Support NeoGAF

[Ignatz Mouse]

Most people here. You left out the part about how most people hate computers (or at least when something goes wrong and they have to find someone to fix it for them.)

And as for browsing the web, watching video, reading books... the extra size clearly is a huge plus. I'm a hardcore computer guy. I love computers. But the world at large does not. They want something that's intuitive and doesn't show the engine. This is what the tablet market is after. It was crazy to expect anything more. They're trying to create a mainstream device.

The same people you talk about are not early adopters of a new niche. There's a reason Apple waited a log time to introduce a smartphone-- they'd gone mainstream. A media/internet tablet is not.

I know plenty of non-computer-fan people, and the last thing they'd want is a pricey device that's yet again different from what they know. Unless they have an iPhone, in which case I can't see them getting this, either.

I'll bet you a virtual dollar this thing flops.

 

[mrklaw]

other random thoughts: It has bluetooth, so it'd be nice if it connected to the bluetooth mac keyboard as an option.

I'm curious after watching the video on apple.com about the multitouch being much more powerful when on a larger screen. So definitely going to spend some quality time with this in the local apple store when its out.

 

[MThanded]

So some of iPhone app features will already be broken for 1st GEN iPad. For example. You cannot take a picture and load it up onto facebook on the facebook App. You cannot use Augmented Reality Apps on this thing.

obviously you cant use aug reality apps. It has no gps or camera.

 

[Forsete]

Guys, of course there will be multitasking. It's in iPhone OS 4.0. They'll announce it with that, probably along with the iPhone 4G.

And when might that be?

 

[Xanafalgue]

No thanks. They'd just release a new revision 6 months after the inital launch anyway.

Hopefully it drives the prices of netbooks way way down (even though their a steal at their current price).

 

[Tobor]

other random thoughts: It has bluetooth, so it'd be nice if it connected to the bluetooth mac keyboard as an option.

I'm curious after watching the video on apple.com about the multitouch being much more powerful when on a larger screen. So definitely going to spend some quality time with this in the local apple store when its out.

This has already been confirmed.

 

[Marty Chinn]

other random thoughts: It has bluetooth, so it'd be nice if it connected to the bluetooth mac keyboard as an option.

I'm curious after watching the video on apple.com about the multitouch being much more powerful when on a larger screen. So definitely going to spend some quality time with this in the local apple store when its out.

On Apple's website it says it can connect to a bluetooth keyboard which is a nice touch.

 

[Kung Fu Jedi]

If/When I pick one of these up, I'm going to get one without 3G, as I don't need it while out and about town, and if I do, I can find WiFi pretty easily. I also have an iPhone for those kinds of duties, and may consider tethering when it finally becomes an option.

But those saying they won't pay $30 for 3G on this as they'll use iPhone tethering when they need it are setting themselves up for disappointment. Tethering is not going to be free, and will probably cost you the same $30/month from AT&T.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

my only problem is making up my mind - hmmm should I wait for the next version or these launch ones

I mean a year from now I think this will kick a lot of ass

the price makes it very tempting I never owned an iPod Touch or ever played with an iPhone

 

[Keylime]

hell, at the moment, I'm sporting a Viliv x70:

It comes in many of the same flavors (with and without 3G, 16-64 Gb). by default it runs windows xp, however you can now throw windows 7 on it as well. it is NOT multitouch, however.

The problem is is that no one's ever heard of that device. Everyone is going to know about the iPad. That product won't even be considered as an alternative.

Us geeks/nerds know that there are devices out there that are much more diverse for potentially cheaper, but the mainstream consumer is hardly even going to look at these alternatives as even an option.

I'm not going to argue that the iPad dominates touchscreen tablet competitors, I'm just saying that this product is going to have a ton of buzz and press whereas no other tablet that I recall ever has.

 

[Divvy]

Apart from the demographic that's terrified of computers, I don't see how this thing compares favourably to a netbook at all. I guess a faster startup speed is all I can think of.

my only problem is making up my mind - hmmm should I wait for the next version or these launch ones

I mean a year from now I think this will kick a lot of ass

the price makes it very tempting I never owned an iPod Touch or ever played with an iPhone

Why would you buy this at launch when it will obviously be better, and cheaper in a few months when they next iteration comes out. If you must get your hands on something like this, get an iPod touch. It's essentially the same thing. I've been using mine for a year and I love it, but I see no useful difference that the iPad has over the iPod aside from size.

