

 

Introducing the latest in sanitary towels from Apple...the Apple iPad

 

I think you might have mistaken my annoyance at the PR job at Apple for your particular interest in the iPad. I relate the quote of a "magical new piece of technology" to that which has been said by Apple in their marketing video (which you can find here: http://www.apple.com/ipad/). The suggestion that the iPad is better than an iPhone or a Macbook is in response to Steve Jobs description of the need for an iPad, as pointed out specifically in his keynote speech - "the iPad needs to be in a class of its own" (sorta what he said).

I can appreciate that the interface is intuitive and my fondness of Apple can be found in the fact that I am a champion of the iPhone since I got the 2G and till now, with my 3GS. Unfortunately, the iPad has been shaped as a device for a whole new category. But what is that category? Let's find out..

Now, performance wise, early videos of the iPad on sites such as Engadget show it as a powerful device capable of smooth transitions within the various applications, so I can't fault you there. And indeed, all those features together are wonderful in that few if any netbooks have a battery life better than 6 hours. My problem with the iPad is that it has the functionality of a large iPod, with applications designed for it that will only be more advanced iPod apps. The selection of the iPhone OS over OSX is surely a disappointment for a self-proclaimed Apple fanboy, and even for someone like me who's interest in Apple currently lies solely within the iPhone/iPod Touch sector. You don't buy a device that large and expect nothing less of a proper OS that at least supports the software typical of your major OSes. Indeed, the iPad version of iWork is impressive, but how about something you expect from every experience with your PC? That leads me to..

Adobe Flash. The lack of it in the newest piece of tech from Apple by the time their keynote speech is given surely gives you an idea of how much it means to them (zilch). In the 3 years that the iPhone has been out, there have been two massive revisions of the software with no clear support from Apple that Flash will be coming any time soon. I have waited for Flash, adjusted the websites I use on my iPhone, and realized that Flash will not be coming to the iPhone anytime soon. Since the iPad uses the same OS as the iPhone (OS 3.2!), let's just say they are closer to the iPhone end of the spectrum than they are to the Macbooks.

... and thus, I cannot discredit you for your fair assessment of Adobe and Apple within the Mac product family, but alas, it has no relation to the iPad because the two giants have not accomplished anything for the iPod/iPhone. I also would like to point out this short article on Engadget: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/02/adobe-engages-apple-in-passive-aggressive-warfare-with-iphones/

.. as well as this last article on the apparent joint work between Apple and Adobe on iProduct-based Flash: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/31/apple-teams-up-with-adobe-for-iphone-flash-at-long-last/

If you read that right, that was posted 3 days shy of a year ago! Why has it taken a year to do something with absolutely nothing being said to us eager iPhone users?! Not even a new iPhone rehash could hide from the rumour mill, so why is it that iPhone Flash is wonderfully capable of doing so? Because it is non-existent!

 

Jesus, why are they always so terrible at selling products at conventions? I'm strongly reminded of Sony's UK P.R. at E3 2006 or 2007, whenever it was that they were announcing the PS3's controller:



It was by far the most cringeworthy, but they all seem to do it. Conventions are apparently opportunities to put your absolute worst public speaker in front of the most demanding consumers imaginable, given the least amount of exciting news conceivable, and ask them to patronize the hell out of said consumers by selling it with the tone of a Blue Peter presenter describing a prize giveaway to 6-year-olds.

 

About as needed as breasts on a bulldozer.

Where's the market for this? product fan boys?

 

Yep, pretty much. Jobs knows he can release anything vaguely Jesusphone-like and there will be hordes of slavering Apple fanboys and fangirls eager to part with their hard earned.

 

That's not how any company makes $3.3bn a quarter. Obviously they're doing something right (beside the iPhone, I really don't know what though )

 

Go back and read the other 2 threads to see how this is being positioned. It's not for typing (although the BT keyboard raises some cool ideas), it's not for gaming. At the weight and battery life that it's coming in on, it's intended for web and media use in a more natural way then a laptop and netbook, both of which need to rest on something. Who can hold a PC tablet (at almost 2kg) in front of them for 20 min while standing in the kitchen making coffee and toast before work? The Pad comes in at .5kg, perfect for reading the morning news. I love how Nexxo and Lorquis are the only ones here that are willing to take an objective view of this. And if you do any background reading, you can see how the content portion of this product by far out weighs any whining about the hardware. I know I'm looking forward to getting some textbooks that I gave up after my studies back (and a ton of new ones on subjects I'll never study-but want to know more about), and being able to subscribe to 20 odd magazines that I can get anywhere anytime with out worrying about changing addresses every few years. The Kindle app + iTunes books=book lover win! No more paying through the nose to have books shipped 1/2 around the world!

