Apple releases iPad...

[Doc Holliday]

What iPad can't do, the HP Slate CAN do

It`s coming out in June & the price is expected to be around $550:

https://terb.cc/vbulletin/showthread.php?281850-what-iPad-cant-do-HP-slate-can-do

 

[Doc Holliday]

Overheating problems (in the sun) reported by many iPad users:

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-31747_7-20001749-243.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

It`s coming out in June & the price is expected to be around $550:

https://terb.cc/vbulletin/showthread.php?281850-what-iPad-cant-do-HP-slate-can-do

It will be interesting to see how this matches up. One of the reasons that Apple omitted Flash is because Flash consumes battery life at a very high pace. The HP specs show a battery life of "up to" 5 hours, less than half that of the iPad`s demonstrated 11. The iPads 9.7 inch screen totals 51.4 square inches, the HP`s 8.9 inch screen totals 40 square inches, or 23% smaller.

While Apple claims 10 hours of battery life, users have learned that it`s exceeding expectations. HP is claiming 5 hours; most likely it will come in around 3 or 4. That`s a deal killer for me.

Also Apple`s user interface is brilliant. We`ll see about HP. A friend of mine was at a church meeting last night and told me that one of the men there, a long time engineer at the local IBM plant, got his iPad last Saturday, the first time he`s ever owned an Apple product. He`s totally in love with it.

 

[CS Martin]

Here's something interesting from Dragon Naturally Speaking: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dragon-dictation/id341446764?mt=8

 

[Techman]

The fact that the screen on the iPad is 4x3 and the Slate is 16x9 makes a big difference when watching videos. While the iPad may have more surface area, most of it is wasted when watching videos. The movie will actually be bigger on the Slate than on the iPad even though the screen is smaller. And the Slate runs Windows 7, a complete operating system. So the interface will be customizable to a user's needs and taste. You could even load Windo Blinds or BumpTop 3D desktop on it if you choose. http://bumptop.com/ You will alse be able to run any program you want on it as well as view any format of media file instead of just the ones Apple allows you to view.

As far as battery life...the Slate will have a user replaceable battery so you can actually carry a spare and when it dies, you can also change it yourself instead of having to send it in for a $99 exchange and then go through the hassle of reloading everything on the new one.

And it seems that the first serious problem is already here in the form of WiFi connection problems.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2362319,00.asp
http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/05/trouble-in-paradise-ipad-users-complain-of-wifi-issues/

 

[Mod 11]

Ok boys, I just swiped the thread and removed one childish post.

Insults aren't tolerated and addressing people the way it was done in that post was an insult.

 

[Merlot]

Merlot,

I repost for you something I put up several pages ago:

I want something I can hold and read like a book. My choices are an iPad or a Kindle.
I want something that can run a spreadsheet and a word processor. My choices are an iPad or a netbook.
I want to be able to surf the net and check my email. My choices are an iPad or a netbook.
(If I want to be able to surf and check my email from anywhere, my only choice would be an iPad with 3G.)
I want something that weighs less than 2 pounds. My choices are an iPad or a Kindle.
I want a touchscreen. My choices are an iPad or a Kindle, though the Kindle's touchscreen pales in comparison.
I want a spreadsheet and a word processor that I can buy for less than $10.00. My only choice is an iPad.
I want something that's no more than 1/2 inch thick. My choices are an iPad or a Kindle.
I want something on which I can watch Red Sox games when traveling. My choices are an iPad or a netbook.

I've listed 8 criteria here. Only one product on the market meets all eight.

For me probably the critical piece is that it weighs less than half of what the lightest Netbook on the market weighs. And it's not just what it does, it's how it does it.

Hello Rumples,

Thanks for the repost. It did make me think of something. IF all of these functions are so important to you that you just had to have an iPad to access them then surely that pressing need would have compelled you to resolve the need long before you knew an iPad was even being conceived. So if these functions were so critical to you it would seem you had to buy either a Kindle (also made for Mac) or a netbook to have the easy of access you now seem unable to do without, even if the other two devices didn't offer every function. Otherwise it would seem these needs wouldn't have been all that pressing. It's understandable if you are upgrading from a Kindle or a netbook to combine functions, but why wouldn't you have one of these already if your need was so urgent? I guess the answer is: the iPad finally put all the functions you want in one "perfect package" (minus multi-tasking, USBs, phone, camera, flash, etc)...or...you're an Apple junkie with excess money???

Cheers,

Merlot

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

I guess the answer is: the iPad finally put all the functions you want in one "perfect package"

Exactly, though perfect is too strong a word. I'm totally happy with the thing, but it is short of perfect. As fast as it is and as quickly as it switches from app to app, multitasking is unnecessary. I think a camera would be unwieldy in a unit of this size. The one thing it's really missing is the USB port.

