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[Gary Whitta]

To be honest, do you think you need 3G? I mean, if you're out and about, aren't you going to have your iPhone? I guess there's always uses, but you know...

Yeah I'll have my iPhone too but it'll be nice to have the added functionality wherever, like being able to use it in a hotel/airport without having to shell out for the wifi. I'll definitely get the added benefit.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

I was going to mention that. And netbooks don't have access to the appstore. Say what you will, but there's some compelling fun stuff on there. Emphasis on fun.

I am ashamed of how far my fellow Mac fans have sunk. Are you really comparing the App Store to the universe of freeware, shareware, cheap, or delivered-via-flash games? Really?

And Marty's point was you could get an iPod Touch *and* a Netbook for less than the iPad, and you are dinging him on the quality of the cheapest netbook available? I think the point is made, you could do a lot better for less money with the two separate devices. GO up to $300 and the netbooks get much better. Much more storage, faster processors, more memory.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Unfortunately that's true, though it's starting to gain some traction. That said, there is a ton of live music available online in FLAC.

Probably the most common current use for it however, is storing CD's or higher res audio. In many cases this constitutes a large, if not the largest, part of many users libraries.



Would doing this allow the iPad to directly stream audio from my server?

I don't think so. AFAIK it's only for iTunes and does absolutely nothing for iPod or other devices but if it is a more fleshed out iTunes like they suggest then maybe it eventually will but I wouldn't bank on it.

 

[Teddman]

O_O

:lol

But that's nothing, try doing that for the Conan O'Brien thread.

 

[Tobor]

Yeah I'll have my iPhone too but it'll be nice to have the added functionality wherever, like being able to use it in a hotel/airport without having to shell out for the wifi. I'll definitely get the added benefit.

I'm hoping I can turn it on and off easily. If I'm going on a trip for a week, I'll buy a month. That kind of thing.

I am ashamed of how far my fellow Mac fans have sunk. Are you really comparing the App Store to the universe of freeware, shareware, cheap, or delivered-via-flash games? Really?

And Marty's point was you could get an iPod Touch *and* a Netbook for less than the iPad, and you are dinging him on the quality of the cheapest netbook available? I think the point is made, you could do a lot better for less money with the two separate devices. GO up to $300 and the netbooks get much better. Much more storage, faster processors, more memory.

Yep, I'm good with it.

 

[Buckethead]

Giga where'd you get that Dock image from? SDK?

I really can't stand looking at the home screen unless it's in Landscape mode.
I'll probably just change it to solid black background. :lol

 

[Technosteve]

can't believe this thread got bigger. iPad need a girl friend sim game from japan that will be it's killer app.

 

[Magnus]

O_O

How do you access that information?

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

I'm hoping I can turn it on and off easily. If I'm going on a trip for a week, I'll buy a month. That kind of thing.



Yep, I'm good with it.

The no contract made me think that so I'm hoping that's the case also.

 

[Raistlin]

Underpowered by what exactly now? By the benchmarks we don't have? Seriously, stop going in these circle arguments about numbers that don't mean jackshit.

Well regardless of the CPU which seems powerful enough, it doesn't appear to have dedicated HW acceleration for video (or good acceleration), based on the specs they listed. Since it doesn't have HD output though, I guess it's moot, though I think many would argue the lack of output is more than a little disappointing.

Beyond that, yes we really don't know. One thing we probably should be concerned about however is RAM. The fact the amount wasn't disclosed generally means one thing, it ain't a particularly large amount. If that is the case, it obviously has implications for the future.

Can you get the ipod itself to play FLAC?

Need to look into doing this for Zune.

There are plugins for iTunes that will automatically convert it when syncing to your iPod. As far as getting it to play on the iPod itself, to my knowledge, no (though there may already be an app). I know VLC is coming and will support it. Of course the problem with this is the lack of multitasking. You won't be able to listen to your music and do anything else.

Obviously, jailbreaking allows you to play FLAC.

