Apple's iPad Megathread

[Frequitude]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Why? Do they not work if they are angled?

Try propping a keyboard up at an angle and report back on how comfortable it is to type with your wrists bent back.

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Which can be done easy with an ipad. The separate space for screen and keyboard can cause space issues, when you don't have a lot of space. I've thought many times while lying in bed with a laptop that it's just too cumbersome - impossible to get the screen where you want it.

When you're lying in bed are you going to prop the screen up with the separate stand on your legs and then make sure you stay perfectly still?


Typing anywhere other than a desk with this thing sounds terribly akward. Hence the statement that it will be nowhere near the best device ever for email. Movies and internet yes, email no.

[Teh_Bandwagoner]

I'm gonna wait for at least 2nd gen iPad before I even consider buying one. Let all the techno-keeners work out the kinks for me first

[Frequitude]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

No gamers will continue not to shower and buy thier systems. I am saying as a % of games dollar sales, apple will be more than Nintendo and Sony combined (mobile not wii/ps3 etc). The same people who buy "games" on facebook, will buy games on the iphone/ipad. Gamers will continue to bitch about what this doesnt have, linux, camera, keyboard, etc etc etc while bitching at how expensive it is.

Don't forget physical buttons.

[The Ditch]

Originally Posted by Burninator

Neither of them are perfect. I think it will come down to what people what to spend, what features they want and who has the best catalog.

So as someone who owns a Kindle are you happy with the selection of books? So you miss having the physical copies? Do you miss having the books on a book shelf? Are you considering replacing it with the iPad?

There has only been a couple of books I've wanted that weren't on the Kindle, and I believe one of them is on there now. The selection is quite large, you can go onto amazon.com and see which books are available on there. There's about 340 000 books available so far on the Kindle, they keep adding in more.

Books on the bookshelf I thought I would miss but I don't, they were nice to see but after a while they just took up so much space in my place, I ended up donating all my books to charity. My wife was one of the people who swore she would never use an ereader because she liked having a physical copy for a number of reasons, she now has a Kindle as well. I like it better especially for books over say 1000 pages because physically they're just so big and cumbersome.

Once I use an iPad and check it out I might buy one, it will come down to how large the catalog is and prices. I don't know though, I like the eink because it's good in sunlight, easy on the eyes, but who knows once I use an iPad I might change my mind.

One thing that could sway me is if there are a lot of magazines on there, but then I might only use it for reading magazines and newspapers and use the Kindle for books.

[Regorium]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

$250 netbook?

Minimum was the Asus Eee Pc from Memory express for $450. Chepest laptop or memoryexpress.com is $430 - where are these mythical $250 dollar netbooks?

Touch intervace is weak for gaming - does the Iphone do games - I guess not.

Here is the link to the $430 netbook, do you have a link for your $250 netbook.

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Product...9/Default.aspx

When the ipad costs less than $150 more than the google phone, that is crazy.

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...0137243&catid=

Didn't even look at the specs. Don't call me out on them, but it's 250. Boxing day there were deals for $200 or less as well. Good luck getting boxing day deals on apple stuff =)

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

Try propping a keyboard up at an angle and report back on how comfortable it is to type with your wrists bent back.

You don't have to bend your wrists back to type on an angled keyboard.

Originally Posted by Frequitude

When you're lying in bed are you going to prop the screen up with the separate stand on your legs and then make sure you stay perfectly still?

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying, but while lying in bed, using a laptop often means that the screen is much higher up than you want it to be, or to angle the screen so that it's square to your face means that it's almost tipping over on top of you.

Also, much easier to lie on your side or on your tummy and use an iPad, than a notebook.

Originally Posted by Frequitude

Typing anywhere other than a desk with this thing sounds terribly akward. Hence the statement that it will be nowhere near the best device ever for email. Movies and internet yes, email no.

Typing, while obviously not as good a having a real mechanical keyboard, isn't going to be an issue. The kinds of personal emails usually sent out by one of these things doesn't involve enough typing to make a big difference. People that need to lots of typing (for work, or whatever) aren't going to have one of these to do that, but the keyboarding experience will be good enough for email, chat, surfing the web, etc.

P.S. I angled my keyboard up about 30 degrees to type this whole post, and certainly haven't had to bend my wrists back.

[photon]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

do you have a link for your $250 netbook.

