• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

The Apple iPad | The Official Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

tirminyl

Member
I have until the 12th to decide if I want Wifi or 3g. 3g would be nice but I am never in a need to use it so a majority of the time, I won't have it enabled. Also I am impatient and can't wait any longer :lol

I am still rocking my og iPhone but this will be great for me to use as an e-reader, and comic reader. With a bigger screen, shows or movies I have will be worth watching. Browsing the web at home on the couch or at a friends house will be so much better.

So that leaves me with 32gb wifi or 16gb 3g.
 
J

Jill Sandwich

the turds of Optimus Prime
The most interesting thing about the iPad to me is the amount of touch sensitive real estate it offers, added to the fact it's able to act as a peripheral for other devices. I can just imagine programs like Propellerhead's Reason, adapted for a touch surface, being able to patch, twiddle, slide and sequence all using natural motions. Or say, an editing surface for Final Cut Pro, instead of having to have a keyboard overlay. The iPad is powerful enough to do this, and I hope developers take the bull by the horns.
 
S

SnakeXs

about the same metal capacity as a cucumber
Yeah added capabilities when tied to a master OS would be phenomenal. Mmmm.
 
V

VanMardigan

has calmed down a bit.
I'm convinced that the iPad can succeed as an ereader where other devices haven't (at least not mainstream).

I just picked up a Sony Reader (pocket edition) for about $120 on Ebay and although everyone I showed it to was impressed by the clarity of the screen, they still seemed befuddled with the operation of the device. They were trying to touch the screen, do multi-touch gestures, or wondering about the refresh or the lack of color. I kept having to repeat over and over to everyone who picked it up that it wasn't supposed to have a backlight, that's it's emulating paper, etc. The days of the dedicated device that did ONE thing REALLY REALLY well is never coming back, as folks expect the devices to function a certain way, and do certain things, and are disappointed if that is not the case.

The iPad might not make the best pure reading device, but it'll be more than good enough for most people. Even my co-worker who is also getting a PhD failed to see the advantages of having a device that could be used to read the tons of pdf and word documents without having to print them out, since he even admitted that reading those on an LCD device just isn't ideal most of the time.
 
D

Devil Theory

Member
Forgive my ignorance, but is it true that you can only run one thing at a time on the iPad? There's a couple things I heard that might prevent me from purchase.
 
S

SnakeXs

about the same metal capacity as a cucumber
Devil Theory said:
Forgive my ignorance, but is it true that you can only run one thing at a time on the iPad? There's a couple things I heard that might prevent me from purchase.
Click to expand...

Have you used an iPhone/iPod Touch?

Well it's like that.
 
Q

quaere

Member
Jill Sandwich said:
Or say, an editing surface for Final Cut Pro, instead of having to have a keyboard overlay. The iPad is powerful enough to do this, and I hope developers take the bull by the horns.
Click to expand...
I don't know about that...

I don't know of any head to head x86 to ARM benchmarks out there, but a search says a Nexus One can hit 13,859ms on SunSpider. A 1.6Ghz Atom pulls off 4,445ms, and a modern desktop or laptop processor is well below 1,000ms.

I think I would pass on video editing on the iPad.
 
B

Boards of Canada

Member
ipadgaf.png
 
D

DjangoReinhardt

Thinks he should have been the one to kill Batman's parents.
I'll pull the trigger on 16GB 3G model. This is something I'll use everyday and it would be fantastic for when I travel.
 
V

Vyer

Member
Damn. I have no interest at the moment in buying one of these things, but every time I see photos of a comic reader on it my resolve wavers a little bit. :lol

VanMardigan said:
I'm convinced that the iPad can succeed as an ereader where other devices haven't (at least not mainstream).

I just picked up a Sony Reader (pocket edition) for about $120 on Ebay and although everyone I showed it to was impressed by the clarity of the screen, they still seemed befuddled with the operation of the device. They were trying to touch the screen, do multi-touch gestures, or wondering about the refresh or the lack of color. I kept having to repeat over and over to everyone who picked it up that it wasn't supposed to have a backlight, that's it's emulating paper, etc. The days of the dedicated device that did ONE thing REALLY REALLY well is never coming back, as folks expect the devices to function a certain way, and do certain things, and are disappointed if that is not the case.

The iPad might not make the best pure reading device, but it'll be more than good enough for most people. Even my co-worker who is also getting a PhD failed to see the advantages of having a device that could be used to read the tons of pdf and word documents without having to print them out, since he even admitted that reading those on an LCD device just isn't ideal most of the time.
Click to expand...

Yeah.

I'd be in the market for an E-Reader first, but overall my attention had been pointed to the Kindle. I won't be serious about it for probably another year, so I'd imagine it will be a tough choice at that point (especially if prices drop by any measure). But I agree with you I think a lot of 'mainstream' are going to see that purpose.
 
C

celebi23

Member
Jill Sandwich said:
Any hints as to whatcha making?
Click to expand...

