iPad: The World in the Palm of Your Hand

LUW said:
Not really. Even for me here in Brazil as long as I'm in an area with 3G coverage, I can turn on a Kindle and surf through Wikipedia without having any form of contract with a 3G operator, like I have to for my notebook's modem. If I do d/l a book through Whispernet, Amazon's intranet for e-books, then I would pay a fee of $2 on each e-book. So if the books costs $5 for an US citizen, for me it would cost $7. But there are no fees for the use of 3G.
Click to expand...

Interesting, I wasn't aware of that. :)
 
I can honestly say that I wouldn't want to live witout my iPod. But I have an old Nano that doesn't do anything but play music (and display pictures if you consider what's basically a thumbnail worth looking at).

But the iPhone, and this new iPad don't really interest me. If I want to use the internet for something, I'll wait until I get home. I plan on getting a netbook because I write and I don't like full size laptops and want to have a small portable word processor.

As for books, I will cry the day that printed, paper books vanish. I'm a collector. New, old, it doesn't matter, I love books. I can't sit at a computer screen and read a book... hell, I don't even like reading the newspaper online (I buy a paper at least five days a week).

I like the idea of the Kindle for vacations, but I don't want to see these devices as replacements for books. Electronics just don't smell the same as a good, old book.
 
Josh K said:
And e-readers are black and white and have no touch support.

What "netbook" costs $250 and has 160GB of disk space?
Click to expand...

Sony's $299 E-Reader has a touch screen The black one is model number PRS600BC/C. Yes it's black and white, but has days of battery and just designed for books so it's 512MB storage is plenty for that. They also make bigger models BTW.

There are netbooks with 8.9" screens that retail for $249.99. They have 1GB Ram, Webcam and 160GB hard drives. But now there are a bunch of 10" Models around $279.99 with everything else the same (webcam and hard drive). You can upgrade the drive and Ram on a Netbook and also add an external CD/DVD drive.


IMO Apple iPad is a cool device but nothing ground breaking. Its a large iPod Touch for crying out loud. Now if it was a Netbook inside with a Solid state hard drive, 1 to 2 GB ram and support for SD cards, external USB devices and a webcam, that would be something.

Heber
 
nate1714 said:
First off, What company do you work for? I am also in the field of lighting.
Click to expand...

I'm a member of IATSE Local #16, Adams and Associates produces most of the media events for Apple, at least in the Bay Area. I have worked on most of their product launches as well as WWDC and MacWorld for the last three years or so.

I also wish the iPad had a webcam and iChat, then it would do everything I really need from a media/communications device. I expect those to be offered on later models. The touch interface iWork apps they showed were also impressive, and cheap compared to Microsoft Office.

I love books and paper and a library shelf to browse through. But don't dismiss this device until you have held one. The form factor and interface are very natural to use, the portability and versatility are unique.

It won't replace your phone or your work station. Yet.
 
Psychopomp said:
I can honestly say that I wouldn't want to live witout my iPod. But I have an old Nano that doesn't do anything but play music (and display pictures if you consider what's basically a thumbnail worth looking at).
Click to expand...
I also love my iPod, but it's battery life sucks :thumbdn:. Maybe the newer ones are better (bought mine in 2006), and for me that's their only problem. I know, I know, "Get a Nano!", but even though I usually don't use it for movies or pics, it's nice to have the feature. And like you I also can't see me spending on an iPhone. A cell that surfs the web? On that ridiculously small screen and keyboard? No thanks. I have a notebook for that (and plan to switch to a net book soon).

Psychopomp said:
As for books, I will cry the day that printed, paper books vanish. I'm a collector. New, old, it doesn't matter, I love books. I can't sit at a computer screen and read a book... hell, I don't even like reading the newspaper online (I buy a paper at least five days a week).
Click to expand...
I admit too that I like books. Really like them. Not to the point of collecting 'em, but the feeling of reading a book is something unique. I'm switching to a Kindle not because "it's the future", but because at least for me it's cheaper to get all I want to read and it's so friggin' practical! Last week I came back from a 10 day holiday and had to make space for 4 paper backs in my bag. And I had to pace myself, because on the last day I was already on the last third of the last book I had :eek:! With the Kindle it would have been easier.
 
What really interests me about the iPad is that the introduction of a new consumer device merits front page coverage on CNN and other "news" outlets. How does one go about getting such sensational free advertising?
 
LUW said:
How can it "completely destroy the Kindle and other e-book readers" with a whopping mind-boggling 10 hours of battery life? :rolleyes:

For those who are not familiar with the Kindle, it has at least a seven day battery life, and that's with 3G on. Which, by the way, the iPad doesn't have (well, it does, but you have to pay - for the Kindle it's free). And as if battery life wasn't so important, the iPad has a back lit screen, which means to read an e-book on it is just like reading on your PC or Mac with LCD screen - I at least definitively can't do that for hours.