 

[mrkgoo]

I am ashamed of how far my fellow Mac fans have sunk. Are you really comparing the App Store to the universe of freeware, shareware, cheap, or delivered-via-flash games? Really?

And Marty's point was you could get an iPod Touch *and* a Netbook for less than the iPad, and you are dinging him on the quality of the cheapest netbook available? I think the point is made, you could do a lot better for less money with the two separate devices. GO up to $300 and the netbooks get much better. Much more storage, faster processors, more memory.

I have indeed sunk low Sorry :_(

I wasn't dinging him at all about netbooks. I don't have a netbook, nor care enough about them to know much (and thus I tend to stay out of the netbook stuff). I realise they are small pcs and thus are capable of running everything. My point wasn't that the appstore bests a real PC in utility at all. There's no way. I don't argue with him over the specs or prices of a netbook - I just don't know enough.

I have no intention of playing games on a computer. This past year, my iPhone has become my primary gaming device. As such, I've downloaded a lot of games and other little toys and pastimes and stuff. I enjoy it a lot. It's not about comparing utility at all - I just really like some of the apps I have. I'm sure there is a perfect equivalent, maybe even better version of every single app that I have, but I still find a lot of enjoyment out of the appstore. And because of this, having access to that is a neat thing for me, and an advantage to me. (that said, some of the games that utilise multitouch and other things are interesting diversions to me too, and these can't be done on any other device).

Again, it's not about utility. I've enjoyed my iPhone and the appstore environment, so being able to continue that experience to another device is a good thing in my book. Not trying to down play free stuff on a PC. I guess all my own comparisons, which I can obviously only make for myself, stem from my actual overall experience, which includes the interface.

Of course, if it comes down to strict utility, a netbook will win. Anyway, you've seen the mad delusional posts I've made over the past 48 hours in this thread, so I don't blame you if you feel ashamed of me.

 

[entremet]

Well regardless of the CPU which seems powerful enough, it doesn't appear to have dedicated HW acceleration for video (or good acceleration), based on the specs they listed. Since it doesn't have HD output though, I guess it's moot, though I think many would argue the lack of output is more than a little disappointing.

Beyond that, yes we really don't know. One thing we probably should be concerned about however is RAM. The fact the amount wasn't disclosed generally means one thing, it ain't a particularly large amount. If that is the case, it obviously has implications for the future.




There are plugins for iTunes that will automatically convert it when syncing to your iPod. As far as getting it to play on the iPod itself, to my knowledge, no (though there may already be an app). I know VLC is coming and will support it. Of course the problem with this is the lack of multitasking. You won't be able to listen to your music and do anything else.

Obviously, jailbreaking allows you to play FLAC.

iPhone OS has hooks for multitasking that aren't available to developers as of yet. The iPod app on the iPhone can run while other apps are being used, such as Safari and even most games. I'm sure it will work similarly on the iPad.

 

[Chris R]

This is a nice idea. I think the chipset just isn't optimised to draw two windows at once.

But if I could do that it would amazing to run two tetras windows and try and play both at once.

Actually, that should be a whole series of new apps - dual games.

A 2nd gen iPad should be able to display two iPhone apps side by side upscaled with no issue I would think. I'm just thinking this solution would be ideal for a couple common situations. Safari on the left, mail on the right. Again, this wouldn't be a good idea for a majority of apps, but basically anything+Safari would be sweet to setup side by side. Games and stuff would probably have to be the only thing on the screen at any given time though, but say Doodle Jump in the front, with Pandora streaming in the back... I could be lost in the bathroom until the battery ran out :lol

If they were going to do this wouldn't it make more sense to just use something like Spaces?

4 apps, one in each corner. click the one you want to make it full screen, click a button to zoom out and show 4.

I'd rather see Apple get two apps running at once before they worry about trying to get four working at once as well as a spaces setup :lol

 

[Raistlin]

But don't you get it? This is horrible price/performance ratio.

