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Apple iPad revealed

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Interesting (and mostly negative) article that suggest a new reason the iPad doesn't support Flash:
USA Today: Just as important as what iPad can do: What it can't

Q: The iPad is billed as the ultimate multimedia device, but I can't play most Web video or animation? What's up with that?

A: The iPhone and iPod Touch leave big white holes when you try to access video and animation on popular websites such as Hulu, Vimeo, Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon, which are displayed in Flash video.

Apple says it supports HTML5, a new Web video standard, and not Flash, without giving any reason.

Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey says that with all of the criticism about the strain on AT&T's 3G network, Apple is better off not offering Flash support.

"It would kill the network," he says. "People would be watching all day. Maybe two years from now, they could handle the traffic, but not now."
Click to expand...
 
mrkgoo said:
Agreed. But depending on which it is means a different possible solution.

And you bring up a good point that if it is OS, it's most likely due to RAM. THEN, the solution is decidedly more RAM, meaning it is solvable.
Click to expand...

Well certainly, adding more RAM could solve the problem. The question is, will they? If so, when? How much will it cost?


I have a feeling that the iPhone OS doesn't use much 'virtual memory'. Or does it? The amount of frees space that is reported by the OS is different from apps that report it, so maybe it does.

The issue with these kind of 'non-computer' devices is that if it doesn't use caches, except in RAM, means we get no persistent web pages stored in a HD cache.

I have no idea how any of this works.
Click to expand...

I would think if it did cache webpages, you wouldn't have the loading issues.


Jtwo said:
They should just disable Flash when on 3G then.
Click to expand...

I was going to post that, but I know someone would come after me and claim that such a move would ruin the experience and be too complex ... so Apple won't do it.
 
Hahaaa we all know the reason why Flash is not supported - there's a cold war between Adobe and Apple going on, and Flash is the battlefield.


I think it's great that they don't support Flash, to be honest. Flash isn't the right way to distribute video at all. HTML5 is the right answer to that.
 
wmat said:
Hahaaa we all know the reason why Flash is not supported - there's a cold war between Adobe and Apple going on, and Flash is the battlefield.


I think it's great that they don't support Flash, to be honest. Flash isn't the right way to distribute video at all. HTML5 is the right answer to that.
Click to expand...

In a perfect world, maybe. In the real world, it's cutting off your nose to spite your face.
 
wmat said:
Hahaaa we all know the reason why Flash is not supported - there's a cold war between Adobe and Apple going on, and Flash is the battlefield.


I think it's great that they don't support Flash, to be honest. Flash isn't the right way to distribute video at all. HTML5 is the right answer to that.
Click to expand...

There are a lot of fucked up standards out there but that doesn't mean that we're not stuck with them and that we should ignore them because there is technically something better out there. Hell the way the Internet works and the protocols used are fucked up if you sit down to learn about them. They just sorta stuck because it was working and started getting adopted. We need not look any further back than the fucked up HD resolution standards to see something more recent. Flash isn't going away anytime soon and to pretend that it is and pushing a different method doesn't change the fact that a big part of the Internet is inaccessible on these devices.
 
wmat said:
Hahaaa we all know the reason why Flash is not supported - there's a cold war between Adobe and Apple going on, and Flash is the battlefield.

I think it's great that they don't support Flash, to be honest. Flash isn't the right way to distribute video at all. HTML5 is the right answer to that.
Click to expand...

Like it or not Flash is the now.

Anyway, Apple don't support Theora so even some of the sites that have switched over to using HTML5's video capabilities won't work. Only those sites that have chosen to use h264 will.
 
So if I go to the youtube or vimeo website and view HTML5 videos.. can I play the videos in the browser like on a normal browser, or will it kick me out to a dedicated App?
 
The more i think about the device, and the further away i get from my own personal disappointment over what it ended out being, the more i lean towards the side of thinking it is going to be massive and change the way many millions interact with computers going forward, and after a few revisions, a brilliant gadget.
 
Karma said:
I was asking myself that about you yesterday when you called Droid owners retarded.
Click to expand...
Did you not see the spoiler tag?

I do hate the clusterfuck of widgets on it though.
I see the advantage, but the implementation is... off.

But I shall scour the web for iPad videos, I will let you know what I come up with.
 
Zaraki_Kenpachi said:
Probably load in quicktime like it always had?
Click to expand...
So it won't play in the browser window? Sucks.
So HTML5 is just an implementation of quicktime [or can be], or what? I've loaded tons of quicktime videos on my iPhone over the years but what makes HTML5 different?

