The iPad

[Will]

Well they are hardly going to get up on stage and talk about how they missed out loads of stuff and we're all better off waiting for v2.

[Daft]

No, but right now this doesn't look too absurd. http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/frantic_steve_jobs_stays_up

[Emasher]

I don't see how not being able to have multiple Apps open at once is a big deal. It takes me less than 2 seconds to switch between Safari and Notes(Closest thing to a world processor I have installed), and the iPad is able to switch applications much faster. Not only that, but when you open this sort of application, they're in the exact same state as they were when you left them. Being able to switch between them like you would in a Keyboard and Mouse based OS is barely faster, its only one extra press of something.

[Shorty]

I don't see how not being able to have multiple Apps open at once is a big deal. It takes me less than 2 seconds to switch between Safari and Notes(Closest thing to a world processor I have installed), and the iPad is able to switch applications much faster. Not only that, but when you open this sort of application, they're in the exact same state as they were when you left them. Being able to switch between them like you would in a Keyboard and Mouse based OS is barely faster, its only one extra press of something.

 

Giz put it best:

 

"Are you saying I can't listen to Pandora while writing a document? I can't have my Twitter app open at the same time as my browser? I can't have AIM open at the same time as my email? Are you kidding me? This alone guarantees that I will not buy this product."

[Grazza]

To be fair, I can see how people would like to have iTunes open whilst they're browsing or reading.

[Pit-Jr]

Ive never spent a dime on an Apple product and this certainly wont sway me

 

I do think it would be cool to have one as a permanent fixture in my bathroom or to take on trips but the price is far too insulting

[SPAMBOT4000]

Like the iPhone I'll wait until they 3rd/4th Gen this up, if I get one.

 

I still don't think it need to be that big.

 

Although the amount apple are patting themselves on the back for this one is vomit inducing. I just watched the video on the apple site.

Yeah, totally agree. This has potential but like the iPhone, I'm not gonna consider getting one until the 3rd gen when it might actually be worth buying. Sometimes it seems like Apple purposely leaves features out so they can make a big fuss about adding them in at a later date. Like the whole no MMS on the original iPhone debacle.

[Caris]

Giz put it best:

 

"Are you saying I can't listen to Pandora while writing a document? I can't have my Twitter app open at the same time as my browser? I can't have AIM open at the same time as my email? Are you kidding me? This alone guarantees that I will not buy this product."

 

You can do some of them, there called PUSH notifications.

[SPAMBOT4000]

You can do some of them, there called PUSH notifications.

 

That's not multitasking though and PUSH does work but not flawlessly. There's no reason at all for multi tasking to not be included. Even limiting it to two or three apps at a time would be better than nothing.

[Caris]

Yeah, I agree it was a let down I just don't think it's a big a deal as some people are making it out to be.

 

On my iPhone I can chat on MSN whilst being on Facebook or browsing the web as well as listening to my iPod.

 

It's not perfect but it will do, for now.

[ReZourceman]

So why would anyone get this over a Netbook?

[Caris]

Because netbooks are shit.

[SPAMBOT4000]

So why would anyone get this over a Netbook?

 

Exactly.

 

Caris, I do the same thing on my iPhone though it's not really multi-tasking. Push makes the lack of multi-tasking on the iPhone a little easier to swallow, as does the fact that... well it's a phone first. But the iPad isn't. It's meant to be a tablet/netbook hybrid and with its capabilities there is no reason it shouldn't be able to do true multitasking. Push is not a solution at all. If I had money to burn then I probably would get one at launch as it certainly does look interesting even though major things are lacking. But I don't. I'm an average Joe who makes informed choices about his purchases and this thing just doesn't cut the mustard at all.

 

Because netbooks are shit.

 

Because Steve Jobs said so? Come on, can you explain your opinion a little better? It's comments like that which are just making me completely dismiss what you have to say.

[Mundi]

Sometimes it seems like Apple purposely leaves features out so they can make a big fuss about adding them in at a later date. Like the whole no MMS on the original iPhone debacle.

 

I am pretty sure that is how they do things.

They already have a market that has no qualms in buying new iterations of the same product, so why be generous about it.

[flameboy]

Ok so here goes my view...

 

I think its a curiosity and by no means an essential purchase. Also I am with people who say that if this wasn't an Apple product there wouldn't be anywhere near as much hype and there was a ton of tablet stuff at CES doing "better" things than this.

 

For me its not going to replace my netbook and n900 combo which deal with all my internet needs and media on the go. I mean why the hell does this contain sim card support?! Who the hell is gonna make a call on it?! I can do way more on my netbook and I get the feeling this would somewhat rely on my netbook to keep running, when I'm outta the house my n900 has all my music (although thats been a bit of a pain) and internet sorted, can update my podcasts on the move, I'm happy with that set up and this doesn't convince me I NEED it to change the way I do things.

