iPad (3 Viewers)

[drummer]

Slate Wars: 15 Tablets That Could Rival Apple's iPad

The iPad has captured many hearts and minds, but a fleet of rival tablets led by a separatist Android army is about to attack, armed with HD Flash video, multitouch screens, front-facing cameras, multitasking...even Windows 7. Let's take a look.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/192496/slat...pples_ipad.html

Axiotron Modbook Pro 12 of 18

Ask Andreas Haas, the former head of Apple's Newton group, what he thinks of the iPad, and he'll tell you that "it's not a tablet; it's an extension of the iPod Touch." His company, Axiotron, is developing the Modbook Pro--a touch-enabled version of the pen-based, professionally finished Mac tablets that the business creates by converting MacBook laptops. Today you can buy pen-only Modbooks ready-made, or you can send your own MacBook to Axiotron, and the company will transform it into a Modbook for $700. The touch-capable Modbook Pro is should appear later this year, and it will probably cost quite a bit more than that.

The Modbook is so few years ago. It's also very expensive, and only a small few would buy it.

 

[Otis]

JAILBREAK UPDATE

Since I've jailbroken and installed a few programs, it's had some memory consumption issues and has now started to crash and reboot occasionally. It was rock-solid in Apple's "closed garden."

Sort of proves Apple's point pretty well, I think. Start letting in all the outside developers' junk and you end up with a far less stable product. This feels a lot like the many windows computers I've had over the years after I've had them for some time and installed a bunch of different programs on them.

May go back to non-jailbroken. Certainly will once 4.0 OS comes out.

 

[Memphis Foundry]

I agree Jobs stooped too low with the final comment, but I can understand his frustration. He is consistently being vilified in the press, often completely inaccurately. Seriously, Apple makes computers and gadgets and is being treated as though they are the Third Reich. That has to wear you down after a while.

Jobs is one of the very few CEO's that I have ever heard of that not only publishes his personal email but actually often responds to random questions. You have to give him a lot of credit for making himself available to the general public, even if his replies are often one word answers.

In this case, he replied to a guy that emailed with a rant about a commercial (seriously, since when don't we all take advertising with a grain of salt), who turned out to be an employee of Gawker Media, with whom Apple is entangled in a legal battle with. Tate never even properly identify himself as a journalist. After giving enough clues to his identity, Jobs continues the discussion even though Tate has no control over his anger and has thrown numerous profanities out.

So yeah, I agree that Steve shouldn't have stooped so low, but I completely understand how he may have lost himself for a moment.

I can't think of any CEO in the world who is more admired and revered than Steve Jobs. Apple is currently the most popular consumer products company in the world. I a big goon fan, but playing the "Jobs is a victim" and "Apple is treated like Nazis" cards is beyond ridiculous.

Disagree. The conversation has changed. Just like politics, it's all about who controls the news cycle, and for the last year it has been Apple's opponents that have been successfully pulling the media strings. Sure, Apple has made mistakes, I don't give them a free pass. But the rhetoric from the mainstream press has been as equally vehement as anything coming from the blogosphere. Between the iPhone prototype debacle, the revised developer terms and the completely overplayed yet misunderstood "open" vs. "closed" discussion, Apple is now considered the opponent of freedom. And the press is having a field day with it all. Everyone from Fox News to The Daily Show is obsessed with knocking Apple off of their perch. They are the goons in black kicking down the doors of free speech. They are the walled-off dictatorial state. They are the stewards of censorship. The only thing America loves more than an underdog victory is destroying a favorite.

You alluded to the answer to your question in your last sentence. What's happening to Apple right now is what happens to perceived market leaders. They live in the spotlight and don't catch any breaks. If a run-of-the-mill company that controls only about 5% of the worldwide personal computer OS market share were to make a few PR missteps, no one might ever be the wiser because it's unlikely that many would notice or care. However, if that company happens to be Apple (which owns about that percentage of the personal computer market), then that's a story worth telling simply because they are today's consumer electronics zeitgeist, and writing about Apple attracts eyeballs. These are the sorts of governors that you get tasked with when you become too popular, too successful. If you can shrug those off and still keep growing, then eventually the FTC jumps on, too, as they did with Microsoft and more recently with Google. Everybody's gunning for the market leader.

