Apple Tablet

Well I'm not going to go into why one should or shouldn't buy the I-pad. Like anything else it's a personal choice. I am interested in GG's impressions of the device now that he owns one.
How about it Guru? How's the first impressions? Now that you've have it for a day or so, what do you see your primary use for it to be?

Fripper wrote:

Well I'm not going to go into why one should or shouldn't buy the I-pad. Like anything else it's a personal choice. I am interested in GG's impressions of the device now that he owns one.
How about it Guru? How's the first impressions? Now that you've have it for a day or so, what do you see your primary use for it to be?

It's not out yet... 58 or so days left.

Doh! I knew that. I will attempt to stop posting first thing in the morning. Brain isn't quite functional yet.

psu_13 wrote:

In my experience with software engineering, the more "options" you allow, the more complex and less reliable the software is. It's pretty naive to think that such support would be either easy or cheap.

The other "challenge" is that for Apple to get "content" companies on board with their device(s) they need to at times acquiesce to certain restrictions on the playback of said content. That being said I'm not nearly naive enough to believe that's the ONLY reason (lol profits) BUT it would be equally naive to believe that their "content" partners are eager to open up their content to an easily "hackable" device.

Another comparison: The pad sounds pretty much plug and play, you can only install apple certified apps on it, you have to manage it through their own tools. Isn't this similar to PC vs Console with respect to openness? Very few people moan that they can't tweak all the settings on a console game or run an obscure app you found on a website, because that's not what the platform is about, there are other platforms where you can do that.

I couldn't get all the way through the article, because it was full of fallacies and mistakes in logic.

First, the floppy disc. To imagine that the iMac had anything to do with the switch from the floppy drive to CD/USB is crazy. The iMac was such a small percentage of the market it was barely a blip on the actual radar.

And then the car transmission thing. Yes, wouldn't it be horrible it people were driving along distracted by the inner workings of their cars INSTEAD of their cell phone calls, sending and receiving texts etc. etc. Yes, it's an analogy, but completely breaks down in the first few thoughts about it.

Well the first effects are now being felt. Amazon has removed Macmillan book titles from its store because Macmillan can charge 15$ on iTunes/iPad and only 10$ on the Kindle and Macmillan wants the same price on Amazon.

FSeven wrote:

It's not about priorities. You're coming from the perception that it's one or the other; simplicity for the average consumer or transparency for the tinkerer. Let's be serious now peter, it's not like if Apple allowed the ability to write apps on Linux and upload them to your iDevice, that UI and the current Apple "experience" would be sacrificed and the resultant experience would be akin to Linux a decade ago.

Yes. I am, in fact, coming from the perception that simplicity for the average consumer and transparency for the tinkerer are in tension with each other. More specifically, I'm saying that if you accept that it's reasonable for a company to completely prioritize the former over the latter, then it's silly to think that they would spend even one-day of software engineering time on the latter.

Now, maybe you're really saying "No one who makes a computer should prioritize the average customer's experience over that of hackers." To which my only response is that I'm sure that if you can make a good business case for that, someone will make a product that meets your needs.

But acting hurt and offended just because every company doesn't prioritize your needs is, well, sort of weird.

I'd also like to point out the logical fallacy that seem to pervade this discussion, that somehow Apple is destroying the market for open systems. It's as though Apple as has destroyed the PC, eliminated alternative MP3 players, and wiped out the smartphone market. Now, the horror, Apple is laying waste to the tablet market with it insidious insistence on closing off its systems.

This is, of course, nonsense. Just check the Tech and Help forum for all of the threads on competing devices that are free from the shackles of Apple's dominance. Apparently the open software crowd fears the free market, and would prefer Apple conform to their standards so that consumers can all spend time in the Tech and Help forum, trying to make the devices do what they want them to do.

The reality is that there is more than one market, and Apple is happy to dominate the one they currently develop for. It would seem to me that the proper response to those that abhor apple's business strategy would be to ignore it, rather than attack it. Because despite the warnings of impending doom, the ruckus is just creating more and more hype around Apples product, for free.

jakeleg wrote:

That irony is not lost on me. Apple used to be champions of free and open computing, attacking Microsoft over the years for being so closed. How the times have changed. I can develop MS .NET applications in Linux (or OSX) with no extra cost, but I can't create an app for the iPhone without a Mac, Xcode, and a $99/year developers license. It doesn't matter what the core of the OS is if I can't pop the hood and work with it directly. Sure the iPad will probably be jailbroken soon after release, but I should not have to break into my own computer before I can start tinkering.

