Apple releases iPad...

[Techman]

I find it highly amusing that you consistantly bring up "closed monopolisitc systems" and lawsuits with your almighty MS position, a company who has been sued by nations for that practice,

Below500k,

Can you find me even one example of Microsoft Windows being a closed system or of them being sued on that basis? Have I ever said that MS is a perfect company or that they haven't used questionable business practices in the past? Nope, I never have and never will. But there's no way in hell that you can claim that Windows is a closed system. I would never claim that OSX is a closed system either because anyone can write and sell programs for it without having to clear them with Apple and market them freely in any store or on any website.

As for the Israel ban, I happen to think it's a stupid reason to ban a product. I can understand banning it if it's WiFi transceiver was too powerful and likely to cause problems with existing infrastructure, but being underpowered can't cause any problems that I can see. I posted the news as a possible more likely reason for the delay, nothing more than that.

Sorry that you're so sensitive about anything Apple. Are you related to Steve Jobs or something? Why is it that Apple fans are so totally fanatical about them? Seriuosly...you guys are nuttier than Leafs fans and that's really saying something.

 

[Below500k]

Hey TM,

Nothing of this is personal, I hope you know that, I do not mean to target you, especially in your own thread!

No I'm not fortunate enough to have a rich uncle Steve, (or Bill for that matter)<grin>, nor am I so sensitive "about" Apple. What I'm sensitive about is the spread of bullshit, about any subject for that matter, especially when it is tainted information meant to be used to sway people one way or the other (see US Republican party, or organized religion for details). It seems when it is done to "the other side", it is OK though?

I happen to be lucky to have been in tech for a long time, have (in)vested interest in both AAPL and MSFT and like you, my livelihood is affected and depends on them... so I follow closely. So sorry if I seem to get "heavy" at times, it probably has more to do with the medium (reading typed posts) than anything else, if we were having a beer discussing it would not seem so severe!

Finally to answer your question, when I mention closed system, I meant their business practices. From a pure software/OS point of view I could go into the amount of effort that they put in to make it difficult to do very simple things (for the average person) like specify a replacement for a non-MS piece of software, but it would bore the fuck out of everyone.

 

[Techman]

Nah, no worries. I know none of this is personal. All of us tech types are a little nuts anyways and we tend to go a little overboard sometimes with our views and opinions. As an example of how nuts I am, if I could afford it I would actually buy this amazing workstation from a Quebec company...

http://www.novelquest.com/emperor_200.html

I actually think that Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are extremely boring people. If I was in either of their positions, I would probably live my life more like Larry Ellison than either of them. Now that's a guy that knows how to enjoy himself! And his wife is a total babe!

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Is that the best you can do? LMAO!! How many people are going to strap their iPad's to their backs just so they can have turn signals when riding a bicycle? Probably one and he also wears his bicycle helmet into restaurants and bars, Rumples!!

I'd be careful if I were you, K. Mod 11's keeping a close eye on your sorry ass.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Why is it that Apple fans are so totally fanatical about them? Seriuosly...you guys are nuttier than Leafs fans and that's really saying something.

We all aspire some day to be as nutty as you, TM.

 

[Dee]

...except you can't.

Maya Design has designed an app that functions as a turn signal for cyclists. You slide in into a sleeve and strap it on your back. As you're riding along, if you want to turn right, you lean right and the iPad flashes an arrow in that direction. Lean back a bit and it flashes a stop sign.

http://www.maya.com/sprocket

Very useful... operates a bit like the Segway...I saw an ad for it in the Onion. It should sell like hotcakes... speaking of which I2IT is set to launch the iPad HP app (hotplate - they're in a trademark dispute with H-P right now so the name might change) ... it's a bit limited in what it can do as the heat can't get too high but with patience you can fry an egg and bacon while listening to music... so in a sense it can multitask.

 

[Below500k]

My latest favorite (via Bill Maher)...

Sarah Palin picked up her new iPad last week, asked how she likes it...

