The iPad

[Caris]

There are a couple of good uses for a Tablet PC. It would be great for watching films in a car (with a case that straps to the back of one of the front seats) and for looking through pictures from a camera before they get stored on a desktop and forgotten. It's just unfortunate that the iPad had no 16:9 screen.

 

Yet again Cube read up before you say certain things, there are a few 16:9 tablets out in the wild and all the sites such as Gizmodo, Engadget etc have slated them (get it?). They said it feels horrible to hold something that wide and when you it in portrait view in feels far too long like it's going to tip back, totally impractical. The iPad is the same shape as a A4 sheet of paper, I really hope all other tablets take the same approach.

[That Guy]

 

You could also point that people who've used it 'for any length of time' are early adopters and are more sympathetic towards it. I can't see a lot of people spending over £400 then criticizing it objectively. Just look at Dyson's dissection of Dazzy's post.

 

Also, I'm still amazed that people slammed the price of the PS3 in retrospect when looking at the iPad.

 

But people who bought the PS3 wouldn't have moaned at the price. People who don't like the iPad are moaning about the price the same as people who didn't like PS3 moaned about price.

 

I still agree with many points on here that there isn't really a point to this device. I mean, my laptop can do what this can, but I'd prefer to be doing these things on an iPad. But how can you justify spending this much when you have more important things to be doing with your money (such as saving to move out)? I just can't so I'm going to have to give it a miss.

 

I also completely agree about the 4.0 software being on the device at launch. Folders and Multitasking should absolutely be on there right now. It makes even more sense than it does for those things to be on the iPhone.

 

One other minor thing that annoys me, why is there no calculator, weather, or clock? These are Apple apps I use almost daily, and they're not on there. If they would look weird on a big screen, why not have a dashboard app you can open with them all on there, and throw in the stocks app as well?

 

Yet again Cube read up before you say certain things, there are a few 16:9 tablets out in the wild and all the sites such as Gizmodo, Engadget etc have slated them (get it?). They said it feels horrible to hold something that wide and when you it in portrait view in feels far too long like it's going to tip back, totally impractical. The iPad is the same shape as a A4 sheet of paper, I really hope all other tablets take the same approach.

 

I've also heard this from other people who have held the device, that it would be odd holding it with it being 16:9. It's the same with the large bezel. Without it, it would be difficult to hold it without touching the screen.

People always say Apple is form over function, where I think both these decisions are actually the opposite.

[Cube]

Yet again Cube read up before you say certain things, there are a few 16:9 tablets out in the wild and all the sites such as Gizmodo, Engadget etc have slated them (get it?). They said it feels horrible to hold something that wide and when you it in portrait view in feels far too long like it's going to tip back, totally impractical. The iPad is the same shape as a A4 sheet of paper, I really hope all other tablets take the same approach.

 

Perhaps that's why I mentioned about that one would make a good in-car video player while it is strapped to the back of a car seat?

[McPhee]

Most apps that replace websites are just cut down versions of the website. Take thetrainline for example. All it does is let you use the timetable function that the website has but "Apple" it up. I've yet to see an app that does something better than a website.

 

Got to say, I find you wrong here. Some apps are far better than the web-site, while others are supplementary. National Rail, for example, is far better than any rail website for train times. The UI is slicker, it's faster and it includes more info (live updates to train times and platform information). Nat West is an example of a supplementary app. It won't replace the Nat West website, but it's far faster/more convenient to use than loading up the web site if you just want to check your balance.

 

Talking in general "not just Apple" terms here I do think apps are the future of the web. Currently they're held back by the limitations of the small, portable devices that they appear on, but once they move on to larger devices there's potential for the functionality to match the web-sites but with a slicker UI. I was reading an article a few days ago that was going through a book that Bill Gates wrote in the early 90s. In it he predicts that the web won't be around forever, it's an unstable mish-mash of technologies that have all been adapted to work in ways that they were never designed to in the first place. It does look like that's starting to become the case. It won't happen quickly, but the web could well be replaced by a more targeted, purpose built solution.

 

On the iPad specifically, I don't think it's "the future of computing". It's just too limited. It's not the device Apple needed to release if they want to achieve that goal. They should have come up with something half way between iPad and iMac, instead of the giant iPhone. Doesn't mean I don't think the iPad is a good device in it's own right though, there isn't a single device out there that can compete with it as a portable media device. The battery life is insane and the screen is really good quality.

 

Take the iPad, make it a little thicker, bump up the battery capacity, swap in ARM's new dual core chip and load on Android or MeeGo and I'll be in the queue. A device like that could well be the future of computing.

Edited May 30, 2010 by McPhee

[Daft]

Its price range is absurd.

[That Guy]

Its price range is absurd.

