The Apple iPad — What You Need to Know
Image credit: Engadget
Updated with additional specifications and images from Apple. After much hype, speculation and years of waiting, Apple introduced the world to its new tablet, the iPad. Here’s a brief rundown on this multi-functional, multi-touch device that looks like a bigger version of the iPhone. What’s most astounding is the reasonable pricing and no-contract, low-cost deals for 3G connectivity. Looks like I did OK on my earlier predictions, although I priced it too high.
Display: 9.7″ IPS capacitive display, resolution unknown as of yet. Resolution of 1024 x 768
Weight: 1.5 pounds
Thickness: 0.5″
CPU: The Apple A4, a 1GHz ARM-based CPU powers the iPad.
Input: An on-screen keyboard is used for text, or an optional keyboard can be used. Gestures and touch also work. There is no handwriting input or recognition.
Connectivity: 802.11n Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR, a U.S. contract-free 3G option is available for $14.99 for 250 MB per month or unlimited for $29.99 a month on AT&T which includes free AT&T hotspots. International deals by June, but all iPad 3G models are unlocked.
Storage: 16 to 64 GB of flash memory
Battery: Integrated 25 W/hr battery rated at 10 hours of video watching, web surfing over Wi-Fi or listening to audio.
Peripherals: A keyboard dock will charge the iPad. A case will also be available.
Pricing: $499 for the base model with 16GB. $599 for 32 GB. $699 for 64GB. 3G adds $130 to any non-3G model.
Availability: Shipping in 60 days for Wi-Fi models, 3G models to follow 30 days later.
Applications: Apple leveraged the existing iPhone app store so all current apps will run on it. Apps can be pixel-doubled for full-screen usage. YouTubeHD videos will play in full screen. There appears to be no support for Adobe Flash. E-book content will be available through the new iBooks application — prices look higher than on Amazon. iWork is completely redesigned for use on the iPad, complete with gesture input and interaction.
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Honestly, every bit as useless as I anticipated. They failed to show what the actual purpose for this is.
The only surprise to me was the price.
And some of the screenshots look like carpal tunnel waiting to happen:
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/01/apple-creation-0416-rm-eng.jpg
Could you imagine typing with it so close to your body like that, while having to look down directly at your lap to see the screen? Looks painful to me.
The price is indeed surprising and I personally won’t consider a purchase until I spend some extended time with the on-screen keyboard. I gather that most people will snag the keyboard dock, which serves too purposes. I’m also shocked about the 3G plans — no-contract is great, although you’ll have to ante up the $130 for the 3G functionality to begin with.
I am still kind of wondering why it’s an extra $130 for basically a 3G chip. Isn’t that pricey?
Actually this price point isn’t surprising when you think of what this isn’t:
a) A game changer
b) Worth more than $300 if it was from anyone else
And c) (the biggie) That most of the revenue from this will come in app/iBook/iTunes etc. sales
Agreed… fiq the price would be $200 more for base model.
But, I’ll be staying wing my Fujitsu p1620 for now.
Specs on line http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/
And video available here: http://www.apple.com/ipad/#video
Actually quite surprised. But no flash, so streaming from Hulu, etc. is a no go – very disappointing. And I haven’t seen anything about a headphone jack? That’s quite odd. The iPhone OS is kind of a let down. It’s temping, even to me. But too much is missing. HP’s slate running full Win7 seems like a better deal to me, perhaps. Besides that, we’re gunna see a slew of these devices with Tegra looming on the shores. I’m waiting. I honestly think the iPad is just the beginning.
Ah. There it is.. headphone jack.
I can imagine spending hours on the toilet with this……;-)
I agree, the iPad is the ultimate toilet web browsing device.
It’s one of the Top 10 reasons to Buy the Apple iPad
http://www.bealoud.com/technology/apple-ipad/
I hate to be negative, but I really can’t imagine that many business users being interested in this.
It looks like more of a novelty, entertainment type gadget, rather than a truly utilitarian type device. You will still need to take a laptop with you on trip to be truly productive and efficient, and a laptop can do all this can plus more.
It will have it’s niche market though, and I think it will sell well. People who want to sit on the couch for 20-30 minutes, get comfortable, and check their e-mail or browse the web. Although I don’t see why you wouldn’t just use your i-phone for that? Seems sort of redundant to purchase both i-phone, i-pad, and still have another primary laptop.
