iPad.... iPap?
 

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooo.... the iPad....

What do people think...?... I am pretty sure I don't need or want one... I dont see it as the missing link between an iPone and a Mac... I see it is a product that does neither function well.. most people have computers... and phones... why would you need something in between

what do you think....? am I missing the point?

(on a side note... have you noticed how Apple is taking the control of the purchasing of apps, music, vids, ibooks to control piracy... perhaps one day you will only be able to buy ALL apps for your Mac via the app store)

i was waiting..and waiting...and waiting for the big wow..but it never came...except for the price i guess. $500..hmm hopefully that means that ipod touch prices will come down..a lot.

I think it looks awesome. This is a life style product. It's beautiful. It's elegant. The price is right. It's in full color. It's integrated with the existing infrastructure. It's a kindle-krusher.

I don't have an iPhone - my fingers are too big. iPad looks awesome. It's going to be very easy to loose. It'll need an iChain or something to make sure I don't leave it somewhere. Or a gadget to attach it to the fridge door.

I was kind of hoping it would be able to run the full blown Mac OS X. But I guess that would require a bit more hardware (the iPad CPU is only 1GHz).

It's okay...almost a fully functional computer.

$499 for 16GB and NO 3G? Sheesh. IMO they should have released this product before the iPhone/iPod Touch. This is just a larger iPod Touch. Why would I buy something I need a bag for when I can get a touch and carry it around in my pocket.

I guess it could have some cool uses in educational and health care environments. It could make a sweet "mobile kiosk". But as a laptop replacement...definitely not.

Since I actually own an iPod Touch and a MBP, the iPad seems to me to be a big iPT or stunted MPB with the potential for 3G/Edge connectivity and a faster processor than the Touch. One item I did see, though was a keyboard on which you could mount the iPad to make typing on it faster, at which point it rapidly gets to be easier to carry a laptop. I also note that it will run a version of iWork. Like the mini, however, I'm betting that there'll be a constituency for these.

No multitasking, that would take some getting used too. Even when I am surfing the web I still will fire up terminal to try out something or other or send off some email. I do see an audience for this device, it just won't be me. If I could take this thing on my job estimates draw up the materials list, write the contract and print out two copies while in my vehicle, then I might bite.

I think multitasking will come..with iphone os4.0 and well its to be seen how and when the ipad gets updated..whether it gets separate updates or same day updates with same features. Not to brag or anything but multi tasking on my palm pre is really really good *cough apple take notes*

I think a lot of people myself included were expecting a full computer so we could run full apps...I'd much rather want the ability to run mac applications then iphone ones. I think a lot of people will not get the 3g version and instead use a mobile phone to tether with it...again...like my palm pre :D

infact..just lemme install webos on the ipad.

Meh, I'd rather buy a new iPhone over an iPad. Plus the name, don't like it that much. I am going to call it an iTab. I like that better.

Regarding the original post about the App Store, I would hope that it is only a mobile phenomenon. I don't mind it so much on my iPod touch because it is just a mobile device, and well, if you have ever tried to download apps for mobile devices before the App Store, you know that it is an improvement.

But when it comes to my computer, I want fine grained control of everything, which means nothing is locked down.

BTW, upon further thought, I wouldn't mind so much the dumbed down iPad OS if Apple would at least allow me to access a Terminal. But I guess that goes again into the locked down everything side of things. Jailbroken iPads anyone?

If anything will kill this device, it'll be both lockdown and Apple's ridiculously arbitrary approval process for apps. This should (IMHO) be a much more open device and would have to be for me to consider upgrading a Touch to an iPad.

There's certainly room for Apple to improve the approval process, but I think that much of the complaining is from developers who don't want any restrictions at all. That's not going to happen, nor should it.

I disagree. I think the device and the OS should be robust enough to withstand some misuse; after all if a poorly designed app crashes the pad or eats its battery you'll just can it.

That's fine for the iPad, but that same software will run on the iPhone. Restrictions allow for some QA, and if you think that's not a problem with many developers just look at Windows software.

Let me put it this way: you should be able to develop iPad programs on the iPad. That's the kind of power I would want.

How about keys to the Executive Wash room too? If you're going to go big, go BIG.

I swear I replied to this thread. Oh well.

If it could send text messages along with that 3G radio, I'd be all over this thing. Because I don't need the "phone" part of a phone. I use my phone for internet and text. That's it.

I'd be saving about $40.

I'm not saying you should use it to do CPU intense computations like developing. I'm just saying, I want Terminal access, and I should be able, if I wanted to, to do anything that I could do on a laptop.

