Apple iPad and related items

[Pie 1]

I just can't shake the suspicion that 16Gb isn't enough for me...though I would be hard pushed to clarify why!

Well, I reckon it probably is enough, but I would probably end up plumping for the 32.
If you think that the music is the thing that fills iPhones & you shouldn't have that much need to put music on it as you've already got it on your phone when out & about, & you use Remote to access it all at home.

 

[The Groke]

Well, I reckon it probably is enough, but I would probably end up plumping for the 32.
If you think that the music is the thing that fills iPhones & you shouldn't have that much need to put music on it as you've already got it on your phone when out & about, & you use Remote to access it all at home.

Yeah true...

Was perhaps thinking more of movie and TV rips I suppose - but you only really need a handful of those at a time.

32gb is probably the best compromise.

 

[The Groke]

What are you going to fill it with? I've put a gig of music on it, about a gig of photos and the rest is free for apps. I stream movies to it using AirVideo and I suppose I will load a movie or two on it at some point, but there hsould be plenty of space for that too

Yeah - see above.

I have my iMod for tunes, so would be movies, TV, comics and apps I guess.

Not sure what size a HQ movie rip handbrakes down to for the iPad, but is probably around 800Mb or so I guess...

 

[Pie 1]

 

[g force]

It's a lovely piece of kit - had a play on one at the weekend for a few hours. But as I have an iPhone and an MBP I just can't see myself using it enough to justify the ludicrous price. I may however be tempted when I go to the US early next year if the exchange rate is better.

I did have a chuckle in the Apple store are the lady who bought one for her young 12/13 year old son along with a keyboard and a stand...couldn't help but feel maybe he needed a laptop but wanted to show off.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

My verdict after an hour or so playing with one this morning.

1 - It's really nice to use. Slick, responsive, everything you expect from Apple. It's got that "wow" factor.

2 - Typing on it is horrible. Sorry Apple, I just don't like virtual keyboards. Not being able to rest my fingers on the keys is the worst bit, it hurts my wrists. The lack of an angle between keys and screen makes this worse.

3 - Web browsing is fantastic. Didn't do enough to find out if the flash thing is that big an issue though.

4 - The book reader thingy looks lovely, but I stand by my position that ebooks are the spawn of satan.

5 - Apple have utterly crippled it by refusing to add USB sockets.


Point 5 is the one that really grates with me. I wanted to like it, I really did. Apple had a chance to make something that could have been a genuinely fantastic bit of kit, with all sorts of posibilities for creative use. As it is, they've built a giant iPod Touch. If that's what you want, fine, you won't be dissapointed, but it's not for me.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Well, I reckon it probably is enough, but I would probably end up plumping for the 32.
If you think that the music is the thing that fills iPhones & you shouldn't have that much need to put music on it as you've already got it on your phone when out & about, & you use Remote to access it all at home.

What I normally do is work out what I need right now then double it. I had 12-3 gigs of music so went for the 32 gig iPhone to be future proof in terms of space...

 

[editor]

My verdict after an hour or so playing with one this morning.

1 - It's really nice to use. Slick, responsive, everything you expect from Apple. It's got that "wow" factor.

2 - Typing on it is horrible. Sorry Apple, I just don't like virtual keyboards. Not being able to rest my fingers on the keys is the worst bit, it hurts my wrists. The lack of an angle between keys and screen makes this worse.

3 - Web browsing is fantastic. Didn't do enough to find out if the flash thing is that big an issue though.

4 - The book reader thingy looks lovely, but I stand by my position that ebooks are the spawn of satan.

5 - Apple have utterly crippled it by refusing to add USB sockets.


Point 5 is the one that really grates with me. I wanted to like it, I really did. Apple had a chance to make something that could have been a genuinely fantastic bit of kit, with all sorts of posibilities for creative use. As it is, they've built a giant iPod Touch. If that's what you want, fine, you won't be dissapointed, but it's not for me.

I've now had two fairly long goes on an iPad and much as I admire the technology and the beautiful design, it remains too heavy, expensive and feature-crippled for me to justify the expenditure and I still can't find the niche it's supposed to fill in my life.

I've posted up my rather lengthy appraisal here, if anyone's interested: http://www.wirefresh.com/the-apple-ipad-not-for-us-well-at-least-not-yet/

 

[Buddy Bradley]

The 3G version means you also need a new mobile contract too, right? I assume there is no way to just swap your iPhone SIM into the iPad if you find yourself needing a little 3G connectivity?