And yes, Mobile Safari is a nice browser and does/will support HTML 5 and all the modern web standard goodness, but that still does not give me access to the internals that I have on any other computer I own today.

I think you have that backwords. Apple has never been the champion of free and open computing. Microsoft may not have been the champions of free, but they have always been open which is why Apple almost died. They tried to keep a closed system in the 80s and it didn't sell because the open system (IBM Compatibles running MSDOS and Windows) made it easy for hardware manufactuers to make hardware for and software developers to write software for.

psu_13 wrote:

In my experience with software engineering, the more "options" you allow, the more complex and less reliable the software is. It's pretty naive to think that such support would be either easy or cheap.

This may be true, but Apple already has OSX. They already have everything they need to allow for more options without adding complexity. Part of the problem Apple has is they don't allow for other software solutions. Lets say I love the iPad hardware but would rather run android/linux/windows on it. Apple won't allow it.

Apple and the modern Nintendo are very similar, marketing to both the faithful and the general masses. The hardcore aren't their main demographic, and hopefully their success won't come at the exclusion of our own merryment.

Apple's never been about Free and Open standards. They're not a charity. They do it because interoperability makes their products more attractive, and that's good for business. Maybe a future iPad with a video camera and more applications will upset the computer market as we know it, but there will always be those of us who have to make those systems work. We'll always be served by more traditional machines, at least until we figure out how to create software for a tablet using just a tablet.

Eezy_Bordone wrote:

Well the first effects are now being felt. Amazon has removed Macmillan book titles from its store because Macmillan can charge 15$ on iTunes/iPad and only 10$ on the Kindle and Macmillan wants the same price on Amazon.

While interesting, that's not quite what it says. Amazon is using its clout against Macmillan over a rumored dispute involving setting book prices, and Macmillan also happens to be signed on with the Apple deal. The information is definitely presented so you draw that conclusion, but no one is actually claiming that's what happened, or has proof to support that theory. There's no cause and effect established yet. Plus, publishers wanted the option to raise prices long before the tablet was even a glint in a designer's eye. This is just the latest stage of that discussion.

Then there's the story of McGraw-Hill missing from the iPad lineup.

If true, I can't imagine it would hurt McGraw-Hill more than the iPad. They're a major publisher in the textbook world, and their damnable name is associated with way too memories of my forking over wads of cash for textbooks in my undergrad days. But as a slap in the face, kind of effective, if petty.

Edit: Mcgraw-Hill is claiming the comments were "speculative", and that they were never launch event partners, so they were not actually removed from the presentation. It also says their education products were never part of any deal.

Then there's a Chinese tablet maker who wants to sue Apple for stealing the design of its tablet. Which I find humorous, since it's fairly obvious to anyone there's only so many design flourishes you can add to the thing, and they all resemble giant iPod Touches. That and the Chinese tablet doesn't resemble it very much, especially compared to the HP and MSI tablets.

Edit: That's a bad picture, there's a greater resemblance in a previous article.

Also, 1.5 hours of battery life? The other specs sound great, but that's incredibly poor. It can take me that long to read my morning blogs.

Also, at its core, Apple is a hardware company that produces software to operate their hardware. That closed system meant that when we bought a Wacom tablet for my daughter to use Manga Studio (available as both Mac and Windows in the same box) the tablet was plugged in and working instantly. But on her Windows 7 laptop, she was frustrated by having to go through an install process, and has problem with it not always working right.

While my daughter loves her new laptop, which she was able to buy becasue it was cheap, the process involved in getting the tablet to work has made a big impact on how she views what makes a computer valuable to her.

FSeven wrote:

Apple is a gimmick. It's a look. It's a Coach bag or a Burberry scarf. It's the Chihuahua in Paris Hilton's arm or Kanye West's visor sunglasses or Ugz boots. To relate a personal experience story, while reluctantly entering a Starbucks for a much needed coffee (there was nothing else nearby), something I haven't done in over three years, I checked out the barista-groupies sitting in the corner with their macbooks out, one with stickers of Che Guevara, an anarchy symbol, a Guy Fawkes mask sticker, and what appeared to be other symbols from various anti-establishment movements/beliefs plastered on the lid of his macbook. The irony was astounding.

It's not my fault that Apple products have become a status symbol. Apple would be foolish not to nurture that, since it sells hardware.

