The iPad is perfect for traveling! Who needs a full-blown laptop? If you're a business person, and need a laptop with you, then you're not really on vacation, are you?
Almost. When I travel I currently have to carry 2 laptops because I'm not allowed to do anything personal (including check personal email) with my company laptop. I could imagine 1 laptop + 1 iPad being absolutely PERFECT except that an absolute requirement is being able to video-chat with the kids back home when I need to. A forward-facing camera and this thing would be every traveling businessperson's dream.
I'm leaning against getting a iPad right now, I think the reflective screen is going to be a big issue to make it a acceptable e-reader, the only thing I can think of using the device for over my MacBook Pro.
And I really don't want to be holding up the device or adopting weird sitting positions to use it.
The GUI is corny and doesn't meet my more mature computing needs. It's hard enough as it is dealing with the PC crowd who thinks Mac's are just for babies or gays.
I got 5 other operating systems running in VM just to show how bad ass a Mac really is.
I mean, its this really a true 1st gen product? The only thing new in this thing is the processor and considering how often the processors change and nothing is updated w/ the software I'd have to imagine it's not that big of a deal. I'd liken this more to the 3G or the 3Gs than the 2G iPhone. They've already got the hardware, they're on V 3.2 of the software and everything else is just bigger. There might be some bugs w/ Mail and other iPad specific apps but I really don't see it being a true 1st gen product.
Personally I'm waiting until they hack it so I can put 1) Flash (if I'm going to carry this around instead of my laptop I want flash to play my facebook games amongst other things) and 2) play AVI's and other things via VLC or something like that. Those are the only 2 things keeping me from pre-ordering...
We'll know soon enough, when Apple announces quarterly results.
Nope....thats why it ships April 3rd and not in March. Apple is already well ahead of their numbers for this quarter and they wanted to bump this nice little saftey margin of revenue out a quarter. They dont charge/count the sales until it ships.
Here's what I think of the iPad as a longtime Apple user and fan: It's cool, but it's not for me right now. First, I don't really have the cash to spend on it. But, if I did...I'm still not sure I'd buy one. My suspicion is a lot of people feel like this.
Don't get me wrong, this is not a complaint about the product. It just doesn't fit my lifestyle. For a corporate person, someone in medical, someone who travels by plane or train a lot (etc) I think it would be great. However, I'm a teacher and I travel only a few times per year. I wouldn't use it in school more than a laptop.
For travel, my iPhone is smaller and has nearly the same capabilities. Of course, it also makes calls and takes photos. For me, I have to consider myself lugging the iPad around. Where do I put it? In a man-purse carrying case? With my iPhone, it goes in my pocket. Here again, with a corporate person, someone in sales, etc...I think it could replace a large appointment book/sales book with ease.
The Wi-Fi only model makes a lot of sense. The iPad is far less likely to be a device many of us will carry around outside the home in many situations in contrast to pocketable devices like the iPhone and Touch.
Even if one were to bring it along in some situations, with a wealth of content stored on the unit and many programs as well, lack of 3G capability will not mean the iPad is useless beyond the range of one's router.
We all pay ridiculous amounts of money to service providers as it is. I suspect yet another monthly bill is not something many of us are that willing to take on.
... there's no monthly. there's no contract for 3g, it's essentially pay as you go.. or pre-pay. $15 for 250MB, $30 for unlimited /per month. you can enable/disable right from the device.
"In the United States, 3G service is available through a breakthrough deal with AT&T. You choose the amount of data per month you want to buy ? 250MB or unlimited. If you choose the 250MB plan, you?ll receive onscreen messages as you get close to your monthly data limit so you can decide whether to turn off 3G or upgrade to the unlimited plan. Best of all, there?s no contract. So if you have a business trip or vacation approaching, just sign up for the month you?ll be traveling and cancel when you get back. You don?t need to visit a store to get 3G service. You can sign up, check your data usage, manage your account, or cancel your service ? all from your iPad."
Not many I bet. The iBooks store is a US exclusive, so the iPad abroad is an ereader with no ebooks.
Apple aren't, understandably, publicising the lack of books abroad. I wonder how many returns they'll get on day two when people find out about this somewhat deal breaking oversight.
For me iBooks isn't part of the reason to buy an iPad. So, no deal-breaker there.
But I suspect iBooks will be available in the Netherlands after a while; sorting out the deals with book publishers locally will take Apple some time.
Lots of other iPad book readers are (currently) available (even with books in ePub format), so if I wanted to I could use the iPad as an e-reader.
Personally I'm waiting until they hack it so I can put 1) Flash (if I'm going to carry this around instead of my laptop I want flash to play my facebook games amongst other things) and 2) play AVI's and other things via VLC or something like that. Those are the only 2 things keeping me from pre-ordering...