"I didn't know what all the fuss is about, it's not that absorbent".

 

[Techman]

...except you can't.

Maya Design has designed an app that functions as a turn signal for cyclists. You slide in into a sleeve and strap it on your back. As you're riding along, if you want to turn right, you lean right and the iPad flashes an arrow in that direction. Lean back a bit and it flashes a stop sign.

http://www.maya.com/sprocket

The problem with wearing that in Montreal is that drivers would use it as a targetting device to make it easier to run you over.

And you will never be as nutty as I am, NEVER I SAY! NEVER! Now if you'll excuse me, there are some nice men in white coats at the door. I think they are here to deliver my new jacket.

 

[Merlot]

...except you can't.

Maya Design has designed an app that functions as a turn signal for cyclists. You slide in into a sleeve and strap it on your back. As you're riding along, if you want to turn right, you lean right and the iPad flashes an arrow in that direction. Lean back a bit and it flashes a stop sign.

http://www.maya.com/sprocket

Hmmmm,

Something like this reminds me how some people just love gadgets and have to have them.

lol,

Merlot

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

So let's get this straight. You're happy paying a minimum of $500 to carry this thing to do something you can do with a wave of your hand for free...and you think the idea is a positive thing. Can't wait to hear about your gold-trimmed engraved ivory 42 3-carat diamond inlaid toenail clippers. Hope you got the XTurbo 1000S model with the 5 year or 50,000 clips plan with GPS included. There sure are some eccentrics out there with way too much spare change.

So let's get this straight. You're not embarrassed to be posting something this stupid, Merlot? Yup, that's why I dropped $500 on the iPad. To use it as a turn signal. It really has no other uses.

 

[Merlot]

So let's get this straight. You're not embarrassed to be posting something this stupid, Merlot? Yup, that's why I dropped $500 on the iPad. To use it as a turn signal. It really has no other uses.

Try this with your Netbook... ...except you can't.

Maya Design has designed an app that functions as a turn signal for cyclists. You slide in into a sleeve and strap it on your back. As you're riding along, if you want to turn right, you lean right and the iPad flashes an arrow in that direction. Lean back a bit and it flashes a stop sign.

Since the hand signal is the only unique function it seems to have, and you cited it as a difference maker between the iPad and Netbook, it would be you implying this is what makes it and the cost of it worthwhile. It really has no other unique uses.

Cheers,

Merlot

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Since the hand signal is the only unique function it seems to have, and you cited it as a difference maker between the iPad and Netbook, it would be you implying this is what makes it and the cost of it worthwhile...perplexingly. It really has no other unique uses.

253 posts in and you've managed to learn nothing? The unique uses have been cited over and over again, but I guess some of us are not intelligent enough to ferret out the information.

Even Techman, who has now held the iPad in his very own hands, said several days ago that the iPad "is perfect as a content delivery unit."

 

[Techman]

...Even Techman, who has now held the iPad in his very own hands, said several days ago that the iPad "is perfect as a content delivery unit."

And after seeing it in person, I will stand behind that 100%. While I haven't spent a lot of time reading a book on it, and can't say how my eyes would react after a couple hours reading, it seems to be a fine reader. Newspaper content is well laid out and very clear and sharp. Video, while limited by the size of the display is also sharp and clear but I couldn't imagine spending 2 hours or so watching a widescreen movie on it. Web browsing is fast, depending on the speed of the connection as with any device.

It was a bit heavier than I expected when I first held it but after a minute you become used to it and it becomes negligible. Like any glossy screen, it's highly reflective of any backlighting and is definitely a finger print collector but it's easily wiped off with a sleeve and I would assume any soft cloth and the fingerprints aren't noticible when you're using it, only when you tilt it at an decent angle.

