Apple introduces latest iNonsense

[Pengwuino]

http://www.apple.com/ipad/

What the hell? Who would buy this thing? It's pretty much big enough to be considered a terrible laptop. Recession my $#%@%#.

I feel like phasing iAnything users out of my life. I hate iApple for their nonsense as well. Hey look at us, we just made something that already existed to look sexy and expensive and had Bono push it and we call ourselves innovators. Idiots.

 

[leroyjenkens]

Personally, I think the touch screen feature that they're trying to put on everything is backwards technology. I can sit on my computer for hours using my mouse, only having to move it slightly to do everything I want. I couldn't do the same thing if I was having to hold my arm up and move my hand the entire length of the screen for every motion.

And yeah, you're right, if I wanted a portable computer, I'd just buy a laptop. Who cares if it's thinner? I have plenty of spatial area to allow for that extra inch of thickness. I think I'll be ok.

 

[elect_eng]

http://www.apple.com/ipad/

What the hell? Who would buy this thing? It's pretty much big enough to be considered a terrible laptop. Recession my $#%@%#.

I feel like phasing iAnything users out of my life. I hate iApple for their nonsense as well. Hey look at us, we just made something that already existed to look sexy and expensive and had Bono push it and we call ourselves innovators. Idiots.

Actually, I would buy it. I was hoping that they would develop something like this. Their higher price is nothing compared to the time they save me not dealing with bugs of their competitors. Take their $500 price tag and divide it by your hourly consulting rate. Seems like a bargain to me.

 

[Dembadon]

I use Apple's products because they excel at meeting my needs. I have a Macbook, an iMac, and an iPhone. All three have exceeded my expectations in virtually every area. Their customer service is also unmatched.

I, personally, don't see a use for the iPad in my own life, but I won't judge others' motivations for purchasing one.

 

[waht]

iPad is meant to compete with kindle over the ebook business. For folks that enjoy reading ebooks, iPad certainly exceeds kindle in a lot of ways. It has more powerful processor than the iphone, so it will be able to run more complex apps.

I would find it more comfortable to read schematics on the ipad, access servers and any web controlled devices than on a laptop.

 

[cronxeh]

I am so getting this. I would wait for Apple to release a version with better processor though.

 

[zomgwtf]

iPad is meant to compete with kindle over the ebook business. For folks that enjoy reading ebooks, iPad certainly exceeds kindle in a lot of ways. It has more powerful processor than the iphone, so it will be able to run more complex apps.

I would find it more comfortable to read schematics on the ipad, access servers and any web controlled devices than on a laptop.

I agree, the name is kind of annoying as I hate how everything has 'i' in front of it, but this seems like it wouldn't be that bad to own.

@leroy I don't see how you would attach a mouse to this and I don't know if you've every tried reading a book off a laptop screen but it's not too pleasant.

 

[FredGarvin]

I was just reading this. I think it has merit.

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2010/01/how-will-the-apple-tablet-change-our-kids-lives/

 

[leroyjenkens]

@leroy I don't see how you would attach a mouse to this and I don't know if you've every tried reading a book off a laptop screen but it's not too pleasant.

I read books off my computer screen all the time. I'm currently reading 21 different books.
What's the huge difference between reading a book on a laptop and reading one on a half-laptop?

 

[Dembadon]

I read books off my computer screen all the time. I'm currently reading 21 different books.
What's the huge difference between reading a book on a laptop and reading one on a half-laptop?

The iPad would be much less cumbersome to manuver and position. I like to read in positions which are not laptop-friendly. There are also situations, like in a park on the grass, where a laptop would be less desirable.

 

[f95toli]

I sort of like the idea.
But this "pad" has the same problem as all the others: it is too big when you are NOT using it.
I'd like to have something that can be folded together and fits in my pocket when I am not using it, although that might have to wait until electronic paper becomes commercially viable.

 

[zomgwtf]

I read books off my computer screen all the time. I'm currently reading 21 different books.
What's the huge difference between reading a book on a laptop and reading one on a half-laptop?

Have you ever tried reading one off the "half-laptop"?

 

[leroyjenkens]

Have you ever tried reading one off the "half-laptop"?

No, but that doesn't negate the fact that I still think reading on a computer is perfectly pleasant, since that's kinda what computers are for to begin with.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

iPad is meant to compete with kindle over the ebook business.

The screen of the kindle is different from the screen of a computer. Once the screen is painted, it remains there without drawing power until the next screen is painted. Painting time is long, so animations are not displayed well. Battery life is in days, not hours. The image is much easier on the eyes than a computer screen. Since the battery life is said to be 10 hours, I assume that the iPad screen is not of this type. You can read books on a computer, but that doesn't make it an e-book reader in my opinion.

 

[story645]

I like to read in positions which are not laptop-friendly. There are also situations, like in a park on the grass, where a laptop would be less desirable.

I have a convertible tablet, works brilliantly for that purpose.