But, being a status symbol and being real, useful tools are not mutually exclusive.

I didn't get a MacBook because it made me cool, I get it because I love the combination of ubiquity of applications and geeky UNIX tinkerability.

Now, the iPhone and iPad don't have that level of tinkerability, but if you have $99, you can get a dev license. I am writing iPhone software so I can put what I want on mine now. Also, all of that software written for jailbroken phones? If you really want to, you can always compile it with the dev license and put it on your device. You just can't distribute it. =)

It's a "walled garden," but the tools are there to scale that wall if you care. And, like all devices before it, someone will figure out how to jailbreak it.

Jayhawker wrote:

Also, at its core, Apple is a hardware company that produces software to operate their hardware. That closed system meant that when we bought a Wacom tablet for my daughter to use Manga Studio (available as both Mac and Windows in the same box) the tablet was plugged in and working instantly. But on her Windows 7 laptop, she was frustrated by having to go through an install process, and has problem with it not always working right.

While my daughter loves her new laptop, which she was able to buy becasue it was cheap, the process involved in getting the tablet to work has made a big impact on how she views what makes a computer valuable to her.

That might be because of her Jayhawk father. What I said it:
IMAGE(http://cache.deadspin.com/assets/resources/2008/03/WisconsinBadgers.jpg)

kazar wrote:
jakeleg wrote:

That irony is not lost on me. Apple used to be champions of free and open computing, attacking Microsoft over the years for being so closed. How the times have changed. I can develop MS .NET applications in Linux (or OSX) with no extra cost, but I can't create an app for the iPhone without a Mac, Xcode, and a $99/year developers license. It doesn't matter what the core of the OS is if I can't pop the hood and work with it directly. Sure the iPad will probably be jailbroken soon after release, but I should not have to break into my own computer before I can start tinkering.

And yes, Mobile Safari is a nice browser and does/will support HTML 5 and all the modern web standard goodness, but that still does not give me access to the internals that I have on any other computer I own today.

I think you have that backwords. Apple has never been the champion of free and open computing. Microsoft may not have been the champions of free, but they have always been open which is why Apple almost died. They tried to keep a closed system in the 80s and it didn't sell because the open system (IBM Compatibles running MSDOS and Windows) made it easy for hardware manufactuers to make hardware for and software developers to write software for.

OSX is based on the FreeBSD Unix kernel which allows users to do all sorts of Unixy things in the internals of the computers. It one of the things that has made Macs so loved by programmers. Don't misunderstand my dislike of the iPad for some anti-Apple biased hatred. I love Apple products, my MacbookPro is the best single computer I have ever owned. My fears are that the current trend by Apple to lock down and close their computing devices will continue to all of their product lines.

Ranger Rick wrote:
FSeven wrote:

Apple is a gimmick. It's a look. It's a Coach bag or a Burberry scarf. It's the Chihuahua in Paris Hilton's arm or Kanye West's visor sunglasses or Ugz boots. To relate a personal experience story, while reluctantly entering a Starbucks for a much needed coffee (there was nothing else nearby), something I haven't done in over three years, I checked out the barista-groupies sitting in the corner with their macbooks out, one with stickers of Che Guevara, an anarchy symbol, a Guy Fawkes mask sticker, and what appeared to be other symbols from various anti-establishment movements/beliefs plastered on the lid of his macbook. The irony was astounding.

It's not my fault that Apple products have become a status symbol. Apple would be foolish not to nurture that, since it sells hardware.

But, being a status symbol and being real, useful tools are not mutually exclusive.

I can't speak for FSeven, but I'm sure he is commenting about the "cult of Mac" aspect and NOT saying that they don't make products that are useful to people.

What other manufacturer could have all these big Willy Wonka-esque events/presentation for their products and not come off as obnoxious?

SommerMatt wrote:

I can't speak for FSeven, but I'm sure he is commenting about the "cult of Mac" aspect and NOT saying that they don't make products that are useful to people.

What other manufacturer could have all these big Willy Wonka-esque events/presentation for their products and not come off as obnoxious?

Well, I think they're widely regarded as obnoxious. It just doesn't turn people away. Like Jersey Shore.