Overall, it's a nice gadget. As a content delivery system, it's great. But as that is it's best function, I still think it's overpriced. If content providers were to subsidize the purchase price the way cell phone companies do with cell phones I could see much more success for it. As it is, I think it will remain a luxury item for most average consumers and few will be able to justify the purchase especially when you take the extra cost of content into consideration. And all the content that is available on the iPad is also available on a laptop which you could buy for around the same money and could do things the iPad cannot and most likely will never be able to do.

Yes, I still find it lacking in many areas, basically all the areas I've already covered such as USB, expansion, Flash and so on, but what it does do, it does well. Would I buy one? No, because I have no need for one and I could think of many things I want more that I could purchase with that amount of money. But if someone has a grand or so burning a hole in your pocket that you don't know what to do with, go ahead and pick one up with a few accessories and a bunch of content and enjoy yourself!

For anyone trying to decide if they should buy an iPad or a laptop, get the laptop. The iPad is not a replacement for a laptop or netbook and it shouldn't factor into anyone's decision when buying such a device.

But it's still really cool!

 

[Merlot]

253 posts in and you've managed to learn nothing? The unique uses have been cited over and over again, but I guess some of us are not intelligent enough to ferret out the information.

Even Techman, who has now held the iPad in his very own hands, said several days ago that the iPad "is perfect as a content delivery unit."

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,

Your insults are in keeping with the manner of your "discussion" on this thread, including the insulting PM you used to avoid a ban. After all that's the manner of your "mind-set". Despite all of that I publicly apologize for going over the top yesterday and will withdraw the poor parts of my posts.

Back to business, how are any of the functions of the iPad unique? You cite the features of the iPad in the repost above and every one of them is featured on other devices as you specifically point out; though you might explain how the $500 price of the iPad comes down to $10.00 because of the functions you cite? Surely you meant to say that except for the turn signal the iPad is unique only in the combination of features.

What this all comes down to is does the individual have the money and the desire to buy the iPad. If one finds the combination of features/options uniquely beneficial or endearing to them, or even just another gadget they have to have, then that's all that matters to the individual.

Regarding this thread in general, the choice to include a tone of personalized confrontation, fan-like cheer leading, and insults has significantly reduced it's information credibility and value.

Cheers,

Merlot

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Back to business, how are any of the functions of the iPad unique? You cite the features of the iPad in the repost above and every one of them is feature on other device as you specifically point out; though you might explain how the $500 price of the iPad comes down to $10.00 because of the functions you cite? Surely you meant to say that except for the turn signal the iPad is unique only in the combination of features.

Exactly. Nothing but the iPad has this unique combination of features. The Kindle, by the way, is still selling like hotcakes at $300.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Overall, it's a nice gadget. As a content delivery system, it's great. But as that is it's best function, I still think it's overpriced. If content providers were to subsidize the purchase price the way cell phone companies do with cell phones I could see much more success for it. As it is, I think it will remain a luxury item for most average consumers and few will be able to justify the purchase especially when you take the extra cost of content into consideration. And all the content that is available on the iPad is also available on a laptop which you could buy for around the same money and could do things the iPad cannot and most likely will never be able to do.

Yes, I still find it lacking in many areas, basically all the areas I've already covered such as USB, expansion, Flash and so on, but what it does do, it does well. Would I buy one? No, because I have no need for one and I could think of many things I want more that I could purchase with that amount of money. But if someone has a grand or so burning a hole in your pocket that you don't know what to do with, go ahead and pick one up with a few accessories and a bunch of content and enjoy yourself!

The iPad is not a replacement for a laptop or netbook and it shouldn't factor into anyone's decision when buying such a device.

You continue to inflate the price of the iPad, which runs $500 in the US, probably under $600 in Canada.

As for content providers subsidizing the cost, this is not like a cellphone where there is one provider. There are thousands. Music can be purchased for less than the price of CDs from Apple, Amazon, Emusic and many others. Books can only be purchased from Apple for considerably less than hard copy books. There are tens of thousands of apps available through Apple, thousands of which are free, the others costing from less than $1.00 to as much as $10 or $15. I've purchased exactly one app, MLB At Bat, for $15.00

No, it won't replace a laptop. I have a laptop which I'll continue to use. The iPad will do different things for me and it's primary value is in it's portability as you noticed yesterday, when I pulled it out of my side pocket.

