What do you think of Apple's new iPad?

[JaneL]

I think its a near perfect solution for non-techies & casual computing users. For those that do not need full blown multi tasking OS / Systems its a great way to get SIMPLE things done SIMPLY.

For most of us POWER USERS.. its under powered.

But, I could not help the user friendliness of just lying on the bed and playing with it. The FORM factor (size, weight) and the touch usability and UI has its unique appeal. It would not replace a laptop for me at this point.. but I FEEL for a lot of people it could be just right.

I picked one up recently, and so far I'm very pleased with it! This one is the wifi-only version. My cousin had bought it the day they went on sale and decided he'd rather have the 3G version, so he cut me a deal.

I haven't noticed it being heavy, and it's definitely lighter than my X200T or X300. I mostly use it at night to read e-mail, browse and moderate the forums, listen to podcasts, follow Twitter and FB, go through Google Reader and play a few games while I watch TV. I'm in a recliner or on the couch with it balanced against my knee, so I wouldn't notice if it was heavy. It doesn't seem to build up heat with that usage.

I was at my sister's over the long holiday weekend and only took out my notebook once to update the podcasts I subscribe to, so it's serving most of my casual needs in a larger format than my iPhone. Occasionally I would run across a site requiring Flash but less often than you'd think.

As far as moderating forums, phpBB doesn't scroll in a response box, so that makes it a little hard to trim down quotes or review what I've written that's longer than the box. Lithium's platform has a bug on both the iPhone and iPad that requires me to use the HTML response box. I am able to post on Lenovo's forum that way, but it's very annoying. So far, I haven't run into any problems over at NBR using vBulletin.

My wrist approves of it. I'm sure over time with a lot of use I would have the same repetitive motion problems with it that I do with a notebook, but it's giving me a nice break from a keyboard and mouse.

It's not replacing my Kindle, though, for reading books, or my X300 for Word, Excel etc.

[killer]

How about an iPad lookalike for $35 US?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10740817

[Tasurinchi]

How about an iPad lookalike for $35 US?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10740817

Jeez! I've lost count of all the iPad clones in the market (or to be in the market soon)

[tylerwylie]

For some people, it will be the worst of both worlds... not as portable as a phone, and the OS isn't as functional as full fledged Leopard or some Linux distribution. For others, it'll be the best of both worlds.

[dsvochak]

This study: http://www.scribd.com/doc/34438276/iPad ... -July-2010 and this article: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/07/ ... ays-study/ are interesting reads.

[killer]

A couple of good inputs there, dsvochak.

Meanwhile, my wife and I were driving into Winchester the other day and she said she needed some iPads. It turned out she needed eye pads ... cotton wool pads for cleaning eyes.

Language has changed, and I am delighted that ITV (a commercial TV company in the UK since the 1950s) has declined all offers from Apple for their brand name. Mind you I thought Apple was a record company that recorded the Beatles.

[crashnburn]

A couple of good inputs there, dsvochak.

Meanwhile, my wife and I were driving into Winchester the other day and she said she needed some iPads. It turned out she needed eye pads ... cotton wool pads for cleaning eyes.

Language has changed, and I am delighted that ITV (a commercial TV company in the UK since the 1950s) has declined all offers from Apple for their brand name. Mind you I thought Apple was a record company that recorded the Beatles.

Interesting posts guys. Killer - Apple might want to just BUY THEM OUT.

ps: I was looking at your signature: reallysimplesystems and checked out the site. I am guessing you guys cater to SME/SMB segment for CRM? I'd like to take a look at a demo / sample if its running online?...
PS: Also, if you could suggest something that has more of a "Order Management" lifecycle involving stages of Inventory / Workshop floor for SMB / SME..that would be nice.

[killer]

@crashnburn: I'll send you a PM.

[dsvochak]

Toshiba libretto W100 PC, a Win 7 ipad alternative?

http://laptops.toshiba.com/laptops/libretto/W100

[j-dawg]

Certainly a very neat device in the Libretto tradition. I can't help but wish there was a keyboard, but then it would be just another netbook.

The clamshell laptop form factor is quite effective. Gadget manufacturers are straying from it to attract attention and try to strike a chord, but there's nothing inherently wrong with the shape of the laptop as we know it; certainly nothing this new Libretto fixes.

[crashnburn]

Certainly a very neat device in the Libretto tradition. I can't help but wish there was a keyboard, but then it would be just another netbook.