SommerMatt wrote:
Ranger Rick wrote:
FSeven wrote:

Apple is a gimmick. It's a look. It's a Coach bag or a Burberry scarf. It's the Chihuahua in Paris Hilton's arm or Kanye West's visor sunglasses or Ugz boots. To relate a personal experience story, while reluctantly entering a Starbucks for a much needed coffee (there was nothing else nearby), something I haven't done in over three years, I checked out the barista-groupies sitting in the corner with their macbooks out, one with stickers of Che Guevara, an anarchy symbol, a Guy Fawkes mask sticker, and what appeared to be other symbols from various anti-establishment movements/beliefs plastered on the lid of his macbook. The irony was astounding.

It's not my fault that Apple products have become a status symbol. Apple would be foolish not to nurture that, since it sells hardware.

But, being a status symbol and being real, useful tools are not mutually exclusive.

I can't speak for FSeven, but I'm sure he is commenting about the "cult of Mac" aspect and NOT saying that they don't make products that are useful to people.

What other manufacturer could have all these big Willy Wonka-esque events/presentation for their products and not come off as obnoxious?

Nintendo?

For the record, I found Jobs presentation, and particularly that video I linked to as extremely obnoxious. It's just that their obnoxiousness really doesn't matter.

Ulairi wrote:

That might be because of her Jayhawk father. What I said it:

Fair, but my daughter was interested in getting a Windows computer, and I helped her find one. Also, I've been playing around on it a ton, to the point she asked me to stop using it so much (she's 12, and this is her big possession, so of course I deferred to her). I've really been impressed with Windows 7, and think it is a huge improvement over previous OS's. I was also impressed that getting it set up with MSE was painless and seemingly effective. I like having a Windows computer in the home.

Windows will win her over, or lose her based on how easy it is for her to do what she wants. Se is a rather independent kid and has taken advantage of being free to find her own interests.

But if she tries to go to Mizzou for college I will disown her butt. She's free to go anywhere else she wants, but Mizzou is off limits. Wisconsin would be completely fine, however.

Has anyone done the math on all the accessories that you need to buy in order to make this a functional device? It seems like they're going to nickel and dime you to death if you want any sort of external connection. First you'll need a case, You also should bet a dock to be able to charge it and have it act as a frame. If you want to type quickly you're going to need the keyboard dock. Want to upload pictures? Oh you're going to need a camera dongle. USB connection? Yeah you're going to have to get a USB dongle.

Now I understand that peripherals are a big $ item but it just seems to be a bit much.

JC wrote:

Has anyone done the math on all the accessories that you need to buy in order to make this a functional device? It seems like they're going to nickel and dime you to death if you want any sort of external connection. First you'll need a case, You also should bet a dock to be able to charge it and have it act as a frame. If you want to type quickly you're going to need the keyboard dock. Want to upload pictures? Oh you're going to need a camera dongle. USB connection? Yeah you're going to have to get a USB dongle.

Now I understand that peripherals are a big $ item but it just seems to be a bit much.

It comes with the USB connector/charger and dock, I believe. Someone mentioned the case functions as a stand as well (although looking at the site, it doesn't seem to be included). Not that a frame/charger wouldn't be cool.

It's hard to calculate anything else, because there are no prices yet. The accessories I could see needing are the camera connection kit (mini usb? SD slot?), a TV-Out kit, the keyboard, and although the dock has an audio-out, a charger/speaker set like are available for the iPod.

The accessories market is irritating, especially when it's flooded with functions you wish were originally included, but I doubt it will be much different from the iPod/iPhone. Essentially, all you ever get these days is a usb charger and maybe headphones, and the included earbuds (such as the iPod buds) aren't usually high end. Didn't the Zune used to have decent headphones before they ditched them in later revisions? My Kindle, my Creative MP3 player, and basically every portable piece of electronics I own suffers from that particular trend.

It sucks, but as manufacturers try and hit certain price points, they leave out accessories. It's kind of a fact of life. If anything, the Apple accessory market tends to have lots of third-party offerings of fairly high quality (unlike searching for a decent a/v dock for my Creative), but I'm not sure if Apple gets a cut of all those or just welcomes the support.

One thing I am curious about is the iPad's video playback battery life. On the iPod and iPhone, they give separate estimates for audio, video playback, etc. If 10 hours is the iPad's top battery life while performing any function, and it drops like a rock when watching video, that won't be as impressive.

unntrlaffinity wrote:

One thing I am curious about is the iPad's video playback battery life. On the iPod and iPhone, they give separate estimates for audio, video playback, etc. If 10 hours is the iPad's top battery life while performing any function, and it drops like a rock when watching video, that won't be as impressive.

