International iPad 2 lines form as Apple begins taking online preorders

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  • Reply 41 of 52
    titusmtitusm Posts: 21member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ronster View Post


    Order placed at around 1:10am Pacific time. Available: 2 to 3 weeks. Receive it: within 8-12 business days after by Standard Shipping.



    Thank You. I was thinking, that Apple might set a later shipping date in the first place and correct that later when they know how many orders they actually can deliver a bit earlier.
  • Reply 42 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mac.World View Post


    Still amazes me that Canada doesn't get everything the same time as the US. The two countries are as close to being one country as you can get and it's not like it costs more to ship to Ottowa or Vancouver, than say New York.



    If the price of continuing to be regarded as a separate country is waiting for an iPad - I'll wait. Thanks all the same.
  • Reply 43 of 52
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ascii View Post


    I'm not sure why you think my (Steve's really) analogy is obsolete. The saying "A computer is a bicycle for the mind," has nothing to do with bicycles, it merely refers to effort amplification. The actual machine in question could be anything. The fact that computers have gone through phases with emphasis on speed, then portability does not obsolete their role as an amplifier of the mind's power.



    Me saying that Apple now produces "Tricycles for the mind," is merely a riff on Steve's original saying because I am annoyed that Apple is focussing on devices that I regard as fundamentally unserious. A moral hardworking person works most of the time, and yes, uses entertainment devices, but only to recharge with, not as the primary activity of their life, such as gaming or TV addicts. As a moral company Apple should follow the same pattern, focussing on the Mac with the iPad as secondary.



    Aha, 'tis a fair answer. I apologize for the tone, but I get worked up easily when the iPad, Apple's most revolutionary device so far (possible exception of iPhone is arguable), is dismissed as a toy, or the like. At least you came up with something new/old with 'tricycle.'



    I think I used the term 'mind amplifier' the last time we went over this weeks ago. I can only mention how the iPad is used around my house, car, cafe, bank/post office/anywhere there's a line or wait. And if I were doing any plane or train travel it would be even more of the same.



    In the year I've had it I have not watched a single movie/tv show nor played a single game. It gets two to five hours of use a day, but never, not a minute -- except for YouTube cat videos by my wife when she can get it away from me -- for entertainment.



    It is the greatest invention since the portable printed book (Aldus Martinius, ca. 1500) for enlarging knowledge. In fact it makes the printed book look like a roller skate compared to a motorized tricycle, or better, ultralight airplane.



    You can be connected to the near-infinite reservoir of human knowledge everywhere all day long. The worst thing ever said about it is that it is a content-consumption device. (How little we seem to value learning these days.) You can realize 'five impossible things before breakfast,' before your tea is ready, every day. Having the keyboard and all that laptop weight out of the way makes all the difference.



    And so on. It will produce a new theory of history or evolution or social behavior before long, just like the printed portable book did several times in the past.



    It is as serious as you can possibly want it to be. It just looks like fun.



    Typed on my iPad, lying flat on my back on the couch, poking at a screen propped vertical by a pillow.



    PS: It was Alan Kay who came up with the 'Aldine portable book' meme in the 70s, and maybe it found its way into the original Mac concept via Jef Raskin; not sure. All this time I thought it was Clay Shirky who revived Aldus, but John Markoff tells the Kay story in his 'Dormouse' book (well worth reading on the mind amplification business, by the way). And come to think of it I did watch two Jaques Tati movies and one Wallace and Gromit tv show during the year.
  • Reply 44 of 52
    Well it look me until 2:30am this morning in the UK to finally place my order. Managed to get in just after the site came back up (following a 'we'll be back soon' message). Still aren't able to access my order status though. I mean come on - they must process 100s of TB of data over iTunes everyday.



    I'm guessing it's to do with the credit card processing rather than the store in general. In any case - pretty miffed!
  • Reply 45 of 52
    stuartfstuartf Posts: 64member
    I managed to place an order at just after 02:00 UK after trying many many times this morning and failing



    At the time I placed the order the Apple Store was showing as closed in another tab.



    This morning I awoke to two confirmation emails sent 1 hour apart for two duplicate purchases 1 minute apart.



    I had the angst of cancelling one this morning at the risk that Apple might realise the duplicate and cancel the remaining order



    I strongly recommend anyone who ordered over night to check their order status for duplicates



    Stuart
  • Reply 46 of 52
    ronsterronster Posts: 153member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by titusm View Post


    Thank You. I was thinking, that Apple might set a later shipping date in the first place and correct that later when they know how many orders they actually can deliver a bit earlier.



    So later on this morning I got my confirmation email.