Looking at the current specs, it appears that you'll be able to some AVIs. I don't have any AVI files (everything I have is ripped from my original DVD into H.264 m4v by Handbrake, or is 'borrowed' from the BBC iPlayer, again in H.264). This seems more designed to cope with video from digitial cameras as part of the camera accessory deal. Unfortunately, my camera either does out of range MJPEG, or (and the only way I've used it) 720p at 60fps or 1080p at 30fps AVCHD. Oh well, hopefully I'll be able to offload the video to the cloud somewhere while on holiday.
Lots of sales at the outset, then things slow down? Mind boggling.
Or not. Pent-up demand always works like this. So many words thrown upon such an obvious phenomenon.
In other news, the sky is blue and water is wet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Strawberry
Do you think the 3G preorders will fall below or exceed the WiFi ones?
I have major doubts about the validity of these estimates. They don't seem to have a good sampling system that I can tell.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lamewing
I had SUCH HIGH HOPES for the iPad to be more like a refined, flash-based Axiotron Modbook, instead of a more powerful iPhone-like device. If the iPad had used the iPhone OS, but with more capabilities (specifically including optional stylus input for entering kanji by hand like I can do on a tablet PC) I would have jumped on it the first day no matter its other limitations. I guess many of us will have to see what the iPhone OS 4.0 will bring to Apple's devices.
I assume you mean flash as in a solid state drive. If they made one, I doubt that Apple would sell one of those for less than $1500.
Quote:
Originally Posted by extremeskater
I still believe (and this is just my opinion) that Apple is going to nail the early adopters again and the 16GB model is going to be short lived. By todays standards 16GB just isn't going to cut it for a device like this and its going to be dropped within 6 month and the 32GB is going to replace it as the entry level at the 499.00 price.
16GB would suit me just fine. I don't have to have my entire library with me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Onhka
So you are saying that third-party ebook apps currently available for the iPod touch and iPhone are banned on the iPad?
I would doubt that. The only question is whether they will ban iPad-only book apps.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cvaldes1831
No, the iPad is a multimedia tablet with access to hundreds of thousands of apps, millions of songs/videos/movies etc. minus the iBookstore abroad. Presumably, some of the other ereader apps will work.
It looks like books will probably roll out to other countries quicker.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iLuv
If Apple wants there customers too have the best user experience, they will ban all the ebook apps except iBookstore.
That would look more like a dick move than a push for better UX. Have you actually used the other ebook software for the iOS? The UX doesn't look to be any worse than what Apple showed at their presentation. Stanza looks & feels like it could have been an Apple first party app.
Why would you pay an extra $130 only not to use it. People opting for the Wi-Fi only iPads already planned to use it as an Wi-Fi only device. If you want the 3G, I would think that it would be better to see the device first. Ultimately which of the options will outsell the other will be determined when both are available.
If you know for sure you're not going to need or use it then no its not worth paying 130.00, I was simply saying for those that are unsure there is no commitment for activation.
Why would you pay an extra $130 only not to use it. People opting for the Wi-Fi only iPads already planned to use it as an Wi-Fi only device. If you want the 3G, I would think that it would be better to see the device first. Ultimately which of the options will outsell the other will be determined when both are available.
why do you need to see it? the only significant difference is the strip of plastic on the back for the 3g antenna. it's not like there's a WiFi only and 3g only versions.
i think a good percentage of the preorders are going to developers who need the hardware for testing.
Personally I'm waiting until they hack it so I can put 1) Flash (if I'm going to carry this around instead of my laptop I want flash to play my facebook games amongst other things) and 2) play AVI's and other things via VLC or something like that. Those are the only 2 things keeping me from pre-ordering...
The iPad is not a replacement for a notebook. It is better than any notebook at many things.
Early adopters do not fair well compared to 2.0. Even my brother who used to be a product manager at Apple used to say "Never buy Rev A from Apple."
Translating:
Translation complete.
Result:
"My drinking buddy, who once had a job stocking shelves at my local Apple store before being fired for gross incompetence, used to hate opening day when Apple had something new."
Actually if someone doesn't mind paying the extra 130.00 the 3G model at least in my opinion is the way to go because you are paying full price for the iPad there is no commitment so you can sign up whenever you want or never sign up.
Unlike a PC you can't add 3G later if you want too so if someone is even thinking about wanting 3G on their iPad at least for me the 3G model is the way to go.
