IPad opinions?

[QF WP]

Well, here is Hitler' opinion...:

YouTube - Hitler responds to the iPad

 

[samh004]

Oh dear.

Looking forward to the actual release and hoping they might have not demoed a built-in camera because the software was buggy, but I realist that’s pretty far fetched. There have been rumours and questionable-proof that it was designed with a camera mount.

 

[anat0l]

Well, I was never an Apple fan to start with and I never jumped onto any Apple rumour mills before the iTampon came out, but otherwise there's a good deal in that video that sums up my impressions!

 

[samh004]

Well, I was never an Apple fan to start with and I never jumped onto any Apple rumour mills before the iTampon came out, but otherwise there's a good deal in that video that sums up my impressions!

The reason everyone is upset is because they wanted an OS X-based tablet, which has been made by another company for a few years and hasn’t really taken off so well.

The iPad is an eBook reader that does a whole lot more, but everyone wants it to be something it isn’t, and that’s where all the flames come from.

 

[simongr]

I think there is a lot more to it than that sam. I think the fanboys/girls wanted a fully fledged laptop in a micro format that revolutionised the industry.

I think the iPad will revolutionise the industry - but not in the way hard core techheads want - more power in a smaller box is not always the best solution for the mass market.

The iPad will do what most people want - email, internet, movies, music, games (you want gamers games then get an Xbox), pron (non-flash based of course) - it will do it where they want and when. You can stack three of these in a bag when packing for the airport and not have to worry about extra batteries or paying to get a seat with power. Parents will be able to control content (well at least they think they will be able to - and as we know with airport security it is a sense of action and not effective control that is important).

Sadly the iPad doesnt do two things I want - be able to take notes using a "pen" and be able to video conference from the sofa - but this is version 1 and by the time babygr is 3 it will be just time for version 3 to be out

I am not thinking so much about what the iPad can't do - more what it will do.

And finally as much as the name is not good I stopped making tampon jokes when I was 12.

 

[samh004]

I think there is a lot more to it than that sam. I think the fanboys/girls wanted a fully fledged laptop in a micro format that revolutionised the industry.

I think the iPad will revolutionise the industry - but not in the way hard core techheads want - more power in a smaller box is not always the best solution for the mass market.

I’m sure they did, and when Apple thinks the market is ready for just such a device, I’m sure Steve Jobs or Jonathan Ive will be happy to release it. They must have done some research and must have some prototypes working, but clearly think the time isn’t now.

I think one big issue would be a new hinge is needed for the MacBook to adequately use a touch screen and they don’t want the problems they had with the TiBook back in the day.

Also a few promised features of Leopard and Snow Leopard failed to materialise, such as a new file system or resolution independence, which I think they may want to get going before they release their next revolutionary product.

There is talk of a touch-screen iMac coming though.

 

[albatross710]

I 'll be looking forward to doing a proof of concept on the ipad for our field staff. All of our applications live in the cloud and this could be an easy way to get them onto the apps without having to carry a netbook. They already use iPhone so should be an easy transition.

One very big issue is security of the iPad so we'll be interested to see how protected the data can be on, to and from this device.

I'll be in the CA in April, I wonder what my chances are of picking up a 3G iPad?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Well I am certainly no techno-genuis..

But IMO the iPad is the iAlmost.

I am sure they will sell millions and it will be very handy for many things.. However a little bit more functionality in a few areas and you will have a very nice machine.

I note that you can now get a touch-screen netbook.

In about two years I think we are going to have some truly awsome little machines....

iPad2...or perhaps iPad "The Sequel" will no doubt have a lot more fuctionality...as will the netbooks.

Both will be better.

 

[samh004]

Well rev. B Apple products are always better, but I doubt it’ll improve that much, it wont become a proper Tablet, another product will have to take on that role.

 

[simongr]

Can you define a proper tablet? I personally don't want the iPad to be a "proper tablet" as they seem to have a commercial and practical failure.

There is some functionality it doesnt have but then again there is functionality that a desktop has that a laptop doesnt and a laptop has that a netbook doesnt and so on.

I am not sure what people actually want from a tablet - is running a "full" OSX that important for something which is not likely to be a primary computer? Don't people just want to run the applications they want? Unless you get a Windows 7 machine you will never get to run every application you want to run on an Apple device as not all applications have been ported across to OSX.