    Leaves Apple: Apr 15



    Receive it: Apr 22





    That's Good Friday...hope it comes on Thursday (leaving on golf trip the following Monday, wife will be home though).
  • Reply 47 of 52
    graemegraeme Posts: 61member
    Just picked up 2x64gb 3g's from the store in Southampton - 2 hours in line which doesnt beat the 1.5hrs last year. Back home to charge and sync. Glad I didn't order online



    The apple staff were cool again although not enough donuts to go around this year!
  • Reply 48 of 52
    ronsterronster Posts: 153member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Graeme View Post


    Just picked up 2x64gb 3g's from the store in Southampton - 2 hours in line which doesnt beat the 1.5hrs last year. Back home to charge and sync. Glad I didn't order online



    The apple staff were cool again although not enough donuts to go around this year!



    That's a nice chunk of change there. How long was the lineup behind you?
  • Reply 49 of 52
    graemegraeme Posts: 61member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ronster View Post


    That's a nice chunk of change there. How long was the lineup behind you?



    Yes a chunk of change hard to say how many people, the line curved around the edge of the mezzanine maybe anothe 50-60m.

    The line would have got longer but they handed out cards for the ipads you wanted so people at the very end knew if it was worth staying in the queue.



    The shopping centre shut at 8pm I walked past again about that time and they had nearly cleared everyone.
  • Reply 50 of 52
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Flaneur View Post


    Aha, 'tis a fair answer. I apologize for the tone, but I get worked up easily when the iPad, Apple's most revolutionary device so far (possible exception of iPhone is arguable), is dismissed as a toy, or the like. At least you came up with something new/old with 'tricycle.'



    I think I used the term 'mind amplifier' the last time we went over this weeks ago. I can only mention how the iPad is used around my house, car, cafe, bank/post office/anywhere there's a line or wait. And if I were doing any plane or train travel it would be even more of the same.



    In the year I've had it I have not watched a single movie/tv show nor played a single game. It gets two to five hours of use a day, but never, not a minute -- except for YouTube cat videos by my wife when she can get it away from me -- for entertainment.



    It is the greatest invention since the portable printed book (Aldus Martinius, ca. 1500) for enlarging knowledge. In fact it makes the printed book look like a roller skate compared to a motorized tricycle, or better, ultralight airplane.



    You can be connected to the near-infinite reservoir of human knowledge everywhere all day long. The worst thing ever said about it is that it is a content-consumption device. (How little we seem to value learning these days.) You can realize 'five impossible things before breakfast,' before your tea is ready, every day. Having the keyboard and all that laptop weight out of the way makes all the difference.



    And so on. It will produce a new theory of history or evolution or social behavior before long, just like the printed portable book did several times in the past.



    It is as serious as you can possibly want it to be. It just looks like fun.



    Typed on my iPad, lying flat on my back on the couch, poking at a screen propped vertical by a pillow.



    PS: It was Alan Kay who came up with the 'Aldine portable book' meme in the 70s, and maybe it found its way into the original Mac concept via Jef Raskin; not sure. All this time I thought it was Clay Shirky who revived Aldus, but John Markoff tells the Kay story in his 'Dormouse' book (well worth reading on the mind amplification business, by the way). And come to think of it I did watch two Jaques Tati movies and one Wallace and Gromit tv show during the year.



    Fair enough. I believe you that you get serious work done on the iPad, I just suspect (based on App Store statistics) that you are the exception.



    I agree there is huge education potential there, but it may be too soon to say it's the greatest invention since the portable book. We need more time to know that. One unexpected thing (for me) is how much elderly people like the iPad. I always thought my Gran should love the Internet because she could connect to the world from her boring little flat, but she was never interested. But the reason was not the web, but the hassles of the PC.



    But I disagree that it is as serious as you want it to be. Not because of the hardware (the hardware is just a blank slate and not inheriently anything), but because of the OS.



    I find that getting things done is never a 1-app experience for me, it involves doing X in one app, Y in another, cutting and pasting together etc. Because the mere fact that you are doing something new, something not done before, means it's very unlikely there is already a single app that caters for it.



    So for me, the multiple-windows GUI model is not yet obsolete. And iOS does not support this. However I see that multiple windows is just a superfluous confusion for many applications. That is why I like OS X 10.7, where you can have full screen apps OR desktops. I can use full screen apps for many uses, but still switch to a desktop when I need to mash apps together to get something done.



    Yes I have looked in to Alan Kay and Jef Raskin before. Both very smart people. Jef Raskin has an App on the MAS now that demonstrates some new GUI concepts.
  • Reply 51 of 52
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ascii View Post


    Fair enough. I believe you that you get serious work done on the iPad, I just suspect (based on App Store statistics) that you are the exception.