You do realize stuff like miniaturization, efficiency, touch screens, etc aren't free?

That said, even if the CPU's are similar, many of the competitors offer dedicated video acceleration (and HD output) allowing them to be utilized as an HTPC as well, amongst other HW features.

For people who just like to surf the web in coffee shops, on the subway, or even at home this thing is perfect.

Maybe for some, but for many others that just isn't true. The browsing is a bit gimped.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Re: assertion that universe of open apps < App Store

Yep, I'm good with it.

That says a lot about you.


As far as the Netbook conversation (just finished that) is that with the iPod you get all the App Store stuff and goodness, and with the Netbook you get a bigger screen and better browser that can handle plugins, flash, etc not to mention storage for your whole music library and a boatload of movies, and you can synch your iPod to it. Sure that might not be perfect for everybody, but it ought to make you think "why can't/doesn't the iPad do what the netbook can for half as much?"

Look, I defended the Air, I think the last Apple product that I didn't understand which actually succeeded was the initial Nano (thought it cost too much). I called the MacTV as a dud, I called the success of the Shuffle. I think this thing sees a major software rev or price drop, or else is the most recent Apple flop. For some people this will be a dream, but to me, it's not well thought out. Touch is a limiting interface on a device this size, and it limits its function. That goes for all the tablets.

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

Damn you and your subliminal mind control, Steve Jobs. Just last night I was all "meh it's just a big iPod touch" and barely 24 hours later I've talked myself into one.

It's much lighter than my MBP (which I still love dearly)

Its battery life is 3x as long as my late '06 MBP.

I have to literally read hundreds of pages of .pdfs a month, something easier to read them on would be nice.

I suddenly realized what Apple realized without actually telling anybody - I don't really need something more powerful than the iPad for anything but Logic Pro, and neither does almost anybody else. The high-end games market is neglible. Now, I still do need it, but if the form factor on this is superior (we'll see), then suddenly it makes more sense for 80% of what I use a computer for than a laptop does.

I also think most of its shortcomings - ie. multitasking - will be fixed by OS upgrades.

Did I mention the battery life is longer?

I'll probably skip the 3Gs version, I'm not getting sucked into anyone's data plan. But if the 32 GB wifi model was on sale I'd buy it tomorrow. There's stuff I could really use a super-portable version of Keynote & Pages for.

(I reserve the right to flip-flop and spend my $600 on something else when the time comes).

 

[blu]

And Marty's point was you could get an iPod Touch *and* a Netbook for less than the iPad, and you are dinging him on the quality of the cheapest netbook available?

oh come on, he picks those on his own.

I think the point is made, you could do a lot better for less money with the two separate devices. GO up to $300 and the netbooks get much better. Much more storage, faster processors, more memory.

.. desktop OSes that eat a GB of RAM for breakfast, and screens as sensitive to touches as a log.. oops, did i say that out loud?

fact of life is, the netbooks that have usable battery life (ie. those with the pinetrail chipset) start at around $300. Marty has been determined to show to the ignorant kool-aid drinkers how he can find a bottom-cheap netbook that somehow fits in the scheme 'ipod + netbook' > 'ipad'. sorry, but i find that funny.

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

Am I the only intrigued by Apple making CPU hardware? How far this will go? Probably nowhere but it's interesting to think nonetheless.

Would doing this allow the iPad to directly stream audio from my server?

It's all in the iTunes software I believe.

Dock can fit 6 apps btw.

Hopefully I drag something like an "Applications Folder" to the dock so I can just open it up and select what program I want immediately.

How do you access that information?

Go to "Off-Topic Discussion" then go to the row this thread is in and click on the number of posts.

 

[Raistlin]

iPhone OS has hooks for multitasking that aren't available to developers as of yet. The iPod app on the iPhone can run while other apps are being used, such as Safari and even most games. I'm sure it will work similarly on the iPad.

So what you're saying is that at some unknown point in the future, we may be able to do it. Yay.