It kinda has to do with the old Sherlock app. Most parts of that app are now Dashboard widgets/iPhone apps. There's one section that was never revived :D
 
T

Tobor

Member
Battlezone said:
Thing is, the web app is the definitive GAF browser now. I'd love to see ckohler take a stab at redesigning that interface for the iPad layout.
Click to expand...

I'd be curious to hear Evilore's stance on this. The webapp made perfect sense on the small iPhone screen, but the iPad doesn't have that restriction. The added functionality would be nice, but is it appropriate to cut out the ads on a device that is clearly capable of displaying GAF and functioning normally?
 
B

Battlezone

Member
Tobor said:
I'd be curious to hear Evilore's stance on this. The webapp made perfect sense on the small iPhone screen, but the iPad doesn't have that restriction. The added functionality would be nice, but is it appropriate to cut out the ads on a device that is clearly capable of displaying GAF and functioning normally?
Click to expand...

Every so often, I fire up Fluid and the webapp on my desktop, and I always feel guilty. :( But it works so well. It might be a placebo effect, but I could swear it handles gifs better than Safari proper too.
 
A

antispin

Member
Devil Theory said:
Forgive my ignorance, but is it true that you can only run one thing at a time on the iPad? There's a couple things I heard that might prevent me from purchase.
Click to expand...

Simply put - yes, you can only run one app at a time. Some apps however, run in the background, apps like Safari and iPod. For e.g.: The iPod will stream music while you browse, and double-tapping the home button brings up a nice overlay of basic music controls. Typically, only core Apple apps are allowed to do this. Third-party apps can update you via push notifications and badges. The former is displayed on-screen with buttons to take action, the latter takes the form of numbers overlaid on top of an app's icon.

Hope that clarifies things for you.
 
S

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
Tobor said:
I'd be curious to hear Evilore's stance on this. The webapp made perfect sense on the small iPhone screen, but the iPad doesn't have that restriction. The added functionality would be nice, but is it appropriate to cut out the ads on a device that is clearly capable of displaying GAF and functioning normally?
Click to expand...


There's room for a pleasant browsing experience and a banner. I am happy to "pay" for the experience. I wonder if it would be possible to design it so that the ad displayed for a bit and then moved? Or vanished on scroll, or some kind of compromise where we do our bit for the site, and get a clean "wee" version.
 
V

VanMardigan

has calmed down a bit.
One thing that absolutely needs to be addressed is the quality of the YouTube videos over 3g. They look damn awful on the tiny iPhone screens, I can't imagine how they would look on the ipad.

Come to think of it, many of the 3g restrictions that are on the iPhone don't make sense on the ipad. They would cripple the functionality of the device in non-wifi areas. That alone is a reason to wait for impressions before picking up the 3g version. The restrictions and crap are near intolerable on iPhone, but inexcusable on the ipad.
 
E

esquire

Has waited diligently to think of something to say before making this post
Forgive the lack of intellectual depth to these questions,

What do they mean when they say iPad version of an iPhone/iPod Touch app? I was under the impression that iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch apps were one and the same except for the native apps from Apple (mail, calendar, contacts, etc) which are designed to take advantage of the bigger screen. What I'm getting at is that if there is an iPad version of an app in the app store does that mean it won't work on an iPhone/iPod Touch?

Can the iPad be used as an additional display for a Mac computer? I'm not really sure why I'm expecting such feature as it wouldn't necessarily make any sense, but I'm curious to confirm and satiate my imagination.

VanMardigan said:
One thing that absolutely needs to be addressed is the quality of the YouTube videos over 3g. They look damn awful on the tiny iPhone screens, I can't imagine how they would look on the ipad.

Come to think of it, many of the 3g restrictions that are on the iPhone don't make sense on the ipad. They would cripple the functionality of the device in non-wifi areas. That alone is a reason to wait for impressions before picking up the 3g version. The restrictions and crap are near intolerable on iPhone, but inexcusable on the ipad.
Click to expand...

I agree and that is part of why I will likely pass on the 3G version -the other being that despite the fact that it's a mobile device, I just don't see myself using a device like the iPad outside of the home and when I travel; not enough to justify another monthly subscription on top of what I'm already paying for iPhone service.

Is 3G even fast enough to load a high quality YouTube video in a reasonable amount of time?
 
N

numble

Member
esquire said:
Forgive the lack of intellectual depth to these questions,

What do they mean when they say iPad version of an iPhone/iPod Touch app? I was under the impression that iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch apps were one and the same except for the native apps from Apple (mail, calendar, contacts, etc) which are designed to take advantage of the bigger screen. What I'm getting at is that if there is an iPad version of an app in the app store does that mean it won't work on an iPhone/iPod Touch?
Click to expand...
Probably depends on the developer. I bet they can release an iPad only version an iPhone/iPod Touch version that also works on iPad that is not just the app screen doubled up, or an iPhone/iPod Touch version that lets you unlock specialized iPad functionality via in-app purchase. Unless Apple forces everybody to adopt a certain method for cross-platform functionality.
 
T

Tobor

Member
Liu Kang Baking A Pie said:
What 3G restrictions?
Click to expand...