But for people like me, who have neither an iPhone nor a laptop (and I realize that you’re all unable to grasp this concept, but there it is), and who is more interested in portable content consumption than content creation, this is a pretty attractive device.
Why don’t you just buy a netbook. Having a full desktop OS will allow you to consume more content more conveniently than a mobile OS.
The Acer Aspire 1810T is great choice at $600. It also has H.264 hardware acceleration which would allow you to play 1080p video files and Flash movies with the upcoming Adobe Flash 10.1 (the beta works great so far).
If you want smaller then you could get the MSI Wind U110 or any other netbook that uses the Intel Atom Z530 and GMA 500 which also has H.264 hardware acceleration.
The differentiator I see is that this is the first large-ish device with a temp data plan.
Going on a business trip, or vacation? Shell out $30 that month. Otherwise, just use wi-fi.
Not for everybody. But a nice size and form factor between a phone and a laptop. Want something more capable in that size range? Get a Tablet PC or some slate PC coming out soon.
@aj: because I don’t want a netbook. I want a slate tablet. If it wasn’t the iPad, it would be the eDGe or the Notion Ink Adam or something else in a touch-style device with no physical keyboard. Again, I realize that the fact that I do not own, and have never owned, either a laptop/notebook/netbook or a smartphone makes me something of a rare bird around here, but there it is. I want a slate, and given the available options, I think I’m gonna go with the iPad.
No matter what we think, this thing is going to sell shedloads imho.
I could maybe seeing myself using it for business, particularly meeting notes in Evernote, keeping all my notes/tech info, interactive service demonstrations, mindmaps etc. all available now from Apps. With a robust connection and the keyboard I’d see myself using Logmein. A nipple for a mouse would be good though…
Now, I assume that you can redownload all your existing iPhone apps for free, just like you can do on multiple iPhones/iPod touches. Certainly hope so!
Don’t get me wrong, I agree that it’ll sell a ton, just by virtue of being an Apple product. I just haven’t been shown anything that screams out “this is why we need this”.
1024×768 res. Same size, shape and res as our beloved TC1100′s. Not using widescreen is a good thing as it’s more natural for reading documents etc. in portrait.
I am very surprised at the low resolution.
Any higher and you can barely use it on a 10″ screen.
I have my Mac netbook (ala Dell 10v) arriving tomorrow. Still infinitely more useful to me when traveling light than the iPad. Can’t believe they didn’t develop their own processor since they acquired that company last year. Maybe in future iterations.
umm….they did; the Wikipedia entry’s already up for it – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_A4
HP slate, Archos 9, even the joojoo tablet look better than the ipad. What a letdown!
I agree, all the other tablets that are already out or announced beats this iPad. This thing is more useless than a netbook. It’s just an oversized iPhone for people with big fingers. No Adobe Flash support and it just runs iPhone/iPod Touch apps (plus some iPad specific ones).
I’d rather just buy an iPhone over this thing. If I where to get a tablet, I’d wait for the HP Slate or get the Archos 9.
Even though this iPad device is pretty useless compared to other similar devices, I’m sure Apple’s great marketing will trick people into buying it. From reading the comments here I could already tell marketing is working.
It’s a giant Touch, upgraded. Useful as a combination media player, ebook reader, and web surfer device, light gaming…a “waste some time in the dentist’s waiting room” device.
The price is attractive, and the 3g AT&T connection isn’t a half bad offer either.
But I’ll wait for the HP Slate to come out before making a decision.
I am not an apple fanboy but I can, despite the shortcomings, see me buying one of these as I like the OS for its instant on capability. At home , at least 50% of my time is spent surfing on an ipod touch already.
I see no-one buying the 3G versions at all.
I would. Simply because I can’t wi-fi at work. But a 3g connection would get me out into the cloud.
Unless the “unlimited” (probably 5G cap) 3G plans include tethering/PAM, I don’t think they are that great a deal — it’s about the same as adding a data pack to a cell phone (or same as the Sprint Relay data plan, which does allow tethering — and requires a contract). 250MB/month is useless.
Price is lower than I expected, but I think still too high except for the Apple obsessed.
I don’t think there will be a cap. They appear to be piggy-backing on the iPhone data plan, which is unlimited.