 

[Gary Whitta]

FWIW, I fucking hate Netbooks, at least in their current iteration. I test-drove a bunch of them recently when I was looking for a midpoint solution between laptop and iPhone. Found all the ones I tried to have impractically small and limiting visual real estate, shitty keyboards and even shittier battery life. It just feels like what it is, a cramped, cut-corners version of a real computer which shows no imagination or innovation at all. I really wanted to like one because I so wanted something to fill that void, I just couldn't bring myself to buy one even at such a cheap price.

 

[Raistlin]

It's all in the iTunes software I believe.

iTunes that I would have to have running on my server? Yeah, no thanks. And even if I were to do that, would iTunes stream it to the device at full bitrate?

 

[Marty Chinn]

\fact of life is, the netbooks that have usable battery life (ie. those with the pinetrail chipset) start at around $300. Marty has been determined to show to the ignorant kool-aid drinkers how he can find a bottom-cheap netbook that somehow fits in the scheme 'ipod + netbook' > 'ipad'. sorry, but i find that funny.

Quote me where I said an iPod Touch and Netbook is better. All I said is you can buy both for less. Someone else made the argument you're trying to pin me to. All I did was show that you can buy both for less and I showed that the other guy was overpricing them too. $230 for an iPod Touch? Why aren't you jumping on him for overstating the price there?

 

[345triangle]

Damn you and your subliminal mind control, Steve Jobs. Just last night I was all "meh it's just a big iPod touch" and barely 24 hours later I've talked myself into one.

It's much lighter than my MBP (which I still love dearly)

Its battery life is 3x as long as my late '06 MBP.

I have to literally read hundreds of pages of .pdfs a month, something easier to read them on would be nice.

I suddenly realized what Apple realized without actually telling anybody - I don't really need something more powerful than the iPad for anything but Logic Pro, and neither does almost anybody else. The high-end games market is neglible. Now, I still do need it, but if the form factor on this is superior (we'll see), then suddenly it makes more sense for 80% of what I use a computer for than a laptop does.

I also think most of its shortcomings - ie. multitasking - will be fixed by OS upgrades.

Did I mention the battery life is longer?

I'll probably skip the 3Gs version, I'm not getting sucked into anyone's data plan. But if the 32 GB wifi model was on sale I'd buy it tomorrow. There's stuff I could really use a super-portable version of Keynote & Pages for.

(I reserve the right to flip-flop and spend my $600 on something else when the time comes).

well apple says that it'll get 10 hours, sure, but i'm sure i remember them saying my macbook pro (also 2006) would get 5 or 6...no way is this thing gonna go 3 times as long.

i have a netbook and an iphone and i'm getting an imac in a couple weeks, but i'll probably pick this up for the hell of it. it'll go well with my incredibly expensive muji beanbag.

 

[mrkgoo]

Re: assertion that universe of open apps < App Store



That says a lot about you.


As far as the Netbook conversation (just finished that) is that with the iPod you get all the App Store stuff and goodness, and with the Netbook you get a bigger screen and better browser that can handle plugins, flash, etc not to mention storage for your whole music library and a boatload of movies, and you can synch your iPod to it. Sure that might not be perfect for everybody, but it ought to make you think "why can't/doesn't the iPad do what the netbook can for half as much?"

Look, I defended the Air, I think the last Apple product that I didn't understand which actually succeeded was the initial Nano (thought it cost too much). I called the MacTV as a dud, I called the success of the Shuffle. I think this thing sees a major software rev or price drop, or else is the most recent Apple flop. For some people this will be a dream, but to me, it's not well thought out. Touch is a limiting interface on a device this size, and it limits its function. That goes for all the tablets.

It's not my assertion that the appstore is better. I just like the appstore, and so I extend my like to the iPad.

 

[layzie1989]

Obviously, jailbreaking allows you to play FLAC.

