Apple iPad and related items

[kyser_soze]

How much does it weigh Kyser?

Sans keyboard, 1.4kg, 2.3cm thick. Visible screen size is 26.5cm on the diagonal. The model I've got doesn't have wifi, but does have bluetooth (in fairness, it was 'borrowed' from a previous employer too, and worked well as a download point for most of the time I had it )

Given that it's about 3 years old it's not too bad...and Crispy, point taken re: comparison, but that puts the iPad in even more of a 'doesn't know what it is' place.

 

[Sunray]

Windows 7 does not have an interface suited for touchscreen

Anyway, iPad.

Thought: can you get home media server software that will transcode on the fly to an iphone/pod/pad-friendly format?

Thats not true, its not something that can be installed and is only availlable to OEM's but W7 has a reasonably nice multi touch interface.

 

[Kanda]

Crispy, point taken re: comparison, but that puts the iPad in even more of a 'doesn't know what it is' place.

Yes it does. It's a consumer media device. It's not trying to be a laptop or netbook or e-reader....

It's a device that will live or die by the content provided for it from the app store, from iBooks, from iTunes etc etc

 

[tarannau]

Why has no one else commented on how this will effect premium e-readers?

The Que was supposed to be $800. That's not going to work anymore.

To be honest I've never even considered a premium e-reader or investigated price. That at least puts pricing in a more palatable light.

 

[Sunray]

Why has no one else commented on how this will effect premium e-readers?

The Que was supposed to be $800. That's not going to work anymore.

At $800 it was never going to be anything other than a bit part. The technology it is interesting, it can be flexible. In the future it may make something more interesting than the Que.

 

[fen_boy]

Yes it does. It's a consumer media device. It's not trying to be a laptop or netbook or e-reader....

It's a device that will live or die by the content provided for it from the app store, from iBooks, from iTunes etc etc

Absolutely, content is king for this device. If people (both developers and users) start buying into the content then it'll be a huge success.

 

[Sunray]

THis made me chuckle

a theme.... quite impressive given the time involved. They must have been praying for iPad...

 

[paolo]

I wonder if any of the newspaper's will do a 'free iPad' deal.

Let's take an example. The Guardian currently charges £99 per year for the full PDF style edition. Add £400 for the cost of the tablet. That's £25 a month. Maybe less depending on the retailer margin from Apple. Compared with north of £50 for the print edition at the newstand.

Obviously it's not a no-brainer purchase. You can read the web version for free, after all.

But it's interesting though, I think. There's probably other 'price masking' opportunities too. e.g. premium TV (Sky).

And of course, Carphone Warehouse will have a pay-monthly deal with zero up front cost, just like they do for netbooks.

No silver bullet here obviously, but deals like this could draw a few people in.

 

[editor]

Interesting piece in t'Guardian:

Apple + iPad + Huxley = Orwellian nightmare

For the implication of an iPad-crazed world – with its millions of delighted, infatuated users – is that a single US company renowned for control-freakery will have become the gatekeeper to the online world. The iPad – like the iPhone – is a closed, tightly controlled device: nothing gets on to it that has not been expressly approved by Apple. We will have arrived at an Orwellian end by Huxleian means. And be foolish enough to think that we've attained nirvana.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/31/ipad-review-comments-naughton

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Apple iPad is announced

Interesting piece in t'Guardian:

Link?

 

[ovaltina]

I wonder if any of the newspaper's will do a 'free iPad' deal.

Several years ago, a friend who worked at a national newspaper told me they were looking at a scroll-type device that would download content automatically every day, and would be subsidised by newspapers in the same way satellite dishes were subsidised during the 80s, with punters eventually paying the money back as they buy in content.

It would have advantages over newspapers in that, say you're reading a story about Britney or whatever, if you're interested you can click the picture and whoosh - you're given a list of related articles about her, click again and zap - here's a wikipedia piece - and here's stuff about her next concert, and here's where to buy tickets, etc etc.

It may be that the scroll never worked but devices like the Ipad and MS Courier could fill the gap.

 

[sunnysidedown]

Interesting piece in t'Guardian:

Yet another low on substance, high on melodrama piece you've found there - well done.

 

[pinkmonkey]

The Guardian currently charges £99 per year for the full PDF style edition. Add £400 for the cost of the tablet. That's £25 a month. Maybe less depending on the retailer margin from Apple. Compared with north of £50 for the print edition at the newstand.

I think they should be charging alot less than £99 a year if they want the masses to cough up. Most of the online subscriptions I get (weekly trade press from the US) are $50-$100 a year, with the print edition being $300-$500 a year. Then theres the narrowboat one I think I linked to, which is free (advertising subscribed).

 

[editor]

Yet another low on substance, high on melodrama piece you've found there - well done.

Did you bother to read it? Which specific points do you disagree with?

Or are you going for the 'fingers in your ear' approach?

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Apple iPad is announced

Link!

 

[tarannau]

Oh come on Ed, that piece is near hysterical. When something virtually signs off suggesting that:

The iPad – like the iPhone – is a closed, tightly controlled device: nothing gets on to it that has not been expressly approved by Apple

And brings in the Huxley/Orwell associations you just want to get an iphone and show the writer how to access the web freelly. The fact that the App Store is controlled doesn't stop the internet being available

We'll be having iphone-jailbreakers portrayed as rebellious citizens resisting thoughtcrime next. TBH everytime I see a writer forcing yet another Orwell/Huxley angle on a story I want to shudder - 90% of them are simply asinine alarmist laziness rather than a telling insight into the future.

