Apple Event - Live Blogging/Streaming Coverage

[bhartman36]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

The iPad isn't much of anything, what it actually might be is a very expensive storefront that you carry about with you, and every time you want to pay Apple some money, you can, right away!!

That's really what it boils down to: It's another venue for Apple to push iPhone apps and media content. Which is fine, I guess. Apple is a business, and businesses have the right to earn money, if people will buy their products. I just see this as a solution to a problem nobody has. It's slightly more powerful than what the CrunchPad was going to be, but not by much.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by bhartman36

To me, this is similar to the Macbook Air: An underpowered, me-too product.

I don't understand what is underpowered about it. It seems exactly powered enough for what it promises to do. From the hands-on reports, it is quite snappy. If they tried to show Photoshop running on it, I'd be skeptical. But for what they claimed, I don't see the complaint.

Is the Kindle "underpowered"? It seems to do exactly the job it is supposed to do.


Now the MacBook Air...that to me was underpowered-because it wasn't up to the task of running MacOSX and its programs adequately for many. I just don't buy the automatic dismissal of the iPad for the same reason.

[Donnageddon]

The iPad is a multimedia entertainment system, not a tool. Ok, there are many productivity apps,...

For me that is enough. I enjoy the iPod Touch as an entertainment system, and if I don't get laid off from work next month, I will most likely get, and enjoy the iPad when it is released.

And it is shiny!

[kjk]

Originally Posted by Donnageddon

And it is shiny!

Not as shiny as your Touch, which is shiny from all angles!

[yessirrom]

There are styli available for use with an iphone and other capacitive screens. http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/cel...d/?cpg=froogle

[dmikov]

Originally Posted by LlamaZorz

lets just say that Im happy I got my eink, if this is the way the market is moving.

Yep after seeing iPad, I just went and ordered sony 600 for $219 (refurb). This is the most underwhelming thing (iPad) that I saw lately.
Funny thing, my wife in shiny things (her Christmas gift laptop, had only one requirement - it had to be orange), but even she when I showed it to her, said 'Yuk, ugly'

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by scottjl

well. if you've been a developer for over 20 years you'd know it is a "real" operating system, locked down or not. it runs a "real" kernel, provides "real" services to applications and has "real" system libraries. the operating system does exactly what apple wants it to, and more if you jailbreak it.

btw, if you want to toss around street cred, i've got over 30 years in the IT industry including my development on my first unix systems in 1978 (which OS X and the iPhone of today based), before that CP/M.

Well, then good for you, i wasn't trying to one up you. I'm sorry if you got that impression that I was "tossing street cred". So, as we both can see a quick message on a forum board doesn't really let us know anything about the other person.

I think you are grasping at straws here though. You know what I mean... you are just being pedantic. Of course the iPad has an OS... or else it wouldn't work.

I'm sure you are also well aware what I mean. I think I've made my point about what I am looking for. I'm not "most people"... and even still, the features may be adequate for me, I'm not really sure. I do know that pen based annotation and note taking is an important feature to me for a large format reading device... which as also something that this device doesn't' offer.

BOb

[Barcey]

I must say I don't understand a lot of the negative comments. If you compare the base $499 model to the $489 Kindle DX based on capabilities, application expansion,open business model and functionality the iPad is going to appeal to a much larger market segment.

From what I've seen they've also managed to match or exceed the Amazon ease of use for purchasing ebooks.

It's not for everyone (myself included) but I can see a lot of people buying it and it's just going to grow the ebook market. It's all good to me.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by nekokami

Are we sure about the "no multitasking" part?

Yes, we are sure.

[dioib]

Does anybody know if using stylus on capacitive screens give you the same level of precision one gets on resistive ones?

[kjk]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

Ok, y'all this is a totally stupid question, but I have to ask: Does this thing function as a phone also?

What is odd is that, as of today, the new Apple SDK specifically allows VOIP over 3G.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...-82842957.html

If they are going to allow VOIP over 3G, then it will definitely function as a phone.

[bhartman36]

Originally Posted by kjk

I don't understand what is underpowered about it. It seems exactly powered enough for what it promises to do. From the hands-on reports, it is quite snappy. If they tried to show Photoshop running on it, I'd be skeptical. But for what they claimed, I don't see the complaint.

It's underpowered compared to what it will be going against. Most PCs people call "tablets" are just that: PCs. This isn't one of those. It's basically an iPod Touch or iPhone (depending on which model you're looking at) with a bad case of gigantism. That's the basic problem: It's not a tablet in the same class as other tablets on the market.

Originally Posted by kjk

Is the Kindle "underpowered"? It seems to do exactly the job it is supposed to do.

The problem isn't that it won't do what it's designed to do. (I don't really know much about that, since we haven't seen any testing.) The problem is that it won't do the things that other tablets in its class (e.g., the Archos 9, for one) will do. That's what I mean by underpowered. Something this size should have a full-blown OS, not a stripped-down cell phone OS. (Yes, I know that the iPhone OS is BSD based, but the fact of the matter is, it's stripped down compared to what you'd see on a full-blown computer. It's the difference between OSX and iPhone OS.)

Originally Posted by kjk

Now the MacBook Air...that to me was underpowered-because it wasn't up to the task of running MacOSX and its programs adequately for many. I just don't buy the automatic dismissal of the iPad for the same reason.

It's not really the same reason, though. The problem is more that it won't do what devices like this should be able to do.

A good example is the handwriting recognition. There's no reason in the world you should have to download an additional app for handwriting recognition on a tablet. That's just short-sighted.

[bhartman36]

Originally Posted by dioib

Does anybody know if using stylus on capacitive screens give you the same level of precision one gets on resistive ones?

As far as I know, the advantage of capacitive screens is that they're more responsive. I don't know if that translates into higher precision, though. One thing I do know is that capacitive screens aren't meant for styli.

[Daithi]

I'm a big fan of Amazon; I love my Kindle DX and have no intention of replacing it with an Apple iPad, but even I have to admit that if I were buying my first device it would probably be the iPad.

[random50]

Originally Posted by delphidb96

You know what I see this as? A killer student device. If the schools keep to the WiFi version, the 16GB model would hold a year's worth of textbooks, give access to the school's printers and the resource libraries. A student (whether elementary, high school or college) would be able to read the textbooks, take notes, compose reports and do homework all without having to lug around all those expensive, constantly-outdated, easy-to-get-damaged paper textbooks that cost so much! I could see the school districts getting student discounts and the students taking the iPad from grade school onward. Would save the backs of little kids, that's for sure.

Derek

I'd agree, but no good stylus significantly decreases the utility.

I'm getting really frustrated by companies releasing large screen ereaders (or potential equivalents) ignoring this. It's such a (censored) obvious need.

On the same point, would it not be pretty trivial just to release two versions with different types of touchscreen?