I still believe (and this is just my opinion) that Apple is going to nail the early adopters again and the 16GB model is going to be short lived. By todays standards 16GB just isn't going to cut it for a device like this and its going to be dropped within 6 month and the 32GB is going to replace it as the entry level at the 499.00 price.
Is there a reason why a solution to allow 3G to be added to the iPad externally can't be developed? Right now there is no market for such a device because anyone interested in 3G would obviously buy the 3G version. But down the road, perhaps, there will be a significant number of WiFi-only iPad owners looking to add 3G.
By the way, 16GB is adequate considering you are going to be using the iPad likely as a companion to a full-feature computer. It's not intended to be a replacement for a fully-functioning laptop or desktop. You put specific content on it at a given point in time and then swap it out as required. On the other hand, a 32G base unit is inevitable though I suspect expecting such an upgrade by September is unrealistic. Early 2011 is much more probable. In other words, more memory will be part of iPad Version 2. In the meantime, lots of folks will have little trouble enjoying their 16GB versions. With that much memory there's plenty of room for apps, photos, ebooks, music files, and several movies. It's not like you have to carry your entire media libary with you wherever you go. For many of us, 64GB wouldn't even come close to being enough for that. By that reasoning, one would be best to wait for the 1T iPad ilkely to be available by 2015.
16GB would suit me just fine. I don't have to have my entire library with me.
Well for me when you are talking about books, movies, music and games even not loading my entire library 16GB is still fairly low by todays standards.
I also find it interesting if we are talking storage alone its only 100.00 more to had four times the memory to your iPod Touch but the same price for double the memory on the iPad.
Also I have posted several times before there is about a 51% gross margin on the iPad so clearly Apple is yet again getting well on the hardware.
... It's cool, but it's not for me right now. ... I wouldn't use it in school more than a laptop.
It's more like, use - an iPad - as a laptop. So you replace the laptop with a much smaller and lighter and brighter iPad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SDW2001
... For me, I have to consider myself lugging the iPad around. Where do I put it? In a man-purse carrying case? With my iPhone, it goes in my pocket. Here again, with a corporate person, someone in sales, etc...I think it could replace a large appointment book/sales book with ease. ...
For me the most important use of the iPad will be at home. Within WiFi range it is unbeatable in ease of use and quality.
And this is because the screen is better than all MacBooks (including the pro) except the latest ones with led back-lighting and much easier to use without the lid and weight and extremely intuitive with the new software and touchscreen.
Comments
The iPad is perfect for traveling! Who needs a full-blown laptop? If you're a business person, and need a laptop with you, then you're not really on vacation, are you?
Almost. When I travel I currently have to carry 2 laptops because I'm not allowed to do anything personal (including check personal email) with my company laptop. I could imagine 1 laptop + 1 iPad being absolutely PERFECT except that an absolute requirement is being able to video-chat with the kids back home when I need to. A forward-facing camera and this thing would be every traveling businessperson's dream.
And I really don't want to be holding up the device or adopting weird sitting positions to use it.
The GUI is corny and doesn't meet my more mature computing needs. It's hard enough as it is dealing with the PC crowd who thinks Mac's are just for babies or gays.
I got 5 other operating systems running in VM just to show how bad ass a Mac really is.
sorry Apple.
Personally I'm waiting until they hack it so I can put 1) Flash (if I'm going to carry this around instead of my laptop I want flash to play my facebook games amongst other things) and 2) play AVI's and other things via VLC or something like that. Those are the only 2 things keeping me from pre-ordering...
We'll know soon enough, when Apple announces quarterly results.
Nope....thats why it ships April 3rd and not in March. Apple is already well ahead of their numbers for this quarter and they wanted to bump this nice little saftey margin of revenue out a quarter. They dont charge/count the sales until it ships.
Don't get me wrong, this is not a complaint about the product. It just doesn't fit my lifestyle. For a corporate person, someone in medical, someone who travels by plane or train a lot (etc) I think it would be great. However, I'm a teacher and I travel only a few times per year. I wouldn't use it in school more than a laptop.
For travel, my iPhone is smaller and has nearly the same capabilities. Of course, it also makes calls and takes photos. For me, I have to consider myself lugging the iPad around. Where do I put it? In a man-purse carrying case? With my iPhone, it goes in my pocket. Here again, with a corporate person, someone in sales, etc...I think it could replace a large appointment book/sales book with ease.
Anyone else feel like this?
The Wi-Fi only model makes a lot of sense. The iPad is far less likely to be a device many of us will carry around outside the home in many situations in contrast to pocketable devices like the iPhone and Touch.
Even if one were to bring it along in some situations, with a wealth of content stored on the unit and many programs as well, lack of 3G capability will not mean the iPad is useless beyond the range of one's router.
