** The Official 1/27 "Come See Our Latest Creation" Apple Media Event Thread **

[trmiv]

Ok Apple, tell me why I should buy this. Aside from being bigger, what does this do that my iPhone doesn't? So much for the most important thing Steve Jobs has ever worked on.

Mind you, this is what everyone thought it would be, a big iPhone. However, I would expected a tablet style netbook. Not worth it IMO.

More like a big ipod because it can't make phone calls, send texts and lacks a camera.

 

[ViRGE]

I do not understand why everyone is so ready to throw this product under a bus.

It costs the same amount as a KindleDX, its base model have 4x the memory of the KindleDX, and you can actually do more than read books on it.

The KindleDX is overpriced, so it isn't a particularly good comparison. But since we're already here, it has lifetime cellular data access (something that easily drives the price up $100+) and an eInk display. It does 1 thing, and does it very well.

 

[GT1999]

Why didn't they call this thing iBook??? Name the ebook app something else.

$500 starting price point seems highly palatable. I'll be honest though, I was hoping for some i5 based Macbooks since I'm currently in the market for a new laptop. For Windows stuff, I can just dual boot Win7.

Interesting portable device though. I can definitely see this used in education. Have a recording app and record lectures. Scribble quick notes.

Why the hell is there no 16GB and 32GB model with 3G?

I agree completely. Where's the damn MBPs with i5's.

 

[akugami]

My friend was just asking.. "What about handwriting recognition, isn't that a big feature of a tablet?"

Correct me if I'm wrong here but a stylus would not work with the capacitive touch screen, so you'd have to write with a finger, no?

Just as you can buy gloves that work with an iPhone you can get a stylus that works with it as well. It just has to be designed with the correct materials.

There is

The price goes: 499/599/699 for wifi and 629/729/829 for wifi+3g

Missed that part but I'm doing other stuff and keeping an eye on the iPad news.


There seems to be some negativity here. Just like devices like the Apple Newton (remember them?) weren't impressive the first time around doesn't mean they didn't fill a niche. I think we need to take a little time to digest this device and think of ways we can use it rather than think of ways it can replace what we already have.

I think what will make or break this device is the periphery market and the apps that developers think up for it. It seems a bit underwhelming at first but at the same time, so did the iPhone as well as a lot of other tech products.

ViRGE brings up a great point about the puzzling resolution. No reason this should not have been 720p.

Amazons book store > Apples book store.

Reading on e-ink > reading on LCD. At 500 bucks I'll take a KindleDX over the iPad because if I'm looking for an e-reader it is a far superior product.

Look we JUST HAD CES2010 where we saw hundreds of tablets running droid or windows. This thing hardly compares to anything we've seen.

Use the Kindle app then cause iPhone apps work on the iPad. I personally use Stanza. Can't comment on e-ink as I've never used a device with it. However, one has to remember the iPad can do more than just ebooks. Also, I find white text on a black background to be pretty good for reading on an iPhone. Better than the standard white background and black text.

Windows Mobile has been underwhelming lately. We'll have to see Windows Mobile 7 to see how it does. Palm and Google has decent competitors to the iPhone but I think what will help those OS's succeed is the app support. And by that reasoning I think we'll need to see what type of apps developers come up with before we can say that the iPad is a success or failure.

One major area they would for any tablet is handwriting recognition and I'm not seeing any into on it.

And as others noted, no Flash??? I don't like Flash much but it is needed in certain cases.

 

[silverpig]

Is it just me, or is this the dumbest product that Apple has ever introduced? All this is is an oversize iPod Touch with 3G.

What an idiotic product. For about an extra $150 or so over the 64GB version I could have more functional Macbook with more storage space.

Now, an iPod touch with 3G is something I'd be interested in.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

My friend was just asking.. "What about handwriting recognition, isn't that a big feature of a tablet?"

Correct me if I'm wrong here but a stylus would not work with the capacitive touch screen, so you'd have to write with a finger, no?