The clamshell laptop form factor is quite effective. Gadget manufacturers are straying from it to attract attention and try to strike a chord, but there's nothing inherently wrong with the shape of the laptop as we know it; certainly nothing this new Libretto fixes.

I think a "superthin" detachable keyboard Clam-shell is just what we need. Imagine an iPad thin (or maybe not as thin) X201 / X61 Tablet with High Res Retina Display.

As a tablet, you could use it when on the run for Quick look through of info that you need asap - Calendar, Email etc. (Kinda like a PreOS special Boot. It'd be amazing to be able to Dual Boot iOS & FullOS (Mac / Win7)..).

When you want to fire it up for intensive work... with the keyboard you can do that too.

I think iPad gives the best to non-techies / grandmoms etc who are not Primary Computing folks.. People who just want to do casual computing or want super light instant-on hand held computing.

A great offering from Apple would be - A High Res iTablet which can Dual Boot iOS & MacOS.. For people who need keyboards.. get one of the many slim Bluetooth ones to carry along ( & ignore when just on the couch/bed for casual use).

[BillMorrow]

ok, beyond anything else said here, it begins to look like the GILLETTE Razor business model than anything else..

You remember Gillette, right..? they used to (and may still) give (or nearly so) the razor handle away and then made their money selling the blades, at inflated cost to their captive user base..

shucks, if Cadillac or Mercedes gave a car away (or nearly so) you would grab it at least until you went to fill the gas tank and learned that ONLY gasoline from Cadillac or Mercedes was allowed and that it cost $200 a gallon (oops, it almost costs that in europe now ) and that you were prohibited and locked out of using any OTHER gasoline..

now this parallel may break down (no pun intended) but the concept is or should be clear..

apple sells a cellular phone that has a substandard antenna and restricts the iPhone owner from fully utilizing his iPhone..

the same thing is going on with the iPad..

the only good thing is there are thousands of "techno-weenies" extant on the planet who are devising ways to use other than Mercedes gasoline, gillette razor blades and "only from iTunes" tunes and apps..

can you say SLATE..?
there was a Slate computer years ago (along with the Grid, et al) so this is, it seems to me, to be a new dawn for an old concept..

i can fold my X60 tablet and viola! i have a similar thing, not close but similar..

now, the iPad is a "yippie-skippy" device and tool and, yes, a neat toy..
(gee, i wonder if i can play solitare on this thing?)

and apple will make it a success, i'm sure..
even against the clones from h/p and DELL because..? well, just because its apple and an Apple Acolyte does not stray far from the flock..

OK, i must admit here that i bought one of these iPads just to see if it can be a data tool.. not to play solitare on, there are playing cards for that..

its pretty and i suppose it can be functional..
but i can't make a phone call on it, and using the data plan or downloading iApps is going to cost many blades (or gallons) or, yes, even inflated dollars..


SO, to finish my rambling observations: its a neat technological device and will become even more capable in its futore iterations..
too bad the first model is criplped when they could have inserted so much more capability..
i suggest to messrs. ballmer and dell and to h/p that they enlist thousands of app writers to pull an iApple because i think thats where the money (or blades or gallons) reside..

OH! i really dislike shiny displays of ANY type.. matte finish is superior..
is there a matte screen protector..?

[Tasurinchi]

and apple will make it a success, i'm sure..

They will not, they did it already (sold a couple of millions, didn't they?)

[BillMorrow]

.....They will not, they did it already (sold a couple of millions, didn't they?)

AND they are still getting full price after how many months..?

milk cows always like giving their milk, they never realize that they are being "milked"..

remember, its not the millions sold, its the millions of locked in blade users and iTunes captive audience members..

it seems a bit ironic that the liberals who decry corporate greed give apple a pass..

i congratulate anyone who can make a business like this and make it work..

designed in california, assembled in china..
what propaganda..!

[Navck]

Reality distortion field engaged, extending away from Jobs at full strength and altering mindstate of Apple fans in line of sight incl. advertising.

[BillMorrow]

Reality distortion field engaged, extending away from Jobs at full strength and altering mindstate of Apple fans in line of sight incl. advertising.

uhmmm......

huh..?

[Radioguy]

can you say SLATE..?
there was a Slate computer years ago (along with the Grid, et al) so this is, it seems to me, to be a new dawn for an old concept..