 

[joelupchurch]

Would it have killed them to put an SD card slot on the Ipad? Having a separate accessory to copy pictures from a digital camera is lame. Maybe they figured it would kill demand for the 32gb and 64gb models.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I was just reading this. I think it has merit.

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2010/01/how-will-the-apple-tablet-change-our-kids-lives/

Google has other plans with it's chrome/web revolution. It will be interesting to see who wins.

 

[Cyrus]

I was just reading this. I think it has merit.

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2010/01/how-will-the-apple-tablet-change-our-kids-lives/

Holy sh*t! They shrunk steve jobs. Look at how big that iphone is in his hands!

 

[Borg]

I think that it's just for women - http://failblog.org/2010/01/27/name-fail-photoshop-win/" .

http://failblog.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/ipad.jpg?w=250&h=250

EDIT: Looks like this is just the start - http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/01/27/apple.ipad.reaction/"

 

[TaylorRatliff]

The iPad disappointed a lot of people who were expecting a revolutionary new device because the iPad is not revolutionary, it's evolutionary. It uses the same simple layout 75 million people already know how to use.

Its built to deliver content in the form of music, movies, TV shows, and apps, which are making Apple billions, as well as print media such as newspapers, magazines, and books, which is new territory for Apple. Paying for print media though is something Apple is hoping to revive, and clearly the best way to do that is to target people who already do so but want something more convenient.

Over half of iPhone users are over 35, so clearly having a device with a much larger screen is going to enhance the experience tremendously for their targeted demographic. ( http://techcrunchies.com/age-demographics-of-iphone-users/ )

I'm not particularly excited by the device, I own an iphone 3g, and a macbook. As a college student the combination is perfect for me. The iPad isn't built for students, it isn't designed to take notes on, or really do anything productive. Its core purpose is to deliver content, so I won't be buying one. It also lacks a camera and therefore any augmented reality abilities, a personal interest of mine.

I do however recognize this release as a strategic move for Apple, and a culmination of their efforts in developing a new kind of interface. This device and its successors will make Apple a lot of money.

 

[cronxeh]

The iPad disappointed a lot of people who were expecting a revolutionary new device because the iPad is not revolutionary, it's evolutionary. It uses the same simple layout 75 million people already know how to use.

Its built to deliver content in the form of music, movies, TV shows, and apps, which are making Apple billions, as well as print media such as newspapers, magazines, and books, which is new territory for Apple. Paying for print media though is something Apple is hoping to revive, and clearly the best way to do that is to target people who already do so but want something more convenient.

Over half of iPhone users are over 35, so clearly having a device with a much larger screen is going to enhance the experience tremendously for their targeted demographic. ( http://techcrunchies.com/age-demographics-of-iphone-users/ )

I'm not particularly excited by the device, I own an iphone 3g, and a macbook. As a college student the combination is perfect for me. The iPad isn't built for students, it isn't designed to take notes on, or really do anything productive. Its core purpose is to deliver content, so I won't be buying one. It also lacks a camera and therefore any augmented reality abilities, a personal interest of mine.

I do however recognize this release as a strategic move for Apple, and a culmination of their efforts in developing a new kind of interface. This device and its successors will make Apple a lot of money.

You don't need a camera. If you want one you can get a bluetooth webcam, they are under 50 dollars. You can use the iPad to talk over Skype instead of using iPhone. You can take notes on this thing, or record the audio.

I can personally see myself using this thing on a daily basis, not only taking notes but also running MatLab and a number of other tools. You can attach an external DAQ Bluetooth board and use it as an oscilloscope, as an instrument readout tool, portable network analyzer, etc

This will replace the newspaper for you. Why even bother collecting that trash. With a regular paper you have to unfold it, get that ink on your fingers. With iPad you just view the content. For what its worth, I think Steve Jobs is genuinly excited about this thing. I bet back in the 1970's he envisioned this to be the pinnacle of success for him.

This thing spells out the end of NetBooks. The end of Kindle. The end of Google's Android platform. Its simply a checkmate for Apple. gg.

The only thing I notice that is a huge negative is no multitasking. That better be solved or its not looking too good. Besides 1 Ghz is kind of weak. But with all things Apple, first they release crap, then spruce it up, and eventually its a half decent design 2 years later. Oh and some say it lacks a GPS? I have an external bluetooth GPS module that runs up to a week and cost me 40 bucks. Whats the point of having an internal gps module that can't even get a reception in the car?? I just throw mine under the windshield and it picks up all the visible satellites.
Oh yeah I heard that pun on the radio today 'iPad for women'. Thats stupid?

 

[IMP]

My take on the device judging by what I have heard so far is below. Overall, this device is a huge fail in my opinion. The only good thing about this device is that it will cause other manufacturers to copy/clone the tablet idea so we will see some real user friendly tablets within a few months. The idea is great, the form factor is great, the Apple take on the tablet idea is a no-sale.