I'm holding off final judgment until I have one in my hands and I'll keep an eye out for android competitors, but it looks like I'll be getting 2 (unlocked 3G/Wifi). Now I just need to arrange to have a US mailing address on one of my credit cards so that I can get iTunes to let me buy things.

I love how everyone is whining about what it's not, but you aren't even thinking about what it is. And I do resent the idea that I have more money then technical sense. I see global content delivery of books/music/video/news to a device that is light, robust, with a good screen and has a battery life long enough to tide me over for the 16hr flights I find myself on a few times a year. I'm not going to type on this any more then I do on my android phone and the need to game in this format isn't there.

 

This.
As a student, I'm sick of paying ~$150 for stacks of paper. The iPad means I have my textbooks and notes with me, everywhere, in something the size of a manila folder.

Also, this will kick the netbook and eBook-reader market in the nuts, given how it encroaches significantly on both those territories. And because it's Apple, I would expect the WWDC to give us some more good stuff on the software side of things (multitasking, please? If Android can do it on a 1GHz Snapdragon, so should Apple).

 

There were a couple of universities here that ran a pilot program for the kindle dx, and most have rejected it because of it's " inaccessibility for the blind"

Now i'm no expert but im pretty sure a standard textbook has about the same accessibilty as a
kindle. So I wouldn't hold my breath for those cheap textbooks on your e-reader of choice. It's far to big a chunk of money for the schools to lose.

 

The Kindle has had textbooks for forever and a day, has a larger catalog, better battery life, and is more suited for reading books, and it's also free to use it's data connection, and it's also cheaper.

As for Apple and multi-tasking, lots of phones with the same, or inferior, hardware compared to the iPhone/iPad can multitask, it's just Apple's choice to not allow multitask as it doesn't correlate with the paradigm of how & for what you should use your Apple device.

While I appreciate how Apple are entering this market, it doesn't change the fact that said market doesn't have much, if any, point to exist; it's much like MIDs.


That being said, I think that Gen 2 of the iPad will bring the device to a much more versatile and useful position.

 

I'm not sure how it is other places, but in the US, universities don't make any money on text book sales. Or even rebuying. Publishers do. And if the various articles and interviews over the last 3 months point to anything viable, then the idea of renting the books for as little as $15-25 a semester is something being discussed. And a purchase price of $50 comes in at close to a 1/3 of what most larger texts are being bought for. That's huge, especially in the sciences where you are looking at one, if not 2, large editions per course that are frequently updated.

True, but the Kindle's back catalog is available through the app. So you get that, plus what Apple is proposing. It's win-win. And you get a screen that is better suited to illustrations (and comix). For any text that relies images to complete a thought, it's bonus. Not to mention, anything else you would want to read (like playboy or SI or comix). And it has the free wifi, with the option of 3G. Not to mention, all the other stuff that uni level students like to have. And the Kindle DX is only $10 cheaper then the entry level Apple offering. You'd have to be a Chinese math major to pick the Kindle.

People said the same thing about mobile phones into the late 1990s. Every new device gets the same reaction, and then 10 years later it's a solid facet of everyday life.

Edit: BTW, I googled "ces tablets" and all the results were no where near 30-90 days away from launch, none of them had content partners or a delivery pathway for content, and none of them had a form factor that was better then what Apple announced. They aren't even ready to release the specs of the HP, only that it will run Win7. The Notion Ink, while interesting, looks like vaporware until they nail down a launch date other then "late 2009". But I am curious about the HTC/Google rumors.

 

I doubt they make no money from book sales. Especially on reselling them. For instance, my last textbook was $175 ( new edition of algebra ) After the sem was over, they would buy it back for ~$60-$70 and then sell it again for $150-$160 the next sem. Maybe I am just a naive little man but I doubt they send that $80-$100 profit back to the publisher.

Don't get me wrong I would love to see all of my textbooks on an e-reader, but i'm a little worried about keeping a constant internet connection to make sure my edition is current

Now I won't bash the ipad, except for touting HD video with your greasy, nerd fingerprints all over it. I just doubt I will ever see it in the wild.

 

I know that everyone is entitled to their opinions but I feel that a lot of the negative comments directed at the iPad are solely because its an Apple product. If this was launched by Sony, Samsung or even Dell then im sure a lot more people would like it.

I remember a similar story when the original iPhone was launched, forums were full of haters who claimed it was too expensive, too big and wasn't needed. We all know how the iPhone turned out.