 

[Sriffat]

If/When I pick one of these up, I'm going to get one without 3G, as I don't need it while out and about town, and if I do, I can find WiFi pretty easily. I also have an iPhone for those kinds of duties, and may consider tethering when it finally becomes an option.

But those saying they won't pay $30 for 3G on this as they'll use iPhone tethering when they need it are setting themselves up for disappointment. Tethering is not going to be free, and will probably cost you the same $30/month from AT&T.

Not if you jailbreak it

 

[MThanded]

my only problem is making up my mind - hmmm should I wait for the next version or these launch ones

I mean a year from now I think this will kick a lot of ass

the price makes it very tempting I never owned an iPod Touch or ever played with an iPhone

if its good enough for you know buy it now. I got an ipod touch when they were first released and still use it to this day. You can't wait for the next version. There will always be a next version.

If/When I pick one of these up, I'm going to get one without 3G, as I don't need it while out and about town, and if I do, I can find WiFi pretty easily. I also have an iPhone for those kinds of duties, and may consider tethering when it finally becomes an option.

But those saying they won't pay $30 for 3G on this as they'll use iPhone tethering when they need it are setting themselves up for disappointment. Tethering is not going to be free, and will probably cost you the same $30/month from AT&T.

If you have a android based phone root it an wifi tether the ipad too it. I do this with my ipod touch right now.

 

[plasmasd]

I was looking forward to this, I have owned a Asus R2H UMPC since Jan 2007 and wanted an upgrade. Sadly, the iPad is alot less functional

 

[Tobor]

Apart from the demographic that's terrified of computers, I don't see how this thing compares favourably to a netbook at all. I guess a faster startup speed is all I can think of.

Form factor, UI, App Store.

 

[iamcool388]

So i'm guessing there is no chance of MS-Office being on the iPad? I've never used Pages/Numbers/Keynote... A few questions:

1. How is compatibility between iWorks and MS-Office?
2. Is iWorks as fully featured as MS-Office i.e. will I be able to make some pretty big and complex spreadsheets with Numbers?
3. How is usability for someone transitioning from MS-Office to iWorks? Easy to pick up? Any comparisons from people who have used both?

 

[flyover]

I'm happy that Apple is pushing back against Flash. I know they're not doing so out of some sense of idealism -- they're acting in their own present and future interests -- but I think it's still a good thing.

Daring Fireball has a great piece on Apple vs. Flash:

I don’t care for Flash, and that I’m hoping Apple never includes it in the iPhone OS. Might as well make my biases clear.

Why? At the core, because Flash is the only de facto web standard based on a proprietary technology. There are numerous proprietary web content plugins — including Apple’s QuickTime — but Flash is the only one that’s so ubiquitous that it’s a de facto standard. Flash is the way video is delivered over the web, and Adobe completely controls Flash. No other aspect of the web works like this. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are all open standards, with numerous implementations, including several that are open source.

The simplest argument in favor of Flash support on the iPhone (and The Tablet, and everywhere) is that Flash is, by dint of its popularity and ubiquity, part of the web. But the best argument against Flash support is that it is harmful to the web as a whole to have something as important as video be in the hands of a single company, and the only way that’s going to change is if an open alternative becomes a compelling target for web publishers.

 

[NomarTyme]

my only problem is making up my mind - hmmm should I wait for the next version or these launch ones

I mean a year from now I think this will kick a lot of ass

the price makes it very tempting I never owned an iPod Touch or ever played with an iPhone

I think its worth the wait for the next gen.

 

[Karma]

You have obviously never dealt with people like he described. My mother-in-law is "deathly afraid" of computers to the point she won't even learn email to get pictures of her grand kids (asinine, I know).

I think with something like this, there is no chance of her "screwing up the computer" and she could just click on the email icon and see her email. Tap the screen to bring up a message.

What are you talking about? So she could not just click on the email icon and see her email on a netbook?

 

[Mecha_Infantry]

I bet now it's announced Jack Bauer will use one in 24

 

[numble]

I want it, but I know the 3rd iteration will be better...

 

[mrkgoo]

Finally caught up after missing the fun cuz of my meeting. Wow, I guess I called it. Nobody knows what to do with a tablet and they expected Apple to know and it's clear that they don't. So I didn't get the hype, and I think this announcement proves why I didn't get the hype.

They started out great with what I was concerned with which was addressing filling the gap between an iPhone and a MacBook, but they failed to do it when they actually showed it because it doesn't.