 

Another thing I hated! Is alot of the live blog updates were amazed how it scaled pages to properly the screen and you could view pages on it as they are rather than mobile versions. seriously WTF?!! I can do that on my N900, pages are easy to read in there default zoom with the web page the width of the screen and I scroll down. Also I don't need pinch to zoom I can swirl to zoom just as well! It annoys me how people bum these options that are by no means amazing or unique to apple.

 

As a whole apps simply don't do it for me and this is perhaps another pull of the ipad. Say for example the Natwest App, I can just use my phone and view the actual real page and unlike some past nokia models it verifies me and lets me log in. The London Underground App, meh I'll just pick my diary out of my bag and look at the map. I know theres just two examples. There are plenty of others, and I know this seems very anal of me to be picking up on this but its one big pull of the iphone (over other smartphones) and also of the ipad (over netbooks) and for me its not a big pull.

 

The games don't interest me, I have more than enough ways to access games thank you.

 

The ereader is ok, but I do still hold a torch for printed media in terms of books. The animations for book turning I can take it or leave it. The shelf premise with the books isn't all that great. I use a project gutenberg reader on my phone which works fantastically well and due to donations from the community all the books they acquire the rights to are free download straight from the reader. I've heard mentionings of $14.99 as price points for books. Hell thats £9.28 a book I'd rather buy the actual book. Also the shelf thing isn't all that , gog did it ages ago for game collections.

 

So for me no, I can see why people would like it, but its not gonna become an essential part of my set up no matter how cool it is...

 

ALSO NETBOOKS ARE NOT SHIT. I HAVE SAMSUNG NC10! IT HAS A BIGGER HARD DRIVE THAN A IPAD WILL EVER HAVE, I CAN BROWSE THE NET, PLAY A TON OF GREAT GAMES ON IT (NOT CUTTING EDGE BUT STILL CASUAL STUFF AND OF COURSE FOOTBALL MANAGER!) DO WORK AND SUCH LIKE!

Edited January 28, 2010 by flameboy

[Caris]

Okay, long rant coming right up.

 

I think the reason I hate this thread so much is because the general negativity towards Apple as a company. Whenever they bring out a new product, Macbook Air, iPhone 3GS for example people just come striaght in here and moan. It's the same when Sony were the market leader with the PS2, people just used to nit pick every opportunity they got.

 

I'm not saying this device is perfect, far from it. But I guess I'm looking at it as a product line not just a product. I can see once the App Store get's going for this thing, maybe a few software updates and a revison. It being very, very cool.

 

Right now it still suits my needs perfectly, it's a lot cheaper than a Macbook, it's much more portable, has a better battery life, comes with 3G built in as well as a great data plan, has a amazing screen from what i've read, and most importantly, is fun to use. It does all the main things I want, to be honest my iPhone does it's just a bit small for using it as much as I do.

 

This thing has done some stuff wrong, but at the same time it has a lot going for it and I think it's pretty exciting. Look at the bland the iPhone was when it first came out to what it is now. It's totally different, and I think it will be the same for this. At the end of the day if you got boiled up in all the hype it's your fault your disappointed, I knew it would be something similar to what it is. It's Apple's first tablet and there "firsts" of everything are always missing some key features but end up great. Even just through software updates.

 

Is the glass half empty or half full? I think half full.

 

Caris, out.

 

Edit: @Netbooks.

 

There just rubbish, not because Steve said so I've thought this since they came out. There cheaply made, ugly looking laptops that are slow as hell and run 10 year old operating systems. I can see why they stand in the industry but there has got to be something better than them for what they do. I think tablets in general are heading in the right direction.

Edited January 28, 2010 by Caris

[ReZourceman]

Because netbooks are shit.

 

But....a netbook can do all that the iPad can do, and more...for cheaper...?

[Molly]

Because netbooks are shit.

 

10 things Netbooks still do better than an iPad

 

And that doesn't even mention the main one, Multitasking

[Caris]

Read my post.

[flameboy]

Okay, long rant coming right up.

 

I think the reason I hate this thread so much is because the general negativity towards Apple as a company. Whenever they bring out a new product, Macbook Air, iPhone 3GS for example people just come striaght in here and moan. It's the same when Sony were the market leader with the PS2, people just used to nit pick every opportunity they got.

 

I'm not saying this device is perfect, far from it. But I guess I'm looking at it as a product line not just a product. I can see once the App Store get's going for this thing, maybe a few software updates and a revison. It being very, very cool.

 

Right now it still suits my needs perfectly, it's a lot cheaper than a Macbook, it's much more portable, has a better battery life, comes with 3G built in as well as a great data plan, has a amazing screen from what i've read, and most importantly, is fun to use. It does all the main things I want, to be honest my iPhone does it's just a bit small for using it as much as I do.