I’m not so sure about that. I think I am a heavy data user on my 3GS and I just looked at my last six months of bills and I have only used more that 250mb only twice, and that was only by one mb, so at ATT rates those two months would have only cost me an extra $5 in overages… I wish they had a 250mb plan for my iphone. It would save me every month.
No I really wish I could tether my iphone. Then I’d have a good reason for unlimited data on it for VPN use to the office.
Surely this thing needs a webcam?
You are right… that would have been useful!!!
It will likely kill off the Kindle DX.
I love the fact that the iBook uses epub format… makes me think that my Sony Reader purchases might hopefully work on it.
Strange move on Amazon’s part… Fighting against not only the Kindle, but .awz format. People will still buy the Kindle, much cheaper and rugged, and you don’t feel bad to throw it around. But betraying their own DRM? Odd…
I am guessing that the iPhone Kindle App will always be there, allowing current Kindle owners to use this. And now hopefully we Sony users.
I just do not see why anyone would pay $489 for the DX when this is available in base form for $10-$140 more.
I do think Amazon need to open up themselves to ePub though…
True… but eInk is the big competition point. I’m still waiting for Tegra/Pixel Qi combos. Perhaps Amazon will release such a device? ;)
I don’t see an e-ink screen on this thing, so no, no it wont.
This whole device looks disappointing. All it is an oversized iPod touch.
Don’t need e-ink with Kindle app. I run it on the iPhone and my PC.
Have fun straining your eyes.
And by the way, who do they have working on the device in the first photo, ET the extraterrestrial?
I could see myself getting one of these if I can use it for “productive” purposes. I mean, can I really create a document, presentation or spreadsheet in this format? Can this REALLY replace a laptop/tablet pc? No inking capabilities, so how do I take notes?
Pogo pen on an updated Evernote app?
@Gavin Miller: “Pogo pen on an updated Evernote app”
I think you hit it on the head Gavin. I was hoping for a native inking app from Apple… as it looks like that isn’t going to happen, I guess a pogo pen or similar on an updated evernote or similar app would be the only way to go…
Another possibility is for Apple reacting to perhaps low sales at the biz sector and rolling out the app themselves later on…
http://www.gottabemobile.com/2010/01/27/evernote-pretty-excited-about-the-ipad?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gottabemobile+%28GottaBeMobile%29
Oh, iWorks is being ported!
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/27/apple-announces-new-version-of-iworks-for-ipad/
Yet no USB for (a majority of) printers, so users will still need to communicate via wi-fi or a paid 3G Plan with a ‘real’ computer – like, say, even a netbook – to make iWorks as useful as it could be.
Then again, with no multitasking, its not as if you can listen to your favorite iTunes purchase and do work at the same time anyway…
Not so much an iPad as a Maxi-Touch – and yes, either way it sounds like a feminine hygiene product…
iTunes plays in the background on the iPhone, at least while I’m surfing the web or using email.
I stand corrected. Partly. Still, no true multi-tasking, though.
And, at $500+ for the most basic of units, the iPad remains essentially a content delivery device for iTunes with less practical functionality than my $350 netbook. Pity really…
I’m *really* surprised by the price point. Even the 64GB 3G-less model is within my budget. (Of course, I’d need to buy a case for it, and probably a Bluetooth keyboard of some kind eventually.) There are a number of things missing, but most of them I can live without: camera, GPS on non-3G model. I’m a little surprised that there’s no Flash support, and even more so that there’s no multitasking – does Apple think that we’ll never need to switch between word processing and web browsing, for example? On the other hand, that’s probably something that can be solved in an OS upgrade, and as long as I can listen to music while I’m doing other stuff (which definitely works on the iPhone), I can probably work around that limitation. And the immediate availability of all the iPhone/iPod Touch apps, combined with Apple’s content ecosystem (now expanded to books), makes this a really attractive package. I’m thinking I’ll probably buy one.
so many things missing, a camera, a mic, flash support, simultaneously running multiple apps.
Further wish list tv tuner, usb ports (external memory), gsm phone calls.
I am sure pretty soon next generation will be released with at least camera.
This will be a cool device that I will probably buy once the early adopter tax is lifted. I can see this replacing my BeBook which I use at work for carring around pdfs and word documents. And I get all the great multimedia, web and gaming.
I’ll reserve final judgement until I can put my hands on one in a store.
And my wife says that “iPad” sounds like a femenine hygiene product !!!