We all pay ridiculous amounts of money to service providers as it is. I suspect yet another monthly bill is not something many of us are that willing to take on.
... there's no monthly. there's no contract for 3g, it's essentially pay as you go.. or pre-pay. $15 for 250MB, $30 for unlimited /per month. you can enable/disable right from the device.
http://www.apple.com/ipad/3g/
"In the United States, 3G service is available through a breakthrough deal with AT&T. You choose the amount of data per month you want to buy ? 250MB or unlimited. If you choose the 250MB plan, you?ll receive onscreen messages as you get close to your monthly data limit so you can decide whether to turn off 3G or upgrade to the unlimited plan. Best of all, there?s no contract. So if you have a business trip or vacation approaching, just sign up for the month you?ll be traveling and cancel when you get back. You don?t need to visit a store to get 3G service. You can sign up, check your data usage, manage your account, or cancel your service ? all from your iPad."
All people who really wanted the iPad got it on the first day. Not that many apple fanboys...
Will see how this device is accepted and if (possible) slow sales will force Jobs to announce Flash support for "the best browsing experience"
..or it's devs who need the hardware to test on.
If Apple wants there customers too have the best user experience, they will ban all the ebook apps except iBookstore.
on what grounds? duplicating existing funcitonality? hard case to make since Kindle/Stanza/Classics are there, yet apple's solution isn't
i don't think they're going to cull the existing readers.
Not many I bet. The iBooks store is a US exclusive, so the iPad abroad is an ereader with no ebooks.
Apple aren't, understandably, publicising the lack of books abroad. I wonder how many returns they'll get on day two when people find out about this somewhat deal breaking oversight.
For me iBooks isn't part of the reason to buy an iPad. So, no deal-breaker there.
But I suspect iBooks will be available in the Netherlands after a while; sorting out the deals with book publishers locally will take Apple some time.
Lots of other iPad book readers are (currently) available (even with books in ePub format), so if I wanted to I could use the iPad as an e-reader.
[snip]
Personally I'm waiting until they hack it so I can put 1) Flash (if I'm going to carry this around instead of my laptop I want flash to play my facebook games amongst other things) and 2) play AVI's and other things via VLC or something like that. Those are the only 2 things keeping me from pre-ordering...
Looking at the current specs, it appears that you'll be able to some AVIs. I don't have any AVI files (everything I have is ripped from my original DVD into H.264 m4v by Handbrake, or is 'borrowed' from the BBC iPlayer, again in H.264). This seems more designed to cope with video from digitial cameras as part of the camera accessory deal. Unfortunately, my camera either does out of range MJPEG, or (and the only way I've used it) 720p at 60fps or 1080p at 30fps AVCHD. Oh well, hopefully I'll be able to offload the video to the cloud somewhere while on holiday.
Lots of sales at the outset, then things slow down? Mind boggling.
Or not. Pent-up demand always works like this. So many words thrown upon such an obvious phenomenon.
In other news, the sky is blue and water is wet.
Do you think the 3G preorders will fall below or exceed the WiFi ones?
I have major doubts about the validity of these estimates. They don't seem to have a good sampling system that I can tell.
I had SUCH HIGH HOPES for the iPad to be more like a refined, flash-based Axiotron Modbook, instead of a more powerful iPhone-like device. If the iPad had used the iPhone OS, but with more capabilities (specifically including optional stylus input for entering kanji by hand like I can do on a tablet PC) I would have jumped on it the first day no matter its other limitations. I guess many of us will have to see what the iPhone OS 4.0 will bring to Apple's devices.
I assume you mean flash as in a solid state drive. If they made one, I doubt that Apple would sell one of those for less than $1500.
I still believe (and this is just my opinion) that Apple is going to nail the early adopters again and the 16GB model is going to be short lived. By todays standards 16GB just isn't going to cut it for a device like this and its going to be dropped within 6 month and the 32GB is going to replace it as the entry level at the 499.00 price.
16GB would suit me just fine. I don't have to have my entire library with me.
So you are saying that third-party ebook apps currently available for the iPod touch and iPhone are banned on the iPad?
I would doubt that. The only question is whether they will ban iPad-only book apps.
No, the iPad is a multimedia tablet with access to hundreds of thousands of apps, millions of songs/videos/movies etc. minus the iBookstore abroad. Presumably, some of the other ereader apps will work.
It looks like books will probably roll out to other countries quicker.
If Apple wants there customers too have the best user experience, they will ban all the ebook apps except iBookstore.
That would look more like a dick move than a push for better UX. Have you actually used the other ebook software for the iOS? The UX doesn't look to be any worse than what Apple showed at their presentation. Stanza looks & feels like it could have been an Apple first party app.