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...49&catid=27003

There were lots of $250 netbooks early on when smaller screen sizes were the norm, now the prices have crept (as have the screen sizes) and $299 seems to be the common low price starting point with screens at 10" now for the most part.

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

Try propping a keyboard up at an angle and report back on how comfortable it is to type with your wrists bent back.



When you're lying in bed are you going to prop the screen up with the separate stand on your legs and then make sure you stay perfectly still?


Typing anywhere other than a desk with this thing sounds terribly akward. Hence the statement that it will be nowhere near the best device ever for email. Movies and internet yes, email no.

See, I see it the other way: typing with a laptop anywhere other than a desk is awkward. Ever try to use a laptop while standing up without something to set the laptop on? How about lying down on your back? Sitting in a tight bus? Sitting in a car? How about passing a laptop back and forth between two people?
You use one hand to hold the device, and hold it at whatever angle is suitable for typing, similar to the way that you would hold a book.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Regorium

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...0137243&catid=

Didn't even look at the specs. Don't call me out on them, but it's 250. Boxing day there were deals for $200 or less as well. Good luck getting boxing day deals on apple stuff =)

it's $250, but it's also REFURBISHED.

[Regorium]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

it's $250, but it's also REFURBISHED.

Saw that, so you can go up to $280 (the next cheapest one), and know that sales will come that will hack off the price by 10-25%.

The point does stand though. I was actually quite surprised at the price of netbooks actually. When they first came out, they were closer to $180, but I guess nobody really expected that niche to take off like it did.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by octothorp

See, I see it the other way: typing with a laptop anywhere other than a desk is awkward. Ever try to use a laptop while standing up without something to set the laptop on? How about lying down on your back? Sitting in a tight bus? Sitting in a car? How about passing a laptop back and forth between two people?
You use one hand to hold the device, and hold it at whatever angle is suitable for typing, similar to the way that you would hold a book.

This is the way I see it too. Laptops are good for typing a desk, or if you can put it down on something flat, but not very good for typing anywhere else.

That's the beauty of something like an iPad, you can still type fairly well (although slower) with one hand.

[Regorium]

I also looked for a comparable to the iPad.

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Product...25117(ME).aspx

Asus 9" netbook with a touch screen is $509 - in the mold of other tablets, where you can swivel the screen to make it look like an iPad. Has a solid state drive too. Weighs 1kg, meaning that if you really wanted you could take this on a bus and read a book like many are saying what they could do with the iPad.

I guess my question is what does the iPad do that this particular netbook doesn't? It combines the best of both worlds for $90 less. (assuming iPad is 599 here if it's 499 in the states)

[SebC]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Exactly. Like they said in the the presentation, a netbook isn't an inbetween device, it's just a really cheap laptop.

IMO, a netbook is a different form factor. Smaller, ligher, more portable, less powerful. Sure, it's less differentiated from a laptop than the iPad is, but that's partly because it's more capable (assuming you might want, say Firefox + Word + Messenger running). And at a similar price, size, and weight, if you're looking for something for browsing, media, and office, it's a direct competitor (less so if you're looking for an eBook reader), so it makes sense that Apple would try to discredit netbooks, but Apple says a lot of things that are completely insane, so who cares what they say?

[BlackEleven]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

This is all the kind of stuff people said about iPods.

"What are you talking about, no CD player? Yeah right. Like that will ever work. This iPod thing will fail miserably, and people will keep buying Sony Walkmans."

The coolest thing about this iPad anouncement is how, in spite of how much people of changed, how little people have really changed.

I know you're being tounge-in-cheek but iPod's success doesn't guarantee iPads success. Despite what people may or may not say about it now.

iPods and iPhone were modifying existing products. Apple didn't come up with the idea of portable music or even mp3 players, they were around along before iPods. Same with the iPhone -- cell phones and even smartphones were already around. But Apple had success because they took these products and add a lot of features to them that people wanted.

The iPad is different. Apple is essentially trying to create a new market here. It's not really an ebook reader, it's not really a laptop and its not really a netbook. It has elements of all three but its missing some elements of each as well.

Apple didn't have to convince people that they needed portatable music or smartphones, this time around part of the pitch is convincing people they need this thing.