 

[Kanda]

The 3G version means you also need a new mobile contract too, right? I assume there is no way to just swap your iPhone SIM into the iPad if you find yourself needing a little 3G connectivity?

Yup, you need a 3G contract.

No, it's a different type of SIM.

 

[Kanda]

2 - Typing on it is horrible. Sorry Apple, I just don't like virtual keyboards. Not being able to rest my fingers on the keys is the worst bit, it hurts my wrists. The lack of an angle between keys and screen makes this worse.

It becomes a better angle and easier with it in the Apple case at an angle.

 

[Crispy]

You can cut the edges of a regular sim and it'll fit. Then you need a template for sticking it back in the iphone. tricky but possible.

The £2 for 24h 3G access is a good enough deal to make such hackery redundant though.

 

[Kanda]

I went for the £10/1GB a month deal. Have already used 209MB! You can top up 500MB chunks for £2 a pop if needed though.

 

[Ranbay]

just had a look and go on one... it's fucking stupid for the money.

but if you got money to burn then, yeah go for it.

 

[Buddy Bradley]

The £2 for 24h 3G access is a good enough deal to make such hackery redundant though.

You mean the O2 PAYG model? Seems a bit cheeky including any wifi data in the daily allowance...

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

It becomes a better angle and easier with it in the Apple case at an angle.

So, Apple will flog you somthing to overcome an inbuilt shortcoming of one of their bits of kit. Nothing new there then

 

[Crispy]

can't say I've found typing to be that bad at all. were you standing or sitting, bees?

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

can't say I've found typing to be that bad at all. were you standing or sitting, bees?

Tried both, just couldn't get to a position that worked for me. Like I said in my post, the big problem was being unable to rest my fingers on the keys.

 

[Crispy]

fair enough - touchscreen typing isn't for everyone it seems (and as was shown by the iphone too)

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

fair enough - touchscreen typing isn't for everyone it seems (and as was shown by the iphone too)

Yeah, even though I'm getting the hang of it on my Desire I'd still rather have proper keys. Just seems to be one of those Marmite things.

Saying that, I don't like a lot of modern/Apple keyboards either, I like big clunky keys. There's never been anything better than the old IBM "M" type IMO

 

[editor]

Catastrophe! The once mighty iFart app - now iFart HD - has been banished from the iPad app store!
http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/01/former-app-store-king-ifart-gets-blocked-from-the-ipad/

 

[Sunray]

Got one of these for work and blimy its much heavier that it needs to be. I constantly get this feeling I'm going to drop it and I can't find a nice way to hold it one handed that makes it comfortable.

Nice try but no cigar.

 

[paolo]

Mega battery life though.

Would have been lighter if they'd skimped on that.

 

[Kanda]

You lot need to get to a gym.....

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Yeah, it's not *that* heavy. Fine, holding it for an hour with one hand would be a bit of a strain on the wrist, but if you're going to wank for that long prop it up somewhere ffs.

 

[Kanda]

You just put it in the palm of your hand and down your forearm... If you want to hold it like a piece of paper... Read a book or something

 

[Buddy Bradley]

Lying bastards at the Cambridge Apple Store - they told me that they were out of stock, so I said I'd wander down to PC World and see if they had any. "Nah mate, don't do that - they're all out of stock as well. Let me take your name and we'll order one in for you." Went down to PC World instead - they had loads in stock!

 

[Pie 1]

Mega battery life though.

Would have been lighter if they'd skimped on that.

& then we'd be back to square one with the battery life whingers

 

[elbows]

Catastrophe! The once mighty iFart app - now iFart HD - has been banished from the iPad app store!
http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/01/former-app-store-king-ifart-gets-blocked-from-the-ipad/

Never mind, I was browsing the app store today and saw that an app called Fart Drums HD has been released.

 

[Crispy]

I've been using a music making app call bleep box tonight and I'm well impressed. It's like a miniature Reason, with synths and drum machines, all with automation of parameters in real time. The interface is obviously a mashup of the various parts of the iPhone version but they're promising improvements. The machinery inside it is very good though - i got a respectable track going in a couple of hours from scratch. 6 quid.

Can't wait to see what sort of stuff the future will bring in this area....