Apple releases iPad...

[Merlot]

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.

Hey Grumples,

I see the niche for the iPad in one case is the need to check this thread and defend the iPad, cheap quip included, while out and about on a leisure Sunday off. Then it is very convenient to fulfill such compulsive needs for all. Surely this makes an excellent point of argument in favor of the iPad.

Cheers,

Merlot

 

[Techman]

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.

Yes, there's tax on everything. But you can't compare a netbook or any other computer with the iPad which is not in that class. I can rip my own music to a netbook and rip my own DVDs or Blu-rays to a format I can read on the netbook. I can also surf the net, including Flash enabled sites, download freeware programs like Open Office which is much superiour to the text editor and spreadsheet programs that have to be purchased for the iPad, and run most of the programs that I run on my home system. Due to the USB ports on a netbook, I also have unlimited storage and I'm not limited to a measly 64GB on the most expensive iPad, and I can easily plug in a USB Internet stick and have net access everywhere. I can also video chat with the integrated webcam, run Live Messsenger or any similar program and on and on and on... Even with every attachment made for the iPad, it still could not be used as anyone's primary computer. I would still need a laptop or netbook or home computer.

Basically if I were to travel with an iPad, I would have to bring a laptop along to have full functionality anyways. So why exactly would I need to bring the iPad?

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Basically if I were to travel with an iPad, I would have to bring a laptop along to have full functionality anyways. So why exactly would I need to bring the iPad?

Because you're not likely to be ripping CDs when you travel. You want to read on the plane, your netbook's not the answer. You want to eliminate weight, your netbook's not the answer. You want to pop it in your pocket, your netbook's not the answer.

You want to spend hours removing viruses and scanning your hard drive to make sure they're all gone, the iPad's not for you. (Yes, I just watched a friend spend half his weekend making his friend's netbook functional again. I was watching a ballgame on my iPad while he did it. Fortunately, she had a friend, him, with the expertise to save her some $200 to have it done professionally.)

No, the iPad is not in the class of the netbook. It's in a class all by itself.

 

[Techman]

No, I won't be wanting to rip CDs or DVDs while on vacation but I might want to be able to watch the DVDs I did rip to my laptop which I couldn't do on an iPad due to non-compatiblity with divx or xvid not to mention the lack of storage. I might also want to offload the photos I've taken to my laptop to free up my memory cards and maybe to do a few quick edits and send them off to friends which I couldn't do on an iPad because it lacks the storage capacity and the editing ability of a laptop with even basic editing software such as is included in Windows 7.

As for virus problems, well when someone's running a 9 year old operating system like XP, they have to expect to have problems. Come to think of it, can you even run a nine year old version of Mac OS on todays Macs? Nope, I don't think so. So if you want to compare Macs and PCs, then compare the latest versions of the operating system and leave XP in the past where it belongs. Notice that there aren't any Mac ads running on TV that go after Windows 7? There's a reason for that. Over a 100 million reasons by now actually because that's where sales of Windows 7 are. Steve Jobs can't even dream of those kind of sales numbers. Think of it...roughly 6 months after it's release there are more systems running Win 7 than all systems running any version of Mac OS combined with all systems running any version of Linux.

Let's see where the iPad sales numbers are in 6 months.

By the way...I could easily slip two netbooks into the pocket you slid your iPad into. I could probably slip a small laptop into that pocket. But most people I know don't walk around with a jacket with pockets that size. They don't walk around with their netbook or laptop either and probably wouldn't carry anything bigger than a cell phone in any case.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

I thought you didn't like little screens? The Netbook my friend was working on had a screen the shape you like, but the picture on it was smaller than it would have been on the iPad, even with it's dead space, top and bottom. And, being brand new, I doubt it was running XP.

Now I understand that you know how to keep viruses off of Windows machines running 7, but you're an expert. Most people aren't experts and, as we know, Windows was designed to be used by techies.

The Mac OS may only have a 10% share of the computer market, but that's 5 times it's share of the computer technician population.

 

[Techman]

I don't like small screens for watching video. I wouldn't watch video on a laptop or a netbook or an iPad or an iPod/phone or a PS3 portable or any such small device given the choice. I might do so while on a trip and if I did, I would want to bring along my own videos, not pay to stream them from Apple. And Apple won't have any porn anyways. lol

It doesn't take much to prevent a virus from infecting Win 7. The free antivirus program, Microsoft Security Essentials, is more than sufficient for the average user and a 10 year old could install it. All it takes to keep malware, there are next to no true viruses these days, off your computer is a bit of common sense. In other words don't click on popups that say 'click me' or open email attachments that you aren't expecting. This is the same as it has always been. And even if you do click on something in IE8 running in protected mode as it is by default, it would still require user permission to install itself on your system.

