iPad For all those who hate the iPad:

[nikkie]

I've got a question...

IF the iPad had been announced to be shipping with a PixelQi screen, would you have been all over it?

Based on the typical complaints I've heard on this forum about ereader devices, the iPad seems to do pretty well:

* Many usable ebook stores/apps (Kobo, B&N, Kindle, etc)
* Multi-touch interface (pogo pen as stylus if wanted)
* Bluetooth (for keyboard, etc)
* Price compared to devices with similarly sized screens (*cough* Que)
* Software polish in comparison to other device firmware (based upon existing firmware quality on iPhone, of which the iPad firmware is just a newer version)
* Rendering time for page flipping (nominally nil)
* Fully functional SDK with fantastic UI toolkit
* Processor speed
* OS capabilities

If so, doesn't that mean that your only objection to this device is the LED screen? Since many of us prefer or have little objection to a lit screen (we read in dim light or the dark, in bed), how does that make the iPad not a very nifty device?

It seems pretty safe to say that the capabilities of this device (other than the screen being LED and not PixelQi) will trounce the other large format readers on the market. We can't compare this device to other eInk devices on the market fairly, they COULDN'T have firmware or an OS of this quality due to hardware screen refresh restrictions. And let's face it - the firmware quality of a device is hugely important in determining your reading experience on that device.

If your complaint is about battery life, for a device this size and with a color screen, 10 hours is phenomenal.

So, while the iPad may not be for you, as I imagine you don't like this device because of the idea of reading on an LED screen, please respect the other forumites who have decided that a backlit screen isn't a problem to them.

Thanks!!

[Dylrob]

No. iPhoneOS is just not my cup of tea. I far prefer Windows Mobile. Though my ideal Pixel Qi tablet would run Window XP/7, since this has the virtue of software support for literally every ebook format in existence!

I wouldn't pay much heed to those battery life estimates. In real life you'll probably be lucky to average half that.

[Solicitous]

For the money it is IMHO too damn expensive for a closed device. Runs a phone OS, no multi-tasking, no way (with exception of purchasing through iTunes) installing other applications unless jailbroken. Chances are Apple will charge for firmware upgrades like the ipod touch to v2.0.

Overall a device that only lets me purchase content through iTunes, restricts what applications I can install, allow me to only surf the web without flash support....has no practical use for me.

Oh and personally for me, I don't like the touch screen. When I tested an iphone it felt to me like I was back in primary school finger painting with the way my finger was moving about the screen.

But Apple did do one thing right with the iPad....allow you to connect to 3g via bluetooth to your mobile.

[EowynCarter]

With a Pixel QI screen and as an e-reader, it might be ok.

BUT, i expect a tablet to do way more than just e-reading

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Dylrob

No. iPhoneOS is just not my cup of tea. I far prefer Windows Mobile. Though my ideal Pixel Qi tablet would run Window XP/7, since this has the virtue of software support for literally every ebook format in existence!

I wouldn't pay much heed to those battery life estimates. In real life you'll probably be lucky to average half that.

This. Exactly.

[Moejoe]

It's not that phenomenal. I can get ~14 hours battery with the Asus and it has a proper keyboard, a 10.1 inch screen, usb ports, runs Linux (ubuntu or arch), 250gb HD, can multitask, use Flash video and is very portable http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/21/a...1005pe-review/ and you can get it for around $350

Why would I pay more to Apple for significantly less? It's a horrible, horrible toy that has been roundly derided already within the tech community. If this was going to be my primary e-reader (and not just a gimped netbook without a keyboard) it would have to do a lot more than 10 hours reading time....a lot more.

My question to those thinking about buying this iPad and who don't mind reading on LCD; why pay for a device that is so crippled out of the gate, when you can pay significantly less and get more by getting a netbook or maybe even the HP Slate coming out in the next few weeks?

[MickeyC]

I read on my iPhone all the time. Not as good my Sony 505 but it makes a decent substitute when my Sony isn't at hand

[Sweetpea]

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

*crying laughing* I never thought I'd ever type these words, but 'I'm with Hitler on this one.'

[Javed]

Such an intense tantrum. So funny!! That was great. Thanks Sweetpea.