Anti, isn't there an App for that? This thing can run any iPhone App.

Considering that my POS phone on a prepaid service can send SMS to email, I'm assuming that most can. Fitting the iPad into your pocket, though, would be an issue.

I'd rather it be native.

Native? An iPhone app is a native app. If it runs on the iPad, how would that change?

Resolution for one. iPhone apps on the iPad are going to render blocky (zoomed 2x) or tiny (1x un-zoomed). I imagine a lot of apps are going to be updated to take advantage of the resolution differences. Or at least to render UI elements at the appropriate sizes.

Actually, an app like that would most likely render fine, since the built in GUI widgets are going to scale. Only apps that use bitmaps will need updating for this.

Actually, does the iPad have the same aspect ratio as the iPhone? If not, some stuff might get screwed up because of that too.

There's a reason that OS X and the iPhone OS are object oriented. Combined with the aforementioned approval process, I think we'll find that most iPhone apps scale well.

Actually, I meant more like "official". Yeah, there are multiple apps that allow you to send text messages from even an iPod touch...but do I trust them? Not so much.

I think it is rather exiting. As a control surface with TouchOSC it will kick Lemur with cost and multifunction to..... If video out would let mirror desktop I can see many uses as visuals creating tool. I am ready to get one as soon it will be available in our stores.

The iPhone aspect ratio is 3:2, the iPad aspect ratio is 4:3 (in other words, two iPhone screens side by side).

I don't think it's an iPhone replacement or a laptop replacement. And I don't think it was ever designed to be. In fact, it's exactly what a "netbook" should be: easy access to the Web, e-mail, photos, music, videos, etc. It's all about consuming, not creating, content (although the iPad versions of iWork apps suggest some content-creation will be possible).

I think the term everyone is skirting around is 'thin client.' ;)

I'm looking forward to VNC, RDP, and LogMeIn on this guy. I hope Apple produces a real Apple Remote Desktop client for it as well.

The hype was so inflated that inevitably the real thing is a bit of a disappointment.

However, I think this could be huge. The power of today's laptops is immense, and most people don't use all that power just by browsing, mailing, playing music and creating a few documents.

For poorer students, who still want the Apple kudos, an iPad to write notes in lectures, surf, watch vids, listen to music and email is compelling.

For grandma, who wants to use a computer "a bit", but doesn't want to get too involved, this could be the answer.

For researchers, who need to make notes in the field and keep in touch, this is even more ideal than a laptop.

When we get to the 3rd generation, with front and back cameras, multitasking, full document creation (including an app for drawing with your finger!!!), then I think that these things are going to be everywhere.

Yeah, frankly, I would have never thought that the Kindle would have sold as well as it has, and this thing is looking to be quite a Kindle killer.

You've hit the nail on the head with this. There are going to be certain places that this particular product is useful. It should fit into the netbook sector as well. I personally could use it because I am a salesman for BMW, and it would be nice to be able to walk around the lot with a device I can electronically do inventory on (trust me, the iPhone is just a bit small for that).

@Photek -- I'm struggling to remember the last time you were excited about an Apple launch, are you ever? ;).

No video

No multitasking

very small storage...

I'd rather have an iPhone, at least I can make calls and do text messages with that. I really see no need for it for what I do. Plus for a bit more money you get a Macbook which is a lot better of a machine.

http://vimeo.com/9033039

^Is pretty much how I feel about it.

It's also worth mentioning that as frequenters of Macosxhints, we are "power users", who use our computers heavily and do complex things with them. So it is perhaps unsurprising that the reaction to the iPad is muted here.
We are not the audience for this product.

This first generation iPad may not be the puppy's privates, but it's a step in the right direction.

A few things I forgot to mention in my earlier post:

The iPad needs a special connector for USB and SD cards. Is this a sign that Apple are trying to move away from physical connectors and push consumers towards the "wireless home"?

That is, rather than complaining that the iPad (or whatever) has no USB port, should we be complaining that our digital cameras have no wi-fi/bluetooth capabilities? Will all homes one day have a wireless USB hub that you can plug USB devices into such that they become available over the local network?

How many iterations of the iPad will it take to include induction-based charging?

As for lack of Flash support, I think Apple sees the writing on the wall there too (or they are the ones doing the writing). Flash will go the way of the floppy: a capable technology that served its time well, but ill-suited to the modern (mobile) world.

OK, I'll stop my rampant speculation now... :D

PS - as some people have said, the iPad is more of an "internet appliance" than a computer. And there are plenty of folk who have computers that really only need an internet appliance. I am not one though. Nor do I suspect anyone on this forum is either.