Of course. Apple history is very simple. They never had any competition. Any evidence you can find of the contrary is pure fabrication.

I often think back to when Jobs presented the 5G iPod as if it were the first ever PVP. The people at Creative or Archos must have wanted to order a hit. (Of course, those companies are figments of the imagination of the Apple employees working there)

[BillMorrow]

lots of pioneering ideas failed and have now been picked up by others and made into successful products..
probably because the technology finally caught up with the concept..

gavilan computer..?
anyone recall those fellows..?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavilan_SC

i went to their bankruptcy auction in los gatos, in the shadow of zilog..
i'll let you guys google that.. zilog and Z-80..
had a Z-80 in a Morrow Motherboard which was really just a much less noisy (electronically speaking) backplane than the original IMSAI S-100 backplane..
google is yuor friend..

anyway i bought a bakers dozen of those little "laptops" for about $100 each and a Zilog Z-8000 unix system-5 based computer system..
i ran the computer for several years and gave it to a friend names gerry baugus..

but back to the gavilan "laptops"..
i subsequently sold them all for about $300 each..
i still have, someplace, a logo plate that was glued on the gavilan..

but the real story here is gavilan went bankrupt..
so did adam osborne with his osborne 1 and 2..
all good ideas but before their time since the public was not ready to buy them in sufficient quantity to make them viable..

IBM made a thinkpad which was a great success.. AST made a good notebook but they died and went to where not-well-executed ideas go to die..

steve jobs did make an old idea into a roaring success when he had the technology AND he added the captive audience..
remember, (not so) free razors and make your money selling the proprietary blades..

i am NOT casting aspersions upon stevie boy..
i remember he and the other steve standing at a homebrew meeting at SLAC auditorium showing their prototype case for the apple-2.. both in the meeting and after, at a table they had set up in the lobby area..

the one who worked at h/p tried to get h/p to make a 6502(?) based micro-computer but h/p turned them down..
so they went out and did it on their own..

i just kick myself in the @$$ for laughing at that stupid little computer and walking away when i should have invested in their enterprise..

there is no success in life if you don't try.. and if you give up after your first failure..
(remember, i'm the conservative guy around here who believes in personal responsibility)

so a tip of the hat to apple for the ipod, itunes, iphone, ipad, et al..

/end rambling memory dump/

[dsvochak]

The interesting stories just keep coming:
Is The iPad Biting Into Computer Sales?

[LegendaryKA8]

Interesting. Personally, the iPad wouldn't fit an niche in any of my technology needs and the size/form factor is pretty much identical to the X200 I take along every day. I see it as essentially an oversized iPod Touch, which I already have.

the Touch is a neat device in that it gives me smartphone capabilities without having to have a smartphone. I don't need/want the expense of a phone data plan as everywhere I commonly go I have a wireless connection anyway. If I need to check on something really quickly and don't want to pull out my X200, I pull the Touch out and check it. The Touch has its limitations but it is really small, light, and handy.

However, I just experienced firsthand how fragile these things can be, and I feel for anyone that accidentally drops their iPad. Those glass screens don't take too much to scratch or crack, and I just busted my Touch's glass panel ten minutes ago.

[GomJabbar]

I saw my first iPad on a flight about 6 weeks ago. It looked pretty intriguing for a traveling companion. The couple next to me were watching a movie on theirs. I liked the form factor of their iPad.

The lack of a DVD drive is a disappointment though. Not sure if I would have the patience to transfer movies from DVD's to the iPad, having experienced that scenario with an iRiver of my wife's several years ago...

[JaneL]

I saw my first iPad on a flight about 6 weeks ago. It looked pretty intriguing for a traveling companion. The couple next to me were watching a movie on theirs. I liked the form factor of their iPad.

I've had mine for a few months now and am very happy with it. I've taken it instead of a notebook on a couple of weekend trips, and it's served my purposes well.

[alkemyst]

I never knew how much I'd use an iPad until recently.

I am on-call every 3 weeks. Carrying a laptop to dinner, dog park, etc was getting problematic.

iPad is very inconspicuous.

My wife has a 13" late-2009 edition Macbook Pro and is 50/50 on both. She loves reading Japanese magazines on it.

The major benefit is no heat and uber battery life. The screen is also razor sharp.

It'd never replace my desktop, but I can easily see myself with it on the beach/vacation.