iPad Can the iPad replace ebook readers?

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by kennyc

I think that's an insignificant distinction and if that is all it is then it certainly will be swept aside when full-function tablet devices become generally available in the coming year.

It's not insignificant at all.

A full tablet PC has a full OS and can do anything a PC/laptop can do, albeit usually clunky if you don't have a keyboard attached etc.

A media tablet is just for reading, watching videos, doing web surfing. Not doing full on computing.

I don't think full on tablet PCs will sweep media consumption tablets away. They've failed in every instance in the past. There no easier to use than PCs, so you have to be computer literate to use them. Battery life will be shorter due to having to run a full OS. They will run hotter etc.

I think there's a place for both things in the market. But I think iPad like tablets that are just meant for reading, net surfing etc. have more of a chance of catching on as the vast majority of people will just stick with desktops and laptops for their full computing needs as physical keyboards are a must for doing real work. As is having full processing power for resource intensive programs (statistical analysis software, engineering software, film editing etc. etc.)

But I think there's a nice market for a device in between a phone/pda and a laptop that's just a consumption tool with a nice simple interface for reading newspapers, books, comics, watching video, playing music and all the other stuff, but not being a full on computer.

I certainly want one. The tablet form factor is vastly superior to a laptop for reading, doing light web surfing that's mostly reading, watching some streaming video in bed etc. I'll use the iPad or something like it for most of that, and keep my laptop for work.

I also like the device separation as I spend so much time on my laptop and office desktop working, I hate spending any of my free time on computers--with a tablet, I don't feel like I'm stuck at the computer again. So there's some psychological benefit as well.

[volwrath]

Originally Posted by sfernald

The iPad is the new definition of what a tablet computer is. It is already the most successful tablet ever released. The competition will now just copy it endlessly like the phone manufacturers did with the iPhone.

You mean like the iPhones implementation of folders or multitasking or stereo bluetooth or apps or what? Also the iphone GUI is a a direct rip of palmos.

[volwrath]

Originally Posted by scottjl

you know. that's a good point. 5 years from now we're going to be using tablet devices based on OS X/iPhone, Windows 7 or Android. Kindle, Sony, and all the others based on their small operating systems are going to be long gone. Pick your poison..

Technically the sony reader, iphone and kindle are all based on unix/linux and are small operating systems

[scottjl]

Originally Posted by volwrath

Technically the sony reader, iphone and kindle are all based on unix/linux and are small operating systems

well a linux kernel on its own is not an operating system. sony and amazon built an OS on top of that with their UI. i guess i should have been clearer, the layer that we interact with the kernel with. Apple's got 3 years now behind them with the iPhone OS. Android is close behind it with 2. Windows 7 has about a year now if we count the RC.

Sony's "OS" behind their ereaders has a few years on it, but it's limited to strictly reading books and would be pretty hard to open up to all the features the ipad currently offers. it's more easily compared to the ibooks applicaiton than the ipad operating sytsem.

the kindle has a few years on it too and does have more general purpose behind it, allowing users to read email and surf the web, but again it's not a very general purpose operating system. amazon is allowing open development for it now, but it will never reach the functionality of iPad/Android/Win7 systems. i'd probably compare it more to the nintendo DS or PSP. it does one thing very well and can be made to do others. i can surf the web on a DS or a PSP but it's clear the unit wasn't designed with that task in mind.

[volwrath]

Originally Posted by kennyc

I think that's an insignificant distinction and if that is all it is then it certainly will be swept aside when full-function tablet devices become generally available in the coming year.

The beautiful thing about the ipad is the instant on, and the long battery life. I imagine that a netbook based tablet will catch on to the battery life, because my Asus EEE1005HA has a battery life approaching 7 hours now, but it will prob. be a 30 sec bootup. nonetheless I will be checking out the slate pretty hard when it comes out.

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by kennyc

The iPad has an app or apps that allow one to read books, it

IS NOT AN EBOOK READER.

It allows one to read ebooks. Therefore it is an ebook reader.

What it is not is a dedicated ebook reader.

I will maintain that it is crippled for the market it's aimed at - tablet computing.

Sure. And no doubt you will maintain that the bicycle is crippled for the market you probably think it is aimed at - the automobile market.

The iPad is not aimed at the computing market. You evidently would like for it to be aimed at that market. And some tablets are, in fact, aimed at that market. Not the iPad, though. The iPad is aimed at the media consumption market, with a little bit of simple business support on the side so the suits can justify having their company buy them one.

But be assured - the iPad is not aimed at the Kenny market. In fact, the instructions at the Apple Store are to hide all the iPads if they see you coming.

[volwrath]

Originally Posted by Harmon

The iPad is not aimed at the computing market. You evidently would like for it to be aimed at that market. And some tablets are, in fact, aimed at that market. Not the iPad, though. The iPad is aimed at the media consumption market, with a little bit of simple business support on the side so the suits can justify having their company buy them one.

But be assured - the iPad is not aimed at the Kenny market. In fact, the instructions at the Apple Store are to hide all the iPads if they see you coming.