Well if it is for mobile media play, why doesn't it have more storage, or attachments for SD cards, or something where you can easily add more media to it?

I think this is in more lines to compete with the Kindle than anything else.

you guys seen this?

http://www.skiff.com/skiff-reader_photos.html

Why is everybody so avid about having a camera on the iPad? What are you going to do, hold the whole massive (in relation to an iPhone) thing up while recording? It's unwieldy.

I think it's more in line to compete with the Nintendo DS and PSP, frankly. The mobile gaming opportunities on this device or phenomenal. Honestly, when that little wrinkle is thrown in, I can't see how this device could possibly not be a success.

I am not going to say you are wrong, but to be honest, touch screen games aren't all that fun. Maybe they will innovate, but that is up to the developers not Apple.

I've played several touch screen games that I really enjoy, and there are apparently thousands who agree with me. Just take a look at the number of game companies that, literally, were able to start up solely on the strength of iPhone sales.

Now that I have a much bigger form factor, and a much faster processor, I imagine I'll enjoy these games more. And don't forget that the device has accelerometers, the same technology that single handedly saved Nintendo from the same fate as Sega. I think this device should be great for gaming. And the great thing about that statement is that I'm not talking about a console, but a computer that can also do word processing, emails, web surfing, chatting and a couple thousand other things as well.

Allow me to summarize:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2oEmPP5dTM

:D

I don't see it denting Nintendo or Sony's market on the handheld gaming platform though.

I have downloaded tons of games for my iPhone and maybe only a handful were even decent.

Again, just my opinion.

Well, yes - I think that's exactly what people are going to do. Maybe tiresome for video. Probably very good for still photos. In fact maybe even wonderful.

I think the iPad needs a web-cam. My wife loves her netbook ($300 Samsung running XP) because it has a web cam. She can talk to the rest of the family from the anywhere at home, while watching TV, doing email or whatever. The iPad looks even better. However she won't buy it without the beloved web-cam.

You say smart ass I say smart arse :D.

okay....

stick a webcam in it, give it more horsepower, let it multitask and let me install my own apps and I will buy one.... possibly 2..

..until then its a useless brick (a very thin brick... but still a brick)

At that point, just get a MBP. Webcam: check. More horsepower: check. Multitasking: check. Installation of 3rd party apps: check.

Netbooks already have better specs, more horse power, more features (wifi, bluetooth, webcam, flash support, etc) and if you wanted to, you can make it a hackintosh. In fact so many people were buying netbooks and making them hackintoshes that Apple dropped all support for the Atom processor in 10.6.2 I think.

Of course you can also run Linux on them. $400 will buy one hell of a netbook. Asus, also announced their touch screen netbook this week also.

Ah, yes. The netbook's good - however the form factor of the iPad is awesome. You can read an eBook in bed on an iPad.

My wife's a very avid reader and consumes 2 or 3 books a week from the public library. I've never her seen her reading a PDF (or any other so called eBook) on her netbook. We've been talking about a Kindle. The iPad looks much better. It's in color for a start and you can surf the web.

The Kindle's a whole new platform with limited everything. The iPad's a new hardware device for a successful and existing platform.

I posted this earlier, but check out the skiff, I think it will be the dominant eReader if it lives up to what it is being hyped for.

http://www.skiff.com/skiff-reader_photos.html

The fact that it is bend-able is awesome in my mind.

I was under the impression that, although the screen itself is bendable, the actual device is not. i.e. the magnesium housing is stiff.

It does look good though...

Well, their site shows this

http://www.skiff.com/images/reader_p...ics/shot05.jpg

True, but if you look closely, the bit round the edge does not match the bezel in the other pictures. Plus, they only ever say that the screen is flexible:

(from http://www.skiff.com/press_1-4-2010.html)

Thanks for bringing my attention to that. That device is amazing. Folks have been predicting eBook readers for years and the war is about to start. It'll be fun to watch. Books and Magazines will be redefined - they'll have embedded video for a start and Newspapers will display adverts aligned to the user's profile.

I've wandered off course into the long grass of eBook Readers when this thread is about the iPad. However the iPad looks like a very nice eBook reader (and music player, and email reader and browser and photo frame).

Sir your attention to detail is immaculate and sadly, I did not pick up on that. I normally have a great attention for details and that one got by me.

robin-

Yup, I work in a 1:1 in edu, meaning every highschool kid has their own Macbook. It freaked out some of the Librarians as they thought it would be the beginning of the end of books. I like the idea of eReaders as I have about 50 tech books in my library at home with most of them being over 500 pages, and they are physically large books. There is no way I would haul all of those around and there are times where I would rather have a separate device to read information while using my computer. Or if I need a manual when I break something apart and work on it. I think they would be awesome for that.

