Poll: iPad

[Moristans]

What do you guys think?

I just don't see how I could get anything more from it than I do from my iPhone/laptop combo.

[Jakensama]

Its just a big, more expensive iphone.

[Slamz]

Its just a big, more expensive iphone.

That's what I thought too. Giant iTouch.

I can think of some cool uses for one but seems like it's going to be an awfully expensive piece of hardware to be carrying around with you.

[Vanraw]

I think its really targeted at a table top in front of the TV kinda thing. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one to feel it. How heavy is it, How fragil is it? Can I drop it on the hard wood floor from 4 feet on its corner? How about a cub of hot coffee?

In reality we need to ask Grieve cause you know he already sold his soul for this puppy!!

I do think its cool. Several of my employees are already lined up to buy once its available. I like the fact that the non 3g model is under $500 like they said it would be.

They say this is going to be a netbook killer... Ok I dont own one and have no intention of owning one.

They say this is going to be a Kindle killer.... Hmm we will see. In general Kindle has some nice market share and Amazon has a real lead on not only books available, but the process to add more books. Also I havent done a comparison, but it seems like the kindle would have allot more battery life. I do think its funny that the "apple-ites in the office are talking about Kindle proprietary DRM. Hello!! This is apple!

I do like that it is a standard browsing capability. One of the reasons I didnt buy my wife a kindle for xmas, was because she could not read the local paper on it. with an iPad she could, though she has to be on the network to do so.

Will this replace the mp3 player? umm no.

Will this replace a laptop or desk top? umm no

Will it replace a kindle? I dont think so.

Will it find its way into my home? It might, but I would never admit it to Grieve!

[Vanraw]

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[Crice]

I will be buying one, I also have several clients very interested in quantity of those. All those naw sayers... were the same about the iPhone. I was one of them. This could replace my portable DVD, TV, Cable...

[Grieve]

Buying one the moment they let me preorder. Watch the videos on the Apple site. Made my wife watch them, now she wants one too.

Definitely a Kindle killer. Why buy a 9.7" black and white device that only lets you read books for $490 when you can buy a color 9.7" full color device that lets you read books AND 5 zillion other things for $499? I know you can get a $260 Kindle, but it's only 6". There will still be a market for that, but the iPad is going to kill sales bigtime.

I think once you start to see additonal apps optimized for it (apart from the updated default apps), it's going to become huge. You can already get iWork for it (the Apple version of Office).

[Vanraw]

I do wonder how long the batteries last.

[Crice]

Claim is 10 hours for battery life.

[Jakensama]

Definitely a Kindle killer. Why buy a 9.7" black and white device that only lets you read books for $490 when you can buy a color 9.7" full color device that lets you read books AND 5 zillion other things for $499? I know you can get a $260 Kindle, but it's only 6". There will still be a market for that, but the iPad is going to kill sales bigtime.
).

The big Kindle is silly too, but the small size of the cheaper kindle makes it a better ereader, as does the non backlit screen and the battery that lasts a week.

I don't see a use for this device other than a toy. I have a blackberry and a kindle and a laptop, what possible use do I have for another thing to lug around?

It might have been desireable if it had tactile feedback, which apple had bought the patent/company for and I assumed was going to be added to it - but without it typing on touch screens is going to be just as unbearable for me as it was on the iphone.

And why can't they make devices with decent storage capacity other than the ipod? Surely they make ssd drives bigger than 32 gigs that aren't going to break the bank.

[Fretty]

It can't multitask.
'nuff said.

No excuse. My phone can run as many things as I tell it to with the only limitation being the ram of the device. I don't want to have to close my book, or video or anything just so I can quickly look something up online, or check my e-mail etc. It's a larger device with more powerful hardware than an iPhone, but they couldn't add in the ability to have more than one app running at a time and simply allow us to switch or "alt+tab" from one to another? Pfft.

[Jakensama]

Basically for the price of a useful one ($800+ for 64 gigs and 3g) you can buy a full featured laptop or netbook.

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[Hoofhurr]

I was never in the market for a kindle either so this doesn't fill a niche for me. I can read just fine on my iphone and scaling up from there I'd want to be able to play retail games, meaning a laptop.

iPad. Thumbs down imo. I'm more in the market for ever more powerful iphones and a working 3G network. I tried talking to my brother long distance and he could not hear me at all until I switch to the Edge network. Very annoying.

[Jakensama]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsjU0K8QPhs[/youtube]

Good foresight on madtvs part.