Basically...if you get malware on a Win 7 system, you have installed it yourself. Similar to what it would take to infect a Mac.

As far as ease of use..if someone can't figure out Win 7 in a number of minutes, they have no business anywhere near a computer and should buy an iPad instead.

And new or not, many netbooks are still being sold with XP, unfortunately.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

I don't like small screens for watching video. I wouldn't watch video on a laptop or a netbook or an iPad or an iPod/phone or a PS3 portable or any such small device given the choice. I might do so while on a trip and if I did, I would want to bring along my own videos, not pay to stream them from Apple. And Apple won't have any porn anyways. lol

Wait a second!! First you bitch that you can't rip movies on the iPad, then you say that you wouldn't want to watch them on your computer anyway. So you want it two ways? Why not three?

Oh, and by the way, there's more than enough content that you can stream for free on an iPad. You pay Apple by choice. Depending on where you live, ie USA, for $9.00 per month you can stream without limit from Netflix. While I prefer to watch movies on my big screen, when I'm traveling I'm more than willing to settle for my iPad, which, as you yourself commented, has a brilliant screen. Again, you get what you pay for. Don't expect a screen of this quality on a netbook or the HP tablet. You want the best? You have to pay the price.

And new or not, many netbooks are still being sold with XP, unfortunately.

You said it, I didn't: "unfortunately." The next question is why did it take MS until 2009 to come up with a reliable operating system?

 

[Techman]

And the iPad's troubles continue as it's now being banned from some University and College campuses in the US:

http://blogs.zdnet.com/gadgetreviews/?p=13931&tag=wrapper;col1

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100416-709971.html



Now to address the points in your last post...

Netflix isn't available in Canada for one thing. And why should I have to pay to stream movies that I already own? As for the screen size, my laptop has both HDMI and SVideo out that enable it to be connected to just about any television so I'm not limited to the size of the screen on the laptop. As nice as the screen on the iPad may be, and the display on the PS3 portable is also a great quality display but I wouldn't watch a movie on it, it isn't suited to watching a widescreen movie under any circumstances. And unfortunately, it can't connect to a television of any kind.

And it didn't take until 2009 for MS to have a reliable OS. XP was fine in it's day which should have ended in 2006 when Vista was released. And Vista is a very reliable and stable operating system, no matter what some people, who in most cases have never used it, like to claim. Considering that you have zero experience on the Windows platform, none of your remarks about it carry any weight at all.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Considering that you have zero experience on the Windows platform, none of your remarks about it carry any weight at all.

No, but I have experience helping friends get the dents out of their head that they got from banging them on the wall. And I have quite a few friends who teach at a local college who still complain about the network.

And why should I have to pay to stream movies that I already own? As for the screen size, my laptop has both HDMI and SVideo out that enable it to be connected to just about any television so I'm not limited to the size of the screen on the laptop.

When you say "stream," one doesn't think of playing back movies you already own, which isn't streaming. Streaming happens with on-line content. And, again, the iPad isn't something I think of as a primary computer, any more than I'd think of a Netbook, and its puny screen, as a primary computer.

 

[lgna69xxx]

great Video Jessy! would of been much better if the cute lil doggie would of gave the ipad a golden shower tho!

Another point of view : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3xdcx2WUcU

;*)

 

[CS Martin]

A couple of interesting quotes from Steve Jobs on Porn:

"However, we do believe we have a moral responsibility to keep porn off the iPhone. Folks who want porn can buy and Android phone."

"You know, there’s a porn store for Android. You can download nothing but porn. You can download porn, your kids can download porn. That’s a place we don’t want to go – so we’re not going to go there."

 

[Dee]

I've waited to post this so as to not cast a cloud over Techman's 6oth... but my buddies in the Mossad have told me on the qt that the iPad is now acceptable in Israel... check the news ... there will soon be, or is, an explanation...