I also don't think books are going anywhere either. If I want to read a novel, I will curl up on the couch with a beverage and a book, and not use a piece of technology (though I guess technically a book is technology).

This is funny

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/f7a...pad?rel=player

Considering the only tablet I would have accepted would be an OS X-based laptop-in-tablet form... I won't be buying this giant iPhone.
Several other companies offer actual tablets that can run a real OS and multitask. This... is a toy to me.

No way. The only way it could compete with a DS or PSP would be if the same games were released on this platform. Or at the very least, similar games.
I sure don't see that happening.

To me this is the "grab-ya" first edition. I'm willing to bet that down the road, Apple has plans for a device that "can run a real OS and multitask." That's when I'll jump on the bandwagon too. In the meantime, my iPod Touch goes in a pocket and has the same functionality basically.

Really? Dismiss it out of hand? Consider the fact that the iPod touch has become a contender against both the PSP and the DS. Then consider that most parents need to get their kids a computer for homework anyway. It's unconventional sure, but hey, that's a new product for you, it's unconventional.

Think about it. If someone goes out and buys a iPad and that iPad starts getting the latest releases from EA and a few other major produces (Carmack, of id software, is going to see to that with his new Engine he's working on), why buy a PSP or DS?

So yeah, it hinges on the games that come out. But if games do come out (and I really think they will)...

I am going to need some citations before I buy into that. We go against sales, and units sold and amount of games produced/sold. You do realize that the video game industry made more money than Hollywood in 2009 right?

iPod/iPad will not replace Nintendo DS or PSP. Why would any average gamer switch over? Why would any hard core gamer switch over?

Carmack worked on a Doom Port for the iPod, and that was about it. Their large projects are with the Rage engine these days and he is mostly working on that, which will mostly benefit him and his company in the PC/console gaming market when people start licensing. the new Rage engine over and over again to make games.

.
Well, Stephen Colbert has an iPod -- and he’s way cooler than Jay-Z.
.

Yes I did actually. I have no clue how that relates to the prowess of the iPad as a gaming device, but thanks for the heads up.

And:
Here is Nintendo saying the iPhone is a competitor (go to bottom)
Here is Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities saying what I said. The iPod Touch (or iPad in my case) might not be a better dedicated gaming device, but it is a better all arounder. So people buy an iPad for the email, word processing and some games and then forget to buy the DS because its $150 for something that's only slightly better anyway.

You'll note both articles citing the DS falling sales. As you might recall from Apples recent sales figures, the iPhone and iPod Touch sales are still going up despite the recession.

Seriously? Have you even taken a look at the iPad? Look, I'm sorry that I'm coming across as terribly bulllish but anyone who's taken any time to look at the potential of the device can see that there is a definite possibility that the iPad could become a contender. It's motion sensitive, it's pretty and it has a huge touch screen that allows programmers to literally invent completely unique control systems (without the size constraints that have plagued the iPhone). Yeah, some people won't like that, but plenty will.

Right, and the Rage engine can compile to iPhone.
MTV
Eurogamer
(Also heard it on PC Gamer Podcast, but don't really care to recall or find the episode).

Even if Rage didn't work for iPhone, people can easily use Unity or Torque to turn out good quality games for the iPad with relative ease.

Look, I'm not really trying to make a big prediction, like, "the iPad will subdue the gaming world, destroying the PSP and DS, as well as the Xbox, PS3 and Wii. Oh, and don't forget how it's going to destroy PC gaming as well!" I never said that, I said that I think the iPad will be a contender against the PSP and the DS.

I think the argument you seem to want to have is "will the iPad take over the handheld gaming market?" I don't know, maybe? It's great technology, but we'll have to see if people can get used to the touch interface. The demo's at the Keynote were great, but hey, it was the Keynote, it's not like they are going to highlight crap, right?

Point being, I see the iPad as having a legitimate shot at being a competitor in the mobile gaming world. It has the look and the tech, it seems it will have some good games. We'll just have to wait and see...

well here is my retort to your comments....

I own a Wii, and was totally pumped when it came out. Since it has been out nearly 2.5 maybe 3.5 years now, I have maybe purchased 3 games for it. Why? Because 95% or more of Wii games suck and are terrible. The Wii runs off a gimmick for the most part and appeals to casual gamers, and younger kids. Any serious gamer is going to agree with me. Why would I play COD MW 2 on a Wii when I can play it on a PC and get 10 times the playing experience?