People thinking this is better than a netbook are on crack or something. Hell, I can do photoshop on my netbook. I can type notes in class easily without dragging around an additional accessory in which I then somehow need to prop up the iPad which would be cumbersome in itself. I can multitask in even the simplist things like listening to Pandora while doing multitab browsing. I can use Flash. Heck, I can even tether my iPhone to my netbook through bluetooth and not pay another $30 for data. There's just so many things that I can do on a netbook that I can't on this device.

I was surprised at the keyboard dock and I'm pleasantly surprised you can use a bluetooth keyboard which I almost thought could be a replacement for a laptop for a college student, but then I realized there's no multitasking and that sorta kills it. It's certainly a plus and great for when you want to type up a document so it might be usable as a replacement for some.

The pricing started out great until it was 3G-less but it's still decent pricing in the end. I wonder if you can just pop out your iPhone sim card and use that for data. I'd be willing to pop out my sim whenever if it meant not paying another $30 for data. It's nice that there aren't any contracts though.

Other than that, it's a giant iPhone and I'm actually glad that it looks like it might be a big bust in the end because that gives time to eReaders to grow and mature. I was starting to get all worried when there was all this talk on major news publications how it was going to be the next big thing in eBooks but I think the Kindle and Nook are safe for the time being.

Looks like I wasn't grasping for straws or saying anything unreasonable afterall and there's still the concept of trying to figure out how a tablet fits into everyone's life and makes it so you don't need a laptop for a lot of situations. I think a netbook fits the small portability better even if the form factor isn't as pretty. I'll take functional over pretty any day.

I think you're right in that they didn't answer the question we were hoping they would.

I'm excited for this product, however. Sure a netback can 'do' more, but I think the potion is how much of that stuff do you really want to do? Photoshop on a netbook? A camera for skip is probably the only thing I would really want, but even that is just one application.

It really is a device that sits in between the iPhone and Laptop, but whereas a netback skews towards the laptop end, the iPad skews to wards the iPhone end. In the end, it's very possible consumers will choose the laptop end as being the more convenient, but who knows.

 

[giga]

What's the icon next to the slider?

 

[X26]

Apart from the demographic that's terrified of computers, I don't see how this thing compares favourably to a netbook at all. I guess a faster startup speed is all I can think of.

I don't see how even that group would be interested in this over a netbook, price is too big a barrier

 

[Dra-Q]

Guys, of course there will be multitasking. It's in iPhone OS 4.0. They'll announce it with that, probably along with the iPhone 4G.

Yeah, sure. Just like the iSlate is the second coming of jesus, right?

 

[mrkgoo]

What are you talking about? So she could not just click on the email icon and see her email on a netbook?

YOu have no idea about the kind of person we're talking about. The kind of person who gets confused by a mouse. All those words (that are clickable, but not buttons) along the top? "File" "Edit" etc.

 

[QuadCore]

Why is unlimited data plan $30 for this device and $60 for iPhone?

 

[Ferrio]

what are the chances that textbooks for college will be available on this thing. Will they discount this for students during the Back to school deal or in general like other Apple Computers?

I'd say highly likely, but doubt a discount. Publishers salivate at this stuff for college texts, since it ruins the used book sales.

 

[Hawkian]

I'd pay $200 for one to mount up vertically on my fridge door, to play music (Wireless bluetooth speakers of course) while cooking and such, maybe double-check recipes online, keep a running grocery list and such.

 

[MThanded]

I want it, but I know the 3rd iteration will be better...

4th will be better than 3rd too. :lol :lol

 

[mrklaw]

multitasking with OS4.0?

I want one, the price is fine for a simple internet tablet (16GB wifi is enough, music will be on my ipod touch), and a touch is fatiguing for long browsing sessions at home). But I won't buy one unless I can either have basic multitasking for IM etc, or at the very least multiple tabs in safari so I can run iplayer radio in the background while browsing.

 

[SephCast]

There's tabbed browsing, right? If so, will I be able to have the meebo web client running while surfing?

 

[Tobor]

For me personally, this isn't an iPad vs. Netbook debate. I have no interest in netbooks whatsoever.

This is an iPad vs. Kindle argument. And I'd much rather spend the extra cash, give up the e-ink, and get all that bonus functionality. iWork and a bluetooth keyboard, and I can get work done on it when I need to.

As for the OS, it needs work. I think 4.0 will clear up a lot, and over time it will evolve, just like the iPhone has.

As for what version, I'm probably going to go $499, but I might spring for the 32GB.