 

[JohnK]

The video is well done.

I have never been a fan of any Apple products (and I believe I have never bought or used one) and don't think I will be buying the iPad either. What a dumb name. Perhaps Apple (even this is a stupid name for a computing company) should call their range of products iPox....

 

[samh004]

Can you define a proper tablet? I personally don't want the iPad to be a "proper tablet" as they seem to have a commercial and practical failure.

There is some functionality it doesnt have but then again there is functionality that a desktop has that a laptop doesnt and a laptop has that a netbook doesnt and so on.

I am not sure what people actually want from a tablet - is running a "full" OSX that important for something which is not likely to be a primary computer? Don't people just want to run the applications they want? Unless you get a Windows 7 machine you will never get to run every application you want to run on an Apple device as not all applications have been ported across to OSX.

I think people want a MacBook with a touchscreen that runs normal applications that you’re running now. The difference would be that developers get given some new API’s or whatever and build-in touchscreen control support so you can either use a mouse and keyboard or your fingers. Apple would have to build in the support though.

Speaking from the paranoid point of view now, what they probably want is for every new device they make to be sync-able with iTunes so you’re locked into their eco-system and they get a 30% cut of sales.

The video is well done.

I have never been a fan of any Apple products (and I believe I have never bought or used one) and don't think I will be buying the iPad either. What a dumb name. Perhaps Apple (even this is a stupid name for a computing company) should call their range of products iPox....

You’ve used Bundy Bear’s iPhone a few times to browse photos, therefore you’ve used an Apple product!

 

[anat0l]

What a dumb name.

I can agree with this one, however

Perhaps Apple (even this is a stupid name for a computing company)....

is a bit different; Apple has been around for a bit, so the name has stuck. Just as QANTAS has gone to Qantas (i.e. an acronym as it should to a word), moreover it is a national carrier now, not just a service for QLD and NT!

Apple was a name borne out of the nerd culture that is computing when marketing computers was not a fad like it is now. No real reason to change it - as you can see, it has been of much practical use to Apple to have an unorthodox name attached to a computer and consumer electronics company (compare Microsoft, Dell, Novell, IBM, etc.). Many *nix distributions have odd names. I won't even entertain you with the meaning of GNU.


It is getting rather odd however that Apple are coining every product they rollout with an 'i' prefix; starting with iPod, no big deal, but now everything has to have an 'i' in it!

 

[anat0l]

You’ve used Bundy Bear’s iPhone a few times to browse photos, therefore you’ve used an Apple product!

You also have to remember that a lot of the computers in F Lounges are slowly mutating from PCs to Macs. Irrespective of the operating system being installed on those systems, Apple's gonna get him one day if it already hasn't!


Seriously, people will still buy the iPad. Apple has a halo effect about it that causes people to buy a product because of its vogue and prestige. A rational argument about the functionality of the iPad (or lack thereof) should already test whether the product will be any sort of commerical success, however in practice I believe that Apple will easily cruise this one through.

Some people must be getting sick of Apple going into bed with AT&T, however. Not to mention you'd hope they don't release iPad Mk II anytime soon, lest people be "frustrated" and "enraged" with the quick shift in product and devaluing/price drop, which will lead to necessary litigation on the grounds of "commercial entrapment" or whatever the charge levelled by that silly Chinese lady of the early iPhone fiasco.

 

[samh004]

It is getting rather odd however that Apple are coining every product they rollout with an 'i' prefix; starting with iPod, no big deal, but now everything has to have an 'i' in it!

It started with the iMac actually with the “i” being internet. However I never really understood the “i” in iPod, as the first few versions didn’t have an internet feature. Makes sense mostly now though.

Some people must be getting sick of Apple going into bed with AT&T, however. Not to mention you'd hope they don't release iPad Mk II anytime soon, lest people be "frustrated" and "enraged" with the quick shift in product and devaluing/price drop, which will lead to necessary litigation on the grounds of "commercial entrapment" or whatever the charge levelled by that silly Chinese lady of the early iPhone fiasco.