Maybe the iPad will tap into the casual gamer market but I doubt people are going to spend that much to play games on an iPad. I mean you can buy both a DS and a PSP for the price of 1 iPad.

I still say the iPad is going to be mainly competing in the eReader market. Either way, I most likely will not be buying one. I'd rather buy a netbook over an iPad. Plus the iPad is already lacking so many features like no flash support, no multi tasking, why how would I justify buying it over a netbook which is cheaper, better specs and can play flash?

@tlarkin

Your post brings up an interesting philosophical question. What is a "serious gamer". I know people who play their Wii's almost constantly, who really enjoy games like Super Smash Brothers, Super Mario Brothers Wii, Mario Kart, Metroid Prime, Okami, etc etc. They play them and obsess over them, I don't know that we can call them 'casual'.

That being said, to me 'serious gamer' has always been someone who builds their own systems, maintains their own drivers, follows the news and knows the tech (I still have a hard time accepting console gamers in general as serious gamers, if I'm honest...) But who am I to judge? That's what makes this an interesting question. Is a middle aged woman who plays Cubis all day a 'serious gamer', they're certainly devoting enough time to it... Difficult question.

As for your comments on netbooks, I'm just going to have to echo Steve Jobs comments, "The problem is Netbooks don't do anything well." For me it's an iPad v. a Macbook (which, with the price of a high end iPad, is a viable comparison.) And that actually brings me to an interesting read I came across recently...

Old World v. New World computer

Personally I'm on the fence on this one. I think I can use the iPad in my job as a client advisor for BMW, it fits quite nicely. I'm going to buy one as a result. But I'm not sure I'd like the iPad as my main device... Anyway, read the article, it certainly raises some interesting points.

I've seen some netbooks do some pretty cool stuff. My old neighbor, who is also a Mac user, bought a PC netbook and uses it to control everything in his house. His entertainment center, is other computers, his music library, and so forth. It is light weight and can surf the web while it plays music, or controls another device. It can already do more than the iPad. No multitasking? What the hell is Apple thinking?

I don't want to have specific devices for specific centric functions. I read that blog and I have to disagree. I am not about to buy 9 different devices when I can buy a laptop that does all of them. Of course, exceptions can be made, but as a general broad statement that kind of holds true.

I have said that I will hold reservation of my final opinion of the iPad when I get to work with one, but right now I am thinking it won't live up to the hype. I also bet you see some online stores for the handheld market soon. You can already download gameboy games on your Wii via the virtual console, and I bet they bring that feature to the handhelds to compete with the ITMS.

Heck, I almost exclusively buy PC games off of steam now because I don't want to bother having any CD or DVD media lying around for the game itself. I just want to download it and go. Steam does that, and it is a great service when their servers are crashing, which is not all the time but it does happen. Then again they don't charge for their service either.

however, I cannot trade games in for games on steam. So, I do go down to my local gamestop from time to time to trade older games in for credit towards newer games. So I will still buy some games on media from time to time when I am doing trade ins.

The one thing that the iPad screams in failure right now, is integration. Which has been a problem for Apple for a long time now, and has gotten tons and tons better over the years but it is still an issue. If we go new world, into more specific centralized application of each piece of technology, they better all play nice together then for them all to work. Apple has a history of being a pain in the ass to work with other products.

I am a defender of Apple products and a Mac user myself, so I often find myself explaining to the PC elite about the differences of the Mac versus a PC and the pros and cons and how really it is all just personal preference as there is no cold hard fact that makes one better than the other.

I just do not see the iPad becoming a huge item for gaming. I know the mac fanatics will buy one, I work with one. The guy is apple crazy. He is already setting money aside to buy one. Will he use it every day? Probably, but will he actually use it effectively and efficiently? Probably not. He will probably waste most of his time just playing with it, just like he does his iPhone.

One more thought on your philosophy of casual gamer versus hard core gamer. A hard core gamer is going to spend part of their revenue each year on gaming, and going to buy several titles if not many. Where a casual gamer may play a game a lot, but they aren't really branching out, buying just a few games per a year.

I really do have to say I am rather disappointed with the Wii. I love a few games, like Mario kart, Mario galaxy, Zelda, and so forth but a lot of the games I have rented have been utter crap, and their game play is limited or the Wii-mote doesn't work like it should and the graphics can be lower quality.

I would never try to play Left 4 Dead on my Wii, and that is a game I am addicted to at the moment.

And realistically, this is probably the best definition of a serious gamer. Someone who is willing to spend money on their hobby.