 

This thing has done some stuff wrong, but at the same time it has a lot going for it and I think it's pretty exciting. Look at the bland the iPhone was when it first came out to what it is now. It's totally different, and I think it will be the same for this. At the end of the day if you got boiled up in all the hype it's your fault your disappointed, I knew it would be something similar to what it is. It's Apple's first tablet and there "firsts" of everything are always missing some key features but end up great. Even just through software updates.

 

Is the glass half empty or half full? I think half full.

 

Caris, out.

 

Edit: @Netbooks.

 

There just rubbish, not because Steve said so I've thought this since they came out. There cheaply made, ugly looking laptops that are slow as hell and run 10 year old operating systems. I can see why they stand in the industry but there has got to be something better than them for what they do. I think tablets in general are heading in the right direction.

 

Seriously that is up there with the biggest load of shit I have ever read! The Samsung netbooks do not look ugly and neither do plenty of other brands...it runs fast as lightning and runs windows 7 perfectly.

 

I didn't even realise that the ipad couldn't multitask, seriously how can this be spun into anything other than god awful! There is no way it can compete with a netbook if this is the case.

 

At the moment, I am sat listening to a podcast with, football manager running through to my next match, a couple of word documents open for some work to do tonight. All of it running perfectly fast and perfectly fine. (ALSO hate people saying the iphone can multitask, yeah if you jailbreak it, that doesn't prove a point in an arguement about it, that merely proves a solution to something that shouldn't be a problem)

 

I do think tablets have a place and yes they may well be the future but honestly there are companies doing way better than this.

 

EDIT:

 

If Apple had marketed this almost as a third pillar I could have accepted it more but its the fact they are offering it as their alternative to netbooks! When it clearly isn't.

Edited January 28, 2010 by flameboy

[Molly]

Edit: @Netbooks.

 

There just rubbish, not because Steve said so I've thought this since they came out. There cheaply made, ugly looking laptops that are slow as hell and run 10 year old operating systems. I can see why they stand in the industry but there has got to be something better than them for what they do. I think tablets in general are heading in the right direction.

Mine doesn't feel or look cheap, ''ugly'' is subjective, it's not slow and it runs on a Windows system that I'm perfectly happy with. You can't understand the iPad hate; I can't understand the netbook hate.

[SPAMBOT4000]

Caris, read what other people actually write. I know people can be but I don't think there's been much of the immediate undeserved negativity toward Apple in this thread. It's kinda coming across as the opposite, that you have complete blind positivity toward them. A lot of people were already saying that this has potential down the line but NOT at the moment. It doesn't exactly have 3G built in, that's a $130 on top you have to pay for it. Some netbooks ARE shit but there are plenty that aren't. Okay, they run XP? So what?! XP is a fine operating system and at least it's a full operating system rather than an OS originally designed for a phone.

[Caris]

I would rather have an Android or Windows Tablet over a netbook any day.

 

That's all I'm saying.

 

@Spambot, it's because for years and years I've put it with people jumping on the "Hate Apple" bandwagon whenever they do anything, and I really can't be bothered anymore. If you were in my shoes I think you would understand my attitude.

Edited January 28, 2010 by Caris

[Cube]

Accessories:

 

Remote control ($19)

Camera connection kit ($29)

Dock connector to VGA adaptor ($29)

iPad dock ($29)

Case ($39)

Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic ($29)

Keyboard dock ($69)

Apple Care ($69)

iWork suite ($30)

[Ashley]

If Apple had marketed this almost as a third pillar I could have accepted it more but its the fact they are offering it as their alternative to netbooks! When it clearly isn't.

 

And if they hadn't stood there and acted like children saying "HARHAR NETBOOKS SUXORS WE ARE SO GR8 WEVE REMADE NETBOOKS"...its not. Its like...somewhere inbetween.

 

The Sony Vaio W is a great little netbook, someone in Kyoto had one and had a go on it. Although obviously its pricey but there is a market for them. I've seen plenty of students and train commuters with them. If I had more money I'd get one (in fact I saw one earlier for under £200 and was tempted). I don't like the way Apple seem to be saying "Netbooks as we know them are rubbish and not really what you want are they? You want this don't you!" It's that notion that apple seems to apply to everything they do "what existed before was rubbish, this is what you need." You either buy it (the it being the concept/marketing) or not and I think I fall in the not for this (along with the iPhone, although that's mostly because of the cuntish auto-dictionary and the pricing plans).

 

As others have said, maybe in 2 generations time it'll be worth getting. Like how the iPhone FINALLY has MMS which the majority of phones since 2000 have had.

 

Accessories:

 

Remote control ($19)

Camera connection kit ($29)

Dock connector to VGA adaptor ($29)

iPad dock ($29)

Case ($39)

Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic ($29)

Keyboard dock ($69)

Apple Care ($69)

iWork suite ($30)

 

Being able to say "I have an Apple product", priceless.