I can't say enough how much im looking forward to seeing this thing being jailbroken...lockscreen widgets? themes? springboard customization? lockscreen info, BACKGROUNDER, pro switcher, mobile finder, all of these things that make my iphone experience more awesome will probably make their way to the ipad...

 

[Chris R]

Hopefully I drag something like an "Applications Folder" to the dock so I can just open it up and select what program I want immediately.

Since you can't do that currently with a non-jailbroke iPhone now, don't expect to be able to do it on the iPad.

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

iTunes that I would have to have running on my server? Yeah, no thanks. And even if I were to do that, would iTunes stream it to the device at full bitrate?

As long as you have the iTunes program you can download the plugin. So what ever is running on iTunes. As for the "iPad" well whenever (I should say "if") an FLAC plugin gets released.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

oh come on, he picks those on his own.


.. desktop OSes that eat a GB of RAM for breakfast, and screens as sensitive to touches as a log.. oops, did i say that out loud?

fact of life is, the netbooks that have usable battery life (ie. those with the pinetrail chipset) start at around $300. Marty has been determined to show to the ignorant kool-aid drinkers how he can find a bottom-cheap netbook that somehow fits in the scheme 'ipod + netbook' > 'ipad'. sorry, but i find that funny.

Why do you want a touchscreenon a netbook, especially if you have an iPod Touch for those experiences?

 

[Raistlin]

As long as you have the iTunes program you can download the plugin. So what ever is running on iTunes.

That isn't an option for a server since iTunes doesn't serve out audio to my knowledge.

As for the "iPad" well whenever an FLAC plugin gets released.

Do you mean an app? Again, how does that help without multitasking?

 

[mrkgoo]

Why do you want a touchscreenon a netbook, especially if you have an iPod Touch for those experiences?

It's inherently different, though. It's not just about touch. touch is just part of the UI.

Anyway, I'm a fan of Andy Ihnatko, and he sums up things well in my mind:

Is it better to have a device that is loaded with bullet-pointable features?

Or is it better to have a device that has a shorter list of specs ... but which does everything right?

That’s not a loaded question. It’s the key difference between the Android and iPhone operating systems. It’ll also define the difference between a netbook and an iPad. The former looks great on paper. The Apple product looks great when you’re actually trying one out firsthand.

Example: the iPad (like the iPhone) doesn’t multitask third-party apps. You can listen to music from the iPod app while you work on your mail, but you can’t listen to music streaming from a Pandora client. But on an iPad, switching between two apps is lightning-fast and intuitive, and if it’s anything like an iPhone, this “one third-party app at a time” policy will result in a far more stable computer.

An Android tablet does true multitasking. But this feature makes Android devices a little crashy, it slows down performance (sometimes to the point where you need to restart the device), and it really demands that you download and use a special app that does nothing but help you manage this herd of skittish and sometimes quite angry sheep.

These differences don’t mean that the iPad is under-featured or that an Android-based tablet is so backward that it might as well have been made from sticks and dried animal skins. It’s a difference in philosophy.

While I think "...things done right." isn't really the right word - I'd use 'fun'. p)

 

[eggandI]

e- nvm

 

[blu]

Quote me where I said an iPod Touch and Netbook is better. All I said is you can buy both for less. Someone else made the argument you're trying to pin me to. All I did was show that you can buy both for less and I showed that the other guy was overpricing them too. $230 for an iPod Touch? Why aren't you jumping on him for overstating the price there?

there's only one ipod touch that is $200 and that's the old-gen, 8GB model. some of the newer graphics-demanding apps would not even start on that one (due to it not supporting the new 3D APIs the newer hw provides), and that will only get worse with time. the next ipod SKU is the 32GB '3GS'-gen hw one (ipad-like graphics), and it's $300.

a contemporary-gen, all-app-running ipod + a usable netbook is $300 + $300. and on that note i'm done with this argument, and heading to bed. night.