Sorry, before watching, keep in mind that it’s a MadTV clip.
Awesome!!! XD
LOL!
As for reading books on this, let’s rename it iStrain — wonder how long the battery will last when reading books. Given the price, monthly feel, $130 extra for 3G, and screen type for reading, I don’t think it will be a Kindle-killer. It’s just a flat netbook!
I can (mostly) see that; and I’m wondering about the “iStrain”, particularly outside in natural light. (Indoors, it’ll be just like my other Mac displays that I sit in front of 12 hours a day.)
If I do wind up getting one – and I’m not absolutely sold on the idea yet, surprisingly – I’ll get the 3G version. I learned my lesson with the iPod Touch; the times you absolutely, positively NEED to get online are the times you won’t be in range of any usable WiFi.
Beyond that, I’ve got one serious, conceptual beef with the way this is being pitched, as I blogged today. http://archlever.blogspot.com/2010/01/whats-wrong-with-this-picture.html
Some hands on stuff over on Engadget:
* It’s not light. It feels pretty weighty in your hand.
* The screen is stunning, and it’s 1024 x 768. Feels just like a huge iPhone in your hands.
* The speed of the CPU is something to be marveled at. It is blazingly fast from what we can tell. Webpages loaded up super fast, and scrolling was without a hiccup. Moving into and out of apps was a breeze. Everything flew.
* There’s no multitasking at all. It’s a real disappointment. All this power and very little you can do with it at once. No multitasking means no streaming Pandora when you’re working in Pages… you can figure it out. It’s a real setback for this device.
* The ebook implementation is about as close as you can get to reading without a stack of bound paper in your hand. The visual stuff really helps flesh out the experience. It may be just for show, but it counts here.
* No camera. None, nada. Zip. No video conferencing here folks. Hell, it doesn’t have an SMS app!
* It’s running iPhone OS 3.2.
* The keyboard is good, not great. Not quite as responsive as it looked in the demos.
Funnily Gizmodo says “it’s pretty light”
Lol, Giz must have more muscular geeks!
Color me unimpressed. I have a Macbook. Now that’s an impressive laptop. This thing is no use to me at home or at work…and I’m in the education field. As a complete techofile/technogeek/computer-guy, if I can’t find a use for it in the classroom, no one I know will. If they do, they are just replacing a much more powerful device (laptop or tablet pc) with this for the cool factor. My final opinion is, of course, an overhyped product that isn’t as cool as my M-1400 tablet pc years ago.
Apple just pulled a Foleo. It’s THAT bad.
Why would anyone buy this over a netbook tablet?
What a waste.
Because some of us hate the convertible tablet form factor and are not generally keen on the idea of running Win7 in touch mode? Just sayin’.
That’s why I’ll rather wait and see some Android based devices.
@Scott: Don’t know the drawbacks of Win7 touch mode – standard Win7 on my EeePC runs just fine+standard input methods. Could you comment/direct me to a relevant discussion?
Any immediate thoughts from JK?
The killer is no multi-tasking, until the jail-breaking crowd gets their grubby paws on it.
We’re we also expecting iPhone 4.0 announcements today?
I wonder when they combine this with Iphone 4.0 though, with its predicted multitasking abilities, what this will grow into. I really was hoping to see a webcam though.
Expect two things:
1. iPhone OS 4.0 will have multitasking.
2. A satellite industry in all the hardware that someone thinks the iPad *should* have had, especially cameras. In a way, this might be good: got a specialized use case that needs a little bit of hardware support? Create a lightweight device that clamps to the bezel (one more time when large bezels are useful!) or serves as a stand-up dock, and an app to go with it. I’m thinking specifically of a multi-input audio interface for musicians, but there are other obvious applications.
30$ a month for at&t shotty 3g. Hell the kindle offers FREE 3g. Buy a laptop, save your money.
I too find it surprising that the iPad weights 1.5 lbs. Given how thin the device is, and the fact the weight is evenly distributed, I think it will be comfortable to use. I did hope it would be lighter, however.
I had indicated way back when that the iPad would be a large iPhone, and that’s basically what it is (sans the phone bit). I can see buying one for my own use, without the 3G. I think Wi-Fi would be sufficient for me and avoid the extra expense and monthly data fee.
Of course, I already have a Verizon MiFi so I’d end up just using that over Wi-Fi on the iPad.