If it really opens up a seperate window like the iPhone did that's just terrible.
 
Raistlin said:
Well certainly, adding more RAM could solve the problem. The question is, will they? If so, when? How much will it cost?




I would think if it did cache webpages, you wouldn't have the loading issues.
Click to expand...

Maybe. Again, I don't really know how this stuff works, but maybe loading two webpages at once is considered taxing. I really don't know. I speculate that it's a caching thing, rather than ram or processor. In which case, they should dedicate some HD space for it. I'd give up 500MB to a GIG to have stuff like multiple tabs remembered and be able to download in the background.
 
Buckethead said:
Did you not see the spoiler tag?

I do hate the clusterfuck of widgets on it though.
I see the advantage, but the implementation is... off.

But I shall scour the web for iPad videos, I will let you know what I come up with.
Click to expand...

You can just remove all those widgets and put shortcut icons all over like your standard iPhone OS. You can actually choose.


Amazing, I know.
 
Has this been posted yet?

Gizmondo:You NEED one!

Generally speaking, the iPad's goal is not to replace your netbook, assuming you own and love one. It's not about replacing your Kindle either, assuming you cashed in for that as well. We have reviewed plenty of both, and know there's plenty to like. If you derive pleasure out of using either, then Apple might have a hard time convincing you to switch to the iPad. But for the millions of people who aren't on either bandwagon, yet have the money and interest in a "third" device between the phone and the computer, the iPad will have greater appeal.
Click to expand...
 
jts said:
Apple would never build a tablet around OSX.

They would NEVER tell the consumer: "Hey, here's a tablet with OSX. Enjoy having at disposal thousands of apps designed with kb/m in mind that will be HELL to use with your fingers".

That's just not Apple. That's Microsoft.

Apple is a usability-oriented company and has 2 OS's, one for touch devices and one for kb/m computers (and also separated by processor architecture). Each one with its own dev community. Bitch about it or just embrace it and hope that they keep fleshing out iPhone OS as they have been doing for the past 3 years.
Click to expand...
This should have been an expanded iPhone OS though.

With, you know, multi-tasking.

And an initiative for people to port real programs, such as Photoshop, to the tablet. Brushes is great, but it isn't the end of the line by any means.
 
I want one.. :(

At first I was skeptic but after seeing the video and finding out about the 10 hours battery time I went from "meh" to "omg iWant it". Yeah we expected more and this is another case of the massive hype making the product look bad but this is the definitive netbook killer. All netbook makers out there stop your factories, Apple won. I hope this sells well so we can get cool updates in the future.

On the other hand I was disappointed with the event itself; I wanted iPhone 4.0 and macbook refresh (but especially iphone 4.0 because I have an iTouch); iphone 3.1 is starting to feel old BUT maybe we'll get 3.2 with some features seen in the iPad like the icons with the nice shadows, the new background in the home screen and maybe some other good stuff but I guess they are saving 4.0 for june :/

Edit: LOL because of the reality distortion field I forgot to post the bad things :lol :

-No multitasking
-No SD port
-No file managing (some simple file managing would have worked)
-Gigantic bezel (ugh *pukes*)

I'd still get one if I had the money :/

Edit2: Oh yeah if this has the stupid tabs memory/reload bug that the iphone/ipod touch have I hope apple goes bankrupt (fuck, it wasn't even in the early versions, then at some point I updated and safari started to act all shitty with the tabs..)
 
im really tempted to get one just for the 3g capability. It would make work ALOT more tolerable(retailer). does anyone know how much data browsing on gaf is for an hour? maybe I get the $14.99 plan lol :lol
 
Vennt said:
The Archos 9 will certainly go down in flames, it has a 3 hour battery life, ships with Windows 7 Starter edition (Ugh!) and only has WiFi 802.11b/g, so streaming anything HD over an 802.11n network will be painful. All for £450-£500 here in the UK, It's just not going to compete.

The ones to watch will be the competing models from Asus, MSI, Dell and Notion Ink.

The Notion Ink one (Adam) looks the best of the rest to me, the question is whether they'll have the clout to make it to market, or will fall by the wayside like the CrunchPad.
Click to expand...

The Dell tablet will be $1000 so it is dead. MSI's 10-inch Tegra/Android tablet is the one to watch. That and the HP tablet shown at CES is rumored to have a Android version as well.
 
mrkgoo said:
Maybe. Again, I don't really know how this stuff works, but maybe loading two webpages at once is considered taxing. I really don't know. I speculate that it's a caching thing, rather than ram or processor. In which case, they should dedicate some HD space for it. I'd give up 500MB to a GIG to have stuff like multiple tabs remembered and be able to download in the background.
Click to expand...