As for your other comment, I wouldn't want to carry around both a Kindle and a Netbook. That would defeat the purpose. The big thing for me is that instead of traveling with a 5.5 lb. laptop and a couple of books, I can now travel with a 1.5 lb. iPad.

Just back from playing cards with three friends, two of whom are Mac users, the other has never owned an Apple product. He was drooling over the thing.

 

[Merlot]

Exactly, though perfect is too strong a word. I'm totally happy with the thing, but it is short of perfect. As fast as it is and as quickly as it switches from app to app, multitasking is unnecessary. I think a camera would be unwieldy in a unit of this size. The one thing it's really missing is the USB port.

As for your other comment, I wouldn't want to carry around both a Kindle and a Netbook. That would defeat the purpose. The big thing for me is that instead of traveling with a 5.5 lb. laptop and a couple of books, I can now travel with a 1.5 lb. iPad.

Just back from playing cards with three friends, two of whom are Mac users, the other has never owned an Apple product. He was drooling over the thing.

Hello Rumples,

Okay, so I understand your point of view on the weight. However, you are talking to a guy who carried around 10, 15, sometimes 25 lbs of photo equipment for years often in temperatures in the 30s F unable to wear gloves. And I still carry around more than 5.5 lbs nearly every day...so the weight issue the public may have with these devices obviously looks like a dodge or irrelevant to me.

I still don't understand why this comparison between MS and Apple has to be a war, and no matter how one side says the other is behaving it doesn't mean both sides have to sink to that level. You've each got choices guys.

Oh yeah, great effort by Lackey today. He was great against the Yankees. It's just his first game at Fenway, but so far he looks like what we hoped for. No, I don't want to make another post for this comment.

Cheers,

Merlot

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Merlot, a bit more as I think about it. I've owned computers since 1983, when the first Apple //e was released. I moved to the graphic mode (Mac) six years later. The interface of the iPad is as different from the interface in the MacOS or Windows as those are from Dos or ProDos.

Techman, who totally doesn't understand how this machine works or what it's about, gloats that the HP tablet will have the full Windows OS. That would be a huge mistake on HP's part, one that Apple thankfully didn't make by installing the MacOS on the iPad. For this kind of machine, a full operating system would be terribly inefficient. One of the best things about the iPad is that it's lightning fast, moving from task to task is a breeze. There's now way Apple, HP, or anybody else could put a full operating system in a unit of this size without bogging it down.

No Windows, no Folder, nothing embedded. It's all right there accessible as accessible can be. It's brand new. Flawless? Again, no. But for a first generation unit of a whole new kind, it's a stunning accomplishment.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Two months ago, i was seriously considering buying myself a smaller laptop or possibly an iPad once it came out. But i must admit that in the past few days, the HP Slate has won me over. It really does have everything the iPad doesn't, and since i enjoy watching movies when i'm on the road, the Slate's screen is the preferrable one for me. The downside is battery life, but for me, it's not that big of a deal & i can always plug it in or replace it with the extra battery. It still beats the battery i have on my current laptop, which now barely makes it past 10 minutes!

Since i've been a Windows user for the past 12 years or so, i feel i'll have an easier time using the Slate over the iPad, whose OS i'm not familiar with. I also feel that the price on the Slate will be the deal-breaker. I can't wait for its release!

I appreciate the various arguements that were presented by both sides & also would like to add that a lot of good stuff on the iPad (and not so good stuff) is available on Terb. Thank you all for your input, which has made my choice quite easier to make.

Slate vs. iPad

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/04/2010-04-05slatespecs.jpg

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Since i've been a Windows user for the past 12 years or so, i feel i'll have an easier time using the Slate over the iPad, whose OS i'm not familiar with.

Doc, I see where you're coming from, but I'd suggest you try them both before buying. HP is building their machine around Windows architecture which (as much as the MacOS) is inappropriate for a tablet. This is a new type of machine and the very idea of building it to run on a 20 year old interface is self-defeating. (And when I say 20 year old interface, I speak about both Windows and Mac. Yes, they've been constantly updated and improved, but they're designed to work with a mouse, not a touchscreen.)

The iPad does not run on a MacOS, but an entirely new one developed for the iPhone. It would take you less than 10 minutes to master it.

The HP tablet will be to the iPad what the Zune is to the iPod.