Well AT&T had the exclusive rights for the iPhone until mid-2010, so I guess it was just easier to go with AT&T now and let anyone go for it afterwards. That being said, the iPad 3G versions will be sold unlocked, so you can use any Micro-SIM you like, it’s just AT&T that has specific plans for the device.

The other issues is the next largest provider, Verizon is it, uses a different cell technology, so you can’t just switch the SIM card, you’d need a whole other chip in the device.

The idea though is that by the next generation (4G), they’ll be using the same tech so it wont matter.

 

[JohnK]

You’ve used Bundy Bear’s iPhone a few times to browse photos, therefore you’ve used an Apple product!

That does not count. :-|

You also have to remember that a lot of the computers in F Lounges are slowly mutating from PCs to Macs. Irrespective of the operating system being installed on those systems, Apple's gonna get him one day if it already hasn't!

That definitely does not count. :-|

I have no interest in purchasing iPhones, iPods, iPads, Macs, iNotebooks, iTablets or whatever else is produced by Apple. Now if I am forced into using Apple products when I do not have a choice (sure I can refrain from using the Macs in Qantas Lounges but sometimes I need e-mail and to do some printing) then so be it and it is a totally different matter.

 

[haydensydney]

The reason everyone is upset is because they wanted an OS X-based tablet

...you summed up my thoughts accurately Sam, I wanted a OSX-lite device, not a Iphone device. I'm also spewing because flash isn't supported so xtube will be off the cards :evil:
No USB slot, nor a memory card reader? It's hardly the wonder machine...

....but I will still buy one Whats another gadget to add to the collection?

 

[anat0l]

....but I will still buy one Whats another gadget to add to the collection?

I could say one of two things:

• You're buying a glorified paper weight, or
• You're buying an impractical ebook reader

Gadgets are great but they're meant to be used!

 

[samh004]

...you summed up my thoughts accurately Sam, I wanted a OSX-lite device, not a Iphone device. I'm also spewing because flash isn't supported so xtube will be off the cards :evil:
No USB slot, nor a memory card reader? It's hardly the wonder machine...

....but I will still buy one Whats another gadget to add to the collection?

I reckon it’s on the horizon, but they probably want to sort out their OS first before they bring in multitouch screens and such. Steve Jobs likes things to be perfect before he releases them, which is a curse because it’ll take forever to please him. But a blessing because they actually work when he does release it.

I’m thinking he wants the main apps multi-touch aware, maybe through releasing a touch-screen iMac at some point (rumoured), he’ll want to replace the ageing filesystem, get resolution independence 100%, unify the look and feel and hopefully have flash-based drives approaching 1TB for a low price. And at the current rate Apple is burning through flash, it’s looking quite possible.

At that point he’ll be able to release a multitouch MacBook running OS XI or something, that is even thinner than todays MacBook Pro’s, has a 500GB flash drive standard, and runs all the apps you’re running now, with a mouse or your finger!

/reality distortion field.

Gadgets are great but they're meant to be used!

I could see myself using it on the couch every night while parked in front of the TV instead of a just slightly heavier laptop. It could be an awesome way to browse AFF.

I could get into books, and if they started magazine subscriptions, well I’d be really happy about that.

It’ll do what it’s meant to do, it wont multitask, but it’s not meant to either, so it’s not limited by not doing that. It wont display flash content, but then again I’d rather the battery last the evening, and not an hour as the flash ads drain my battery because Adobe can’t code.

 

[simongr]

I could say one of two things:

• You're buying a glorified paper weight, or
• You're buying an impractical ebook reader

Why is it an impractical ebook reader? At 10in it is about the same as a comic book which I comfortably read every day. Robert Jordan's wheel of time book 12 weights in at 998grams so the iPad weighs less than the book I would need to carry.

So I will have a machine where I can read books, read the paper, surf the net, review reports and document, do my cash book, prepare project plans and watch movies and TV shows on a form factor that is visually easier to cope with than an iPhone and doesnt require me to boot up my laptop or try to cram my laptop between me and the seat in front or between me and the schoolkids who constantly smack my laptop with their bags.

With a pogo stylus I might be able to find a note taking app that would be great for in meetings.

The things I want for the future are some link to home automation (turn the AC on from the train would be nice)...