So the question becomes, which does Apple want to retain -- the leadership role they have crafted (and earned) in the industry, or the scrappy guerrilla-creative underdog image that challenges folks to "Think Different"? I don't think it is possible to retain both.

 

[Memphis Foundry]

I thought this was a very good article. A Windows software developer sings the praises of the iPad:

iPad definitely a threat to Windows

Published on May 18, 2010 By Frogboy

I’m going to write more about this shortly but having had my iPad for about 3 weeks I have to say that the iPad and other devices like it are going to murder large sections of the Windows based market.

And as a Windows software developer, that doesn’t make me happy.

If you are producing “stuff” the Windows-centric world is still central. But for everyone else who are consumers of content, these new devices are a huge threat.

It’s not the form factor per se. Not that it’s a “tablet”. I’ll boil it down:

1. Instant on. It just works. I want to check email, look at my schedule for the day, look at Facebook, view something on YouTube, check out some news headlines, or just watch a movie, the iPad (and future devices of its class) are just much more convenient.

I love my ThinkPad T400. But when I go to it, I have to pray whether it’ll come out of sleep. If it does come out of sleep, it’ll be slow. Maybe it will be out of batteries. Who knows. What I do know is that it’s far too slow as a consumer device. Netbooks are even worse. It seems like such a little thing – instant on. But it’s the difference between a DVR and a VCR in terms of leap of effective functionality.

2. Speed. Similar to #1, I can check my email, look at my various RSS feeds and scan my schedule in less than 30 seconds. On a Windows based PC, I’d still be waiting for Outlook to get done doing its thing or dealing with some Windows update that came in during the night that rebooted my machine. (and yes, I know you can alter these settings but with Windows, Microsoft has made productivity the enemy and made all the defaults set to fight productivity). If I just want to check something out on Wikipedia or check a web page, nothing beats the speed of an iPad (or a future Android based tablet).

3. The App store. I have downloaded (and paid for) a lot of $2.00 programs that are just amazing. It’s not that you couldn’t make these on the PC, it’s just that people would scream that it should be free. And as a developer, I can tell you, I won’t spend time making stuff “for free” when I could be spending that time with my kids unless it’s a labor of love. As a result, a lot of cool little programs are being made because developers can actually get paid for making cool stuff.

Now, some of these things apply to an iPod Touch or an Android mobile device or an iPhone. But the form factor (size of the device) are key here in terms of usability.

The 3 things I mention here are so outshine the Windows PC experience that if Microsoft doesn’t get off its duff and start addressing them soon then I predict Windows will become purely a content creation device whose content is primarily consumed elsewhere. There’s really no excuse that in 2010, Windows is in the shape its in (particularly with regard to instant on).

The iPad is only the beginning. Once Android devices and WebOS devices show up, it could spell the beginning of the end of Windows dominance.

LinkI think his comment about Microsoft making productivity the enemy is particularly interesting. It's a bit over the top but I think he's going in the right direction with it. Most folks want computers to make their life less complicated and reduce annoyances rather than make it more complicated and frustrating. The iPad (and devices like it) might not be capable of doing everything, but it does enough. And for 80% or so of the folks out there that are primarily content consumers, trading their existing computers for devices like this that are snappy, functional, and require minimal maintenance probably isn't as big a step as it would seem. After a few weeks, the trade would probably seem like a great deal.

 

[The Future Champs]

Serious question here for owners:

I stopped by an Apple store yesterday and used an Ipad for the first time. It seemed to take a long time to load an FBG thread (Jersey Shore WW game), but it was better than my desktop at reading the thread once loaded due to the flinger flick scrolling. Is that the common experience?

 

[3C's]

Serious question here for owners:I stopped by an Apple store yesterday and used an Ipad for the first time. It seemed to take a long time to load an FBG thread (Jersey Shore WW game), but it was better than my desktop at reading the thread once loaded due to the flinger flick scrolling. Is that the common experience?

That really could be one of several things. There are times when I click on a thread here and go to another tab to read something else because it takes so long for the page to load. Other times, pages load instantly. Could also be a busy or slow network at the Apple store. I wouldn't think it's the iPad itself that was slow. Did you try other websites and have similar slowness?