For a graphic novel ("e-comic"), on the other hand, it would rock, since after all a graphic novel is basically pictures, and a Kindle is NOT an image-viewing device. The so called e-ink of the Kindle is primarily to display text as if you were looking at regular paper. So for that end the iPad would be great, though honestly my wife's Asus EEPC can also do that just the same. And with a web cam, internet access and multitasking.

It may be something between a netbook and iPhone, but I really can't see it as serious e-book reader. Well, it is serious if you also consider your PC a good e-book reader. And yes, I do concur that paper books are reaching the of their life on planet Earth in 20 years tops. But not to be read on a LCD screen.
Click to expand...

+1 :thumbup:

The Kindle is really hard to beat. Plus it has a huge installed user base already. I'll stick with my Kindle, thanks.

- Mark
 
moonwilson said:
What really interests me about the iPad is that the introduction of a new consumer device merits front page coverage on CNN and other "news" outlets. How does one go about getting such sensational free advertising?
Click to expand...

Be Apple.
 
Be a consistent industry leader in high technology. Then everyone wants to be the first to se what's coming along next, even if only to criticize it.
 
We have to hand it to Jobs, he KNOWS how to make a splash. And because of that, the iPad will sell, just because it was on CNN.

BTW, everybody (including me) is calling the iPad a "big iPhone". Well, everybody is wrong: the iPad can't make a call
hittinghead.gif
.
 
Everybody is not calling it a big iPhone. Many people writing about the technical aspects called it a big iTouch.
 
moonwilson said:
What really interests me about the iPad is that the introduction of a new consumer device merits front page coverage on CNN and other "news" outlets. How does one go about getting such sensational free advertising?
Click to expand...

That's easy -- spend an enormous amount on advertising in those "news" outlets. Then they'll give you additional coverage "free."

Another cool trick: Want your product to be judged superior to your competitors in a comparison review? Spend more money advertising on that network or magazine than your competitors.
 
I'll stick with my Asus netbook that costs much less and offers better specs, more applications, a larger screen, and standard ports and plugs.

You can't even connect the iPad to USB devices without buying an additional cable adapter. Want a protective case, gotta buy it extra. Connect a camera, gotta buy an extra adapter... See the trend? Ridiculous.
 
No matter what technology we come up with we will still have to wipe before we flush.

I am down for the large pockets idea that was previously mentioned.
 
iPAD 2.0. Can't wait. Multi-tasking, webcam, sd port, and in 3.0, I'm looking for either color e-ink or ability to switch off between e-ink and LED screen.

Meanwhile, I remain happy that at least one stock of mine isn't a tax write off.


Zero
 
mrmaigo said:
It doesn't multitask. So I'll keep my netbook that costs half as much, has 10 times the storage and does everything a computer can do.
Click to expand...

Nothing against PC's (typing on a laptop), but my iphone can multitask. Just have to know the right programs to install on it. Works great as an ebook reader too. It can autoscroll or I can flip pages with my finger, easily adjust brightness to the comfort of my eyes, adjust font size etc. Hasn't replaced me picking up physical books when at home in my reading chair, but for on the go it's nice having over 300 books in my pocket, on my phone. I can re-read Walden while lounging in a park without having to bring my physical copy along.

It's a lot like a pocket sized PC. I take voice and text notes, do all my emailing, listen to music, watch youtube videos, browse forums, read the news etc. all from a device that easily fits in my pocket. It has it's rough edges but it's really cool for what it is.

Owning an iphone, I'm not too interested in a pad. Bigger screen would be cool, but my pockets are full as it is :)
 
I am not an Apple fan, but I respect their innovative spirit. I hope the iPad is a hit, and I hope that in a year or two, there will be amazing pads on the market (hopefully a good Android model).

Right now it is too new to predict how it will pan out. Once people start making software for the iPad, we might see some really interesting applications for it. Hopefully Apple will not be too protective of it.
 
"It's unfortunate it doesn't have a webcam or FLASH SUPPORT" (emphasis added)

no doubt - the iPad's problem is that it's direct niche is as an e-reader like the kindle, BUT it's more expensive and has less battery life, SO it has to provide additional utility in order to replace the kindle. Which is supposedly it's web-surfing ability, except if it won't run flash then you lose a whole bunch of the websurfing experience! They are going to have to swallow their pride in their feud with Adobe or the product won't take off.

if it had a webcam then families might use it for long-distance video calls . . . but it doesn't.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top