Apple iPad and related items

[elbows]

There are some complaints about wifi reception, though its too early to be completely sure how bad it is.

The sales figures Apple have announced, 300,000, are probably below some expectations, especially as I think that includes devices shipped to retailers but not necessarily sold, and it certainly includes pre-orders.

Im not that surprised, it would be silly to presume that its certain to be a huge hit. Still to early to make any grand predictions.

 

[editor]

I'd describe editor as a member of the anti apple brigade tbh.

That argument kind of falls apart when you consider that my current phone is...an Apple iPhone!

It looks ever stupider when you bother to read what I've actually said about Mac products over recent months, like the iPhone ("the best smartphone currently available"), MacBooks ("really lovely looking machines") and the iMac ("looks well lush.").

There's a lot I don't like about Apple's business practices and walled-garden control-freakery of course, but that doesn't make me 'anti-Apple'. In fact, you'll find no shortage of Apple fanboys expressing similar concerns to mine.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Apple iPad is announced

There are some complaints about wifi reception, though its too early to be completely sure how bad it is.

The sales figures Apple have announced, 300,000, are probably below some expectations, especially as I think that includes devices shipped to retailers but not necessarily sold, and it certainly includes pre-orders.

Im not that surprised, it would be silly to presume that its certain to be a huge hit. Still to early to make any grand predictions.

Yeah I've read there's been some charging and syncing issues too. Don't really take much from such 'reports' there's always a few probs in a new tech release...

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Apple iPad is announced

That argument kind of falls apart when you consider that my current phone is...an Apple iPhone!

It looks ever stupider when you bother to read what I've actually said about Mac products over recent months, like the iPhone ("the best smartphone currently available"), MacBooks ("really lovely looking machines") and the iMac ("looks well lush.").

There's a lot I don't like about Apple's business practices and walled-garden control-freakery of course, but that doesn't make me 'anti-Apple'. In fact, you'll find no shortage of Apple fanboys expressing similar concerns to mine.

He withdrew the comment, why waste time dragging it back up again?

 

[Janh]

I'd describe editor as a member of the anti apple brigade tbh.

Hardly. Have you read his enthusiastic piece on running OS X on a (PC) netbook?

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Apple iPad is announced

Hardly. Have you read his enthusiastic piece on running OS X on a (PC) netbook?

Seriously, he withdrew the comment, this thread really doesn't need a ten page derail over this tedious shite...

 

[editor]

He withdrew the comment, why waste time dragging it back up again?

He didn't withdraw the comment because he believed it to be untrue or unfair, he only withdrew it because he didn't, "have the energy to get dragged into another circular discussion on the same old shit."

He posted bullshit about me, and I corrected it. Seems a fair enough response to me.

 

[mitochondria]

well the most important question about ipad is .

 

[gabi]

oh, my sides...

 

[editor]

Engadget editorial about the increased price of apps for the iPad:

Editorial: iPad app prices are out of control
http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/05/editorial-ipad-prices-are-out-of-control-and-will-kill-us-all/

 

[Sunray]

Unless people go out and do what I wouldn't and buy these in huge numbers, I can't see it being anything other than an Apple TV.

Colleges in the US are keen, but that's for testing and exam coaching which does not make for a consumer success story.

Nobody has come up with even a 1/2 decent reason to own one of these, let alone a compelling one apart from that Apple make it.

A normal 17" laptop will cost less, is faster, more expandable and happily run iTunes so can access nearly all the content that the iPad can and can run unlimited applications. No Apple walled garden approach and a full keyboard and hard disk included in the price.

 

[the B]

To all new iPad owners.

When you masturbate in front of your new device, make sure to put some porn on its screen to avoid embarrassment.

 

[Kanda]

A normal 17" laptop will cost less, is faster, more expandable and happily run iTunes so can access nearly all the content that the iPad can and can run unlimited applications. No Apple walled garden approach and a full keyboard and hard disk included in the price.

But weighs a ton, is nowhere near as portable etc..

 

[Kanda]

To all new iPad owners.

When you masturbate in front of your new device, make sure to put some porn on its screen to avoid embarrassment.

Are you a teenager???

 

[editor]

Unless people go out and do what I wouldn't and buy these in huge numbers, I can't see it being anything other than an Apple TV.