 

[goonsquad]

I think his comment about Microsoft making productivity the enemy is particularly interesting. It's a bit over the top but I think he's going in the right direction with it. Most folks want computers to make their life less complicated and reduce annoyances rather than make it more complicated and frustrating. The iPad (and devices like it) might not be capable of doing everything, but it does enough. And for 80% or so of the folks out there that are primarily content consumers, trading their existing computers for devices like this that are snappy, functional, and require minimal maintenance probably isn't as big a step as it would seem. After a few weeks, the trade would probably seem like a great deal.

This new shift was recently coined as "Curated Computed".

Consider this: consumers can do a wide variety of things with a Windows PC or Mac, like run commands, install robust software, connect easily to external devices, and save files locally. But the iPad does things differently. Its operating system runs more like a jukebox than a desktop, asking consumers to choose (and often pay for) applications from a predetermined set list. Each of these applications is in itself also curated, since the publisher selects content and functionality that's appropriate to the form factor, just as a museum curator selects artwork from a larger collection to exhibit in a particular gallery space.

But why is this new era of Curated Computing so important? After more than two decades of failed experiments with tablet PCs (remember the Dynapad?), consumers finally have a tablet that works—and the iPad works precisely because it's a Curated Computing experience. Even while some pundits may scream about Apple controlling the ecosystem, at least some consumers (more than 1 million so far, says Apple) show willingness to trade off unlimited choice for relevance. But success beyond the iPad is not guaranteed. In order for tablets to grow as a viable market beyond the iPad, product strategists must reshape consumers' expectations of what a PC can be and how it fits into consumers' everyday life, alongside desktops, laptops and smartphones.

 

[GloryDaze]

 

[scoobygang]

My favorite app for the IPad, which I never would have guessed I'd like so much, is White Noise Pro. I essentially end up using the IPad as a bedside clock/white noise machine. The app has all your standard white noise sounds (rain, thunderstorms, fans, wind chimes, surf, etc.). What really takes it over the top is the ability to then mix five of those noises by virtual proximity to you. This disguises the loops that are so evident when you have one single sound. It's ridiculously effective at putting me to sleep, even in a strange hotel in Taiwan. The clock display is also nice, as it's big but fully customizable as to brightness. So I have a huge, unmissable display of the time without lighting up my room like a Thai brothel.

 

[grateful zed]

lighting up my room like a Thai brothel.

unpack?

 

[Otis]

My favorite app for the IPad, which I never would have guessed I'd like so much, is White Noise Pro. I essentially end up using the IPad as a bedside clock/white noise machine. The app has all your standard white noise sounds (rain, thunderstorms, fans, wind chimes, surf, etc.). What really takes it over the top is the ability to then mix five of those noises by virtual proximity to you. This disguises the loops that are so evident when you have one single sound. It's ridiculously effective at putting me to sleep, even in a strange hotel in Taiwan. The clock display is also nice, as it's big but fully customizable as to brightness. So I have a huge, unmissable display of the time without lighting up my room like a Thai brothel.

Love this app.

 

[Otis]

Velcro

 

[KCC]

 

[boom king]

im about 80% sure i want an iMac but i have an iphone. can i transfer my apps to this? dont wanna double dip. im sure this is a stupid question.

 

[LHUCKS]

My favorite app for the IPad, which I never would have guessed I'd like so much, is White Noise Pro. I essentially end up using the IPad as a bedside clock/white noise machine. The app has all your standard white noise sounds (rain, thunderstorms, fans, wind chimes, surf, etc.). What really takes it over the top is the ability to then mix five of those noises by virtual proximity to you. This disguises the loops that are so evident when you have one single sound. It's ridiculously effective at putting me to sleep, even in a strange hotel in Taiwan. The clock display is also nice, as it's big but fully customizable as to brightness. So I have a huge, unmissable display of the time without lighting up my room like a Thai brothel.

 

[raisydaisy]

Help with buying an IPAD, peez.

Wife is a huge apple fan, I know nothing apple.