Win:
10 hour battery life
9.7” screen
Half inch thick
ePub support
Video support
Multi-touch
Bluetooth
Wi-Fi
Accelerometer
“Unlocked” for 3G

Fail:
$130 for 3G ability
Border around screen too large
4:3 aspect ratio

Epic Fail:
No SDHC card reader built-in
Tied to iTunes
Proprietary sync cable instead of mini USB
No USB ports on device
Apps from their app store only
No direct copy/paste of files between device and computer

 

[joelupchurch]

This thing spells out the end of NetBooks. The end of Kindle. The end of Google's Android platform. Its simply a checkmate for Apple. gg.

The Kindle might have a problem. It's a luxury item and the iPad does most things better, so people would be willing to pay more money.

The netbook isn't so clear. A lot of the netbook market is driven by the $300 price.

You have to ask how many people will be willing to pay $200 more and give up:

• A regular keyboard.
• A 160gb hard drive.
• A SD Card slot.
• A Webcam.

 

[cronxeh]

Well after a careful consideration I must withdraw my initial excitement about this brick.

Apparently not only does it suck in terms of multitasking, Apple also stands to double their money on every iPad sold

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9150045/Apple_makes_208_on_each_499_iPad

 

[joelupchurch]

Apparently not only does it suck in terms of multitasking, Apple also stands to double their money on every iPad sold

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9150045/Apple_makes_208_on_each_499_iPad

A 50% markup over the Bill of Materials is probably lower than average for most Apple products. I wouldn't be surprised if the $499 model is in short supply for a long time, while Apple concentrates on the higher margin units. I've worked on products where the BOM was only 10 to 20% of the retail price. In any case there are a lot of overhead and selling costs that needs to be added into figure the real profit.

The Iphone costs about $179 to make. It looks like most of the difference is in the screen.

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/06/27/isuppli-estimates-iphone-3g-s-bom-cost-around-179/"

Of course, with an Iphone, the profit is buried in your phone bill.

Here is a BOM I found for a Netbook. It looks like the iPad touchscreen is the major cost item.

http://shanzai.com/index.php/market-mayhem/asia-analysis/292-netbook-teardown-reveals-bill-of-materials-and-slim-slim-margins"

The thing that puzzles me most is the absence of a webcam? Maybe the CPU isn't up to handling a high quality videoconferencing session?

 

[cronxeh]

A 50% markup over the Bill of Materials is probably lower than average for most Apple products. I wouldn't be surprised if the $499 model is in short supply for a long time, while Apple concentrates on the higher margin units. I've worked on products where the BOM was only 10 to 20% of the retail price. In any case there are a lot of overhead and selling costs that needs to be added into figure the real profit.

The Iphone costs about $179 to make. It looks like most of the difference is in the screen.

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/06/27/isuppli-estimates-iphone-3g-s-bom-cost-around-179/"

Of course, with an Iphone, the profit is buried in your phone bill.

Here is a BOM I found for a Netbook. It looks like the iPad touchscreen is the major cost item.

http://shanzai.com/index.php/market-mayhem/asia-analysis/292-netbook-teardown-reveals-bill-of-materials-and-slim-slim-margins"

The thing that puzzles me most is the absence of a webcam? Maybe the CPU isn't up to handling a high quality videoconferencing session?

You can get an external bluetooth webcam BT-1 for $149

 

[jeffonfire]

I like most of apple's products but this thing is in no way revolutionary and barely evolutionary.

First it doesn't run a normal OS. Come on, put OSX on it. The iphone software is to much designed for small screens to work well in this scale.
I needs a SD card slot, It is retarded that it does not, it would only add about 20 cents to the manufacturing price.
It needs a camera so much. Yes you can add a bluetooth camera but one of this thing's selling points it portability!
Finally it is so thick. A half inch is not cool, I know it is better than average but rely think the design team could have got this a lot thinner.

 

[joelupchurch]

You can get an external bluetooth webcam BT-1 for $149

While they could have put an internal webcam in the computer for $3. The same story for the SD card reader. What Apple is doing here is trying to create a new product category that doesn't cannibalize their existing products. They want you to buy an iPhone,an iPad and a MacBook. The iPad is a Kindle killer, but shouldn't effect their laptop or phone sales.

They are trying to stake out the territory before Google establishes a beachhead.

 

[mgb_phys]

Would it have killed them to put an SD card slot on the Ipad? Having a separate accessory to copy pictures from a digital camera is lame. .

The idea is to limit access to content outside the Apple empire.
By having no connectivity you have to access everything through the iStore /AppStore- so you pay Apple for everything you watch on it.

Yes advance users can get round this, the point is for the 'average' user to automatically click on the iPay button rather than to think about copying it from their PC.

 

[rootX]

The idea is to limit access to content outside the Apple empire.
By having no connectivity you have to access everything through the iStore /AppStore- so you pay Apple for everything you watch on it.

Yes advance users can get round this, the point is for the 'average' user to automatically click on the iPay button rather than to think about copying it from their PC.

Also, I heard Apple recently bought a company that delivers ads on phones..
http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=FF894DFA-1A64-67EA-E4BE6696EDFE6BA9