They should've talked more about this. HTC is releasing a capacitive stylus for their flagship HD2 phone. This would be huge for students. Seriously. Why take a clunky tablet to school when you can bring an iPad. Although with the gamer oriented iPod Touch carrying over, they might just all be playing games in the lecture rooms.... but then again I played CS during my CS classes

 

[bfdd]

Reading on an LCD does not compare to reading on e-ink. I don't see how anyone can say anything good about this product. Have you guys not seen the other tablets that were shown at CES or are you just frothing at the mouth because Apple announced a new product? No Pixel Qi display makes this thing old technology already. Their processor won't keep up with Tegra2 tablets, an app store? Fuck that, I'm not getting microtransactioned to death for things I can find for other systems free. This product is rather terrible. 10 hours of battery life while watching video? Great is that HD video? That's still shy of what Tegra2 can do while watching 1080p video.

This product is a dud there is absolutely NO reason anyone should ever need or want to buy this product if you have an iPhone and there should be no one wanting to buy it after we've already seen all the new tablets/netbooks coming out from CES. Dud

 

[Phobic9]

The only main gripe I have about this thing is the lack of multitasking. The fact I can't do something as simple as listening to Pandora while I surf the web is mystifying . As a concept, I actually like the iPad. Lack of true multitasking kills this thing dead for me unfortunately.

 

[MikeMike]

I am very disappointed.

Theres no way to run concurrent apps, aka multitasking, UBER fail, like terrible.
Theres no speaker/cam... I cant skype with this thing.
Why is there no mic, i would love to just have it sitting out and TALKING to someone.
Is there a speaker on it?

Honestly, my plan was to use this device as a complete replacement for most everything.

Using google voice, I would have made my phone calls etc... I guess it is still possible but i MUST have in my earpiece.

I would have used Skype for video calls
Multitasking for class, i cant look at a ppt and take notes on it? blasphemy

It hopefully fits into a dayplanner, if it fits into a nice small soft cover binder, it will be a great way to walk around with it, and all you WOULD have needed was a bluetooth earpiece.

 

[teiresias]

I own a Kindle, and nothing with an LCD or a backlight of any kind will ever replace an e-ink screen device as my main reading device.

Setting aside the obvious iPad vs. Kindle argument though, I really just think this device feels very "lazy" from Apple. It's a very obvious product and isn't really creating any kind of new category (though the fanboys - including Leo Laporte - are all claiming "new category"). It's not priced well enough or even as functional as even the netbooks that are cheaper than it is, and the higher priced versions are eclipsed by far better PCs, non-Apple tablets, or even Macbooks once you get to the pricepoint for the higher end version.

It just feels "lazy" from its obvious industrial design to its UI, which is obviously just enlarged iPhone/Ipod Touch territory. I really expected something a little less obvious from Apple, and the over-the-top hyperbole going down during the presser ("magic" and "revolutionary") was really quite painful and trying to make a bigger deal out of it from a design standpoint than it really is.

 

[bfdd]

I am very disappointed.

Theres no way to run concurrent apps, aka multitasking, UBER fail, like terrible.
Theres no speaker/cam... I cant skype with this thing.
Why is there no mic, i would love to just have it sitting out and TALKING to someone.
Is there a speaker on it?

Honestly, my plan was to use this device as a complete replacement for most everything.

Using google voice, I would have made my phone calls etc... I guess it is still possible but i MUST have in my earpiece.

I would have used Skype for video calls
Multitasking for class, i cant look at a ppt and take notes on it? blasphemy

It hopefully fits into a dayplanner, if it fits into a nice small soft cover binder, it will be a great way to walk around with it, and all you WOULD have needed was a bluetooth earpiece.

Why not just wait for the Tegra2 droid tablets to come out which will be cheaper, better hardware, longer battery life, oh and you can multitask! Some even have hdmi out, cameras, mics etc. Interesting how much further your dollar can go when there's no fruit on the device.

 

[akugami]

All I'm hearing is what this thing can't do and why it will fail. What's up with the negativity?

And does anyone have any word on tethering? With a $30 (and I'm sure +tax) no contract monthly plan, this seems like a prime candidate to try to get it to tether to other devices. Maybe a jailbroken version would be needed to do it just like how iPhones would support tethering once you jailbreak it. At least before "official" tethering support came out.

 

[teiresias]

All I'm hearing is what this thing can't do and why it will fail. What's up with the negativity?

