Mmmmmm....iPad...*drool*

Yeah I saw this on the News... Hell you can just about do everything you need to do in life right in the palm of your hand... Won't be much longer... lol

I'm undecided at the moment - it doesn't replace a laptop or a tv so I'm going to wait and see it in the shops.

As for doing everything you want in life with just the palm of your hand, hopefully it won't make life that simple - I like complexity sometimes.

I agree, but we are definitely headed to that type of laziness, especially over here in the US...

As for replacing a TV, it probably could to a degree... Depends on how much of a TV person you are... Because you can watch the regular prime time shows, you can watch certain movies, and news is easy to get on a cell...
So for some it could easily replace the TV...

Replacing the Laptop, yeah I agree it should be a while yet before that happens...

No multi-tasking, no USB port, no card reader, no flash support, can only run Apple-sanctioned apps, no camera, eBooks currently US only, no HDMI out, no GPS.

It's basically a bigger, but less functional iPhone. I think ill pass thank you. The hype is once again thanks to Apple telling people what they want (instead of asking) and most Apple users lapping it up as gospel.

Okay, so it will display eBooks... but lets hope you don't run out of battery on those long trips, or it's not too sunny, or not wet/rainy. I'm sorry, but I hate the idea of replacing good old fashion paperbacks with something that is heavier and far more breakable.

In the meantime MSI are close to releasing their version based on the Android OS, which has Multi-tasking, USB and card reader support, HDMI out, Flash support and is capable of displaying 1080p video. It will also be as cheap as Apple's base model.

-Cub. =o)

Cubase wrote:No multi-tasking, no USB port, no card reader, no flash support, can only run Apple-sanctioned apps, no camera, eBooks currently US only, no HDMI out, no GPS.

It's basically a bigger, but less functional iPhone.

After doing some research, I found exactly this. Personally, i'd describe it as a much larger iTouch with less features. When I found out that it had no USB, I was put right off. But, it provides another reason to not buy at launch. Give it a year or two, I have no doubt that most of that will be loaded in.

Cubase wrote:No multi-tasking, no USB port, no card reader, no flash support, can only run Apple-sanctioned apps, no camera, eBooks currently US only, no HDMI out, no GPS.

It's basically a bigger, but less functional iPhone. I think ill pass thank you. The hype is once again thanks to Apple telling people what they want (instead of asking) and most Apple users lapping it up as gospel.

Okay, so it will display eBooks... but lets hope you don't run out of battery on those long trips, or it's not too sunny, or not wet/rainy. I'm sorry, but I hate the idea of replacing good old fashion paperbacks with something that is heavier and far more breakable.

In the meantime MSI are close to releasing their version based on the Android OS, which has Multi-tasking, USB and card reader support, HDMI out, Flash support and is capable of displaying 1080p video. It will also be as cheap as Apple's base model.

-Cub. =o)

I share the lack of enthusiasim about the ipad. But, the MSI creation might be interesting.

Sounds like a feminine product =P
Don't think there would be any drooling with that one though.

I've always wanted an oversized iphone that I can't fit in my pocket.

What makes it better than the Iphone???
If it isn't any better and has a lot less features, why make such a production out of introducing it???

Bafitis wrote:What makes it better than the Iphone???
If it isn't any better and has a lot less features, why make such a production out of introducing it???

Because as I said, for every handful of consumers that are shouting out what they want in a product there is a more powerful handful of product makers getting ahead of themselves and shouting out what they think you want instead.

It was like when they tried to release the new MacBook without a FireWire 400 port, which is the most used post for all video cameras (not tom mention 95% of external Hard Drives). They chose not to include it because they told the consumers that the FireWire800 port was the next step up and make a prediction that because the MacBook now had FireWire800 all the product makers with start fitting their products with it. But then most companied simply said "stuff that, we don't need 800, because 400 is fast enough for the next 10 or so years).
So literally 0% of video cameras supported the port at the time. They literally cut out their whole video editing market (one which they were "famous" for) all because instead of listening, they told.

When they finally re-released the MacBook with a 400 port, they refused to offer people who bought the previous version any discounts or upgrade options.

I guess that's why I have never really supported Mac... I don't like being told what I should have in my hardware and software... I like to decide for myself.

-Cub. =o)

I think the first version of almost any product is a sort of 'let's see what people make of this'. I'm amazed the iPad has no usb socket - it would have been a good tool for professional photographers to plug photos in and upload/download. That surely has to come in a future version?

The lack of Flash is because Apple apparently think Flash is cumbersome and buggy, but maybe they're just saying that because they want to plug their own H.264 and other things instead.

As for a portable TV - well it just means you need a big bag to carry it around in if it's for watching telly 'on the go' and if you're at home it will never replace the bigger telly that a whole household can watch.

As for replacing eBooks, this will be interesting - I'm with Cub in that I like a real book, something you can read in the bath, or make notes in the corner of pages, or flag pages (for study books) or even lend to friends for free (rather than telling them to buy their own copy because of DRM). I can't see that it will replace eBooks, but it got Amazon and the others worried that they're encouraging people to write their own apps for the Kindle etc. That will make the Kindle etc more popular, and given their far longer battery life for that sort of stuff the iPad will struggle to dominate that market.

And I probably couldn't have easily typed all this on the iPad, so how useful will it be for posting comments on the net?

Cubase wrote:
I guess that's why I have never really supported Mac... I don't like being told what I should have in my hardware and software... I like to decide for myself.

-Cub. =o)

Here here! I agree with you Cub. I think we are all grown ups and should be able to make choices for ourselves and don't need an overlord to tell us what we need.

I got a Kindle from Amazon. I love it. Is it better than physically holding a book? No, nothing can beat that. But is sure is convenient to have 50 books in my kindle instead of 50 books on a bookcase. I'm personally looking forward to seeing what new apps will be coming to Kindle.

I haven't used a Mac product since I was in Middle school... Never did understand why all computer in school where Apple...

No matter what you do, you'll never please everyone... But pleasing next to no one is never good business...

Well my job at the moment is kind of tied to Apple but i just can't get behind this thing. Mind you, i didn't buy myself a mobile phone till 2004 and only got an iphone because my job required it so i can be a luddite in some ways.

I think the motto with Apple is "wait and see". They always have some interesting ideas and good design (and of course brilliant marketing), but i don't think the ipad is going to be able to compete with the likes of the Kindle (which is what i believe the ipad was mainly designed for).