See, and as much as I've been arguing that the iPad could be a break through device (maybe) in gaming, it's thoughts like this that make me pause. I feel the same way about the Wii. I was pleasantly surprised by FPSs like Meteoroid Prime, but there have been several games where the controls just were not solid enough for me.

One thing that will be true of the iPad. It's only going to be good for certain kinds of games. To be honest, I can't see an FPS working all that well on there. But, if someone took the time to put an RPG, RTS or perhaps a racing game on there, it might work out. It just depends on if the game can utilize a touch interface and accelerometers... (I'm still not a big fan of porting physical controls, like A and B buttons, to a touch screen... I have my doubts about platformers and arcade fighters ever ever working on iPad, for example.)

Time and the market will Tell. I think that it can succeed the same way Netbooks and Ereaders do.

It is not meant to be a full computer for everyone. As much as the touch and Iphone may be invaluable I find them tiresome in comparison to a macbook for mail and browsing.

This really is a sweet spot for some beyond specialized markets.

To me this is an interesting option.

I agree, 3G connections are just too slow for my tastes, it makes me feel like I am on dial up. I do pay for the highest speed connection from time warner though and that has spoiled me for Internet connections.

Its not just the speed of the 3g that is tiresome in in Phones and touches its the size. Yes the interface makes it as good it gets out there, but something larger perhaps the size of the Ipad would make it a pleasure.

True.

This guy gets it. If you're a technically minded, old world computing person, then the iPad is probably not for you. As he points out though, you're vastly outnumbered. You'll still be able to get an old world computer long after the new world devices dominate the landscape, but the new world computers are going to dominate. The iPhone, iPod, iPad are just the first wave.

You realise that OmniProducts are releasing iPad versions of most of their software? This baby is way more than a big Touch.

You can surf the internet on a useful screen size; make notes, draw diagrams; send emails; play games; listen to music; watch vids.

That's at least as much as most people do with their home computer.

I have an Amazon Kindle (a Christmas gift; not sure I'd have bought one) which uses 3G to download books and/or to connect to Amazon. I've never been sure which was slow: the 3G connection or the Kindle itself. Nonetheless, assuming that the 3G connection is the culprit, I can't see the iPad as much more than a way to play games (my primary uses of the iPod Touch are games, iCal, gMail, and an occasional Google), but it is running from an AirPort Extreme (n-capable, but the Touch is g). I'd be inclined to use the iPad the same way and fall back on my MBP for anything more demanding.

I think the multiple uses we've mentioned for our iPhones (and thus are iPads) is a pretty good indication that individual milage will vary...

As for myself, I'll be one of the suckers standing outside the Apple store the day the 32gb 3G comes out, 'cause I'm buying it the first day.

PS -- I am told that the file structure will allow for syncing to desktop applications, how does that change things for the lovely denizens of this forum? (Does it?)

PPS -- I'm also wondering, 3G + Google Voice + Headphones & Mic + AT&T no contract Data = no contract Cell Phone?

Well, if we are going to use the old world new world computer argument here I think that we need to come clear on what makes a product like this really work for everyone, which is the ability to integrate. If we are truly going to a new world form of technology and computing, and you will have specific devices for specific tasks, then they will all need to play nice together. Apple has come a long way making it's product integrate in existing environments, but they are lacking a bunch still.

On that note, I don't see any real world application for me as a user. Either professionally or personally. It lacks too many features for someone like me to use it. I see the older people that want a simple one thing at a time computer (since no multitasking) being more up for this gadget.

Maybe I could use it as a couch computer so I could surf, check email, or whatever while I am lounging but for the price they are asking?

I think bottom line it will swim or sink after it's release based on what the developers can use it for. If this product does not innovate in some way or another I don't see people buying it. I mean it can't multitask for crying out loud.

I've just read (but can't recall where) that one use, albeit not a real biggie, is for doctors and nurses in hospitals so they can quickly and efficiently enter data into and get data from patient records at the patient's bedside instead of having to return to the floor desk to get it. That immediately suggests others of course where a distributed group of people have to have access to a common database.

That also assumes it will integrate into existing infrastructures. Hospitals won't rebuild their back end to make the iPad work in their environment. Plus, several other companies also announced touch screen tablet computers in this last month. Asus just announced theirs.

I actually sat in on a Science Presentation by Apple at our local university. I found out that a good majority of Medical Data already has a reader that works with the iPhone. I was pretty surprised, but apparently the medical profession was enamored with the iPhone, so there you go. Point being, a lot of the integration has already been done.