[so as to avoid any controversy, this post is in no way meant to suggest that anyone, in any way should enjoy their iPad experience... it's solely a news item... and is in no way meant to suggest that the iPad has any merit, for any thing, no matter what]

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

I've waited to post this so as to not cast a cloud over Techman's 6oth... but my buddies in the Mossad have told me on the qt that the iPad is now acceptable in Israel... check the news ... there will soon be, or is, an explanation...

Here's the story. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/sci/2010-04/27/c_13269335.htm

And in other news, Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania is planning to give iPads to all incoming students. http://www.setonhill.edu/ipad/

 

[Dee]

Some interesting news:

Microsoft Cancels Innovative Courier Tablet Project


"Perhaps the strong launch of Apple's iPad, currently the only available "mobile tablet" from a major vendor, caused Ballmer to reassess the commitment of Microsoft in a soon-to-be-crowded market."


This is for information purposes only and is not meant to suggest, in any way whatsoever, that there is any merit in the iPad or that any one should enjoy their experience with it.

 

[bond_james_bond]

A couple of interesting quotes from Steve Jobs on Porn:

"However, we do believe we have a moral responsibility to keep porn off the iPhone. Folks who want porn can buy and Android phone."

"You know, there’s a porn store for Android. You can download nothing but porn. You can download porn, your kids can download porn. That’s a place we don’t want to go – so we’re not going to go there."

Not a big deal. Those screens are too tiny.

The bigger disappointment, imo, was that Sony stayed away from porn for Blu-Ray.

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9008579/Sony_says_no_to_porn_on_Blu_ray_Disc

 

[Dee]

More surprising news:

Hewlett-Packard To Kill Windows 7 Tablet Project

Hewlett-Packard has killed off its much ballyhooed Windows 7 tablet computer, says a source who’s been briefed on the matter. The device was first unveiled by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at CES 2010 in January and was supposed to hit the market in mid 2010. But our source tells us that HP is not satisfied with Windows 7 as a tablet operating system and has terminated the project (something CrunchGear mentioned months ago).


HP may also be abandoning Intel-based hardware for its slate lineup simply because it’s too power hungry. That would also rule out Windows 7 as an operating system.

​

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

HP may also be abandoning Intel-based hardware for its slate lineup simply because it’s too power hungry. That would also rule out Windows 7 as an operating system.

With Apple now owning the tablet market and HP abandoning Windoze 7, the bells may soon be tolling for Microsoft. First, Studebaker, then Eastern Airlines, soon Microsoft.

 

[Below500k]

To add another to the body count, as I said earlier about Flash's days being numbered...

http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2010/04/29/html5-video.aspx

As much as I find it amusing the MS is now touting web standards, I really am holding out hope they live up to the claims of standardization with IE9, it will be great to be able to develop web tech only one time through!

 

[Techman]

That's all really funny guys. First of all, MS never announced the Courrier as a product, it was an internal project that never made the light of day like many products from many companies. Second thing is that HP hasn't made any announcement about cancelling the Slate. All it is is speculation because HP is buying Palm and the tech speculators are guessing that they'll develope something based on that platform instead.

For bond._james_bond, there is plenty of porn available for Blu-ray. The article you posted is three years old and dates from the time when no one knew whether Blu-ray or HD would win the high def war. Blu-ray won and porn is easy to find on that platform.

With Apple now owning the tablet market and HP abandoning Windoze 7, the bells may soon be tolling for Microsoft. First, Studebaker, then Eastern Airlines, soon Microsoft.

Apple owns the tablet market? Really? They don't even have a tablet form factor computer yet, just the iPad which doesn't qualify as a computer any more than an iPhone does. Apple owns the Apple market just as they always did. Nothing more, nothing less. And HP is abandoning Windows 7, the most successful operating ever released? Gee...what are their computer products running on? OS-X? Linux? Keep dreaming rumples. It must really piss you off that in less than 6 months after it's release there are already twice the number of computers running Win 7 than the entire installed base of all versions of Mac OS combined. Seen any Apple commercials attacking Win 7 yet?

And don't write off Flash just yet. It will be around for many years to come and if Steve Jobs keeps attacking them, he may just find his Mac platform with no further Adobe products being released for it.

it will be great to be able to develop web tech only one time through!

A shame that Jobs doesn't agree with you with Apple banning cross platform developement from the iPad/iPhone/iPod platform which is one of his main reasons for banning Flash from these products. He doesn't want anything but exclusive products released for his platform.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Hey, Techie, just reporting on what's being written in the press, replete with quotes from the CEO of Microsoft. But I guess you know more than he does.