 

I have to say I agree with this. I don't think the £429 is that bad, considering it's an Apple computer. Before it was announced I expected higher. But, £300 extra for a memory bump and a 3G chip?

[Caris]

Yeah I agree, starting price is pretty good but the the models do cost a lot each time you go up.

[dazzybee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dazzybee

I don't think the device is trying to fix a problem, but actually just provide a new format. Personally I think it is the future of computing.

 

You think a large touch screen that can only run one process at a time is the future of computing? Why do people not realise this is a huge step back? Sure, it's a new way of interacting with your media - but not really. The iPhone/iTouch was doing exactly the same thing on a smaller scale before the iPad. This has just supersized it and that is it. It's not adding anything else revolutionary.

 

I didn't mean literally the Ipad. I meant touch screen tablets and more specifically apps. How is it a step back exactly? What an absurd thing to say; it runs faster than a netbook/laptop, it has 'most' of it's functionality, it's interface IS the future. And the size is a HUGE difference. This is what baffles me when people ay its a big ipod touch. yes it is, and it's incrdible for it. It's better in every way than the ipod touch (bar the portabliity and it aint far off).

 

 

Quote:

It's much better than having to have a laptop etc.

How? This equated to having a netbook. Had you said netbook I'd agree with you but saying the iPad is better than a laptop is stupidity. Closed hardware vs Open - open will win every time.

 

It's better beause it's smaller, the display is infinitely better, it faster, it's always on and quick to operate, the interface makes it better to browse, and the biggest thing are the apps. It's also a pretty nifty games console.

 

Please tell me how it is STUPID (thanks for that). They are different ways of doing very similar things it being open/closed doesn't bother me. Flash is the biggest annoyance and it isn't even that annoying. The benefits far outweigh the shit for me.

 

Quote:

And the apps are just amazing, in general I think apps are absolutely amazing and usually better than websites, here they're even better.

Most apps that replace websites are just cut down versions of the website. Take thetrainline for example. All it does is let you use the timetable function that the website has but "Apple" it up. I've yet to see an app that does something better than a website.

 

Apsp of websites are usually better than the websites for me, even if they do exactly the same thing. But apps that do 'bits' of websites are great too. Lovefilm, o2, tube app, nationalrail etc etc there are loads which do 'usually' what you need the website for but in a much better, faster way. Proper apps are just incredible, you can't get these on your clumsy laptop/netbook

 

Quote:

The size, the interface, the permanently online, the apps. It's not essential, but it is incredible.

Possibly the smartest thing you've written in this post - it's not essential because it doesn't really fit any sort of gap in the market. But it sure is incredible how much people are willing to put down for one of these devices.

 

I'll stick with my desktop PC and iPod Touch thanks.

 

And that's absolutely fair enough. I've said many times this isn't essential, it's a luxury item. It doesn't really offer something new really, but it does it all in a MUCH better way; so if you can afford it then it is great and most people who have an ipad will use it more than their laptops, netbooks and personal computers I'd bet. For travelling, work, home it's just amazing with a few hiccups )some of which will be solved in a couple of months.

 

 

You could also point that people who've used it 'for any length of time' are early adopters and are more sympathetic towards it. I can't see a lot of people spending over £400 then criticizing it objectively. Just look at Dyson's dissection of Dazzy's post.

 

Also, I'm still amazed that people slammed the price of the PS3 in retrospect when looking at the iPad.

 

That's absolute bullshit. I've bought may things that I was willing to slate; I don't buy something and love it just because I've bought it. If I didn't like the ipad I'd say, i'd be honest about it. Just face the fact that some people think the ipad is great and stop trying to create reasons for their saying so to enforce your opinion of it and how you think people should feel about it.

 

And what has Dysons 'dissection' got to do with what you're saying? And I wouldn't call it a dissection, it was basically a 'your stupid' about a lot of subjective points.

[Dyson]

I'll come back to this later to reply as I'm busy right now but I want to point out that the intention of the post wasn't to flame. It was to question your bizarre, almost propaganda-like speech about the iPad.

[dazzybee]

I don't get it, I've re-read what I wrote in all my posts and i don't think it's overtopping filled with hyperbole! It's an honest assessment. I didn't think you were flaming, I can sort of see from the outside how pointless and expensive it appears, but saying I was stupid for thinking it's great and hating it so much isn't the best way to go about it.

 

I don't believe there'll be many people who have a good go on one and walk away not liking it.

[Dyson]

I don't believe there'll be many people who have a good go on one and walk away not liking it.

 

I agree. Wholeheartedly.

[Cube]

It's better beause it's smaller, the display is infinitely better, it faster, it's always on and quick to operate, the interface makes it better to browse, and the biggest thing are the apps. It's also a pretty nifty games console.

 

Apps have been on laptops pretty much as long as laptops have existed...