The biggest reason they liked the iPhone, btw, was because the touch screen (with it's swiping spinning and pinch zooming) was excellent for examining 3D charts of CT scans and what not. The only draw back being the tiny screen. Now that the small screen issue has been rectified, I think we'll see a lot of those doctors migrating over to the iPad.

I'll confirm that medical data is available on the Mac. I was given a CD of X-rays one time to take back to my family doc and on the CD were readers for both Windows PCs and Macs.

This thread (and many more like it) is living proof justifying Jobs' use of the word "magic". The darn thing won't be available for almost 2 months still, not to mention "iOS" 4.0 won't appear until June/July... yet here we are now, helpless to avoid its magical gaze

[must.. .. . avert.. . .. my . . . eyes. ;) ]

Well, this thread is a special case because of where it is. Lots of technical people wondering about the features and how they'll fit into whatever existing systems they're using now. It's exactly the opposite market from the one that Apple is aiming this product at, and still there are lots of us that are at least intrigued!

The real market will be everything from other technical but non-computer related fields like medicine to people like my mother who still doesn't know how to turn on a computer, but would love to be able to read any book she likes without needing her glasses. Those people aren't going to care about features or technical specs. They only care about benefits — to them — and it looks like the iPad will deliver from day one on those.

How will your mother be able to read books on the iPad without her glasses? I assume she's long-sighted; you're thinking of mounting it on the wall with a big zoom factor?

The older you get, the larger you need the display type. With a book you're stuck with whatever it was printed in. With the iPad or any other computer you can change the display. The difference is that with another computer it will be more technical and so too difficult for my mother than simply pinch and zoom. Also, she's much more likely to sit at her kitchen table with a tablet than with a laptop with its confusing keyboard and track pad.

How about schools/universities replacing all those bulky textbooks with searchable electronic versions?

Inkling (learn more).

I don't doubt that will happen as well. I'm thinking that Apple has discovered a way to get people who have traditionally avoided computers to help them determine how the technology advances. There are many millions of people who are turned off by traditional IT driven computer technology, and it's in Apple's interests to cater to them. That's what the iPod, iPhone, and iPad represent, and I think they're going to keep pushing this technology. If you look at the link I posted, he does a good job with the details of how they have been doing it so far.

About seven months ago, when I still worked for Apple, I sat in a meeting between the regional Apple Rep and my local college bookstore. Now, I can't say that the regional rep confirmed this, but I can say that he basically told the bookstore that they needed to be ready for this eventuality, because it was going to change the market pretty severely... Again, he was very careful not to confirm anything, but a simple read between the lines made it sound like this was going to happen.

Our local bookstore was petrified (and still is) to say the least. They make a very good amount of money selling text books. They asked if Apple would let them have a special bookstore that they could control (like iTunes U but with books instead of podcasts). The rep said that he imagined that if something like that were to happen that yes, it would occur that way. Which makes sense if you think about it, because bookstore do a lot to track what books our professors actually need us to get and things like that.

So, there's a nice little rumor for you. As I said, he didn't confirm anything, and to be honest, he isn't a VP so his knowledge was probably limited. But Apples recent talks with a couple of text book publishers make me think this might actually happen.

While were batting things around lets talk Multi-Tasking for a moment.

To my knowledge the Iphone and for the moment the Pad are capable of but restricted in mult-tasking to those Applications Apple Deems appropriate. That is Phone and Maps or Notifications and Music etc. What is currently prevented is all Apps running willy nilly.

I think that even on our vaunted Macbooks, Pro Desktops etc. we have all seen the spinning beach ball syndrome and are aware that even with multi core x time many and gobs of ram (Not flash ram) the machines can grind to halt on occasion.

Now even the 3gs is a single core running @ what around 600mhz.
The new Pad is 1ghz Multi or single

The 3Gs I believe has 256MB Ram, The Ipad I am not sure.

Point is if one does not carefully control running apps Apple has so far made a design decision to suspend aps and leave your where you left off rather then let them all actually run.

The choice was not to do what was done with the Pre which in tests I have read about can grind to a halt more.

Can true Multi-tasking be done on the 3gs and its soon to be successor and the Pad, I am sure. The question is can be done and provide a mostly rock solid experience and guarantee the Phone, push notifications etc do not go out to lunch. Maybe Maybe not.

Well, on my MBP the spinning beach balls I've seen have all been on a specific application. The rest of the system continues to respond nicely. I'm sure the slower processor is an issue for the iPhone/iPod and even the iPad, but I think the bigger issue is battery life. Another problem is how do you use the same OS for both and keep developers from favoring the iPad for multitasking capabilities?