 

[Techman]

I don't feel I'm inflating the price at all. Say 600 for the base device plus tax so that's 75 or so..that makes $675. Add a case - 40 bucks, keyboard unit/charging stand - probably around 90 bucks tax in, camera adapter- say 50 bucks, we're already at $855 and haven't spent any money on content yet. Add a couple of magazine subscriptions, a couple of newspaper subscriptions, buy a couple of books, a few apps and your over the $1000 mark very easily. And I haven't even taken the price of watching a movie or buying any other multimedia content from the App store. And let's not forget, that's for the base model without 3GS. And when it comes to 3GS, there is only one provider and they could subsidize the 3GS version with a multi-year contract.

As I said, and as you agreed with, it's primarily a content delivery system and consumption device. The content you consume will have to be paid for and that content can add up very quickly. It's a nice device and it has it's uses but I don't think that most people have the need for it and as such I consider it a luxury product.

PS: When it comes to books, I can't remember the last time I bought a new book. Most of the books I buy, I tend to purchase from used book stores at a fraction of the price. And once I've read them, I often give them away so someone else can enjoy them. I cannot do either with a device like the iPad or kindle or any other electronic book reader.

 

[Merlot]

Hello all,

For anyone trying to decide if they should buy an iPad or a laptop, get the laptop. The iPad is not a replacement for a laptop or netbook and it shouldn't factor into anyone's decision when buying such a device.

But it's still really cool!

I've been thinking seriously about buying something like a netbook, iPad, or a laptop, and because of that I have been considering whether any of these are truly useful or some kind of yearning to have something "cool". At home there is the desktop and the time to use it freely. Outside the home I am at work, carrying out some tasks, shopping, having fun, visiting friends and family, etc; doing something that typically precludes the proper or free time to indulge myself with these devices. And when it comes to access to needed information or the need to do some tasks at work, I already have devices provided. So even if I cared nothing about the expense there is no real purpose when there is no need or I have other purposes when I am away from home.

No, it won't replace a laptop. I have a laptop which I'll continue to use. The iPad will do different things for me and it's primary value is in it's portability as you noticed yesterday, when I pulled it out of my side pocket.

Wonder if you are extolling the iPad from your laptop? It would be truly ironic and straight to the point if your defense/promotion of the iPad was being done from a laptop when you have the time and convenience to choose either. If it's the laptop...it speaks volumes.

Cheers,

Merlot

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Wonder if you are extolling the iPad from your laptop? It would be truly ironic and straight to the point if your defense/promotion of the iPad was being done from a laptop when you have the time and convenience to choose either. If it's the laptop...it speaks volumes.

If there were a Nobel Prize for missing the point, you'd be a wealthy man, Merlot. My earlier reply, written from home, was written on my laptop, which is considerably easier to type on. This reply, written from the coffee shop downtown, is being written on my iPad, which I put in my jacket pocket and carried on my bike.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

I don't feel I'm inflating the price at all. Say 600 for the base device plus tax so that's 75 or so..that makes $675. Add a case - 40 bucks, keyboard unit/charging stand - probably around 90 bucks tax in, camera adapter- say 50 bucks, we're already at $855 and haven't spent any money on content yet. Add a couple of magazine subscriptions, a couple of newspaper subscriptions, buy a couple of books, a few apps and your over the $1000 mark very easily.

I gather from this response that there's no tax on a Netbook and that downloads from Amazon, Emusic, iTunes and the like are free? You're grasping at straws, pal. BTW, did you notice that luscious brunette over your left shoulder drooling over the iPad while I was drooling over her?

All of the other things you mention, charging stand, camera adapter, etc. are superfluous unless one is planning to use the iPad as a primary computer.