I have some detailed thoughts in the works about the whole enchilada.
This is interesting as well James:
Jason Calacanis’s tweets about iPad 2.0.
http://twitter.com/jason
I believe Mr. Calacanis is full of it. I saw his first tweets yesterday. Believe me, if he did have an iPad of any sort it was under such an iron-clad NDA he could NOT have been saying anything about it.
Fair enough! :-)
Why would you buy one? I don’t understand the purpose.
Anybody else find that the default home screen wallpaper looks a lot like the Android one?
Yes but one better, it reminded me of those Android homescreen shots on the… was it Dell Netbook? either way I remember thinking how sparse, and rather unnatural it looked.
Confirmed: Useless!
Such a silly device!
No multitasking – e.g. no Pandora when you browse.
No webcam – e.g. no Skype video conferencing.
Too big and definitely too heavy. It looks lite – but that is what mom is (and my wife b4 the kids were born was) saying about me too.
there goes the magic. I would cover the N5 with more energy.
Tal
No GPS either lol.
All the things I look for in a mobile device are not there.
No phone capabilities embedded …
Silly thing. sorry – I am done now.
Wow a giant iPhone… minus the phone – how “revolutionary”
Thanks I’ll keep my $500-800 and buy a magnifying glass for my iPhone!
Bear in mind folks this is the first go at this from Apple. Taking a step back and looking at the big picture I think this is about two things – 1. Multi media browsing on a slate format (replacement for newspapers and magazines) 2. Who wins the battle for the ebook format and bookstore.
Apple is all about owning the store and the hardware. I wouldn’t bet against them, and if I were Amazon I’d be thinking about a future business model where I probably need to give away Kindles for free to compete with mutlimedia devices. It’s far easier to open the store than it is to build the hardware and software and I think Amazon could be facing a real tough fight with Apple.
I’m not buying for 2 main reasons and a few minor. 1) Missing features will be out in a future iPad but I’ll likely get them with another manufacturer (camera, multi-tasking) 2) I think a convertible tablet like the HP tm2t is feature rich but more than twice the weight. Darn.
The iPad battery looks great and the price is not that bad. I’m on the fence to get 3G. Wifi will meet most of my needs. A Mifi is more versatile with a slight cost premium.
As for the eReader functions, I want a back light. I mean, I need a back light. My eyes just are not good enough for the e-ink contrast. I love reading on my iPhone. I need a larger screen to read newspapers and magazines and it must have the back-light. I know, there goes the battery life. Trade-offs for sure.
I believe this is going to be huge in the education market. Think of the possibilities for older elementary school students and middle schoolers. Apple will discount it via it’s education store and deals with school systems Educational software developers are going to be all over this.
At the University where I work many many students have iPod touches (wifi is free and all over campus). I suspect they will be another natural market. Having it run Ipod/Iphone applications means there is a huge number of applications already available, it solves the chicken and egg question. I also would guess Apple is working with Educational publishers at all levels to put textbooks on this (except they can be “more” than textbooks now).
The other thing Apple has done is push to keep software prices “affordable” with there $9.99 software
I think it needs better inking/note-taking to be a killer in the education market.
I love the iPad. Exactly what I was hoping for.
A desktop as central powerhouse. My phone for light traveling and this device right in between.
For tasks I don’t like sitting behind my desk for, and my phone is too small for, this suits fine. Casual web surfing, reading long documents/articles, multimedia without a clamshell-like device like a laptop. Perfect!
I don’t need flash (I’ve switched it off in my browser and happy with it). I won’t be needing multitasking on it. It’s handy, but not essential. Battery life is. I don’t even need it to be able to play music in the background, since I already have devices which are better at it anyway.
I don’t want it to be a phone. I already have that in a better form factor.
Only question I have: Can I tether it with my phone?
I will definitely buy one, but not sure yet if it will be Wifi or 3G.
First off, the launch it is a GREAT example of “no or minimalcost” marketing/advertising. Just think of the space in print and on-line that hundreds of news purveyers have given Apple and Apple has paid zilch!
Second, I think they missed the boat by not having the viewing area 8 X 11 so that, with the monitor in portrait position, one could see a full page of text at a font size that is readable without zoomining in.
When they come up with a larger model with a larger viewing area that is less weight than a Motion Computing tablet, I’ll really give it some consideration.
