iPad anyone?

[Brent]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

Actually, I'm a voracious book reader, but I prefer to read them as actual books. Not because of any paper fetish or because I love the smell of them or anything like that, but because I don't think the e-reader tech is there yet

I don't think eBooks will ever completely "replace" paper books really. But I do think the Kindle, Nook and Sony eReaders do a tremendously better job than something like a MID. What I was attempting to explain is that someone who was looking at a Kindle before (presumably a frequent book reader already) would likely not think twice about purchasing that Kindle after seeing and even using the iPad. That's my take at least. [note: you can probably tell we have a few Kindle's in the house. And had a Nook for a short while too]

I would have been more excited about from a mutli-purpose device it if the iPad had multi-tasking ability, flash or even HD. Perhaps sling-like abilities would have helped. A camera or two, a USB port, flash drive etc etc. I just feel like this iPad is a prototype that Apple hopes to get some ROI from the fanboys on. So they can bring a somewhat more interesting V2 device next time. Even then I wouldn't consider one for a regular eBook reader purpose though.

PS: about that airline story. That is an annoying thing that the flight attendants require you turn off your Kindle/Nook/Sony eReader during takeoff and landing - it makes even less sense than some of the other airline rules. I carry at least one magazine or newspaper for that very situation - something the Kindle really does stink at actually.

[flavius]

The iPhone was introduced three years ago, and in many ways we are witnessing a rerun here.

-No Flash? WTF!
-No USB? WTF?
-No X either?

Let me remind you guys that this one is not for you either. Like the first iPhone was not to compete with anything made by RIM, this one is not going to compete with the netbook paradigm.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by flavius

Let me remind you guys that this one is not for you either.

You make good points. But the iPhone was for me. That's the thing that disappointed me. I was compelled to buy an iPod Touch and then an iPhone. I'm not with this thing. But I'm not counting it out yet - Apple has the cash flow to push out a 2Gen device that will surely be better.

[jreichen]

I was looking forward to it but am mostly underwhelmed by what I saw. Mostly by the single-tasking (I'm assuming this means Pandora and IM won't be running in the background while I browse the web), lack of a camera for Skype or Google Talk, and the dependence on iTunes. The price point seems pretty reasonable though, especially considering the price of the Kindle DX.

Regarding iTunes, I want a mobile device. Not something I have to plug in at home to update. Why not do everything on the device itself? I have an iPhone and feel exactly the same way about it and iTunes. For those who say it's so I can sync my phone to a PC/Mac, "sync" to me does not mean that everything on the device has to be blown away. Apparently to Apple it does. They get a lot of things right with the user experience, but IMHO iTunes is not one of them. Just my opinion and I'm sure I'm in the minority.

I'm looking forward to seeing HP's Android tablet. Hopefully it will offer good competition. I'm itching to get a tablet but I might be waiting for the 2nd generation.

[nick_l]

Originally Posted by flavius

Remember what people say about the iPhone? It was the first true mobile computer.

Only the truely devoted would dream of saying this. Putting aside the obvious issue of laptops being portable, the Windows Mobile OS, as long in the tooth an as short on looks as it currently is, is STILL more powerful, flexible, and skinable than the iPhone OS. It and palm os have both had third party programs for almost a decade now, and , wonder of wonders, you can actually run more than one at a time! Last time I checked the Treo or the many htc winmo phones that came out years before iPhone were all as pocketable as the "revolutionary" iPhone, so I have no idea how ANYONE could say the iPhone was the "first true mobile computer".

Saying the iPhone was the first true mobile computer is like saying the christians were the first religion to have a holiday on december 25th or that Christopher Columbus was the first foreigner to land in America or that the words under god have always been in the pledge. They are all grossly incorrect but so many people think they are true its frightening.

[nick_l]

Originally Posted by stuckless

About the only thing that I really agree with there is the comment about the app store. And it surprises me that MS and apple didn't move that paradigm into the desktop. Having a large repository of applications at my finger tips, that are easily installable, easily removable, and easy to find is one of things that really makes it hard for me to leave linux.

And the thing that kills me about this is how everyone forgets how dead set against this Apple was at the beginning. They fought tooth and nail for at least six months, insisting the the only "apps" that would be able to run on the iPhone would have to be built in webkit and run in Safari. It was only after the developers screamed and screamed that Apple relented. Now Apple and Jobs are hailed as visionaries. Ugh.

[PLUCKYHD]

You know looking at it it kind of reminds me of a device I bought about 6 or 7 years ago by viewsonic. I can't remember what the device was called for the life of me but it was a portable touchscreen with speakers and it basically was and extended desktop of the pc. Man did that idea tank which is bad because it actually was a pretty cool little device at the time there was nothing like it.

[nick_l]

I know, that was a great little device. Air pannel, it think. Ahead of its time and too geeky for the average user, unfortunately.

[nick_l]

It's a shame because the device pretty closely fits the needs I laid out in the other thread (portable casual internet media browser, home automation, sage remote) in terms of hardware. The entry level unit even has a decent price point. It's light enough, attractive enough, screen is good enough, wireless N is good, it has a nice dock, etc.

Unfortunately it just fails in SO MANY other ways. The need to use iTunes to put any applications on it, and the need for apple to aprove them first. No side loading of any files (ie, iTunes is needed to put any media on it). Weak speaker, from what I understand. NO FLASH SUPPORT (like it or hate it, Flash is going to be around for several years yet). No media/expandable storage slot. NO MULTI-TASKING, are you freakin kidding me? Etc, etc.

