iPad For all those who hate the iPad:

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by nikkie

In some ways that is true, in others not so much. I suspect a lot of people will find the *reading* experience physically more comfortable on the iPad than on a netbook, due to the lack of keyboard and lighter weight.

I am sure HP and others will come out with much more capable tablets in the very near future for the same or less money. So the question remains, why get this?

[flashgordonv]

I find this thread and many others like it on many either boards, quite amusing. Basically, people who hate Apple are bashing the iPad, people who can see how they might effectively use the device are loving it, and those who built expectations about the device which have not been met are in the anger part of the grief cycle.

I am of the opinion that we really need to wait until the thing is released, until we can get our hot sweaty hands on one and see what the user experience is like, and wait until we see what the app developers do with the new real estate. It coudl be quite spectacular, I am hopeful but then again that is just speculation.

For many of us who can already see how we might use it, I think this is going to be an absolute cracker of a device. But then again, until we know the limitations Apple is or is not going to impose regarding readers, epub, DRM etc, we are all metaphorically "peeing in the wind" and it is all subjective conjecture.

Why not be radical and just shut up and wait until we KNOW what is going on. But then again that does not make for a good thread ........

[kjk]

Originally Posted by flashgordonv

I find this thread and many others like it on many either boards, quite amusing. Basically, people who hate Apple are bashing the iPad, people who can see how they might effectively use the device are loving it, and those who built expectations about the device which have not been met are in the anger part of the grief cycle.

I am of the opinion that we really need to wait until the thing is released, until we can get our hot sweaty hands on one and see what the user experience is like, and wait until we see what the app developers do with the new real estate. It coudl be quite spectacular, I am hopeful but then again that is just speculation.

For many of us who can already see how we might use it, I think this is going to be an absolute cracker of a device. But then again, until we know the limitations Apple is or is not going to impose regarding readers, epub, DRM etc, we are all metaphorically "peeing in the wind" and it is all subjective conjecture.

Why not be radical and just shut up and wait until we KNOW what is going on. But then again that does not make for a good thread ........

What is funny is there is such a wide range of other products out there, from other companies, and very few people take the time to give such...uh...passionate expositions as to why they won't/don't buy one of them.

And nikkie, I almost wish Apple would have released a PixelQ or eInk screen device, just to read the reactions

[nikkie]

Originally Posted by kjk

What is funny is there is such a wide range of other products out there, from other companies, and very few people take the time to give such...uh...passionate expositions as to why they won't/don't buy one of them.

And nikkie, I almost wish Apple would have released a PixelQ or eInk screen device, just to read the reactions

Oh I can just hear it now...

The operating system is so SLOW!! What is WITH this refresh time? Seriously, how could Apple have ever put out such a piece of trash?

(OR)

The colors on this screen are crap!!! What is wrong wit apple? I thought they were all about QUALITY?! My heart is so broken that I will never recover!~

*cue hyperventilating masses*

[BWhite]

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?

Answer:
Near-Instant ON and ready to go, because it IS just a Phone OS.

I have never had much luck with SUSPEND/SLEEP in my life, do not know if my expectations were too high or what. A lot of times, when returning from SLEEP with a full-size OS, it seemed like this or that piece of hardware suddenly was not recognized.


The iPad is being ripped in the tech world because a LOT, a LOT of those bloggers are mobile (look at photos of them working) and are already in possession of:
o a smart phone
o a laptop

If I owned the above two devices and were carrying them around on a daily basis I too would be skeptical of carrying around an iPad.


IF the iPad comes with iBooks ONLY - it gets marked here as DO NOT BUY. Currently it is at the top of my 2010 electronics purchase list.

[ondabeach]

Well, at least the iPad will read ePUBs. Knowing Apple it's a wonder they didn't come up with a new format of their own.... but there is still time. To their credit though, they are learning, at least a lot faster than Amazon! And speaking of which, there's a company and product worthy of your ridicule. At least Apple is playing the same tune as the rest of the world for once.

But seriously, I'm used to lit displays so that isn't an issue for me. The Bezel size is a bit out there but those with fists like christmas hams will appreciate that. So I guess the moral of the story is "There's an ePUB reader out there for everyone." Being spoilt for choice is a really nice problem to have.

There's really only one common denominator that all readers should have, and that is DRM-free ePUB (OEB) support.

If anyone would like to own an iPad for themselves pop into www.ZuluExpress this month and post a review for any of the eBooks in our library and on March 1st you could be the owner of a brand new iPad. The prize is actually $500 USD to be spent on the eReader of your choice. You can also enter by buying a book or upoading a public domain book to our library.