When the dust settles this is quite simply computing history. While there are things we want that are missing Apple has once again led the way in basically packaging what is already around but doing it in their inimitable way. As a computer tech I can see this device as the one that signals the end of my job down the track. With the App store concept, automatic program updates already proven with the Touch & iPhone, finally people will have a computer device that just works like your car. A fabulous web experience plus books and newspapers with extensive support from the publishing industry will be the candy to draw normal people to want this device. The opposition standing by to produce their own version including Chrome OS will provide great alternatives, a new future is assured. Heady stuff I say. You have to wonder about Microsoft though. The giant is being painted into a corner by Steve and his little computer company that could on one side and the Google upstarts on the other. Bill was just a bit early with his UMPC and now Steve has stolen his baby. Celebrate a new era people cos that’s what it is!
So. If I bought one I could just go get it and bring it home like I did with the iPod touch and then hook it up to my internet at home? Or what would I need to get one?
This is a real disappointment. Apple could have done something amazing, but they don’t like pens.
I “hope” that in March, they’ll come out with a new iphone announcment for Verizon + AT&T. They could also update the ipad with the new OS4, multitasking and maybe some improvements.
1) With a proper bluetooth headphone+mic, can it then become my Vonage phone?
2) With OS4, can I connect over the Internet to my Win7 computer, and work as if at my home computer, including tablet pc pen-enabled using the Pogo Pen?
3) Or, is trying to make this be what I want, instead of what it is, just pointless?
There’s still nothing on the pc horizon as good as the Fujitus p1630. Wait, that’s it! I can still “hope” that Fujitsu is waiting in the wings to bring out their 1.5 lb, all day battery, replacement pc for the p1630. Next week would be just the time for them to announce it, while we’re all still feeling this pain.
Apple is trying to define a category that does not exist for most people. I personally don’t need such a device.
Having said that, I think it has great appeal for students, soccer moms, and marketing/sales reps.
An internet and reading device that just works sounds like a pretty good starter category to me. When you look at the Lenovo IdeaPad Hybrid where you dock the slate to a keyboard you are looking at the new definition of a netbook smartbook. Sounds like it might go beyond students, soccer moms, and marketing/sales reps to me.
Lack of Flash support makes a Pinetrail netbook with HD display far more suitable, even when you factor in the clamshell design and hard keyboard. I have to say this device is useless to me, the name will spawn jokes for some, and at $600 is a tad overpriced.
A 10″ netbook with HD display is not much heavier or thicker, and allows me to do “productive” work. Paired with a good smartphone that I can tether with no data cap, it allows me to work/play with whichever device fits the task best, or use both at the same time.
I won’t argue that working with a slate does have certain applications of use which other devices would find difficult to match, but those situations are limited at best. I see very few circumstances where the iPad would beat existing devices – the functionality and features of working with a netbook/smartphone combo have impressed me well.
After seeing the details and specs, my first reaction to the iPad was “OK, where do I use this $600 gadget where a smartphone/netbook would kick me to the curb?” I’m still looking for the answer.
Your avatar cracks me up, seriously it’s as if Duke Nukem lost his job after Duke Nukem Forever imploded and had to get a photo ID for his 9-5. Hilarious.
It starts at $500 not $600.
“Not much thicker or heavier”.
Average netbook: 3 pounds, 1.3 inches thick
iPad: 1.5 pounds, .5 inches thick.
“I see very few circumstances where the iPad would beat existing devices”
Just today, I’ll give you a couple examples.
My wife left to run a couple errands, so I was watching our puppy. I also was waiting on an important email and wanted to check my feeds. The iPad beats a netbook and the iPhone for this because it lets me stand up while still using a decent-sized keyboard and screen. In the end, I used my phone, and writing the email took more than five minutes.
I am about to go visit Boston, so I want to do some research on the best sites to see while waiting for my kids haircuts to finish. My iPhone has a teeny screen, but I don’t want to lug my netbook around, not to mention that data plans for netbooks are 60 bucks a month, so an iPad would be ideal. I didn’t end up doing any research as a result.
Tonight I am going to some close friends for dinner and I want to show them some pictures from my family’s recent trip to San Francisco. I don’t think I have to explain why an iPad is the best device for this scenario.