 

Plus all the other factors depend on the laptop. For example, you can't really compare the iPad's display to my laptop's 15.5" 1080p 16:9 display. Plus 40 seconds from turning on to starting browsing would, in my books, also count as "quick to operate". the laptop's interface makes it quick to browse (especially quick with multiple tabs), and much quicker to type. It's also pretty equal to the Xbox 360 in terms of gaming power. You can also place it on your knee and have the screen at the correct angle for viewing.

[Caris]

Apps have been on laptops pretty much as long as laptops have existed...

 

Plus all the other factors depend on the laptop. For example, you can't really compare the iPad's display to my laptop's 15.5" 1080p 16:9 display.

 

What a unfair comparison... Compare the iPad to another 10" device on the market. Or if a 15" iPad ever exists, that.

 

Oh and FYI you can have tabs on the iPad.

 

Sent from my iPad

[tetra1982]

Whatever i say in the following are based from many reviews i read on the web and magazines... I am not a MS fanboy or an Apple hater!!!!!

 

Sooo...

 

678 Euros (the 64GB one) for a tablet machine that:

 

Says so many things about its social networking support but has NO Camera

No USB Port

No OLED (I suppose will be a pain in the ass to use it outside)

No GPS in Wi Fi only model

Doesn’t Support Flash Player (and whatever you say, HTML5 may be the future i don't no i am no expert but right now 99% of the web content is in flash)

Doesn’t Support Multitasking (i mean FFS)

 

Considering all these and the fact that is a close system... (No mates i don't like to have to go wherever Apple takes me)... I think i will wait for the Android tablets

[ReZourceman]

expert but right now 99% of the web content is in flash

 

Lulwhuttf?

[Cube]

What a unfair comparison... Compare the iPad to another 10" device on the market. Or if a 15" iPad ever exists, that.

 

Oh and FYI you can have tabs on the iPad.

 

Sent from my iPad

 

I wasn't the one who started a laptop comparison. And why should I need to compare it to a pointlessly small laptop?

 

I know the iPad has tabs, but it's nowhere near as quick to swap between them as ctrl+tab.

[Shorty]

I don't believe there'll be many people who have a good go on one and walk away not liking it.

For me, this is a key point. I'm sure if I had a go I would love it. I would want one, and I would love all the apps and enjoy sharing it with people around me. But then I would look at the netbook I already own and just wouldn't be able to justify the huge sum for something the attraction of which hinges mostly on being stylish and excitingly new-tech. However is in fact no more functional than what I've been carrying around for the last couple of years.

 

My netbook can play any movie without encoding it first. Games? I can run steam on it, the resolution is higher, the screen is wider. Maybe not as powerful, but I have games consoles and a desktop PC for that. Apps? I've got millions of them that can run on Windows or Ubuntu. Heck, I have even dual booted it as a Hackintosh, it runs OS X as smoothly as it runs Win 7, which is even smoother than it ran XP when I first got it thanks to the Atom processor.

 

I'm not trying to start the "vs. Netbook" argument again, I'm just saying why I personally could not justify the purchase. I'd want one, and I'd love having it, but in the back of my mind I'd know that practically I was no better off, and my pocket would feel significantly lighter.

Edited June 2, 2010 by Shorty

[Nintendohnut]

For me, this is a key point. I'm sure if I had a go I would love it. I would want one, and I would love all the apps and enjoy sharing it with people around me. But then I would look at the netbook I already own and just wouldn't be able to justify the huge sum for something the attraction of which hinges mostly on being stylish and excitingly new-tech. However is in fact no more functional than what I've been carrying around for the last couple of years.

 

My netbook can play any movie without encoding it first. Games? I can run steam on it, the resolution is higher, the screen is wider. Maybe not as powerful, but I have games consoles and a desktop PC for that. Apps? I've got millions of them that can run on Windows or Ubuntu. Heck, I have even dual booted it as a Hackintosh, it runs OS X as smoothly as it runs Win 7, which is even smoother than it ran XP when I first got it thanks to the Atom processor.

 

I'm not trying to start the "vs. Netbook" argument again, I'm just saying why I personally could not justify the purchase. I'd want one, and I'd love having it, but in the back of my mind I'd know that practically I was no better off, and my pocket would feel significantly lighter.

 

I think all of these points are completely fair and apply to most people here. But I think a lot of people are missing the point. This is not an item that is there to replace your laptop, and it's not replacing your phone. It is a third device that is different from both. And yes, it is similar to a laptop... but again people are missing the point that this is a luxury item and not something to buy if you only have £500 and you were planning to buy a computer. You buy it if you can afford it, not if you're looking for a laptop. A lot of people save up for this luxury item (just like I and a lot of people on here have in the past saved up for a console of one kind or another) but not everyone is going to do that.