She hinted at an Ipad and her birthday is next week. She will use it mostly at home. We travel about 5 times a year and I'm sure she will bring it then. Which one will fit her needs best? TIA.

 

[Abraham]

Help with buying an IPAD, peez.

Wife is a huge apple fan, I know nothing apple.

She hinted at an Ipad and her birthday is next week. She will use it mostly at home. We travel about 5 times a year and I'm sure she will bring it then. Which one will fit her needs best? TIA.

tHE CHANCe it will get delivered by next week is very slim.

 

[raisydaisy]

Help with buying an IPAD, peez.

Wife is a huge apple fan, I know nothing apple.

She hinted at an Ipad and her birthday is next week. She will use it mostly at home. We travel about 5 times a year and I'm sure she will bring it then. Which one will fit her needs best? TIA.

tHE CHANCe it will get delivered by next week is very slim.

That will suck but not a deal breaker.

 

[Otis]

Help with buying an IPAD, peez.

Wife is a huge apple fan, I know nothing apple.

She hinted at an Ipad and her birthday is next week. She will use it mostly at home. We travel about 5 times a year and I'm sure she will bring it then. Which one will fit her needs best? TIA.

Having had both, if it's something she will use often and may take out of the house with her, I'd go for the 3G. Personally I couldn't do without it at this point. Came in handy this morning when I got out of the subway and had to find my way over to the courthouse -- whip out the Google maps, punch in the address, and start walking.I also use it on the road for, in no particular order:

- As an iPod during my commute

- To read during my commute

- To stream audio via bluetooth to my car stereo

- To get directions, find stores, see traffic info, search the web, and do other things on the go -- this is the big one that 3G affords me.

Ultimately you're looking at $120 difference in price between Wifi and 3G. If you don't mind eating that, go 3G. Rate plans are $15 a month for limited data plan -- if she isn't using it outside much, that would be the way to go.

As for size, I found the 32GB version to be a good enough size for my purposes, but upgraded to the 64GB and am glad I did. I think 16 is too small.

 

[raisydaisy]

Maybe this is a better question, when is the next generation coming out?

 

[raisydaisy]

Help with buying an IPAD, peez.

Wife is a huge apple fan, I know nothing apple.

She hinted at an Ipad and her birthday is next week. She will use it mostly at home. We travel about 5 times a year and I'm sure she will bring it then. Which one will fit her needs best? TIA.

Having had both, if it's something she will use often and may take out of the house with her, I'd go for the 3G. Personally I couldn't do without it at this point. Came in handy this morning when I got out of the subway and had to find my way over to the courthouse -- whip out the Google maps, punch in the address, and start walking.I also use it on the road for, in no particular order:

- As an iPod during my commute

- To read during my commute

- To stream audio via bluetooth to my car stereo

- To get directions, find stores, see traffic info, search the web, and do other things on the go -- this is the big one that 3G affords me.

Ultimately you're looking at $120 difference in price between Wifi and 3G. If you don't mind eating that, go 3G. Rate plans are $15 a month for limited data plan -- if she isn't using it outside much, that would be the way to go.

As for size, I found the 32GB version to be a good enough size for my purposes, but upgraded to the 64GB and am glad I did. I think 16 is too small.

Do you have an iphone too, I don't get why have 3g on both, she already has it on her iphone.

 

[the moops]

I still have yet to see/play with one of these things. I find that amazing considering the number of them sold, and that I work at an art college that uses macs exclusively.

 

[Otis]

Help with buying an IPAD, peez.

Wife is a huge apple fan, I know nothing apple.

She hinted at an Ipad and her birthday is next week. She will use it mostly at home. We travel about 5 times a year and I'm sure she will bring it then. Which one will fit her needs best? TIA.

Having had both, if it's something she will use often and may take out of the house with her, I'd go for the 3G. Personally I couldn't do without it at this point. Came in handy this morning when I got out of the subway and had to find my way over to the courthouse -- whip out the Google maps, punch in the address, and start walking.I also use it on the road for, in no particular order:

- As an iPod during my commute

- To read during my commute

- To stream audio via bluetooth to my car stereo

- To get directions, find stores, see traffic info, search the web, and do other things on the go -- this is the big one that 3G affords me.