I can see the appeal if you're living in a fully Apple'd up household (my mate in NYC was in a high-fiving queue on Friday), or if you just like to have a nice, easy-to-use gadget around the house to watch films on/read magazines etc but it seems to fall short on too many things for me to justify shelling out a wad (and the lack of Flash support is just daft IMO).

Apple says it's going to preview the iPhone OS 4.0 on Thursday - if there's not multi-tasking in that announcement, then the iPad is going to look even sillier compared to competing products like the upcoming HP Slate:
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscent...ises_everything_the_ipad_isnt_with_slate.html

 

[FridgeMagnet]

the upcoming HP Slate:
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscent...ises_everything_the_ipad_isnt_with_slate.html

lol imaginary product

 

[editor]

lol imaginary product

Want to put a tenner on that?

 

[paolo]

I can't see it being anything other than an Apple TV.

It can't be that bad

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Want to put a tenner on that?

Fifty quid to the charity of your choice if that appears in the next two months.

 

[editor]

Fifty quid to the charity of your choice if that appears in the next two months.

Its release date is rumoured to be June. But you were calling it an "imaginary" product. If that's the case, HP are going to look very silly seeing as they're already releasing promo videos.

http://www.wirefresh.com/hp-slate-video-shows-off-ipad-pwning-possibilities/
http://www.wirefresh.com/adobe-shows-off-flash-on-the-hp-slate-device-pc/

 

[FridgeMagnet]

All right, fifty quid if it appears for sale in the next six months then.

Or a year actually.

 

[editor]

All right, fifty quid if it appears for sale in the next six months then.

Or a year actually.

You are aware that it was shown off at this year's CES and that HP have already got a holding page up for the device, yes?

 

[paolo]

Windows tablets... haven't we been here before? Or more accurately, we haven't been there before because nobody bought them. Can't see that changing.

 

[editor]

Windows tablets... haven't we been here before? Or more accurately, we haven't been there before because nobody bought them. Can't see that changing.

You could say the same about the Apple Newton.

 

[Kanda]

You could say the same about the Apple Newton.

Could you?

I'd say it would be a crap comparison to what is being discussed. Also, Newton was in the dark years of Apple when they nearly fell apart wasn't it? Then Jobs and Ive came on board?

 

[editor]

Could you?

I'd say it would be a crap comparison to what is being discussed. Also, Newton was in the dark years of Apple when they nearly fell apart wasn't it? Then Jobs and Ive came on board?

The point being that the Newton (and earlier Windows tablets) are pretty much irrelevant to the tablet market today. Both got it wrong the first time around.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

You are aware that it was shown off at this year's CES and that HP have already got a holding page up for the device, yes?

I don't mind giving money to charity - let's say, six months, if I can go and buy that slate in a shop in six months' time I'll give fifty quid.

 

[paolo]

The point being that the Newton (and earlier Windows tablets) are pretty much irrelevant to the tablet market today. Both got it wrong the first time around.

I'd actually say you trace the UI lineage right out of Newton through to Palm. Stylus PDAs were far from fail, for quite awhile.

But back to Windows tablets.

Repackaging desktop OS's for touch so far hasn't worked. I don't think there's any sign of that changing. There is sooo much UI that has to reworked. Pretty much all 3rd party apps fall apart.

Apple's bet here is that it's better to upsize an OS solely designed for touch. I think that's a better bet (although I have my doubts about it becoming pervasive in the same way as the iPhone et al have become).

I think in the next 12-24 months, we're far more likely to see interesting tablets running Android or Windows Mobile 7 Series, than desktop Windows.

 

[editor]

Right on cue, some leaked docs are showing off the HP's specs:

http://www.wirefresh.com/hp-slate-video-shows-off-ipad-pwning-possibilities/

 

[paolo]

It's impossible for HP to reskin an entire OS and all its applications. We've seen this over and over with WinMo. Microsoft themselves gave up and have chucked it in the bin. It's not about a spec-race, it's about user experience.

For anyone who might assume, from the post above, that Engadget don't understand this... here's the paragragh that was omitted:

"Of course, what this spec list doesn't cover is software, and we still haven't seen much of how HP plans to make Windows 7 on a full slate device with netbook-class internals perform as smoothly or as intuitively as its demo videos. That's not a small challenge, especially since the iPad is out now and setting some pretty high expectations for how this new breed of tablets should work. We've got our fingers crossed -- show us something good, HP."