 

Mmmmkay?

[Serebii]

I had a go on one the other day (my mate works at the local apple reseller so let me have a go for about half an hour) and I came away with one impression;

 

"Meh"

 

It just seems to be an entirely pointless piece of kit. It does nothing no other bit of hardware does better. It's extremely limited by apple and the apps...oh lord, 99% of the apps on it are dross. Games are impossible to have complete control, there was a racing one my mate used as a "prime example" of games on the iPad. Sure, it looked great, but the amount of control on it was minimal. You turn by rotating the iPad (bit ridiculous with something this big as is) and break by touching the screen which isn't that easy to do, with no control over the accelerator or anything.

 

It's just a completely pointless piece of kit and even people like me, someone with more money than sense, would be hard pressed to find a justification for a purchase :-/

[Nintendohnut]

I had a go on one the other day (my mate works at the local apple reseller so let me have a go for about half an hour) and I came away with one impression;

 

"Meh"

 

It just seems to be an entirely pointless piece of kit. It does nothing no other bit of hardware does better. It's extremely limited by apple and the apps...oh lord, 99% of the apps on it are dross. Games are impossible to have complete control, there was a racing one my mate used as a "prime example" of games on the iPad. Sure, it looked great, but the amount of control on it was minimal. You turn by rotating the iPad (bit ridiculous with something this big as is) and break by touching the screen which isn't that easy to do, with no control over the accelerator or anything.

 

It's just a completely pointless piece of kit and even people like me, someone with more money than sense, would be hard pressed to find a justification for a purchase :-/

 

So... did you read what I wrote?

[Serebii]

Well it wasn't there when I first loaded the thread, but having read it now, yes it's a luxury item, but luxury items would still need a purpose. I can see using it in the first week but then boom, it gets wardrobed

[Shorty]

It shouldn't be a luxury item though! That's ridiculous. They shouldn't be making products like this and only selling them to gadget loving consumerists with more money than sense. They should be trying to start something, making iPad synonymous with tablet PC like iPod was for MP3 player. Have some ridiculous ideal like... "try to get one in every home like the television" and then actually see if you can do it. That's how technology is revolutionised. That's why most people I know that are not in the tech industry still have crappy phones and don't see the point in a smart phone. Look at the mobile history thread in gen chit-chat.

 

It's too early in the high quality multi-touch tablet's life to only have an appeal for people who have money to burn. You need either a lower price tag for what you get, or more functionality for your money.

Edited June 2, 2010 by Shorty

[Cube]

I personally think that the future lies in better designed/priced laptops with a multi-touch screen (the ones that can turn around).

[dazzybee]

How has nobody picked on this absolute turd of a post?

 

Whatever i say in the following are based from many reviews i read on the web and magazines... I am not a MS fanboy or an Apple hater!!!!!

 

Well...I can't believe I didn't stop reading this at this point but I knew I'd get a laugh

 

Sooo...

 

678 Euros (the 64GB one) for a tablet machine that:

 

Says so many things about its social networking support but has NO Camera

 

I'm not quite sure how social networking and camera are completely linked, I mean can be useful but they don't exactly go hand in hand. Also, where does it "say so many things about its social networking"?

 

Though I do agree, no camera is a bit of a joke.

 

No USB Port

No OLED (I suppose will be a pain in the ass to use it outside)

No GPS in Wi Fi only model

 

It's fine outside. And you can't pick the model which supports your argument. I can pick laptops/netbooks which doesn't have certain features or power.

 

Doesn’t Support Flash Player (and whatever you say, HTML5 may be the future i don't no i am no expert but right now 99% of the web content is in flash)

 

You don't need to be any kind of expert on anything to know that flash isn't 99% of web content... Fuck me, if you want to come here and bitch about something at least have an ounce of intelligence about the proceedings. It doesn't take more than a 5 second google search to get a closer number.

 

Doesn’t Support Multitasking (i mean FFS)

 

But it will in a month or 2.

 

Considering all these and the fact that is a close system... (No mates i don't like to have to go wherever Apple takes me)... I think i will wait for the Android tablets

 

Please explain to me Tetra where it is Apple takes you you don't want to go and where an Android tablet will (no one help him).

 

I completely understand why people think it's pointless, I completely understand why people think however good they may be it's not worth spunking any money on. But I dont understand the constant bitching and the regurgitation of the same points over and over again.

 

Also, I think there's a little shortsightedness, when laptops came out some people thought they were pointless, it's like a really, really shit version of a desktop. Yeah it's portable but it can't do anything. I get that but at least it had portability, but this has 'even more' portability. Fact is, in 5 years time, touch screen tablets will be the biggest selling computing device.

[Cube]

I think a normal mobile phone-type camera on a tablet is pointless. However, a front facing one would be petty useful.