 

[Vipershark]

I honestly don't see any point in this.
It's an oversized, overpriced ipod touch.

Why didn't they just make an actual OSX tablet PC? Windows had tablet PC support for years; why doesn't OSX?

Does the iPad even support an external keyboard? Maybe if ti had USB keyboard/mouse support it'd be somewhat worth it, but I really see no point in it.

Will the glass break as easily as on the iTouch?

 

[bengraven]

I just bought a Kindle, literally just bought one on Saturday.

I bet they'll be down in price by THIS weekend. At least the $498 DX is practically guaranteed.

I wonder if Amazon would refund me the difference on the Kindle 2 if they drop it a few bucks.

 

[Sriffat]

For me personally, this isn't an iPad vs. Netbook debate. I have no interest in netbooks whatsoever.

This is an iPad vs. Kindle argument. And I'd much rather spend the extra cash, give up the e-ink, and get all that bonus functionality. iWork and a bluetooth keyboard, and I can get work done on it when I need to.

As for the OS, it needs work. I think 4.0 will clear up a lot, and over time it will evolve, just like the iPhone has.

As for what version, I'm probably going to go $499, but I might spring for the 32GB.

So what will you say tommorow Amazon Drops the price of the 299 Kindle to 199

 

[SuperPac]

Considering the amount of hype building up to this, it's not surprising that it was kind of a letdown.

But then, look at the iPhone's original reveal and what the original iPhone could do compared to what it can do now. What they showed today wasn't that much different than what they showed off at that initial iPhone reveal three years ago. Very simple tasks. Email, web, video, photos, calendars. Plus, they showed Books, iWork, Games. It has compatibility with all the current iPhone apps. That's a lot of stuff, really. The "problem" with it is that the iPhone has tread that ground before. So it's not OMGNEW.

My disappointment is that they didn't make a reader application for all printed content including newspapers, magazines and books. Because I really don't look forward to the day where all sorts of magazines have their own apps. I mean, I guess it really doesn't matter but it's disappointing to me.

 

[Divvy]

Form factor, UI, App Store.

Form factor I'll give you, but I don't think the UI is all that great. It makes perfect sense for a small device like the iPod or the iPhone, but it seems too simplistic here although some of accelerometer implementations are quite useful on my iPod. The lack of multi-tasking sort of kills any positives of the interface IMO. As for the App store, I've always felt that a lot of the apps existed solely because the iPhone's Safari browser was incapable of displaying web pages properly on it's small screen or lacked flash functionality. Having a fully functional browser negates the need for an App store.

 

[fireside]

If iPhone OS 4 with multitasking is coming so soon, I can't imagine Apple would debut the iPad without multitasking. Just seems silly.

 

[Tobor]

So what will you say tommorow Amazon Drops the price of the 299 Kindle to 199

I'd still rather have the extra functionality. $99 and I'll buy both.

 

[SnakeXs]

All these netbook people are making me curious. What is it people do with netbooks? Go on the internet, watch Youtube videos, chat on Facebook and instant messengers, and maybe take notes for a class and Google stuff.

I'm not seeing why people are making a huge deal for things that this can't do that a netbook can, that the vast majority of people don't care about. And the only gimped thing right now is instant messaging, since you can't multitask, yet much of the rest of is quite possibly and arguably, a better experience with this.

But hey I never got the netbook thing so maybe I'm wrong about it and people all have super vital things they do on them like, oh wait, check porn on -tube sites which are all Flash based. It all makes sense now.

 

[Mr. Dobalina]

What are you talking about? So she could not just click on the email icon and see her email on a netbook?

I'm telling you, no. Moving a mouse or finger on a trackpad which then moves a cursor on the screen over an icon you then have to click on (or *gasp* double click on) is intimidating to her. Tapping an icon with her finger is doable for her (I think :lol ).

 

[Marty Chinn]

I think you're right in that they didn't answer the question we were hoping they would.

I'm excited for this product, however. Sure a netback can 'do' more, but I think the potion is how much of that stuff do you really want to do? Photoshop on a netbook? A camera for skip is probably the only thing I would really want, but even that is just one application.

It really is a device that sits in between the iPhone and Laptop, but whereas a netback skews towards the laptop end, the iPad skews to wards the iPhone end. In the end, it's very possible consumers will choose the laptop end as being the more convenient, but who knows.

I was using Photoshop as an extreme scenario as I wouldn't use it all the time, but I have in the past when I needed it and that just goes to show the flexibility and functionality that the netbook has over the iPad.