You can't really cache in the background if you don't have enough RAM; it has to go into RAM before hitting the HDD.
 
Razorskin said:
People can Jailbreak and disable any 3G restrictions. Small minority but still would be a problem.
Click to expand...
To be honest, I don't even think people would want Flash while on 3G anyhow.
 
lunarworks said:
No. They never have, and they never will.

I've been dealing with the anti-Apple crowd for nearly 20 years now. They'll always have an argument.
Click to expand...

I am typing on my MacBook, have a MacBookPro for work, my old Pro is my media center computer, I'm on my third iPod and my wife is on her second. I had an Air for a while, if I didn't have a specific need it could not meet, I still would. I have an Apple sticker on my car. i think the iPad is a bad product (poorly placed, overpriced, gimped needlessly). Am I part of the anti-Apple crowd?

Mac products aren't just about UI and style, but about function. This thing underperforms for it's cost.
 
D4Danger said:
why is AT&T always the bad guy?

Millions of people have 3G phones and laptops and use their network. I'm not buying it.
Click to expand...

Now add all the iPhone and iPod Touch users trying to stream stuff over hulu or whatnot. That would add a lot of strain to the system.
 
Razorskin said:
People can Jailbreak and disable any 3G restrictions. Small minority but still would be a problem.
Click to expand...

If the device is jailbroken, then flash support may show up anyway. That's not a viable excuse.



Jtwo said:
To be honest, I don't even think people would want Flash while on 3G anyhow.
Click to expand...

That too.
 
SteveO409 said:
im really tempted to get one just for the 3g capability. It would make work ALOT more tolerable(retailer). does anyone know how much data browsing on gaf is for an hour? maybe I get the $14.99 plan lol :lol
Click to expand...

I would say the $30 option is better. There's no risk! that's the beauty of no contract. Just pay he first month with unlimited and see what it feels like to just go nuts.

Then again, maybe the 14.99 option is better to test it out.


How will the accounts work? They say you can activate right on the device, so I guess you probably visit a site and set up an account, that is tied with the sim?
 
Karma said:
The Dell tablet will be $1000 so it is dead. MSI's 10-inch Tegra/Android tablet is the one to watch. That and the HP tablet shown at CES is rumored to have a Android version as well.
Click to expand...

Don't forget the Notion Ink. Has the most potential of any shown.
 
PhoncipleBone said:
Now add all the iPhone and iPod Touch users trying to stream stuff over hulu or whatnot. That would add a lot of strain to the system.
Click to expand...

then stop giving AT&T exclusive use if they can't handle it. problem solved.

I remember I posted about it not having a camera and somebody said that was probably an AT&T decision because it would use a lot of data.

I find it surprising that anyone thinks that a company that has so much control over it's product (down to the processor) would let another company make it's decisions for them.
 
In my opinion the lack of isight camera is most surprising thing about this device.
Those little cameras are in nearly all their products, and they have to be pretty cheap.
Not to mention the perceived value ichat and photobooth would add.
 
mooooose said:
This should have been an expanded iPhone OS though.

With, you know, multi-tasking.

And an initiative for people to port real programs, such as Photoshop, to the tablet. Brushes is great, but it isn't the end of the line by any means.
Click to expand...
I agree on principle with you, but I don't see the necessity of splitting up the iPhone OS by devices.

If Apple wants to add multitasking to it, they can do it OS-wide, and for all we know it can be on its way with iPhone OS 4.0.

Hey, and I doubt Apple won't push developers to get meatier apps/programs on the thing. They certainly already took the first step with iWork. And now we play the waiting game.
 
Jtwo said:
In my opinion the lack of isight camera is most surprising thing about this device.
Those little cameras are in nearly all their products, and they have to be pretty cheap.
Not to mention the perceived value ichat and photobooth would add.
Click to expand...
This befuddles me too. Full screen Korea iChat is actually a killer app an people would have bought it for that. And everyonenloves to play with phoobooth an multitouh distortion would ebe a nice gimmick on the display floor. It works for MacBooks.

I wonder if the whole Idea of videochat didn't sit well with carriers. Apple are famous for "if you can't do it right, don't do it at all". Maybe they didn't want the clumsiness of a wifi-only app.

Maybe it's just not ready (apps require testing anddebugging and a server for the chat). Maybe jus holdig something back for future stuff. It all costs money so maybe a combination of all of the above.