[Arsilon]

I was never in the market for a kindle either so this doesn't fill a niche for me. I can read just fine on my iphone and scaling up from there I'd want to be able to play retail games, meaning a laptop.

iPad. Thumbs down imo. I'm more in the market for ever more powerful iphones and a working 3G network. I tried talking to my brother long distance and he could not hear me at all until I switch to the Edge network. Very annoying.

*THREAD DERAIL*
I've been pretty happy with my Verizon Droid (got the HTC Eris not the Motorola). My wife liked mine so much she got one too. My mom liked it when she came to visit and her AT&T contract was up so she switched and got one too. My father in law liked it so much he got one too.



*BACK TO TOPIC*
I would have thought that more powerful cell phones would have been a bigger threat to the Kindle rather than coming out with a new device. The screen real estate is an issue as you pretty much are constantly scrolling when you're trying to read anything on your cell phone. However, the whole portability thing and having to carry multiple devices is the kicker for me.

I guess in the old days I'd carry a paperback and my cell phone anyway so carrying a kindle and my cell phone would still be an upgrade in not having to put the books anywhere when I'm done reading them.

On the other side, I would never give up my laptop. I would already be making the jump from cell phone to computer depending on what I was trying to do so again, carrying yet another device for some compromise position in between doesn't make sense to me.

I just don't really see the need or niche the Ipad supposed to be filling. I've seen some commentary that they are really trying to create a new category but it seems to me Apple is just banking on their traditional "you're not cool unless you own one" mentality that they seem to have steered to recently.

At that price point, I could see it if you could still make phone calls on it. Spending that much and still not being able to get rid of the laptop or the cell phone just doesn't work for me.

[Hoofhurr]

Frankly, I'd be far more into a device like an iphone speaker dock but instead of speakers, it's a bigger screen. I'd be more interested in a modular approach with the iphone as the centerpiece.

Want more sound? Plug into a speaker dock. Want a bigger screen? Plug into a touch sensitive and adjustable monitor (think of sliding the iphone into a slot where the screen of the phone and the plug in are flush, and maybe the iphone turns into the keyboard part etc). Need more battery power? Attach a battery etc. In the meantime keep increasing the GPU and processing power of the phone.

There's my billion dollar idea.

I don't want to have to keep track of and upload apps and content to several different devices. I want it all on one device with expanded capability in its physical, auditory, and duration dimensions.

[Jakensama]

My problem with making my phone an mp3 reader/video watcher/book reader is that it kills your battery too fast and then your stuck without a phone... which for my job is no good.

[Hoofhurr]

Right but pound for pound whether you stick the battery in a separate device or attach it to your phone what's the difference? Create an app that monitors your battery life and warns you when you have 10 8 or 6 hours of battery life left. Whatever your specific needs are.

All the software needs to be on one hard drive (or cloud) and you adjust the physical dimensions based on your individual needs without having to buy a stand alone device. That's the future.

[Jakensama]

I mean I already carry around an ipod and a blackberry everywhere, so an iphone and an extra battery would be about the same level of convenience.

Once battery life doesn't blow then yeah, stick everything in one tricorder.

[Hoofhurr]

Agreed. As a consumer I want to minimize the overlap from one device to another. If I can do basically the same thing on two devices then I've wasted my money.

[Thudz]

We'll stick with my Wife's fully functional tablet PC. Which was only $800 over a year ago.

[Jakensama]

I just found out it can't multitask.

I had multitask functionality when I ran a bulletin board on my dos box in middle school...

[Slamz]

They could also put 2 batteries in these devices: a big one that does everything and a smaller one that just operates your phone when the big battery runs out of juice. Then you can have your ultimate all-in-one device but not be left without a phone when your 10 hours of downloading and watching porn runs down the main battery.


Anyway, I don't see the iPad replacing the Kindle in the same way the Kindle DX does not replace the Kindle 2 -- it's too big to really be convenient. Actually, even the K2 isn't that conveniently sized but it does fit in a coat pocket, just barely.


Maybe this will drive the K2 further down in price, as well.


Only thing I'd really like a bigger and faster screen for is maybe to make reading graphic novels more viable (e.g., Watchmen). Kindle would pretty much suck for that but a bigger screen, interactive, full color display that could show the page in it's original resolution and let you drag the page around to see the whole thing (if necessary) would be doable.

Granted I'm not sure I want to pay $500+ for that ability.

[Moristans]

I haven't purchased an eReader yet, and I really hadn't planned to. I can kinda see the iPad filling that niche for me, with all the bells and whistles that goes with having the extra functionality, and color, pushing me in the direction of going to eBooks and written media.

Really, the only thing holding me back, ultimately, is that it looks like the subscriptions for Apple are going to cost more, and I'm not sure what kind of multimedia plan it's going to take.

[Kakarat]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/188060/ap...tions.html