Right now for what I think the market that everyone is trying to aim for that fits in between an iPhone and a laptop, a netbook right now fits the bill far closer than the iPad does. It just does what you'd likely what to do when you're on the go but don't want to carry around a bigger and heavier laptop.

Multitasking, more flexibility, and a stylus would go a long way to making this more useful.

 

[espionage]

Price hasn't been announced, but there were a metric ton of 'slate' devices at CES, both windows and android based:

my personal fav,

HP slate.

Runs FULL windows 7, with aero, supports multitouch and flash, and has actual connectivity.

i checked the slate out after you mentioned this m0dus, and you're right - the slate does look very promising. in fact, now i think i'll wait to hear the full specs on the slate before even considering this iPad.

 

[numble]

4th will be better than 3rd too. :lol :lol

I'm trying to crack the Apple formula. I think I probably should've said 2 and 4. iPhone2 is much better than original, iPhone3 (3GS) is mostly a bump in specs, iPhone 4 will be another big change. Maybe there is something similar with iPod/Macbook iterations and the like.

 

[Mecha_Infantry]

If iPhone OS 4 with multitouch is coming so soon, I can't imagine Apple would debut the iPad without multitouch. Just seems silly.

Does the iPad even support an external keyboard? Maybe if ti had USB keyboard/mouse support it'd be somewhat worth it, but I really see no point in it.

Do you just look at words and letters? Or can you read?

 

[huha]

I'm slightly underwhelmed by the Ipad. It's not a bad product per se, but I somehow fail to see its revolutionary aspects; so I think the hype is slightly exaggerated and not exactly justified.

However, I am disappointed in the specs. As has been said, it's just a larger Iphone---surely no harm done by that---but that makes the format and price of the whole affair seem so quite ill-conceived. Why? It doesn't support multi-tasking. Depending on how you work with it, that's mildly annoying on a smallish phone, but a real show-stopper on a large device like the Ipad. We're essentially talking about the resolution most laptops featured a couple of years ago, albeit in a smaller package. It's somehow like putting the latest seneseless incarnation of Windows Starter (with software-limited multi-tasking) on an otherwise decent device; no one would do it, because it will just hinder you from using it properly--and Windows XP Starter was limited to 3 (?) programs. The very idea of not allowing multi-tasking is so awful you cannot but wonder why this had to be implemented that way by Apple, as even Microsoft gave up the limited multi-tasking.
I'm getting slightly off tangent here, so let's get back to the topic at hand--the Ipad. I do regard the absence of multi-tasking despite having a large, high-res (and admittedly very, very sexy, as it's IPS) screen as one of its biggest flaws, but that's by far not the only one. Browsing experience will be somewhat limited due to the lack of proper plugins. No SD slot means no opportunity to use it for anything other than online-based work.
I don't quite know what Apple really wanted to design there. It's an oversized phone, so it suffers from the disadvantages of big hardware and a limited platform alike. It's too big to be always carried with you, one of the great aspects of the Iphone and other smartphones. But you can't use it as a laptop substitute for light work, because next to no application will run on it lest there be an Iphone variant (or a web-based approach). I quite do not understand the rationale behind releasing such a product.

Flawed as they may be, I consider IBM's X60t/X61t thinkpads to be better suited for most tasks the Ipad is so keen on being marketed for. Yes, they're both bigger and heavier and offer slightly less battery runtime; I don't know about the price, but you should get used ones for a decent amount (no cell-phone provider sponsoring, though; quite a shame, as this helps to keep the price down a lot). They'll be suffering from similar problems from time to time (very limited XGA resolution), but in general, they're more versatile with real pen input (handwriting recognition!) and even a keyboard if you need it.

I might have missed the point entirely, so if I did, please try to explain.

-F.

 

[bengraven]

This reeeeally sucks.

My Kindle just arrived a few minutes ago, I was so excited for it to arrive today. What a way to kill my joy.

:/

 

[Karma]

YOu have no idea about the kind of person we're talking about. The kind of person who gets confused by a mouse. All those words (that are clickable, but not buttons) along the top? "File" "Edit" etc.

:lol :lol Are you joking?

 

[Zachack]

YOu have no idea about the kind of person we're talking about. The kind of person who gets confused by a mouse. All those words (that are clickable, but not buttons) along the top? "File" "Edit" etc.

The person you're describing will drop and break the iPad the instant an app appears to be coming at them during bootup because they think it'll actually escape the screen and hit them.