The Apple iPad

RobTang

Marty_J wrote: »

There's an interesting opinion piece from Stephen Fry, who was at the launch and has actually used one.

From what I've read, the general feeling is that you have to use this device yourself in order to appreciate it.

and again theres a difference using it at a launch show surrounded by a hype engine and basicly acting like sheep (or even just playing with it in a store) and actually using the device for server hours over several months.

I cant use it like id use it in the real world, in crowded trains/trams, lying on the coutch, in parks, at work. in varying lighting conditions. the last place im going to use it is standing infront of a table with good lighting.

and then theres just using the thing, your not going to write long e-mails or long posts or watch movies or read a good chunk of a book or browse like you'd normally do (or in fact everything the iPad was made for) at a tech demo.

will have a wait a while I think. Although personally I think the slate format will never make a good comsumer device.

penrhyn

Sorry about Mr Jolly, perhaps a review by Adolf Hitler would be better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQnT0zp8Ya4

BillScarab

sweetstudent wrote: »

It does look good, even the 'Apple' hater at work agreed that the iPad looks good. I think that yes it is going after the eBook market taking on Amazon, Sony and Barnes and Noble. Apple don't always make their products and the target market clear - at first.

Who thought that Apple would go after the portable games market, taking on the PSP and the DS!
iTunes - taking on Wal*Mart.
Steve Ballmer stated that the iPhone would never work and nobody will buy it...three years later, Appple one of the largest smart phone manufactures.

What i am trying to get across is that Apple are not just going after the eBook market, but a market where people who are on 'their sofa' can get just pick up the iPad and go online, listen to some music, play a game - do what they want and put the device down, just like picking up a magazine. Without waiting for a computer to boot up and load whichever application they need to use.

My only issues with it is - will apps and software only be allowed from the App store or will you be able to install your own browser, ie FireFox. Or they may just go the way like the MacBook Air and have remote installtion....

Sorry, but Apple really haven't made much of a dent in the handheld console market. The majority of games I see people playing on iPods/iPhones are games like Peggle and Bejewelled. To take any market share from Sony and Nintendo they need to start producing more complex and involving games.

The one thing about the iPad that should put anyone off buying one is the fact that we all know that the 2nd gen iPad wil be here in 12-18 months and will address the flaws and omissions of this one.

edgex

Marty_J wrote: »

Quote:
Originally Posted by edgex
is the 'looking amazing' so important for web browsing & email?

By "looking amazing", I meant it looks very good. As in, it's a very nice way to browse the net and read your emails.

Quote:
or is the actual size of the screen more important?
The size of the screen is important, but what's more important is whether or not the UI works on that size of screen.

Quote:
& having a real keyboard to use, which dosnt obscure any of the screen?
That's hardly important at all. As long as you can see what you're typing, it doesn't really matter.

Quote:
so what is OS X designed for?
OS X is designed for larger devices.

Quote:
why is email & web browsing on a tablet any different to the same on a netbook, laptop or desktop?
Why is reading an ebook on your computer different to reading a real book?

Would you rather read something that you can hold in your hands, or something bolted to a wall or sitting in your lap?

Quote:
are you really able to read an email or a website on an iPod Touch better than you can on a netbook with a screen 5x bigger?
even if you actually display the same amount of content?
Yes. The text, icons and general UI of Windows on a netbook are just too small to comfortably read. If the Ui was designed specifically for that size of screen, it would be much better, but it isn't.

so the packaging is of more importance than the content?
:rotfl:




so a UI that is purpose designed to run on a screen size of 3", also happens to work as well on a near 10" screen?

so it should work just as well on a macbook! therefore they dont need OS X any longer
:rotfl:



as long as you can see what your typing?
the keyboard covers 1/4 of the screen in portrait mode, it will cover even more of the vertical in landscape
thats going to be a lot of scrolling when you want to fill in web forms etc
:rotfl:



OS X is for larger devices?
you mean like the macbook air, with a 13" screen?
iPhone > iPad = +233% screen size
iPad > air = +30% screen size
so the iPad is much much closer in size to the air, yet OS X isnt suitable for it?
:rotfl:



just reading?
so you never actually do anything but read emails & the web? you never interact with them, you know, like write an email, fill in something on a webpage?
:rotfl:



the UI on a netbook is too small to read?
but you dont read the UI, you read the content (oh but you dont, because the packaging is more important than the content)
you read emails & websites on the screen, & you can increase the text size.
also, you do realise that youve just said the macbook air UI is also too small to comfortably read. it wasnt designed for a screen that small either.
:rotfl:

suited-aces

Will delete if repost

redux

hmmm, instead of all that:

secondhand 160 GB HD netbook on eBay, £127

Windows 7 Ultimate, £25

socket to install 3g modem, £4

3g modem, including GPS, £1 to £8

internal 3g and GPS aerial to fit in screen lid, from £7

alternatively, USB 3g modem, £3 to £5

mobile broadband contract, from £1 a month

touch-sensitive screen conversion, from £40

and, for those people whingeing about text size on netbook, press ctrl +, free of charge

Marty_J

BillScarab wrote: »

Sorry, but Apple really haven't made much of a dent in the handheld console market. The majority of games I see people playing on iPods/iPhones are games like Peggle and Bejewelled. To take any market share from Sony and Nintendo they need to start producing more complex and involving games.