 

[editor]

And brings in the Huxley/Orwell associations you just want to get an iphone and show how to access the web freel. The fact that the App Store is conrrolled doesn't stop the internet being available

If the iPad achieves the same kind of overwhelming success as the iPod, then I believe it could be a worrying prospect to have one corporation in sole control of what programs and apps can be used on that machine. No programs that compete with their own allowed. No competition allowed. Apps rejected because they contain swear words, or offer functionality that Apple doesn't like.

Apple has already refused apps on the basis of moral grounds. Do you agree with that? Do you think that's the direction technology should be moving?

Or do you think punters should just accept corporate censorship because the iPad is shiny and cute?

Link!

Eh? It's in the article.

 

[tarannau]

You have the option to jailbreak or simply buy another phone.

I can see the concern, but hysterical comparisons to Orwellian visions just seem utterly daft and frankly unbalanced. You have a massive choice of apps to choose from still, the freely available internet and the chance to jailbreak your device should you choose. It's hardly 1999, is it?

 

[Crispy]

It's a concern, but it wouldn't stop me buying one

I'm liking the idea more and more now, and can see myself buying the 2nd version

 

[tarannau]

I'd put in down as a very minor concern fwiw too. But given that (Herr) Jobs only has so long left to give and the historical ebb and flow of computing dynasties I really doubt that there's much to worry about. It's certainly not worth getting your knickers into yet another tired Orwellian twist about anyway.

 

[sunnysidedown]

Great Scott! - here's a review by someone who actually hand their hands on the bastard

linky

 

[magneze]

You have the option to jailbreak or simply buy another phone.

I can see the concern, but hysterical comparisons to Orwellian visions just seem utterly daft and frankly unbalanced. You have a massive choice of apps to choose from still, the freely available internet and the chance to jailbreak your device should you choose. It's hardly 1999, is it?

Jailbreaking is only an option for the tech-savvy. Most users will not do it IMHO.

 

[gabi]

What planet is steve jobs living on? He's fucking lost it...

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010...-is-bullshit-adobe-is-lazy-apples-steve-jobs/

Apparently nobody will be using flash in the near future (because he says so).. Ha. yeh right.

On Google: We did not enter the search business, Jobs said. They entered the phone business. Make no mistake they want to kill the iPhone. We won’t let them, he says. Someone else asks something on a different topic, but there’s no getting Jobs off this rant. I want to go back to that other question first and say one more thing, he says. This don’t be evil mantra: “It’s bullshit.” Audience roars.

About Adobe: They are lazy, Jobs says. They have all this potential to do interesting things but they just refuse to do it. They don’t do anything with the approaches that Apple is taking, like Carbon. Apple does not support Flash because it is so buggy, he says. Whenever a Mac crashes more often than not it’s because of Flash. No one will be using Flash, he says. The world is moving to HTML5.

 

[editor]

You have the option to jailbreak or simply buy another phone.

What percentage of regular users do you think will be savvy enough to jailbreak the iPad and what percentage will simply accept whatever terms Apple foists on them? For the vast majority of users, Apple will be in sole control of what's allowed to be installed on their machines, and that kind of corporate power worries me, and I think it's a topic worthy of some discussion.

If getting tech-dazzled people to listen to the argument in the first place involves authors employing hyperbolic arguments, more power to their elbows, I say. It is important, and if Apple continue to grow it become a very important issue.

 

[tarannau]

Most users don't want to break their iphone, nor see any need to. The ones who want to and are motivated to jailbreak can, without much problem or hinderance from Apple it seems so far. It really doesn't seem that huge a factor atm., no matter how often a tiny majority of users waffle on.

Principled stands are one
thing, but when they seem based on slightly hysterical logic and against the lessons of computing history then I'll reserve the right to look blissfully unbothered. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, and even I'm not enough of an Apple-Zealot to see them ever being the only game in town.

 

[skyscraper101]

I think prefer the book-like appearance of the Microsoft Courier. I'd like to see some demos in action and see if its more functional than an ipad.

 

[gabi]

I think prefer the book-like appearance of the Microsoft Courier. I'd like to see some demos in action and see if its more functional than an ipad.

http://gizmodo.com/5365299/courier-first-details-of-microsofts-secret-tablet

Looks pretty cool on the vid on that link. Looks totally different to anything out there. dunno about naming it after one of the worst typefaces in history though.

 

[tarannau]

I think the Courier looks great, but the more I think about it, the less compelling and the more issues there potentially are with the thing.

Thw two screen form factor carries a host of drawbacks. Splitting the UI with a touch interface could lead to some weird inconsistencies and compromises. And in general I'm not convinced MS has the ability to focus in on a compelling UI and approach for the Courier.

Maybe they'll blow our socks off, but I get the feeling the courier may take off more slowly than the fantastic demo would suggest.

 

[Crispy]

Great Scott! - here's a review by someone who actually hand their hands on the bastard

linky

Good article. This is the key point, IMO

I like my netbook a lot. Most of my admiration for it comes from the knowledge of what I can accomplish with it despite its many limitations. “Wow, this keyboard and screen are useful ... they’re not as big as I’d like, but what would you expect from a machine this small?”; “This webpage loaded plenty quick ... of course, it’s a lot slower than what I’d get on a real notebook, but what do you expect for $300?” ... that sort of thing. Most of my admiration for the iPad comes from the fact that I left that demo room with absolutely no complaints about the speed, comfort, or simplicity of my user experience.

 

[gabi]

Good article. This is the key point, IMO

The key point is you can't watch 75% of web video content on it. Which is a showstopper imo.