Fortunately, Apple will spawn imitators and coupled with the tablets already announced at CES, I/we will have a multitude of other, cheaper hardware to choose from that won't be tied to Apple.

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by nick_l

I know, that was a great little device. Air pannel, it think. Ahead of its time and too geeky for the average user, unfortunately.

Air Panel yes that was it!!! Used that thing for 6 months for webbrowing/email and it was great.

[JetreL]

I think they are *way* over-hyping it into obsolescence. Honestly though I am probably not the consumer they are going for. I don't have a use for a tablet style PC.

[brandypuff]

don't forget that this will require another monthly data plan and the 3G tablets will cost even more.

Can't really see this being a main stream device.

[brandypuff]

Originally Posted by nick_l

NO MULTI-TASKING, are you freakin kidding me?

wow. come into the 21st century, apple. I can't believe this thing doesn't do multi-tasking. definately a deal breaker as far as i'm concerned.
maybe the second release will have it

[reggie14]

I've been skeptical of this product, although I'm slowly coming around. I'm not interested in buying one for myself, but I think I get why Apple thinks it can be successful.

Apple said this is a third device, meaning in addition to your laptop and smartphone. But, in my case, this would be a fourth (well, really fifth) device. I already have a desktop for computationally intensive stuff, a light subnotebook with great battery life, and a smartphone (and an iPod Touch). I would have an awfully hard time justifying the $500 for something that either the smartphone/iTouch or subnotebook can do just fine.

But, in Apple's world things are a bit different. "Normal" Apple people don't have a desktops or netbooks- they just have laptops. Sometimes pretty big, heavy and hot laptops (i.e., MacBook Pros). Netbook gets criticized for being too slow or having too low a resolution, but IMHO they make pretty nice couch companions. Speaking as someone that has a 15" MacBook Pro for work, I can tell you that isn't nearly as couch-friendly as my Lenovo X200 or my girlfriend's Asus 1000HE.

[flavius]

Originally Posted by nick_l

Only the truely devoted would dream of saying this.

I appreaciate that you updated you initial defamatory post for 'clarity'. And you are actually right about one thing: In the beginning Apple did fight the idea of an 'app store'.

[wayner]

Originally Posted by brandypuff

don't forget that this will require another monthly data plan and the 3G tablets will cost even more.

But the monthly data plan is not required - you can get the wifi only model. For many people, like me, 3G is unnecessary - I don't use the 3G connection on my Kindle2 very often.

A question for those that currently own iPhones, or iPod Touches. Can you use your iPhone (or iPod Touch) to browse shared folders and playback video files such as avis (divx/xvid), mpeg2, .ts(H.264) over your LAN? In other words could you use an iPhone/iPodTouch/iPad to playback some of your Sage video content via a wifi connection over your LAN?

The functionality that I am thinking of is what you would have via Windows Explorer if you browse to your Video Library folder and double-click on a file - it would begin playing in WMP (or whatever your default video player is) - is there something analagous to that in the iPhone world?

Or would you need to be running something like Orb on your home LAN? Or can iTunes itself even stream video files?

[fidget]

Originally Posted by nick_l

And the thing that kills me about this is how everyone forgets how dead set against this Apple was at the beginning. They fought tooth and nail for at least six months, insisting the the only "apps" that would be able to run on the iPhone would have to be built in webkit and run in Safari. It was only after the developers screamed and screamed that Apple relented. Now Apple and Jobs are hailed as visionaries. Ugh.

When this happened, I felt that it was being done because the APIs weren't mature enough for general consumption (just like the 10K cost for the iTunes album development). Maybe it is because I am an engineer, but it seemed rather obvious to me.

Pushing the "web app" concept did two things: it allowed Apple to release a product before it was really ready and it allowed Apple to misdirect the competition into thinking that the iPhone would be a strictly web based device for developers (lull them into a false lack of urgency).

Releasing the internal API to developers was not done because developers "screamed and screamed" but because the API wasn't ready. You can't take a framework that was meant only for internal consumption and make it useful to outside developers in that sort of an amount of time. It needs to be planned from the start.

[fidget]

Originally Posted by wayner

A question for those that currently own iPhones, or iPod Touches. Can you use your iPhone (or iPod Touch) to browse shared folders and playback video files such as avis (divx/xvid), mpeg2, .ts(H.264) over your LAN? In other words could you use an iPhone/iPodTouch/iPad to playback some of your Sage video content via a wifi connection over your LAN?

The functionality that I am thinking of is what you would have via Windows Explorer if you browse to your Video Library folder and double-click on a file - it would begin playing in WMP (or whatever your default video player is) - is there something analagous to that in the iPhone world?

Or would you need to be running something like Orb on your home LAN? Or can iTunes itself even stream video files?

You would need to have a streaming server installed on your network and connect via the web. If there were a SageTV client, it would require the use of a SageTV server.

[sic0048]

I was underwhelmed as well. The ONLY redeeming qualities of this device is the battery life and form factor. You have to admit it is pretty impressive to get 10+ hours out of a device with nearly a10" screen that is only about 1/2" thick. No bulky "extended" batteries, etc here. (Of course to get that battery life, they left out a lot of stuff that one would expect from a tablet computer, like multi tasking).

Overall, not very impressive. I love Reggie's quote and it is extremely accurate.

[Opus4]

Yesterday must have been a slow news day... this was covering most of the front page of our newspaper.

- Andy