[ardeegee]

I don't hate the iPad-- I hate all the hype around the iPad. Especially in the "news and commentary" forum here-- there are so many redundant iPad threads that it looks like a Dan Bloom marathon. The hype reminds me of that scene in Being John Malkovich where Malkovich goes into his own head and every word spoken is Malkovich Malkovich Malkovich. Except in this case every word is iPad iPad iPad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx0ut4xHH_0

The iPad itself I can simply disregard as a tech bauble with lots of style and little substance.

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

...
My question to those thinking about buying this iPad and who don't mind reading on LCD; why pay for a device that is so crippled out of the gate, when you can pay significantly less and get more by getting a netbook or maybe even the HP Slate coming out in the next few weeks?

Because the areas you call crippling are not in places that are relevant to me, and it (incl. the OS, UI and "fit" within our gadget-environment, and overall consistency there) works for me. What works and doesn't work for me drives my purchasing decisions, rather than what works and doesn't work for others. The iPad thus far, and like my iPhone, pleases me in many practical, technical, aesthetic and emotional ways. I find these things a nice "fit" within my life. That is sufficient.
Cheers,
Marc

[wodin]

I believe I'll pass on this one, mostly for the same reasons I don’t own an iPhone or iPod touch. I refuse to allow Jobs and his minions to dictate to me what’s cool and what’s not. And that coming from a guy who wears a black turtleneck and designer jeans on a global stage.

The non G3 iPad is nothing more than an oversized iPod touch, and the G3 version is a big iPhone without voice capabilities. And this is the thing that is “so much more intimate than a laptop and so much more capable than a smart phone”? I think not on either count.

I do have to thank Apple and company for breaking open the tablet market as this most certainly will, and they’ll sell a ton of them, just not to me.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by wodin

The non G3 iPad is nothing more than an oversized iPod touch

It is indeed, but as I said here a few weeks ago, personally that was exactly what I was hoping for, and I shall very likely buy one when it's released in the UK.

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by nikkie

I've got a question...

IF the iPad had been announced to be shipping with a PixelQi screen, would you have been all over it?

Based on the typical complaints I've heard on this forum about ereader devices, the iPad seems to do pretty well:

* Many usable ebook stores/apps (Kobo, B&N, Kindle, etc)
. . .

If so, doesn't that mean that your only objection to this device is the LED screen? Since many of us prefer or have little objection to a lit screen (we read in dim light or the dark, in bed), how does that make the iPad not a very nifty device?
. . .

If your complaint is about battery life, for a device this size and with a color screen, 10 hours is phenomenal.

Nikkie, I had high hopes for the iPad but now that it has been outted, I can see it isn't for me. Yes, the Pixel Qi might have made a difference but there are several other problems.

First, it isn't clear what Apple will do as regards competing bookstores. Apple is not known to be generous to competitors and it isn't certain whether it will allow competing bookstores.

Second, it appears that Apple is layering on its own version of DRM to the ePub. If true, then books bought at the Apple store will not be readable on other devices (except possibly other Apple devices). This is still a wait and see scenario.

Third, if the pricing announced for books is correct -- $12.99 to $14.99 -- it is higher than Amazon and B&N. Not clear why paying more for a book is an inducement.

Fourth, it isn't clear that books book at stores other than Apple's store can be read on the iPad. To my knowledge, the iPad will read DRM-free ePub and Apple DRMed ePub, but not Sony or B&N DRMed ePub. I may be wrong in this regard but if not, then will limit the market greatly.

Fifth, the Apple market for the iPad doesn't seem to be the person who prefers to read books than to watch TV. It seems to be the casual reader, the person who reads 1 to 2 books a year (if not in a lifetime). I've excluded students who the iPad also is aimed at because they have "specialized" needs.

Sixth, 10 hours is under ideal conditions and I have yet to use any device under ideal conditions. My Dell laptop's battery was supposed to get 4-5 hours but I'm lucky if it gets 2 hours. That makes me wary about the 10-hour claim. And I do spend 4-5 hours every day reading on my Sony, sometimes more. Granted I could recharge the iPad but I like having reserve power available and not having to charge every day.

Seventh, it isn't clear to me how I would add books to the iPad from the Apple bookstore. No, I understand that it would be wireless, but would I have to pay AT&T or some other carrier for a data plan just to access the store? I assume that the answer is no with wi-fi, but it simply isn't clear to me.

I'm not bashing the device. If it fits your needs, you should definitely buy it. All I'm saying is that I do not see this as the revolutionary device everyone had been clamoring for. It strikes me as a very evolutionary step and not even a complete step.