Hahaha they didnt hide the ipads from me when I hit the AAPL store yesterday. i must say I have never seen it SOOO packed

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by volwrath

The beautiful thing about the ipad is the instant on, and the long battery life. I imagine that a netbook based tablet will catch on to the battery life, because my Asus EEE1005HA has a battery life approaching 7 hours now, but it will prob. be a 30 sec bootup. nonetheless I will be checking out the slate pretty hard when it comes out.

Form factor is the other biggie for me. Laptops/netbooks just suck for reading, using in bed etc. vs. something like the ipad that I can hold like a book or e-reader.

The battery life and lack of heat are also huge. As is the processing power. I've yet to use a Netbook that didn't suck at streaming video, which is a big use for me. Watched two TV shows on the ABC player in bed last night on my girlfriend's iPad. Much better than having the hot laptop in bed.

[volwrath]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

Form factor is the other biggie for me. Laptops/netbooks just suck for reading, using in bed etc. vs. something like the ipad that I can hold like a book or e-reader.

The battery life and lack of heat are also huge. As is the processing power. I've yet to use a Netbook that didn't suck at streaming video, which is a big use for me. Watched two TV shows on the ABC player in bed last night on my girlfriend's iPad. Much better than having the hot laptop in bed.

I will say this about my netbook. It has ALWAYS handled video fine. In fact we have streamed netflix no prob to my HDTV and it looked fine. I think netbooks catch a lot of flack due to flash issues. Thats the same reason Jobs has pretty much banned flash. Having said that, a netbook in bed watching vid will heat up somewhat so its better used in winter

[dmaul1114]

Did you stream something in HD from Netflix?

I never tried that on any laptops--I do my netflix streaming on my TV through my X-box.

ESPN360 and ABC.com and Hulu all choked on the netbooks I've played around with. Though maybe some newer ones have upped the processor or graphics chip etc.

Netbooks just aren't for me anyway as I don't like the small screens and keyboards, and prefer my 15" laptop for any typing intensive work etc. and some tablet for media consumption.

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by richman

Like a lot of us the price they say is the major fault they have with the device but since this device just came out and apple makes the impatient people who buy on Launch beta testers , after they find the bugs and work them out apple lowers the price , so they can catch a lot of us that have been waiting for a sale.

Actually, the price was stunningly low. People expected it to be around 800 dollars. 500 was a big surprise.

But don't hold your breath waiting for the price to fall. Apple tends to establish price points and increase features at that price. The iPhone price drop was a rare exception.

The reward for waiting will be a faster, lighter iPad. But not a cheaper one.

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by Harmon

Actually, the price was stunningly low. People expected it to be around 800 dollars. 500 was a big surprise.

But don't hold your breath waiting for the price to fall. Apple tends to establish price points and increase features at that price. The iPhone price drop was a rare exception.

The reward for waiting will be a faster, lighter iPad. But not a cheaper one.

I wouldn't be surprised if the dropped the 16GB model and moved to $500 for 32GB and $600 for 64GB. They've done similar with iPods in the past etc. Memory isn't that expensive so that's one way to make the products more attractive price wise without really dropping price/lowering their profit per sale much.

[volwrath]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

Did you stream something in HD from Netflix?

I never tried that on any laptops--I do my netflix streaming on my TV through my X-box

I don't think the PC client does HD to be honest with you.

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by volwrath

I don't think the PC client does HD to be honest with you.

Hmm. I've not used it on PCs often enough to know. The 360 does and will show "HD" on the buffering screen at the start for most HD content.

[Harmon]

[QUOTE=scottjl;866415]

it doesn't matter what hardware/software/company you love or hate, time is going to pass and things are going to change. computers come and go. software comes and goes. programming languages fade in and out of favor. manufacturers disappear off the planet. it's silly that some people latch themselves onto loving or hating a particular thing and can't see beyond that.

I have found that I just understand Apple devices. It's not that I can't use or work with other devices - I've had to for years in my day job - but Apple devices fit me like a 40 regular suit from Hart Shafner & Marx. Back when I wore suits, that one needed no modifications whatsoever. I just had to have the pants cuffed. In fact, if I could have afforded it, I'd have bought enough of them to last forever, & still be wearing them.

so the ipad. i've adapted to holding it with one (but again you need two to operate it really) or propping it up or using the easel feature of the apple case i have. i will say an added bonus feature of the apple case, because of the rubbery material it is made from, it's relatively non-slip. i can prop it up on a glass tabletop against something else and it will not slip down in position on its own.

I've had the same experience. It's almost as if the iPad has gotten lighter, but in point of fact, I've just learned how to hold it.

so for one handed use, the ipad is always going to lose against something that is smaller and lighter, it even loses against the iphone/touch. that's the tradeoff for that beautiful big screen.

The iPad doesn't lose against the iphone/touch. The devices are two parts of the same uberdevice. Taken together, they give you maximum readability and maximum portability. You just have to decide which feature you need most at any particular time. Even Steve Jobs can't live high on the mountaintop, down by the deep blue sea.

interestingly, in ifixit's teardown of the ipad, they noted how it was perfectly balanced. apple designed the device so that weight was distributed evenly between front and back, and among all four edges. makes sense since you can rotate the device in any direction. if the weight was more on one side it would really unbalance holding it.

Y'know, that's probably why it seems to be getting lighter. I do move the device into different positions as I'm reading. The shift changes the balance, but not the fact of balance.