 

[sapman99]

Mobile needs, perceived needs, and marketing influenced needs

Even though I have carried company-owned laptop/"portable" computers for a long time, I only made the jump to a personal one three years ago. At the time, I asked myself if I wanted a fraction of my programs and data to be portable, or all/most of it. I decided to make my laptop my “main” machine, leaving the desktop at home to hook up peripherals like printers and scanners. I can also “remote control” my laptop from my desktop when I’m home for added comfort.

I have been very happy with this arrangement: a blistering fast, full function PC in a relatively small package (14.1” screen) that is fully compatible with my home machine. I have not had an occasion when I thought “I could do this if I had my big PC here”.

I profiled what benefits one derives from having an iPad over a full fledged laptop or a Net Book, from my own standpoint.

Net Surfing: Superior screen on the iPad, but You Tube fans (and many other Flash sites), be warned. A Net Book and full fledged laptop will do fine, laptop wins for screen size.

Typing, messaging and email: I have not read a whole lot of kind commentaries on the iPad’s virtual keyboard. I have also seen people carrying Net Books and hooking up an external keyboard to it, because they found the integrated one too small. Laptop wins.

Work: there are applications available like a spreadsheet and word processor on the iPad, but they are clearly designed for basic use.

Multitasking: is not only desirable to flip between programs, but it’s at the centre of cutting, copying and pasting data between programs, an essential time saving function of modern computing systems.

Connectivity: well… I can understand Apple not putting a USB port on the iPad, it would open the door to a myriad of compatibility problems they would rather not face.


I am not questioning that the iPad is sleek and innovative. But is it "replacing" laptop computers? I was thinking of the needs of students, and the answer is no. Business people, ditto.


The iPad seems more about leisure time content delivery while away from home. A Montreal Gazette columnist mentions that it's part of "the monetization of the Internet".


I like the cartoon that went with it!


A larger debate could focus on the "need" for telecommunications and content that seems to be accepted by a majority as normal. Few people question why they are suddenly faced with bills for:

• Telephone land line
• Cell phone
• Televisual content
• Internet access at home
• Internet access on the road
• Subscription sites
• Content costs

I have noticed that many just accept this as a norm, without questioning the need for all of it. I am not advocating a return to the Stone Age, but certainly a re-examination of the amount of effort, time and money we should expend on our "virtual" lives versus our real ones. The iPad certainly fits well into this "virtual lifestyle" trend...

 

[Techman]

The major advantage of any tablet system based on the Windows platform is almost universal compatibility with any video, image and audio format that exists today. You also have the huge advantage of not being locked into one company's ecosystem. If Microsoft or any other company were to release a product with the same restrictions as the iPad, I would not be interested in it either nor would I recommend it to anyone.

And for anyone that's interested, Windows 7 is fully multi-touch enabled and has been designed with touch screens in mind. Combine it with something like Bumptop, it you want something a bit different. Plus you have the option to revert to the interface that you're used to. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jhoWsHwU7w&feature=related

Some problems I see from the Slate specs that Doc posted... it only has 1 GB of RAM, this should be upgraded immediately to at least 2 GB if possible. I also notice that the battery is not user replaceable which gets it a 'no buy' rating from me. The Slate is also lacking wireles 'N' connectivity which is unthinkable today. If you're going to spend any time using the wireless connection, N is not a luxury but a necessity.

While I wouldn't recommend the iPad to anyone, I wouldn't fully recommend the Slate either especially not site unseen.

 

[Techman]

A larger debate could focus on the "need" for telecommunications and content that seems to be accepted by a majority as normal. Few people question why they are suddenly faced with bills for:

• Telephone land line
• Cell phone
• Televisual content
• Internet access at home
• Internet access on the road
• Subscription sites
• Content costs

I have noticed that many just accept this as a norm, without questioning the need for all of it. I am not advocating a return to the Stone Age, but certainly a re-examination of the amount of effort, time and money we should expend on our "virtual" lives versus our real ones. The iPad certainly fits well into this "virtual lifestyle" trend...

I know exactly what you are talking about. I've cut things down, myself. I have a land line and Internet at home. My cell phone is a business phone and I have no intention of getting one for personal use or a smartphone of any kind. I don't have cable or satellite television, I get my programming with an over the air antenna.

I will not pay for any content over the Internet. I don't even subscribe to any physical magazines or newspapers. I'll usually read the paper over breakfast or coffee at a coffee shop, or read it on line for free.