I can just see the ads full of beautiul people video chatting with a tablet.
 
Seth C said:
Specs don't matter to me, but it just costs too much for what it does. Simple as that. I could justify one starting at around $399. $299 and everyone would have one.
Click to expand...

Lucky buying one isn't compulsory then huh ?

Timbuktu said:
No. I was just wondering why we should be impressed if Apple made a tablet that is a cheaper laptop without rethinking the interface.
Click to expand...

How do you do a touchscreen laptop without rethinking the interface ?

Maybe there is a reason Windows slate style computers sell fuck all every year.
 
Tobor said:
So that Bonnier magazine demo, Mag +?

http://www.vimeo.com/8217311?utm_so...edium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+argoroots+(Argo)

Bonnier confirmed it's coming as an app for iPad at around the 5 minute mark of this Nightline overview.

http://widgets.clearspring.com/o/4a...8d36a3102598f/ead212ed/-cpid/71f623ea5b2812f7

Popular Science. :D
Click to expand...

beelzebozo said:
heh, first words out of my mom's mouth when she saw it on tv: "i want one!"
Click to expand...

Along with other similar anecdotal mutterings:

Redemption. Delicious redemption.
 
Liu Kang Baking A Pie said:
iPhone OS 3.2 being iPad-only makes me think iPhone 3.1 is the final version for this round and 4.0 is coming soon.
Click to expand...
Wow, I didn't know that. I'm weirded out now.

However, I can't see 4.0 coming so soon. I don't believe that a major release wouldn't get announced at least a couple of months prior to its launch and I certainly don't think they will drop the 4.0 SDK and make the 4.0 announcement before the iPad launch. IMO it will follow regular schedule.
 
Raistlin said:
Don't forget the Notion Ink. Has the most potential of any shown.
Click to expand...

IMO, it has the most potential to cost way more than they are saying it will cost, if it ever even makes it to market, and that's about it.

First, I'll be amazed if they actually make it to market.

Second, I'd be shocked to see that thing anywhere near the $321 pricetag they were claiming at CES. If it is somehow that cheap, it wont be worth a shit because of all the corners cut.

I mean really, this thing looks like The Phantom game system all over again. Have you guys even researched this company and who is behind it?
 
On a random note, CNBC has an hour special on right now called MacHEADS

:lol



Pristine_Condition said:
IMO, it has the most potential to cost way more than they are saying it will cost, if it ever even makes it to market, and that's about it.

First, I'll be amazed if they actually make it to market.

Second, I'd be shocked to see that thing anywhere near the $321 pricetag they were claiming at CES. If it is somehow that cheap, it wont be worth a shit because of all the corners cut.

I mean really, this thing looks like The Phantom game system all over again. Have you guys even researched this company and who is behind it?
Click to expand...

I'm certainly skeptical about the price.

As far as the company goes, who is behind it?
 
jts said:
Wow, I didn't know that. I'm weirded out now.

However, I can't see 4.0 coming so soon. I don't believe that a major release wouldn't get announced at least a couple of months prior to its launch and I certainly don't think they will drop the 4.0 SDK and make the 4.0 announcement before the iPad launch. IMO it will follow regular schedule.
Click to expand...

Why are you weirded out? What were you expecting?
 
Liu Kang Baking A Pie said:
iPhone OS 3.2 being iPad-only makes me think iPhone 3.1 is the final version for this round and 4.0 is coming soon.
Click to expand...
interesting. Sounds right. Do you think we're getting an overhaul for 4.0?


I wonder how mug the ipad will change from launch to 4.0.

Something I heard in macbteak weekly was that the dock for the ipad could support 6 icons. I wonder I there's a setting to make the home screen match.
 
jts said:
Wow, I didn't know that. I'm weirded out now.

However, I can't see 4.0 coming so soon. I don't believe that a major release wouldn't get announced at least a couple of months prior to its launch and I certainly don't think they will drop the 4.0 SDK and make the 4.0 announcement before the iPad launch. IMO it will follow regular schedule.
Click to expand...
That's the thing, I think it's all timed for that. Last year, we got the iPhone 3 SDK announcement in March and the hardware in the summer. I get the feeling the iPad's coming out with 3.2 for just a couple of months until 4.0 hits. Maybe the 4.0 rumors for this week were right, but in the end it just wasn't ready to show.

mrkgoo said:
interesting. Sounds right. Do you think we're getting an overhaul for 4.0?
Click to expand...
All I want is even gimped multitasking for streaming music or IM plus browsing. If that comes (I think it will), I'll buy 200 iPads.
 
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