Apple's iPad Megathread

[Phaneuf3]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Dude you don't know what you're talking about.

You can pull your pictures off the device just by using the regular old iPod sync cable that ships with the thing. You don't need to buy an adapter just to get your pictures off of it. That would be pretty ######ed.

Dude. Perhaps I read his statement wrong but he's looking to put pictures ONTO his iPad from his camera - not pull them off. I know you can interface with your desktop without the adapter.

Now, it's still possible that I'm wrong - I'm in here to get more info about it.... but that's what I've been told.


edit: i see your edit and now see we're on the same page. Cheers.

[Pastiche]

Originally Posted by Phaneuf3

As an example pulled out of my ass: I want to take a word document from my co-worker's USB stick.

See, Apple wouldn't allow that because to allow that functionality (to swap word documents) would allow swapping of other files likes mp3s. And the only way Apple wants you to acquire mp3s is through their itunes store. Closed environment for the win.

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by Phaneuf3

Yes, they have an adapter for that. But they've (for some mysterious reason) locked it down so much it can ONLY be used with a camera for transferring picture files into their photo app.

So? Once they are in there, other apps can access the photo library. What exactly do you want to do? Stare at your files in the file system?

cd photos
ls
image1.jpg   image 2.jpg   image3.jpg
iPad:~ Barnes$

WEEEE!!!!

[FanIn80]

Yep, no USB memory stick access.

I don't know how I've survived for 3 years as an iPhone user without having a memory stick... err... stuck into the side of my phone. It's all good though, if using a usb memory stick is mission critical for you, then the iPad just isn't your thing.

[Phaneuf3]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Yep, no USB memory stick access.

I don't know how I've survived for 3 years as an iPhone user without having a memory stick... err... stuck into the side of my phone. It's all good though, if using a usb memory stick is mission critical for you, then the iPad just isn't your thing.

Exactly what I've concluded. It looks promising. (Some) People are billing it as a laptop killer but v1.0 doesn't have what I need in it to do away with other devices which would be my goal in picking up something like this.

An iPhone looks like a good replacement to a cell phone - it can do everything a cell phone can and more.
An iPad is not (yet) a good replacement for a laptop/netbook - it can't do a lot of things those systems can.

Thanks to the people here that provided the info to come to that conclusion.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Pastiche

See, Apple wouldn't allow that because to allow that functionality (to swap word documents) would allow swapping of other files likes mp3s. And the only way Apple wants you to acquire mp3s is through their itunes store. Closed environment for the win.

Awesome. Another guy who's clearly never touched an Apple product before, but is more than happy to tell everyone how they work.

I've never purchased music from iTunes, but yet all my music is there and I can sync them to any device on the planet that uses iTunes. I didn't even have to capture any unicorns to make it happen either.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by Phaneuf3

As an example pulled out of my ass: I want to take a word document from my co-worker's USB stick.

I hear there is this thing called email. The wave of the future I tell you!

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by Pastiche

See, Apple wouldn't allow that because to allow that functionality (to swap word documents) would allow swapping of other files likes mp3s. And the only way Apple wants you to acquire mp3s is through their itunes store. Closed environment for the win.

You really have no idea what the heck you're talking about do you.

[Phaneuf3]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Awesome. Another guy who's clearly never touched an Apple product before, but is more than happy to tell everyone how they work.

I've never purchased music from iTunes, but yet all my music is there and I can sync them to any device on the planet that uses iTunes. I didn't even have to capture any unicorns to make it happen either.

Since the topic is slightly shifting... Have they made iTunes more stable when you have a really big library?

I used to run it many years ago but then my music library got pretty massive and iTunes got slow and unstable. This was running it on a Windows system btw - not sure if that makes any difference.
Maybe you know.... Maybe you don't... Maybe you've never heard of such a problem.... It's a bit of a long shot but you seem like you're pretty plugged into the apple scene and willing to defend it whenever necessary.

I liked iTunes and would probably want to give it another shot if I thought it was improved.