[Cheese]

well here we go...the best use yet...

iPAD

[Regorium]

Originally Posted by Cheese

well here we go...the best use yet...

iPAD

It's funnier because that video was made in 2006.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

That's the beauty of something like an iPad, you can still type fairly well (although slower) with one hand.

Really? It might be better than a netbook if you're standing on a train, but if you're holding it with one hand and typing with the other I imagine that would be awful. Seems to me like in that scenario, a BB or an iPhone would be better where you can hold it with both hands and type with your thumbs.

Originally Posted by Regorium

I also looked for a comparable to the iPad.

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX25117(ME).aspx

Asus 9" netbook with a touch screen is $509 - in the mold of other tablets, where you can swivel the screen to make it look like an iPad. Has a solid state drive too. Weighs 1kg, meaning that if you really wanted you could take this on a bus and read a book like many are saying what they could do with the iPad.

I guess my question is what does the iPad do that this particular netbook doesn't? It combines the best of both worlds for $90 less. (assuming iPad is 599 here if it's 499 in the states)

Multitouch. But they've got one that does that, just not out in Canada for some reason. It also goes to 32 GB drive, upgradeable to 2 GB RAM, and runs Windows7. iPad wins for battery life, screen size, thickness, weight, eBooks, and Apple-ness (simple and stylish), netbook wins for height, width, multitasking, processing power, open system, USB ports that don't need adapters, camera. I don't know how many people really would care about the touchscreen anyways though when they have keyboard and touchpad.

[Frequitude]

I will sleep better tonight knowing we have fully investigated the ins & outs of the new iPad!

Soooo, how is it different than a big iPod touch with 3G and some beefed up hardware? Not saying that's a bad thing. Serious question.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by SebC

a BB or an iPhone would be better where you can hold it with both hands and type with your thumbs.

Better for typing yes (but not by too much), but lousy on the screen size, and browsing experience.

I imagine actually holding an iPad and getting a feel for it would let us know if the typing experience was acceptable or not, until then, really it's all talk. considering how good the iPhone is though, I have doubt the iPad is good too.

For myself, I have no desire for a netbook. I don't need all the functionality of a laptop, and that assuming that an iPad isn't as functional as a laptop (I think they will be much the same in terms of functionality once apps start coming out). Something like the iPad is what I want. I would probably wait until the second or third generation (due to working out the bugs but also due to affordabiltiy). Personally, I think devices like this are the future of computing - not to completely eliminate other forms, of course.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by SebC

Really? It might be better than a netbook if you're standing on a train, but if you're holding it with one hand and typing with the other I imagine that would be awful. Seems to me like in that scenario, a BB or an iPhone would be better where you can hold it with both hands and type with your thumbs.

Multitouch. But they've got one that does that, just not out in Canada for some reason. It also goes to 32 GB drive, upgradeable to 2 GB RAM, and runs Windows7. iPad wins for battery life, eBooks, and Apple-ness (simple and stylish), netbook wins for multitasking, open system, USB ports that don't need adapters, camera. I don't know how many people really would care about the touchscreen anyways though when they have keyboard and touchpad.

I think you're still caught up in trying to fit the iPad into the "mini-laptop" hole. It's just not going to fit, because it was never meant to.

The whole "Think Different" thing isn't just a marketing slogan with Apple. Their products literally require you to think differently than what you might be used to. People hear "tablet" and think "mini touchscreen laptop!" but nobody ever said Apple was making a small, multi-touch MacBook. They made something that they see a market for, and they've been right more times than they've been wrong in the past.

HP, Samsung, LG, Toshiba, Dell, Acer... these are the guys who compete with each other over the same devices. Apple does things their own way, and people either "get it" or they don't.

Look at the AppleTV: Most people who have one think it's one of the greatest household gadgets ever created, but for every person like that, there are probably 10 more people who don't get the point of it and see it as a complete failure. I promise you that the people who do "get it" don't feel that way at all.

Anyway, if people are looking for a miniature laptop, then just get a netbook. There are plenty of different colours to choose from and lots of different manufacturers too. It's not that big of a deal.

As an aside, I know there are something like 40 million people currently using an iPhone or iPod Touch. How many more billions of people are there, though? I'm willing to bet there's a pretty sizable bunch that don't have either, because the iPod was too small and they didn't want to pay $80-$100 a month for an iPhone. Sounds like a pretty decent iPad market to me...