Apple have made quite a big dent in the handheld gaming market. Revenue for iPod Touch and iPhone games is expect to rise to $2.8 billion by 2014, whereas the revenue for games on dedicated gaming devices is expected to shrink to $6.3 billion over the same period.

edgex wrote: »

so the packaging is of more importance than the content?
:rotfl:

If by packaging, you mean the UI, then yes, it is very important.

so a UI that is purpose designed to run on a screen size of 3", also happens to work as well on a near 10" screen?

It has a different UI.

as long as you can see what your typing?
the keyboard covers 1/4 of the screen in portrait mode, it will cover even more of the vertical in landscape
thats going to be a lot of scrolling when you want to fill in web forms etc
:rotfl:

Works fine on the iPhone; it'll work even better on the iPad.

OS X is for larger devices?
you mean like the macbook air, with a 13" screen?
iPhone > iPad = +233% screen size
iPad > air = +30% screen size
so the iPad is much much closer in size to the air, yet OS X isnt suitable for it?
:rotfl:

It's designed for larger devices that use an on-screen cursor, keyboard, and mouse.

just reading?
so you never actually do anything but read emails & the web? you never interact with them, you know, like write an email, fill in something on a webpage?
:rotfl:

Sure I do (I have to do so to reply to you don't I?).

But most of my time on the net is not spent filling in forms.

the UI on a netbook is too small to read?
but you dont read the UI, you read the content (oh but you dont, because the packaging is more important than the content)
you read emails & websites on the screen, & you can increase the text size.

I know you can increase the size of the content, and doing so on an iPhone or iPad is much easier and more intuitive than doing so on a netbook.

also, you do realise that youve just said the macbook air UI is also too small to comfortably read. it wasnt designed for a screen that small either.
:rotfl:

Nope, I don't believe I did say that. But that's OK, you apparently have a hard time comprehending English, which is why I'm going over all this again.

Maybe if you did less laughing and more reading, it would serve you better.

Marty_J

redux wrote: »

hmmm, instead of all that:

secondhand 160 GB HD netbook on eBay, £127

Windows 7 Ultimate, £25

socket to install 3g modem, £4

3g modem, including GPS, £1 to £8

internal 3g and GPS aerial to fit in screen lid, from £7

alternatively, USB 3g modem, £3 to £5

mobile broadband contract, from £1 a month

touch-sensitive screen conversion, from £40

and, for those people whingeing about text size on netbook, press ctrl +, free of charge

Wow, all that to replace one iPad?

redux

Marty_J wrote: »

Wow, all that to replace one iPad?

not necessarily, but it adds up to about a third of the price of the top of the range iPad with less memory, so can be worked on in easier instalments - I don't have the touch-screen or the 18 months x £1 mobile broadband yet

how much is the 3g/HSDPA contract tied to your device going to cost?

and why the gimmick micro SIM size in such a large device, is that just to put off people who might dare think of using it with other providers, but make them paranoid about cutting the SIM?

BillScarab

Marty, Apple may be making money selling games on the iPhone/iPod but they're not competing in the same market as the DS and the PSP. Until they start selling large numbers of games that are equivalent to the sort of titles you get on the PSP and the DS they not really competitors.

You say the handheld market will fall to $6.3 billion, do you know what the starting point was? After all if it's falling from $6.4 billion it's not really significant, if it's falling from $10 billion it is. Even then I suspect some of that is due to the maturity of the market. Also the Yen has been rising in value which doesn't help Japanese companies.

EDIT: Just found the article in the Wall Street journal.

Interesting reading but two points strike me, one it's predictions for the next four years which is quite a time span. What if the Nexus One (or its successors) take a big chunk of the iPhone's market? What if Nintendo or Sony launch a new handheld?

Secondly are the markets for handheld consoles and smartphones the same? Lots of four and five year olds have DS lites, I doubt if many have iPhones or even iPod Touches. So I can see the iPhone making inroads but I can't see it killing off the handheld market.

The other problem for Apple is to really attack Nintendo and Sony they need good titles. Is there anything available that can compete with Mario Kart, New Super Mario Brothers, Zelda or Animal Crossing?