Ultimately you're looking at $120 difference in price between Wifi and 3G. If you don't mind eating that, go 3G. Rate plans are $15 a month for limited data plan -- if she isn't using it outside much, that would be the way to go.

As for size, I found the 32GB version to be a good enough size for my purposes, but upgraded to the 64GB and am glad I did. I think 16 is too small.

Do you have an iphone too, I don't get why have 3g on both, she already has it on her iphone.

If she has an iPhone, that changes my answer. Wifi version is fine then.No, I don't have an iPhone.

 

[Walton Goggins]

I still have yet to see/play with one of these things. I find that amazing considering the number of them sold, and that I work at an art college that uses macs exclusively.

Saw it for the first time with someone outside Apple Store two days ago when boarding a flight from Austin (huge Tech city) to Chicago. Mind you I was in NYC a few weeks ago for three days and didn't see a single person with one in the street or any bars/restaurants I went to. Strange.

 

[Britney Spears]

My wife just got one.

Is the Apple case the clear winner for protecting this thing? I don't want one of those clear plastic junky things on it.

 

[joey]

My wife just got one. Is the Apple case the clear winner for protecting this thing? I don't want one of those clear plastic junky things on it.

I love the apple case. It's the only iPad accessory I bought. It's thin and the rubbery material makes it easy to hold. Mostly, it feels like it's barely there, which is the best part.

 

[Britney Spears]

My wife just got one. Is the Apple case the clear winner for protecting this thing? I don't want one of those clear plastic junky things on it.

I love the apple case. It's the only iPad accessory I bought. It's thin and the rubbery material makes it easy to hold. Mostly, it feels like it's barely there, which is the best part.

Good info here.I think this would be the only accessory I would be interested.

 

[Otis]

My wife just got one. Is the Apple case the clear winner for protecting this thing? I don't want one of those clear plastic junky things on it.

I love the apple case. It's the only iPad accessory I bought. It's thin and the rubbery material makes it easy to hold. Mostly, it feels like it's barely there, which is the best part.

Good info here.I think this would be the only accessory I would be interested.

Agreed. I had other bulkier cases and didn't like them. The built in, foldback stand on the iPad case becomes handy too. I use it all the time, on my lap or table top surfaces.

 

[Cookie Boyle]

Otis, when you have children, will you name your first girl Apple?

 

[sjacksonfan]

Still have no clue what this thing does.

 

[Britney Spears]

Still have no clue what this thing does.

Seems like it does everything normal people do with home laptops to me.Normal meaning, you don't work in IT, or program databases in your free time.

 

[joey]

Still have no clue what this thing does.

Seems like it does everything normal people do with home laptops to me.Normal meaning, you don't work in IT, or program databases in your free time.

Exactly. I had a friend today joke that "it's just a big iPhone. What do you really need it for?"I asked what he used his laptop for and he basically said surfing and email.Bingo! That's exactly why I got an iPad to replace my old laptop.

 

[Gordo]

I still have yet to see/play with one of these things. I find that amazing considering the number of them sold, and that I work at an art college that uses macs exclusively.

Saw it for the first time with someone outside Apple Store two days ago when boarding a flight from Austin (huge Tech city) to Chicago. Mind you I was in NYC a few weeks ago for three days and didn't see a single person with one in the street or any bars/restaurants I went to. Strange.

It really isn't all that strange. They have sold somewhere around 2 million of these things now maybe. The current population of the U.S. is now somewhere around 307 million. It doesn't seem strange to me at all that you didn't happen upon that less than .5 % of the population on your trip.

 

[Otis]

Favorite new app: Pulse

RSS and newsreader. Really nice layout and functionality, I like it much more than early edition.

 

[Britney Spears]

Holy crap this thing is fast.

 

[[icon]]

Holy crap this thing is fast.

Amazing what a computer is capable of once you strip away all the BS and pare it down to the things most folks use the most.

 

[3C's]

Holy crap this thing is fast.

Amazing what a computer is capable of once you strip away all the BS and pare it down to the things most folks use the most.

Maybe it has a little to do with being RAM based instead of hard drive. I have a friend who has an 80GB flash drive in his laptop as his boot disk. Power off to fully booted Windows is 8 seconds.