The amazing thing I've noticed is that when talking to friends or business associates or clients about the iPad or tablets in general, the basic reaction I get is 'why would I want one? I spend enough time in front of a screen at the office, I don't want to carry one around with me.' I haven't come across one person who is at all interested in owning one. One friend has two kids, a boy and a girl, and the kids each want one of course. But there's also no chance of my friend buying them one, much less one each. As far as he's concerned, they have a family computer and no need for anything else. The general concensus of my informal poll of about 150 people over the last month or so is that most dismiss the idea entirely and the rest see no need for one in their lives.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

I travel a lot, including several trips to Germany each year. I typically carry a small rolling bag that I can carry on as well as a shoulder bag with a couple of books and my laptop, weighing about 10 lbs. There are a lot of laptops and netbooks on the market, as well as one tablet. How many of these machines will allow me to eliminate the shoulder bag and the books, get to the airport in Burlington, fly to Newark, sit through a two hour layover followed by a 7 hour flight allowing me to surf the net during my layover, read a book or PDFs of pages I've downloaded and/or watch a movie during my flights without fumbling through my very limited space beneath the seat in front to get it, and still have plenty of power left when I arrive in Frankfurt? The answer is 1.

 

[bond_james_bond]

Yes, the iPad certainly takes the cake for portability and battery life (presumably why Flash is disabled).

But, for serious work, I know that I need a real keyboard and mouse ... and a USB port.

Example:

I have an important file that I am working on while mobile. I need to give this file to the client, who cannot access the Internet due to company policy and security concerns. A thumb drive is the fastest way to transfer files.

Most likely, there is space galore in my hotel room, and the client's facilities, to set up my laptop, and work.

True, the iPad presents the possibility to work in certain cramped places, such as an airport gate. But how much work can I really get done in that location, and with the iPad's limitations of awkward typing, and lack of business/work applications? Is this extra ability worth the cash? Frankly, ime, stuff for work is always going to be Windows-based, and requiring a PC. Not to mention the various USB attachments I may need.

So it's a toy, I'm afraid, imo. I can see someone using it for net surfing, and basic apps. And if that's all you need, then great. But I need more than that, and a laptop seems to satisfy all requirements.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

BIB, the iPad was not designed to be a work computer or to replace yours. It's primary function is content delivery and it does that brilliantly. When I go on the road, work is the last thing I want to think about.

BTW, i've never used a computer that surfed the web as quickly and efficiently as this nor had a picture as brilliant as this. Typing is certainly slower than on a full keyboard, but much quicker than I thought it would be. I'm good for about 80 wpm on a regular keyboard, probably about 40 on the iPad, but I'm still getting used to it.

I find that when I'm home, I still primarily use my laptop, but I take Tthe iPad to the cafe down the street or to read in bed.

Also, Apple. Has already announced that the next version of the OS, due in a few weeks will allow multi-tasking.

 

[Techman]

Actually I agree with you, rumples. The iPad is the perfect consumption device and a great content delivery system. Far from perfect though because of it's 4X3 aspect ratio which makes it terrible for movies or other widescreen content. Unfortunately I have no wish to give Steve Jobs any of my money. Maybe if there were alternatives to the Apple App store, and the iTunes software, I might consider it. That is if I had any need for such a device, which I presently don't.

As for writing an app for the thing, unfortunately Steve Jobs in his wisdom has decided to remove that possibility from PC users. The App developement kit only works on Apple computers. Typical.

And a little note...I hope that people aren't thinking that the iPad is a stand-alone device. It requires a computer to first activate it on iTunes as well as for other functions. Seeing as iTunes on the Windows platform is a bloated, buggy piece of crap, that gives me another reason not to buy one. Not that I needed another reason, but I have one anyways. It's always nice to have spares.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Actually I agree with you, rumples. The iPad is the perfect consumption device and a great content delivery system. Far from perfect though because of it's 4X3 aspect ratio which makes it terrible for movies or other widescreen content.

Thank you, Techman. So what you're saying. in effect, is that the iPad is perfect, since a consumption device is what it's supposed to be. About time you came around. Now, if you have no interest in a consumption device, that's fine. But for the hundreds of thousands, soon to be millions, who want it to do exactly what it does, it's quite a tool

It is not perfect, as you say. But it's pretty astonishing for a first generation item. As for watching movies, it's quite wonderful because the picture is so brilliant. BTW, I've watched movies on it, you haven't.

Unfortunately I have no wish to give Steve Jobs any of my money.

Can't argue with you here. By the way, as far as content is concerned, I've added about 15 apps so far, mostly news and weather readers that duplicate stuff you can find with your browser, but in a much for efficient format. They've all been free. The only one I've paid for was an MLB app that will let me watch MLB ballgames in breathtaking HD. The only other thing I've purchased was a book for $10; this book would have cost me $12 at Amazon or $15 at Chapters.

Seeing as iTunes on the Windows platform is a bloated, buggy piece of crap.

Sort of like Vista?