[BWhite]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/we...ew/31lohr.html

The NY Times Article speaks to "design restraint" versus "featuritis".

[kjk]

Originally Posted by BWhite

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/we...ew/31lohr.html

The NY Times Article speaks to "design restraint" versus "featuritis".

Yes. People hoping Apple will keep adding "that one extra feature" are invariably disappointed.

But, it is really just a different market. Plenty of other hardware companies are happy to design and sell based on a checklist of features, for those who prefer it-in fact, that has been Dell's model for years.

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by BWhite

Answer:
Near-Instant ON and ready to go, because it IS just a Phone OS.

I have never had much luck with SUSPEND/SLEEP in my life, do not know if my expectations were too high or what. A lot of times, when returning from SLEEP with a full-size OS, it seemed like this or that piece of hardware suddenly was not recognized.

Mobile OSes can resume so quickly because they normally remain in a form of suspend. Not completely off.

Suspend/sleep isn't a problem when your hardware and software has been properly designed for it. It's firmware or driver issues that usually cause a component to fail after resuming.

Originally Posted by ondabeach

Well, at least the iPad will read ePUBs. Knowing Apple it's a wonder they didn't come up with a new format of their own.... but there is still time. To their credit though, they are learning, at least a lot faster than Amazon! And speaking of which, there's a company and product worthy of your ridicule. At least Apple is playing the same tune as the rest of the world for once.

The trouble is, as others have noted, you can use your own proprietary DRM and still call it ePub. And indications are that they won't be using the standard Adobe ADEPT.

[CyGuy]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

I am sure HP and others will come out with much more capable tablets in the very near future for the same or less money. So the question remains, why get this?

Agree 100%. The best thing about the iPad is that HP, ASUS, Samsung, etc will create real tablets very soon, with Win7, SDHC card reader, mini USB, etc. Can't wait!

[kjk]

Originally Posted by CyGuy

Agree 100%. The best thing about the iPad is that HP, ASUS, Samsung, etc will create real tablets very soon, with Win7, SDHC card reader, mini USB, etc. Can't wait!

I don't believe all those companies just sat around waiting for Apple to announce something before doing it themselves, just a lot better.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

It's also amusing to be in a position where I can appreciate the iPad, I can afford the iPad, but I don't need an iPad... the gadgets I already have will do most of the things the iPad does to a reasonable level, so I don't have a jones to go out and snap one up. (That's also why I didn't get an iPod Touch.)

My wife heard me talking about it, and asked me outright: "So, are you going to buy one?" And I responded, "Well, no. The things it can do, I can already do with the stuff I have." (She remained silent... which, I'm pretty sure, means she was relieved, though possibly a bit dubious of my sincerity... if she'd been very dubious, she would've just called me a liar to my face! )

But I am still interested, because the iPad has the potential to be the hardware basis of a "e-scrapbook" device I wrote about in one of my novels, and that understandably intrigues me. In fact, if the e-scrapbook software I described in the novel was made available for the iPad (along with appropriate content to be manipulated by said software), that would be enough to convince me to get one.

[donnakamla]

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 we (I) don't want another computer. I'm on a Windows PC all day long and frankly do not want to repeat the experience with a portable device.
I want an iPad because it (the UI) is a multi sensual experience; aesthetically pleasing and harmonious. And the iPad hardware / OS / App marriage will be remembered as a design gem, a case study in future design schools.
The thing about geeks and computers is geeks compare stats and think the fastest biggest device is the natural selection. They can't understand why someone would want a beautiful, intuitive device over a faster cheaper "better" Win7 tablet computer.
On the contrary, why would I want a clunky, bitzer HP Slate?

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by donnakamla

Because we (I) don't want another computer. I'm on a Windows PC all day long and frankly do not want to repeat the experience with a portable device.
I want an iPad because it (the UI) is a multi sensual experience; aesthetically pleasing and harmonious. And the iPad hardware / OS / App marriage will be remembered as a design gem, a case study in future design schools.
The thing about geeks and computers is geeks compare stats and think the fastest biggest device is the natural selection. They can't understand why someone would want a beautiful, intuitive device over a faster cheaper "better" Win7 tablet computer.
On the contrary, why would I want a clunky, bitzer HP Slate?

If you think there are no beautiful non-Apple devices you sure haven't seen much!

[deltop]

I'm planning on getting an iPad, but if another device with the same dimensions, battery life, screen size (or bigger) and boot time (or at least a very very quick boot time) comes along that runs Win7 I've no problem selling it.

Oh and don't forget an ips screen.

The problem is it's unlikely you'll see one like that. Running a full os requires more cpu and ram, and therefore less battery life, it'll run hotter, it'll take alot longer to start up, and so on.