    I agree there is huge education potential there, but it may be too soon to say it's the greatest invention since the portable book. We need more time to know that. One unexpected thing (for me) is how much elderly people like the iPad. I always thought my Gran should love the Internet because she could connect to the world from her boring little flat, but she was never interested. But the reason was not the web, but the hassles of the PC.



    But I disagree that it is as serious as you want it to be. Not because of the hardware (the hardware is just a blank slate and not inheriently anything), but because of the OS.



    I find that getting things done is never a 1-app experience for me, it involves doing X in one app, Y in another, cutting and pasting together etc. Because the mere fact that you are doing something new, something not done before, means it's very unlikely there is already a single app that caters for it.



    So for me, the multiple-windows GUI model is not yet obsolete. And iOS does not support this. However I see that multiple windows is just a superfluous confusion for many applications. That is why I like OS X 10.7, where you can have full screen apps OR desktops. I can use full screen apps for many uses, but still switch to a desktop when I need to mash apps together to get something done.



    Yes I have looked in to Alan Kay and Jef Raskin before. Both very smart people. Jef Raskin has an App on the MAS now that demonstrates some new GUI concepts.



    This should be my last post on this off-topic debate in a now-abandoned thread. We should really be celebrating the release of iPads on schedule around the world, in contrast to the painful (to me anyway) delay last year, when Apple seemed to have blown it.



    But I see where you're coming from, which is not at all where I'm coming from. I don't pay attention to the limited architecture of the iOS because I'm using the tablet as an internet-connected reader. I might find it limiting when trying to do desktop or laptop things with it, but that is beside the point for me.



    It is the portable internet device that I was talking about, not only the iPad, that will come to be seen as the vastly more important successor to the PB (portable book). Simple logic can tell us this, and I think there really is no time to waste in seeing that we have moved, or must move, from the worldview of print to the worldview of the electronically extended nervous system of humanity.



    The tablet and internet phone are soon to be the dominant way we access this "noösphere." This does not obsolesce the desktop personal computer, the fully OSed laptop , or the server infrastructure, or mainframe computers in large installations, any of these things, just as the PB did not obsolesce libraries, instead making them more important than the monasteries alone could handle. Print expanded the pool of knowledge enormously, but one author at a time. Now each electronic "book" can access unlimited authors and the knowledge they themselves draw from. Unprecedented



    It admittedly drives me toward impatience when I see people not getting this at all, not you so much, but like that "Why Tablets Are Just a Fad" piece I linked to before. This is destructive short-sightedness, because it gives the anti-Apple prisoners of bitterness more license to carry on.



    Clinging to the past and not seeing the outlines of hope in the future is the root of this problem. It is what is paralyzing this country right now, not yours so much, but everyone can see that the U.S. has a huge problematic group of reactionaries that present a real danger to the world.



    Whence comes this clinging to past "certainties" (fear? left-brain egoic control issues?), rather than rising enthusiastically to meet positive developments when they present themselves? In fact, not even seeing the positive developments?



    Thanks for the worthy debate. I just looked up Jef Raskin today, I didn't know he had died, nor that he led such a remarkable life beyond his conceiving the Macintosh. MAS? Not familiar with that.

    ,

    Edit: The Macalope has a hilarious take on the "tablet is a fad" piece, linked by Gruber. Don't miss:



    http://www.macworld.com/article/1588...ope_noyes.html
  • Reply 52 of 52
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    Ok, you are talking big picture, not desktop vs full-screen, lol.



    Certainly, the fact that you use your fingers directly with the iPad means there's one less level of disconnect between the device and the human body than with, e.g. a mouse. So one step closer to a mind interface. And the small size (smaller than any laptop) means it is one step closer to being a permanent wearable item or implant. Overall it is heading in the general direction of a device all people could use to hook themselves together in to a global mind of some sort. But that seems a little too Borg for me. My hope for this technology is that it will empower the individual, not cause him to be lost in some kind of global mental collective.



    I am not sure what US reactionaries you are talking about. From over here the only group we have heard about lately is the Tea Party. Their agenda seems to be small government not luddite. In fact tech might advance faster if they got their way, since free markets tend to move things forward faster than the more sedate pace of social democracies like the EU.



    The woman in that article sure is wrong about tablets being a fad, however she is not wrong about the incremental nature of the iPad 2. When the first iPad came out there was a perma-crowd around it at the local electronics store, but today (Sunday) I was able to walk in to the same store and play with an iPad 2 without even waiting. And it was clearly (from a distance) the new model, since it was white. But in fairness to Apple it has been less than a year, so I don't know what exactly these tech pundits expected. We are not so far along the singularity curve that things can be totally reinvented in 1 year.
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