I had to think about this, but the 20MB download cap is the only one left. They've opened up everything else.

numble said:
Probably depends on the developer. I bet they can release an iPad only version an iPhone/iPod Touch version that also works on iPad that is not just the app screen doubled up, or an iPhone/iPod Touch version that lets you unlock specialized iPad functionality via in-app purchase. Unless Apple forces everybody to adopt a certain method for cross-platform functionality.
Click to expand...


There are 3 options.

1. iPhone/iPod Touch - These work on the iPad by pixel doubling.
2. iPad native - These will not work on the iPhone(such as iWork).
3. Universal - These will work on iPhones and can have advanced features and redesigned interface on iPad.
 
C

ClovingWestbrook

Banned
VanMardigan said:
One thing that absolutely needs to be addressed is the quality of the YouTube videos over 3g. They look damn awful on the tiny iPhone screens, I can't imagine how they would look on the ipad.

Come to think of it, many of the 3g restrictions that are on the iPhone don't make sense on the ipad. They would cripple the functionality of the device in non-wifi areas. That alone is a reason to wait for impressions before picking up the 3g version. The restrictions and crap are near intolerable on iPhone, but inexcusable on the ipad.
Click to expand...
Regarding the iPhone and YouTube, jailbreak then My3G = no longer crappy video.
 
P

PSGames

Junior Member
What kind of codec support do these things have? Will I be able to play divx, xvid, .mkv, etc? HD video? And if not out of the box is it easy to download and install a codec pack?
 
T

Tobor

Member
PSGames said:
What kind of codec support do these things have? Will I be able to play divx, xvid, .mkv, etc? HD video? And if not out of the box is it easy to download and install a codec pack?
Click to expand...

h.264. You would need to convert anything else using Handbrake(or whatever floats your boat)
 
S

SnakeXs

about the same metal capacity as a cucumber
PSGames said:
Surely the App store has a program that can play other file types right?
Click to expand...

AirVideo can transcode/stream things from your home computer, so that's something. Natively? What everyone else said.
 
S

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
SnakeXs said:
AirVideo can transcode/stream things from your home computer, so that's something. Natively? What everyone else said.
Click to expand...


Dumb question - does it have IR? This would be a pretty amazing universal remote.
 
T

Tobor

Member
OuterWorldVoice said:
Oh my! Just noticed this works for iPhone too.

And I also just spotted on the specs page for the iPad that it only has a mono speaker. Which is very weird, IMO. Especially since it's waaaaaaay less headphone-natural than an iPhone/Pod.
Click to expand...

I know. $49 and it works on both. Yes, please.
 
S

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
Tobor said:
I know. $49 and it works on both. Yes, please.
Click to expand...


Seriously - combining this with Netflix and Tivo apps, as well as controlling all my shit, is pretty radical. I wonder if they will solve the PS3 Bluetooth problem. I am not paying $50 for the stupid Harmony dongle. But it will work out of the box on 360.
 
S

SnakeXs

about the same metal capacity as a cucumber
OuterWorldVoice said:
Exactly!
Click to expand...

I'm trying to restrain any hype. I gotta think that the software's gonna be bad or something. Keep myself in check. Sheeeeeeeit.
 
S

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
SnakeXs said:
I'm trying to restrain any hype. I gotta think that the software's gonna be bad or something. Keep myself in check. Sheeeeeeeit.
Click to expand...


Even if the app is bad, someone can write a better one. My big hope is they solve the PS3 bluetooth thing.
 
T

Tobor

Member
numble said:
Wow. I didn't even know you could transmit such things through that port.
Click to expand...

I thought it was weird at first, but the jack does allow for data. That's how the earbud controls work.
 
S

SnakeXs

about the same metal capacity as a cucumber
OuterWorldVoice said:
Even if the app is bad, someone can write a better one. My big hope is they solve the PS3 bluetooth thing.
Click to expand...

You're not helping. :lol
 
L

Liu Kang Baking A Pie

Member
numble said:
Wow. I didn't even know you could transmit such things through that port.
Click to expand...
There's an extra "ring" at the bottom. The plug is a little longer on iPod headphones and the port is deeper, and that last ring is for data of any kind. iPod headphones use it for the inline volume control buttons. iPod shuffle doesn't have the usual iPod USB interface and charges itself through the headphones.
 
B

Blackhead

Redarse
Any word on all the US distribution outlets for the iPad? I'd rather preorder it from Amazon and skip paying the tax. What about Education or Developer discounts?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Apple Releases M3 MacBook Air with dual monitor support, discontinues M1 MBA. MBP gains multi-display support.
30
2K
gundalf replied
Apple Vision Pro | Review Thread + OT |
Analysis Review 2 3 4 5
248
19K
alucard0712_rus replied
Netflix Unveils First Details of New Anti-Password Sharing Measures
Drama 2 3
148
7K
Shtef replied
Apple Sued by DOJ for Illegal Monopoly over Smartphones
2 3 4 5 6
270
12K
PaintTinJr replied
INSIDE APPLE'S MASSIVE PUSH TO TRANSFORM THE MAC INTO A GAMING PARADISE
2 3 4
151
14K
RoboFu replied
Top Bottom