And does anyone have any word on tethering? With a $30 (and I'm sure +tax) no contract monthly plan, this seems like a prime candidate to try to get it to tether to other devices. Maybe a jailbroken version would be needed to do it just like how iPhones would support tethering once you jailbreak it. At least before "official" tethering support came out.

Why not just go the opposite way and get the WiFi only iPad and tether it using a MiFi via Verizon with your already existing cell phone and data plan?

 

[TheSlamma]

If they had an option that ran full snow leopard I'd be interested, but basically an enlarged iTouch.. booo.

 

[memo]

so what happened to the "One more thing" that as hyped up earlier this week?

 

[Qbah]

No multitasking on such a device is the real killer. Are they serious? Even when I'm reading anything, I talk to people on a messenger! I listen to music or the radio! This is failure beyond comprehension.

And that's it for the event? Or is it only a break? Nothing about the iPhone? OS updates? This is so disappointing. The most important thing Steve Jobs' been working on? Haha! Good one.

 

[MikeMike]

Why not just wait for the Tegra2 droid tablets to come out which will be cheaper, better hardware, longer battery life, oh and you can multitask! Some even have hdmi out, cameras, mics etc. Interesting how much further your dollar can go when there's no fruit on the device.

yup, ive never had issues with my macbook though, and was hoping to do that...

now, IF the other tablets start coming out soon with exactly what I want, and the ability for me to have a 3g connection via VERIZON, with no contract, I will go immediately to them...

honestly, my long term plan, since i do NOT game, is to switch over to a 3g tablet, with 3g hooked up as my only internet, and connect that way on all my devices...

I would be willing to carry around a small "targus" style notebook w/ the tablet located inside, as long as it just looked like a notebook, I also would be willing to wear a bluetooth earpiece if necessary.

 

[blurredvision]

Why not just wait for the Tegra2 droid tablets to come out which will be cheaper, better hardware, longer battery life, oh and you can multitask! Some even have hdmi out, cameras, mics etc. Interesting how much further your dollar can go when there's no fruit on the device.

You're right, but it hasn't stopped the iPod or iPhone from selling millions upon millions. The iPad still looks pretty and has the certain air of "class" around it, so people will still buy it.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

WHEN Steve jobs was demoing the webpages. He went to time.com. If you link at the pictures it shows an ad in the bottom right. That ad is flash.

 

[Ns1]

I do not understand why everyone is so ready to throw this product under a bus.

It costs the same amount as a KindleDX, its base model have 4x the memory of the KindleDX, and you can actually do more than read books on it.

because i can't have safari and pandora open at the same time

 

[bfdd]

WHEN Steve jobs was demoing the webpages. He went to time.com. If you link at the pictures it shows an ad in the bottom right. That ad is flash.

and if you look at when he goes to a site with flash the "plugin missing" icon popped up. it has no flash.

I keep reading people talking about how this will sell well because the kindle sells well and it does e-books AND more.... it's not e-ink. After having actually read something on my friends kindle I would NEVER buy a product as an e-reader if it didn't have e-ink or something like e-ink. The best tablet I've seen so far that falls under the not full fledged PC category is the Notion Ink Adam. Why ANYONE would consider the iPad over that is beyond me.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Why not just go the opposite way and get the WiFi only iPad and tether it using a MiFi via Verizon with your already existing cell phone and data plan?

Why not just tether with your phone? MiFi and all that crap is just an attempt to get more money out of consumers... sigh. Just like laptop connectivity kits. Tether with your phone damnit! Use Ad-Hoc!

 

[CoinOperatedBoy]

I am very disappointed.

Theres no way to run concurrent apps, aka multitasking, UBER fail, like terrible.
Theres no speaker/cam... I cant skype with this thing.
Why is there no mic, i would love to just have it sitting out and TALKING to someone.
Is there a speaker on it?

The iPad has both speakers and a mic.

 

[Qbah]

WHEN Steve jobs was demoing the webpages. He went to time.com. If you link at the pictures it shows an ad in the bottom right. That ad is flash.

No it's not. I'm sure the ad engine detects the browser type and provides an add that can be displayed. I just went to time.com on my iPhone and there were some ads present.

Gizmodo went to their Web site during the hands on and all the flash content wasn't displaying at all.

 

[MikeMike]

The iPad has both speakers and a mic.

yet, i would be unable to run GV or skype, and browse the internet