 

[ClovingWestbrook]

I can't say enough how much im looking forward to seeing this thing being jailbroken...lockscreen widgets? themes? springboard customization? lockscreen info, BACKGROUNDER, pro switcher, mobile finder, all of these things that make my iphone experience more awesome will probably make their way to the ipad...

Bingo. I loved my 3gs when I bought it but it has become my 3rd arm since jailbreaking it. The customization of the homescreen, multitasking, 3Gunlock, many apps through Cydia/Rock, Google Voice, etc. As of now the iPad will not be mind until the 2nd or 3rd version; however, if jailbreaking becomes available and truly opens up the device as it did with the iPhone, count me in sooner.

 

[ClovingWestbrook]

DP

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

It's inherently different, though. It's not just about touch. touch is just part of the UI.

Anyway, I'm a fan of Andy Ihnatko, and he sums up things well in my mind:


While I think "...things done right." isn't really the right word - I'd use 'fun'. p)

I'm not comparing it to an Android tablet. I am comparing it to the combo of a smartphone and a laptop or netbook.

I'm not seeing it do enough for that fact that it does it "right" to matter-- and I think people are not seeing the downsides of a touch interface.

It's not about bullet points, it's about functions. Not enough. Too much $$ for those.

 

[Jewbacca]

So... for 300 bucks less I could get an IBM touchscreen tablet netbook.
3G contracts with most of the major carriers offer a free 3g adapter soooo... so lets move built in 3G off the table.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/gadgetreviews/?p=10477

IdeaPad S10-3t
Intel GMA 3150 integrated graphics
Up to 2GB DDR2 DRAM 667MHz (comes with 1gig)
Up to 320GB (5400 rpm) 9.5mm 2.5&#8243; SATA (comes with 160GB)
Ethernet 10, 100, 1000M, 802.11a/b/g/n, 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, WWAN WCDMA, CDMA2000, TD-SCDMA, WiMAX
2 x USB2.0 ports
6 x1 card reader(SD/MMC/MS/MS pro)
RJ 45, VGA, 3.5mm headphone jack
1.3 megapixel webcam
Battery life: 4 hours with the four-cell battery; 10 hours with the eight-cell
2.76 lbs. with four-cell battery, 3.31 lbs. with eight-cell battery
The IdeaPad S10-3t will be available this month for approx $499.99

That said I think the device will not be a run away success, Im thinking the same amount of pull that Apple TV had.
Cool but not the best solution for cost or effectiveness.

 

[ClovingWestbrook]

So... for 300 bucks less I could get....
3G contracts with most of the major carriers offer a free 3g adapter soooo... so lets move built in 3G off the table.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/gadgetreviews/?p=10477



Im just saying

Here is the deal. Everyone here knows you can get other netbooks/laptops that have better numbers than the iPad and for cheaper. Nobody is stating you cannot. However, for those who want the iPad, the netbooks don't satisfy their needs. One can probably get a phone that theoretically does more for cheaper than a 32 3GS iPhone, but for people like me, what I get with the iPhone I cannot get elsewhere.

 

[MThanded]

So... for 300 bucks less I could get....
3G contracts with most of the major carriers offer a free 3g adapter soooo... so lets move built in 3G off the table.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/gadgetreviews/?p=10477



Im just saying

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/...-category-id=50EC5C1454F34E85BC30BF5AECA2576E

its 549 first of all second of all a lot of those features are optional.

Here is the baseline
System components
#
Intel ATOM Processor N450 ( 1.66GHz 667MHz 512KB )
#
Genuine Windows 7 Starter
#
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150
#
1 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz
#
10.1 " SD LED Glare and Multi-touch 1024x600
#
Industry Standard Touchpad
#
160GB 5400
#
4 Cell Lithium-Ion
#
BCM 4313 BGN Wireless
#
None
#
One year parts and labor (system battery: one year)


Actually nvm most of them are not even an option no mention of a webcam any more.

 

[mrkgoo]

I'm not comparing it to an Android tablet. I am comparing it to the combo of a smartphone and a laptop or netbook.