You're kidding me, you expected maybe 100,000 a day all week?
All this before any of us insignificant mortals have touched one :-)
It's still gonna be at least 5M in the first year - $3 Billion + hehe
"Face it, Apple is doomed"
-iGenius (pre-quote quote)
Why would you pay an extra $130 only not to use it. People opting for the Wi-Fi only iPads already planned to use it as an Wi-Fi only device. If you want the 3G, I would think that it would be better to see the device first. Ultimately which of the options will outsell the other will be determined when both are available.
If you know for sure you're not going to need or use it then no its not worth paying 130.00, I was simply saying for those that are unsure there is no commitment for activation.
Why would you pay an extra $130 only not to use it. People opting for the Wi-Fi only iPads already planned to use it as an Wi-Fi only device. If you want the 3G, I would think that it would be better to see the device first. Ultimately which of the options will outsell the other will be determined when both are available.
why do you need to see it? the only significant difference is the strip of plastic on the back for the 3g antenna. it's not like there's a WiFi only and 3g only versions.
i think a good percentage of the preorders are going to developers who need the hardware for testing.
Personally I'm waiting until they hack it so I can put 1) Flash (if I'm going to carry this around instead of my laptop I want flash to play my facebook games amongst other things) and 2) play AVI's and other things via VLC or something like that. Those are the only 2 things keeping me from pre-ordering...
The iPad is not a replacement for a notebook. It is better than any notebook at many things.
Early adopters do not fair well compared to 2.0. Even my brother who used to be a product manager at Apple used to say "Never buy Rev A from Apple."
Translating:
Translation complete.
Result:
"My drinking buddy, who once had a job stocking shelves at my local Apple store before being fired for gross incompetence, used to hate opening day when Apple had something new."
Actually if someone doesn't mind paying the extra 130.00 the 3G model at least in my opinion is the way to go because you are paying full price for the iPad there is no commitment so you can sign up whenever you want or never sign up.
Unlike a PC you can't add 3G later if you want too so if someone is even thinking about wanting 3G on their iPad at least for me the 3G model is the way to go.
I still believe (and this is just my opinion) that Apple is going to nail the early adopters again and the 16GB model is going to be short lived. By todays standards 16GB just isn't going to cut it for a device like this and its going to be dropped within 6 month and the 32GB is going to replace it as the entry level at the 499.00 price.
Is there a reason why a solution to allow 3G to be added to the iPad externally can't be developed? Right now there is no market for such a device because anyone interested in 3G would obviously buy the 3G version. But down the road, perhaps, there will be a significant number of WiFi-only iPad owners looking to add 3G.
By the way, 16GB is adequate considering you are going to be using the iPad likely as a companion to a full-feature computer. It's not intended to be a replacement for a fully-functioning laptop or desktop. You put specific content on it at a given point in time and then swap it out as required. On the other hand, a 32G base unit is inevitable though I suspect expecting such an upgrade by September is unrealistic. Early 2011 is much more probable. In other words, more memory will be part of iPad Version 2. In the meantime, lots of folks will have little trouble enjoying their 16GB versions. With that much memory there's plenty of room for apps, photos, ebooks, music files, and several movies. It's not like you have to carry your entire media libary with you wherever you go. For many of us, 64GB wouldn't even come close to being enough for that. By that reasoning, one would be best to wait for the 1T iPad ilkely to be available by 2015.
16GB would suit me just fine. I don't have to have my entire library with me.
Well for me when you are talking about books, movies, music and games even not loading my entire library 16GB is still fairly low by todays standards.
I also find it interesting if we are talking storage alone its only 100.00 more to had four times the memory to your iPod Touch but the same price for double the memory on the iPad.
Also I have posted several times before there is about a 51% gross margin on the iPad so clearly Apple is yet again getting well on the hardware.
http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderd...rgins-on-ipad/
... It's cool, but it's not for me right now. ... I wouldn't use it in school more than a laptop.
It's more like, use - an iPad - as a laptop. So you replace the laptop with a much smaller and lighter and brighter iPad.
... For me, I have to consider myself lugging the iPad around. Where do I put it? In a man-purse carrying case? With my iPhone, it goes in my pocket. Here again, with a corporate person, someone in sales, etc...I think it could replace a large appointment book/sales book with ease. ...
For me the most important use of the iPad will be at home. Within WiFi range it is unbeatable in ease of use and quality.
And this is because the screen is better than all MacBooks (including the pro) except the latest ones with led back-lighting and much easier to use without the lid and weight and extremely intuitive with the new software and touchscreen.
It will be a joy to use, from day one.
J.