[FanIn80]

And back to the stuff that people here actually care about:

http://www.apple.com/ipad/guided-tours/

Videos of all the different features etc. You know, I'm really looking forward to the iWork apps. My initial thought was they were going to look cool but be kind of gimped somehow... but now that I've seen them in action, I think they could be quite useful.

I just wish I could test that keyboard somehow. I know I'll be fine with it, since I've been using a touchscreen keyboard for 3 years, but I still just want to play...

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by Phaneuf3

Since the topic is slightly shifting... Have they made iTunes more stable when you have a really big library?

I used to run it many years ago but then my music library got pretty massive and iTunes got slow and unstable. This was running it on a Windows system btw - not sure if that makes any difference.
Maybe you know.... Maybe you don't... Maybe you've never heard of such a problem.... It's a bit of a long shot but you seem like you're pretty plugged into the apple scene and willing to defend it whenever necessary.

I liked iTunes and would probably want to give it another shot if I thought it was improved.

How big was your library?

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by Pastiche

Outlines exactly why I wont be getting one. I am afraid of the movement in computing that Apple symbolizes, closed platform, dominated by content producers and hardware/software manufacturers.

Good grief...the entire personal computer industry as it stands is a closed platform dominated by content producers and hardware/software manufacturers.

If all you do is consume content, be grateful the industry is built on the backs of dominant hardware and software companies, because otherwise the technology would be unaffordable and locked behind closed doors like the mainframes of old - each one unique to the company that built or bought one, jealously guarded, and completely unobtainable for the average person.

If you create content and do productive stuff with the technology, accept that you have to pay and support the big manufacturers to do the heavy lifting in tech R&D for you - unless you are Intel or some other fab, building CPU’s is not your core competency, and I doubt you want to have to write your own OS, content distribution network, and all the sales and support that goes along with that, just to get your stuff out there in the hands of consumers.

Consumers are getting products that are incredibly advanced and powerful at reasonable prices, the industry generates an enormous amount of money and wealth for the developers, and it also facilitates non-IT companies to leverage technology for their own products. How is this not a win for everyone?

[Phaneuf3]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

I hear there is this thing called email. The wave of the future I tell you!

Yup. e-mail's all well and good but you have to be able to deal with whatever comes up. This is something that's not uncommon.
Also, some e-mail servers can have problems with attachments over 10mb. That might not be applicable to a simple word doc that often but it happens for other file types.

[Phaneuf3]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

How big was your library?

A couple hundred gigs.

edit: Ya I know.... that's probably part of the reason why iTunes blew up.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by Phaneuf3

A couple hundred gigs.

edit: Ya I know.... that's probably part of the reason why iTunes blew up.

Great scott!

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by Phaneuf3

A couple hundred gigs.

edit: Ya I know.... that's probably part of the reason why iTunes blew up.

Mines that big if you take into account movies and tv and it works fine.

Unless, you are on windows where iTunes is a dog.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Phaneuf3

A couple hundred gigs.

edit: Ya I know.... that's probably part of the reason why iTunes blew up.

Small potaoes. My iTunes library is currently 378GB. I have the same library on a mac, and I have it on my windows laptop. iTunes runs just fine with it.

I used to hate iTunes on a PC just because I didn't use an iPod and didn't have any Macs. I had no reason to use it, and any time I tried it it seemed slow and clunky. I use it now, though, and I have no problems at all.

In fact, I don't even have WinAmp installed on this laptop. That used to be the first app I installed whenever I rebuilt.

[photon]

When the sum total time required to listen to / watch / read your media library exceeds your natural life span some kind of line has been crossed

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by photon

When the sum total time required to listen to / watch / read your media library exceeds your natural life span some kind of line has been crossed

Haha nice.

[photon]

And I still hate iTunes on my PC, still waaaaay slower than on the Mac.

I've stopped even trying to edit tags in iTunes. (EDIT: Edit tags for files on the phone that is).