I'm not seeing it do enough for that fact that it does it "right" to matter-- and I think people are not seeing the downsides of a touch interface.

It's not about bullet points, it's about functions. Not enough. Too much $$ for those.

Yeah, I realise that. My point was that, for me, obviously not for you, bullet points are more important (those bullet points being a list of functions).

that's fine I have no beef with that. Let's not fight

You could be right and that I don't see what's so bad about touch - but you have to realise, I just want a shiny toy.

Sorry, I didn't mean to post Ihnatko as a response to you, that was just an additional musing on my part.

Here's another:
---------------------

Watching Walt Mossberg grill steve about battery life is kind of funny. You can tell Steve is a very assertive, yet defensive guy.

Walt asks him about battery life (music playback = 140 odd hours), but then mentions the Amazon kindle, and asks what the battery life is for reading books on the iPad. 10 hours (obviously).

Walt says that there's obviously a drawback to the screen, and that's the power.

Steve says, no, not really, because you just plug it in. :lol sounds like some lame internet forum comeback

edit still listening: Steve: "You're not going to read for ten hours!" :lol. Good one, steve.

I would say he has a point in that numbers are just numbers for comparison, but I have to say some people do read for ten hours. Not likely on a backlit LCD, though, steve. The point is that you can read for hours, put a kindle down, comeback, read some more. Do That several times, perhaps until the book is finished. Not so with an iPad. The best answer is to just admit that the Amazon Kindles has better battery life, but there was an ultimate compromise for that.

Ah steve,

 

[tfur]

It's inherently different, though. It's not just about touch. touch is just part of the UI.

Anyway, I'm a fan of Andy Ihnatko, and he sums up things well in my mind:


While I think "...things done right." isn't really the right word - I'd use 'fun'. p)

An Android tablet does true multitasking. But this feature makes Android devices a little crashy, it slows down performance (sometimes to the point where you need to restart the device), and it really demands that you download and use a special app that does nothing but help you manage this herd of skittish and sometimes quite angry sheep.

My Nexus One(a device that a former extreme Apple fan talked me into getting) runs circles around the current iphone OS. I have only rebooted the thing so I could see the fancy bootup screen. I constantly multi task, with email, text messaging, browsing with multiple vendors browsers each with multiple windows to sites, while up/downloading. You can basically do whatever you want, whenever you want.

And I do all of this at 800x480, on 5 virtual desktops, with an OLED screen.

Guys, please do not try to rationalize single tasking in the year 2010 on a content consumption device.

 

[Jewbacca]

Here is the deal. Everyone here knows you can get other netbooks/laptops that have better numbers than the iPad and for cheaper. Nobody is stating you cannot. However, for those who want the iPad, the netbooks don't satisfy their needs. One can probably get a phone that theoretically does more for cheaper than a 32 3GS iPhone, but for people like me, what I get with the iPhone I cannot get elsewhere.

I guess what I was pointing out is the item I linked was a touchscreen tablet, I understand the netbook + ipad whatever thing.

So what does the iPad deliever that a touch screen tablet cannot? Other than Diet OSX without flash support.

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/...-category-id=50EC5C1454F34E85BC30BF5AECA2576E

its 549 first of all second of all a lot of those features are optional.

Here is the baseline
System components
#
Intel ATOM Processor N450 ( 1.66GHz 667MHz 512KB )
#
Genuine Windows 7 Starter
#
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150
#
1 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz
#
10.1 " SD LED Glare and Multi-touch 1024x600
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Industry Standard Touchpad
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160GB 5400
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4 Cell Lithium-Ion
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BCM 4313 BGN Wireless
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None
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One year parts and labor (system battery: one year)


Actually nvm most of them are not even an option no mention of a webcam any more.

Amazon.com has its for 499.99, and yes the webcam looks gone, but so lets say we get ram and a new battery we are looking at what 650 bucks for a touch screen, tablet netbook?

