Apple iPad and related items

[Crispy]

Courier is just a concept. It'll take a lot of software engineering before it's a reality...

 

[zenie]

Courier is just a concept. It'll take a lot of software engineering before it's a reality...

Says 'Expect a Summer relases' in the article, but online says different so I'm guessing they're just hyping it.

Could be good if it comes out though.

 

[tarannau]

The Courier's basically vapourware though - a concept from a company renown for producing many abortive and half thought through concepts that go on a slow road to nowhere. .

Looks flaming great, but it's basically a mock up with demo at the moment.

 

[zenie]

nvm another thread maybe

 

[magneze]

It's an ARM chip, so you can bet it'll turn up in the next iphone/touch.


I can see how it would be nice to have one of these around the home. But if I'm going somewhere, I'll have a bag, and a laptop fits in a bag, and a laptop does more stuff. So yeah, nice product, but I have no urge to actually buy one.

Yep, it'd be nice to have if you didn't have a laptop ... but I reckon anyone who might want an iPad probably already has a laptop.

It's the netbook market they're gunning for here. Will be interesting to see how it plays against them.

If they did a ruggedized one that could be read in direct sunlight then it'd be great for reading books or surfing internet on the beach.

 

[Crispy]

I already use my touch in the way that this is supposed to be used, but I can't replace one with the other, and I can't really justify owning both

 

[g force]

Interested to see the UK pricing...suspect they may come close to swapping the $ with a £

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Out of interest, how good is a iPhone/Touch to use outside in the sunshine?

 

[Crispy]

With the brightness up, it's fine, but the battery life does drop.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

With the brightness up, it's fine, but the battery life does drop.

Would you want to read a book on it, sat in the park, by the pool etc?

Coz Apple seem to be making a big thing of the eReader aspect, but unless I've missed something major it's going to be bloody awful in that regard.

 

[danny la rouge]

So, it's either an iPhone that's too big, or a laptop that's too small and has no keyboard?

It won't catch on, will it?

 

[Crispy]

stranger things have happened, but no it won't

 

[editor]

It's the netbook market they're gunning for here. Will be interesting to see how it plays against them..

Thing is, netbooks run full versions of Windows programs and you can just plug in USB peripherals, hook it up to a monitor/DVD/hard drive, insert memory cards etc, which makes it far more useful for all round mobile/work use than a glorified iPhone. The iPad is next to useless for me as a travelling companion, and that's the only thing I really use my netbook for.

After all the build up I feel a bit cheated by what Steve Jobs described as Apple's 'revolutionary' product.

 

[strung out]

was hoping it would be more like one of these...

 

[Lemon Eddy]

If I was Sergey Brin, Larry Ellison, or even Steve Ballmer, then I'd be a happy man today.

No multitasking. Ugly form factor. Big ergonomic issues. A device that appears to be trying to do too many things poorly (an ebook reader that's not as easy on the eye as an eInk display, a media player with poor resolution screen, a web browsing device that can't handle flash, etc)

And all the while, you've got Android devices getting better and better, and talks of HTC doing a chrome based tablet, other companies are looking at Android based tablets, and Microsoft (of all people) have come out with a far more interesting form factor with their Courier prototype.

Really, really disappointed.

 

[magneze]

Thing is, netbooks run full versions of Windows programs and you can just plug in USB peripherals, hook it up to a monitor/DVD/hard drive, insert memory cards etc, which makes it far more useful for all round mobile/work use than a glorified iPhone. The iPad is next to useless for me as a travelling companion, and that's the only thing I really use my netbook for.

After all the build up I feel a bit cheated by what Steve Jobs described as Apple's 'revolutionary' product.

He has to say that though doesn't he?

With iPod sales now going the wrong way, Apple needs something different. Now if someone hasn't already got an iPhone or a netbook, this is an intriguing alternative.

 

[ChrisFilter]

First I've heard of the Courier. Fuck me, that looks cool. That's what you'd expect from Apple for £900. That's what I would want. What an odd role-reversal.

 

[ChrisFilter]

http://gizmodo.com/5458382/8-things-that-suck-about-the-ipad?skyline=true&s=i

8 things that suck about the iPad - fair points all.

 

[cybertect]

"a cool toy"

Sums it up really.

Though I seem to recall people exactly saying that about every Apple product since the 128K Mac in 1984 - I remember being accused of having a 'toy computer' when I had a Mac Plus in the late 80s because it didn't use a command line interface like DOS.

 

[stowpirate]

stranger things have happened, but no it won't

Haven't they just reinvented the wheel as in a cash generating Tablet PC engineered in such a way as to fool another generation. Can you replace the OS with something less Apple focused or is it locked as with the iPhone.

 

[Crispy]

hee hee hee

 

[jusali]

and now the fall of apple............

 

[gabi]

So I take it iPlayer wont work on this?

 

[Kanda]

and now the fall of apple............

Yeah... right....

 

[gabi]

Comments bit on the guardian site are universially scathing.

Can I edit video with it?
Can I record my band's demo and mix it?
Heck- can I Skype video call my friends in Hamburg?

Think I'll be sticking with my MacBook Pro, then.

 

[Kanda]

So I take it iPlayer wont work on this?

Why do you think that?

 

[editor]

Courier is just a concept. It'll take a lot of software engineering before it's a reality...

Sure, but at least they're aiming high.

The iPad is just a passive media consumption tablet, burdened with all the control freakery of the AppStore, running a crippled three year old OS and with a stupid new 'Micro SIM' slot that's not compatible with anything you currently own.

Maybe I was suckered by the hype, but I expected more from Apple after their recent run of underwhelming launches. Where's the vision? Where's the 'think different' philosophy gone?

 

[Kanda]

I think it will depend on what content becomes available as to whether or not it's a success. I do think it eventually will be a success, just not in this incarnation.

 

[Gromit]

So I take it iPlayer wont work on this?

It works on iPhone so bound to work on this.

What you won't get maybe is Real Player meaning that other BBC content won't work.

I also ponder whether this device will feature Flash or not?

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

I also ponder whether this device will feature Flash or not?

Already covered, it doesn't.