Yes. Agree. Of course now that our CPUs are not G4s and have multi-core and have multiples Gigs of RAM, spinning beach balls are more often then not application specific. But that is the statement of an experienced user. The novice user sees the spinning beach ball and the lack of responsiveness. The experienced user has to alt tab to the finder or another app and wait, or option apple/command escape to kill the errant app.

And that as my point.

With the Iphone 3gs I do not notice in my use (its my wife's and father's, so my use is not constant) I do not generally see this sort of issues at all. A hand full of times she might have had to restart it once in a blue moon.

It just works. Rapidly switching between apps in a few seconds at most picking up where each left of.

Again an Iphone is a single Core aprox. 600mhz single core processor with 256MB of Ram.

If it were my phone I would want to be sure that I got my calls and mail more then I would worry about a couple of seconds switching apps for those that are not simultaneous.

@anthlover -- I can see your point, and I agree to a large extent. But I think the real question we need to be asking here is what sort of limited multi-tasking does Apple need to allow in order to make these apps just a bit more useful.

Now, it should be noted, in Apples design documents the specifically state that all Apps should be designed so that you can switch between apps swiftly (splash screens and outro screens are discouraged, though some bigger programs frankly need the splash screen.) The idea is that all apps should be light weight enough that switching between apps isn't a burden.

So, speed between apps shouldn't be a huge issue (maybe just a big one.) The thing that bugs me is how hard it is to get info between apps. Now, I'm told that with the new OS Apple is allowing for a shared save space between different apps, which goes a ways towards fixing the problem. We'll just have to see how that works in practice...

If Android can do pure real multitasking why can't the mobile version of OS X do it? If you look, there are a ton of slated Android devices coming out and Asus announced its touch screen tablet.

In regards to it being used in hospitals and the medical field, by the time they get around to doing so, there will be more products out there than the iPad which do similar things. So, will the iPad integrate into their systems? Hospitals run all sort of custom apps and databases, which run off of terminal services, citrix, Windows, and Linux. Will a doctor have to quit his medical app to read an email or a page?

I see potential for such a device, sure, I just don't see the iPad doing it. However, I will reserve my final opinion when I get to hold one and play with one.

We don't exactly have the "technical" market cornered around here. Consider the current crop of iPad threads at Ars Technica:

• The iPad thread
  
  
• My iPad Epiphany
  
  
• Am I the only one wishing LaTeX worked on the iPad?
  
  
• If Flash isn't supported on the iPhone/iPad, what are alternative technologies?
  
  
• Will the iPad cut into laptop sales and revive the desktop?
  
  
• iPad: jailbreak or HackiPad?

And those are just the "regular" forum threads (started by members independently). Beyond that, Ars Technica's main page sports several iPad articles, each of which is also *heavily* commented by a variety of <ahem> readership.

:rolleyes: [must.. .. . avert.. . . my. . . eyes. ;) ]

Sorry, I just saw this post....

If it is just pictures, any hand held device can read digital pics. Was it actually software that they gave you?

I didn't mean to imply that was the case. Only that whether it be here, on one of the sites you listed, or one of many others, the viewpoints come from technically minded people. The ones who really matter in this case are not posting or reading the posts because they're only vaguely aware that these sites exist.

Sure, Apple may be reinventing the personal computer, but that will be decided by people who don't care about that at all. The people who do care are just along for the ride, only able to react to what happens but not control it.

I mentioned this before but didn't link it, here it is:
OsiriX

Note that it's coming to iPad soon, if you check the screenshots page you can watch a video of it on iPhone.

@cwtnospam -- I think you're absolutely right, and I think we linked the same article to illustrate that point :). This device really isn't meant for power users, and honestly "New World" computers probably won't be ready for people like us for a few years yet (well, except me in my sales position, I can use it for that. Its my programming I can't really do with it.)

Here's another guy who gets it:
http://weblog.muledesign.com/2010/02...of_empathy.php
The future of computers is in hiding the OS so that it doesn't get in the way.

Gotcha. Don't faint dead away, but I still run both my XP and my Book at 800x600. I run my big-screen iMac at 1280x980 stretched. Can't cope with a higher resolution than that.

How is the thing to write on, does anyone know? I'm tied to Word for Mac for business purposes, but maybe if I retire I could be like your mom and write my essays on whatever kind of Apple tablet is then around, migrating to iWork. I haven't quite managed to register whether it has the same kind of deal as the Kindle, that you can read it in the sunshine.

Text book companies have a huge racket going on, and I don't see them converting to digital copies any time soon. Why would they? Their business model currently would make them more money.