The iPad is not the be all and end all of mobile computing. Smart phones and netbooks still will have their place. But for many of the computing tasks I do daily, the iPad best suits my needs, and I imagine that it would fit some of the needs of others too, if they gave it a chance.
One final thing. Have you used one? Because initially I was somewhat skeptical about the iPad too, but using it at a store convinced me of the iPad’s utility.
If the iPad sells at the right prices I might actually look into buying one of these. I’d pay $500 for a model that supports flash, silverlight and lets me watch Hulu!
The part which floors me is the use of a Micro-SIM card in the 3G model. OK so they unlocked it – and then they completely destroyed the POINT of unlocking it by using a SIM card form factor which NO major carrier supports. ALL carriers use mini-SIM form factor, NOT micro-SIM. I dont even know if most carriers can provide micro-SIMs on request – maybe they do. However it totally defies the point of being able to travel to a country, buy a prepaid SIM card (which will 100% absolutely be a mini-SIM) and being able to pop it in. You cant. Sorry.
iPad is more than big enough to support a standard mini-SIM. This is one of the worst consumer moves I have ever seen since locking the iPhone to a contract. They may as well lock the iPad. It’s useless. If I get one – which I know I will as soon as I see one I wont be able to help myself – there is no point getting the 3G version.
Apple, you are quite frankly becoming one of the most anti-consumer companies out there. I love your products, but I see NO reason for this micro-SIM move other than to lock consumers into Apple’s chosen carrier(s) while being able to still _technically_ say that it’s “unlocked.” What a crock.
At first I took the bite. Looks great. But wait only 16GB??! my iphone has that! And STILL no compatibility with Adobe Flash?!! Really?! What’s up?! At this point there is no excuse to not have Adobe Flash. It really cripples the internet surfing capabilities. Still….I’m interested…let’s see what they do with it next.
Ok, I love Apple products but this is useless. It goes well between a laptop and an iPhone like Jobs said. The problem is I will still need the iPhone to call and text and the laptop to comfortably do any work. So, I would feel like I need all three devices now. I checked eBay for a belt clip holster but there are none. Neither is there an arm band for running to my music collection. Come on China.. make us a large snap on plastic back for protection. Maybe it will be an attention getter in a Starbucks or sushi place though. Trouble is I’m not cool enough for that scene. I bought an American car and buy clothes at Walmart. I don’t even wear my bluetooth headset all day because I know the president, the Secretary General of the UN or my mom isn’t going to call me. This seems to be aimed at fashion-chasers, so expect lines of Lexus and Mercedes owners waiting to buy it and then display themselves with it.
I have to say I’m a big apple fan and I’m kinda disappointed.
- No camera.
- No flash support
- Not even ONE USB port (that would have been useful…very, useful).
- Games, meh…shoulda put Tegra on it if they wanted games
- AT&T…are you serious Mr. Jobs? COME ON!?!
- $130 extra for 3G? WTF SON!?
- Multitasking Defficiency
- It’s just a 9″ iPhone kids! An iPhone that WONT fit in my pocket.
I’m sad to say I wont buy one until I see at least 3 out of these issues fixed. Until then, my iPhone 3G will keep me company.
Maybe I’ll get a new Acer Aspire One and save some money while Mr. Jobs thinks about iPad 2.0
Am I right in thinking this is unusable without an iTunes account on a PC or Mac?
The only surprise to me was the price,but I wanna know why it called as a “Tablet media player”?And could I extend It`s 64GB memory by any externel hard-disc divice fo exta space?_Pritam Majumder.(Kolkata).
The only surprise to me was the price,but I want to know how can I extend It
s 64GB memory?Could I extend d hdd-flash memory by any external hard-disk divice such as seaget or anthing like it?And why ti called as a tablet media player?aand in kolkata where can I found this spectacular pad?Givve me the address of "imagine store" of appls dealer please.Thanking you._Pritam(Kolkata).Honestly I do not understand the purpose of this. What can it do that a television, computer or iphone, for that matter, can’t?
I watched the video on the Apple website and it showed a person sitting on their couch watching movies on it and surfing the internet. In my opinion I would rather watch a movie on my television that is sitting in front of my couch, not on a 10 inch screen. As for surfing the internet, that is why they invented laptops and computers.
I just think this product was an epic fail on apple’s part, however I am sure they will do well with sales as people will buy in to their marketing scheme.
That’s what I thought. Until I used one.