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/01/29/...

"Meanwhile, on battery life, Jobs states that the iPad will have 140-something hours of continuous music playback (presumably with the screen off). Steve Jobs had said that the iPad would offer 10 hours of video playback during the keynote yesterday, and with one month of standby power."

peterb wrote:

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/01/29/...

"Meanwhile, on battery life, Jobs states that the iPad will have 140-something hours of continuous music playback (presumably with the screen off). Steve Jobs had said that the iPad would offer 10 hours of video playback during the keynote yesterday, and with one month of standby power."

That's an incredible claim. If it's true, that'd be quite a coup. But I'm going to put myself firmly behind the skeptics on that one (like the linked article on GCN), and remain curious until other groups get their hands on one for testing.

The comment by Jobs about the content pricing "being the same" on Apple and Amazon is interesting, as is his comment about publishers withholding content from Amazon.

Amazon caved and will sell Macmillan titles at the higher price... Seems like this will mean that all the other publishers are going to spike their prices as well. Gee thanks Apple...

Dear Customers:

Macmillan, one of the "big six" publishers, has clearly communicated to us that, regardless of our viewpoint, they are committed to switching to an agency model and charging $12.99 to $14.99 for e-book versions of bestsellers and most hardcover releases.

We have expressed our strong disagreement and the seriousness of our disagreement by temporarily ceasing the sale of all Macmillan titles. We want you to know that ultimately, however, we will have to capitulate and accept Macmillan's terms because Macmillan has a monopoly over their own titles, and we will want to offer them to you even at prices we believe are needlessly high for e-books. Amazon customers will at that point decide for themselves whether they believe it's reasonable to pay $14.99 for a bestselling e-book. We don't believe that all of the major publishers will take the same route as Macmillan. And we know for sure that many independent presses and self-published authors will see this as an opportunity to provide attractively priced e-books as an alternative.

Kindle is a business for Amazon, and it is also a mission. We never expected it to be easy!

Thank you for being a customer.

"Amazon, you keep using this word 'monopoly'. I do not think it means what you think it does."

Once upon a time, Apple made the machines that made me who I am. I became who I am by tinkering. Now it seems they’re doing everything in their power to stop my kids from finding that sense of wonder. Apple has declared war on the tinkerers of the world. With every software update, the previous generation of “jailbreaks” stop working, and people have to find new ways to break into their own computers. There won’t ever be a MacsBug for the iPad. There won’t be a ResEdit, or a Copy ][+ sector editor, or an iPad Peeks & Pokes Chart. And that’s a real loss. Maybe not to you, but to somebody who doesn’t even know it yet.

I bought a Kindle, and rediscovered I can get books for free at the library.

Funny that I had to spend $200 to learn that. Although I am enjoying reading the classics for free on my Kindle. The Kindle made me realize that I love the tablet form factor so it will be hard for me to resist the iPad.

Once upon a time, Apple made the machines that made me who I am. I became who I am by tinkering. Now it seems they’re doing everything in their power to stop my kids from finding that sense of wonder.

You should read the screed that Mark's granddad wrote against automatic transmission and starter motors. Epic.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get off Mark's lawn.

peterb wrote:
Once upon a time, Apple made the machines that made me who I am. I became who I am by tinkering. Now it seems they’re doing everything in their power to stop my kids from finding that sense of wonder.

You should read the screed that Mark's granddad wrote against automatic transmission and starter motors. Epic.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get off Mark's lawn.

Jesus Christ, QFT. I find these endless dark warnings from various corners of the internet that the iPad is some kind of harbinger of a monochrome, lockstep, quasi-totalitarian computing lockdown faintly ridiculous. For God's sake, if it bothers you so much, buy another product.

Repeat after me a trillion times nerds, NOT EVERY USER SHARES YOUR REQUIREMENTS, NOT ALL PLATFORMS NEED TO BE OPEN, GENERAL PURPOSE DESKTOP METAPHOR MACHINES.

Change and evolution happens - twenty years ago people thought windows, icons, menus and pointers were a dangerous abstraction from the purity of the command line. Desktops aren't going away. Mac desktops are arguably more open and hackable than many Windows boxes (it's built off a UNIX fork ferchrissakes). If you don't want an iPad and think it's not for you, don't buy one but please stop filling the Internet with your hand-wringing bollocks about the world coming to an end because maybe five products out of several hundred thousand don't give you direct access to their kernel code.