I can run iTunes, have all types of support, access to a shit ton of programs and I can read books.

 

[Tobor]

I'm not comparing it to an Android tablet. I am comparing it to the combo of a smartphone and a laptop or netbook.

I'm not seeing it do enough for that fact that it does it "right" to matter-- and I think people are not seeing the downsides of a touch interface.

It's not about bullet points, it's about functions. Not enough. Too much $$ for those.

Do you always like making irrelevant arguments? Find me one of those netbooks that's going to give me the reading experience I'll get on an iPad. It's not about the number of functions, it's about the user experience on the functions that matter to the potential customer.

 

[jrricky]

WTF is this shit and whats the point? (Besides making money)

EDIT: *Sees Tobor* Its the freaking PSPGo situation all over again and I hope this iPad's fate is the same...

Damn it, Ive never been so negative against an apple product before :/

 

[layzie1989]

So my brother just talked to me about the idea of getting this for our grandparents, who have been itching to get a computer, but are too scared of the technology and complexity of a desktop computer to get one...I think this is perfect for them...am i crazy?

 

[Raistlin]

Here's another:
---------------------

Watching Walt Mossberg grill steve about battery life is kind of funny. You can tell Steve is a very assertive, yet defensive guy.

Walt asks him about battery life (music playback = 140 odd hours), but then mentions the Amazon kindle, and asks what the battery life is for reading books on the iPad. 10 hours (obviously).

Walt says that there's obviously a drawback to the screen, and that's the power.

Steve says, no, not really, because you just plug it in. :lol sounds like some lame internet forum comeback

While I agree with you, Steve does kind of have a point if it really does run for 10 hours.

Obviously recharging more often is less convenient, but realistically how many situations arise where you'll really need more than 10 hours in a given session? I would think in 99.9% of situations, you'd use it less than 10 hours in a day. So you can simply charge it up at night.

The only real situation I can think of would be taking it camping. To be honest, I think the argument was kind of moot anyway. Comparing it to the Kindle is kind of silly. Who would want to use the iPad for serious reading anyway?

 

[ClovingWestbrook]

I guess what I was pointing out is the item I linked was a touchscreen tablet, I understand the netbook + ipad whatever thing.

So what does the iPad deliever that a touch screen tablet cannot? Other than Diet OSX without flash support.

That is like what does the iPhone have over a Droid/Nexus 1/ or any other touch screen phone? 1. App store (huge HUGE factor)., 2. Simplicity., 3. iTunes

Those three alone are reason enough for this to outsell any netbook on the market.

 

[numble]

Do you always like making irrelevant arguments? Find me one of those netbooks that's going to give me the reading experience I'll get on an iPad. It's not about the number of functions, it's about the user experience on the functions that matter to the potential customer.

Well, you know, netbook + iPod Touch + Kindle > iPad! Therefore who wants to get an iPad?

 

[Jewbacca]

So my brother just talked to me about the idea of getting this for our grandparents, who have been itching to get a computer, but are too scared of the technology and complexity of a desktop computer to get one...I think this is perfect for them...am i crazy?

Nah it seems like a simple device, but why do your grandparents want a computer is the question you should answer first.

 

[mrkgoo]

My Nexus One(a device that a former extreme Apple fan talked me into getting) runs circles around the current iphone OS. I have only rebooted the thing so I could see the fancy bootup screen. I constantly multi task, with email, text messaging, browsing with multiple vendors browsers each with multiple windows to sites, while up/downloading. You can basically do whatever you want, whenever you want.

And I do all of this at 800x480, on 5 virtual desktops, with an OLED screen.

Guys, please do not try to rationalize single tasking in the year 2010 on a content consumption device.

I'm not rationalising anything. I have no problem with other devices! They're all great!

 

[ClovingWestbrook]

For those who continue to bring up netbooks and why would anybody purchase this over one of those, show me any netbook on the market that will have access to the type of applications available on the App Store. Please.