 

[[icon]]

Holy crap this thing is fast.

Amazing what a computer is capable of once you strip away all the BS and pare it down to the things most folks use the most.

Maybe it has a little to do with being RAM based instead of hard drive. I have a friend who has an 80GB flash drive in his laptop as his boot disk. Power off to fully booted Windows is 8 seconds.

Flash drive is a factor, but these new mobile OS's (iPhone OS, Android) are incredibly quick when compared to traditional full scale OSs (Windows, OS X). You sacrifice a little functionality for remarkably snappy interfaces.

 

[3C's]

Holy crap this thing is fast.

Amazing what a computer is capable of once you strip away all the BS and pare it down to the things most folks use the most.

Maybe it has a little to do with being RAM based instead of hard drive. I have a friend who has an 80GB flash drive in his laptop as his boot disk. Power off to fully booted Windows is 8 seconds.

Flash drive is a factor, but these new mobile OS's (iPhone OS, Android) are incredibly quick when compared to traditional full scale OSs (Windows, OS X). You sacrifice a little functionality for remarkably snappy interfaces.

No doubt a stripped down OS is going to be much more lightweight than a full blown OS with hundreds (and some) of drivers. Couple that with solid state instead of a spinning disk and it's going to be way faster.

 

[KGB]

It would be cool if they invented a piece of hardware that will take a wifi/blutooth signal and xfer it to use the ipad as a remote for tv/surround sound etc.

Hell a cool remote is like $200

 

[3C's]

It would be cool if they invented a piece of hardware that will take a wifi/blutooth signal and xfer it to use the ipad as a remote for tv/surround sound etc. Hell a cool remote is like $200

They had an app like that on Treo since it had infrared...but it's range was horrible.

 

[gigantor]

thinking about biting on this 64gb 3g for $560 on CL..

Ipad

 

[Britney Spears]

It would be cool if they invented a piece of hardware that will take a wifi/blutooth signal and xfer it to use the ipad as a remote for tv/surround sound etc. Hell a cool remote is like $200

You can use your iPhone as a remote to control your TV with the free "Remote" app. I would have to think you can do the same thing with the iPad. I'll try it out.

 

[[icon]]

thinking about biting on this 64gb 3g for $560 on CL..

Ipad

has to be a scam

 

[Gordo]

It would be cool if they invented a piece of hardware that will take a wifi/blutooth signal and xfer it to use the ipad as a remote for tv/surround sound etc.

Hell a cool remote is like $200

There is a couple of pieces of hardware that will turn your iPhone or iPod Touch into a universal remote, I would guess that you will see an iPad version in the near future.Re iPhone/iPod Universal Remote

Power A iPhone Remote Case

 

[Otis]

It's sort of funny to see all these new tablet concepts coming out on engadget and gizmodo and seeing that every single one looks exactly like an iPad. Particularly after people in these threads complained so much about silly things like the black border around the screen (they all seem to have that), the size, and the like. Something about the sincerest form of flattery....

Link

 

[Otis]

LOL

 

[goonsquad]

AT&T announced some changes to the iPhone data plans, but iPad 3G owners are affected, too: AT&T is doing away with the $30/month unlimited data plan. Instead you'll pay $25/month for 2GB:

For new iPad customers, the $25 per month 2 GB plan will replace the existing $29.99 unlimited plan. iPad customers will continue to pre-pay for their wireless data plan and no contract is required. Existing iPad customers who have the $29.99 per month unlimited plan can keep that plan or switch to the new $25 per month plan with 2 GB of data.

The new data plan will kick in on June 7, but the good news is that folks who have the unlimited plan before that time can grandfather it. [PR Newsswire]

 

[Walton Goggins]

It's sort of funny to see all these new tablet concepts coming out on engadget and gizmodo and seeing that every single one looks exactly like an iPad. Particularly after people in these threads complained so much about silly things like the black border around the screen (they all seem to have that), the size, and the like. Something about the sincerest form of flattery....

Link

In all fairness it's not like there's that many different ways for a tablet to look...it looks like a tablet

 

[gigantor]

ordered 16gb wifi. couldn't justify spending more on 32gb or 3g at this time