iPad!

[mabelsound]

What, no iPad posts yet?!!? Looks like a pretty nice device--IPS screen, could be very good for flogging your portfolio, and large and clear enough for viewing other people's as well.

That said, in terms of photography, it seems like something you'd invent excuses to own, rather than a vital tool you couldn't do without.

[Jamie Pillers]

Has anyone heard what the iPad will cost? And how do you think this device could be put to beneficial use for photographers?

[semordnilap]

What, did I miss the rf window in the upper left? and the accessory shoe for external viewfinders? It'a an appleica?

;)

[Paul T.]

DO we know pricing yet?

I must admit to being hugely impressed by the iPod touch, of which this is an overgrown version. The user interface is amazing, much better for surfing the web than a laptop. But if the iPad approaches the price of a laptop, fuggeddit.

[venchka]

What about instant review of digiphotos in the field? Smaller/lighter than a full on notebook confuser. Might work.

[semordnilap]

It'd be cool if you could tether to it...

Ah wayne you beat me to it.

[semordnilap]

I don't see pricing info yet. Only $14.99 and $29.99 for 3g plans. No contract.

[mabelsound]

What about instant review of digiphotos in the field? Smaller/lighter than a full on notebook confuser. Might work.

That's what I kept thinking...would be great to back up your SD cards to and keep track of what you're shooting. But again, more of a delightful luxury than a vital application.

I don't think they've announced pricing yet...

[semordnilap]

$499 is the starting price. wow!

[mabelsound]

$499 is the starting price. wow!

That really is a shocker!

[semordnilap]

I know! $499 for 16gb, up to $599 & $699. plus $130 for 3g capacity–optional.

[f16sunshine]

If It has a nice storage capacity and maybe the ability to load LR it could be a great device for travel. I left my MBP at home during the last 2 months in Central America. In the end, the iPhone kept me in touch well enough. While the notebook would have been nice for storage and editing during down time. It was just to much extra bulk for this trip. This thing could be just the ticket :)

[benmacphoto]

I wish it was an actual tablet computer and not a larger ipod touch.
It will be nice to surf the web on it though.

[Paul T.]

That's shocked a few peope = who were speculating it would be $1000. Which would be a disaster.

$499 is 16GB, which is tiny. $599 for the 32GB. About twice as much as the iPod touch. Not bad! Esepcially as you can use iWorks on it...

[semordnilap]

There's a dock, too, with a keyboard attached, so you can use it as a laptop. This might finally replace my 12" powebook!

@benmach: You can wordprocess and do spreadsheets on it, too. I think it'll have some pretty good functionality.

[Paul T.]

It will have iWork, which is a pretty good package for basic wordprocessing etc.

What's the betting you will get Lightroom or some other editing package at some point?

[semordnilap]

I'd be surprised if there's a full featured lightroom–maybe a light version. Image editing, probably: anyway there's already some basic image editing software for the iphone. RAW converter, perhaps–it'll probably have the horsepower, though not super fast, I expect.

[coelacanth]

I'm sure I'm getting one. Most likely 3G model.

[benmacphoto]

Lightroom would be great on this tablet. And that's what I was wishing for from Apple.
A small light, netbook or tablet, with a light version of snow leopard so I wouldn't have
to bring my powerbook or macbook pro around with me all the time.

But at $500 the ipad doesn't seem to bad.
I'll have to see if a photo app comes out for it.

[dazedgonebye]

$500 is a great starting price, but I'd want the 3g and more memory, so more like $750. Still, it'd be a hell of a toy.

[mabelsound]

Yeah, since it's essentially running the iPhone OS, I doubt there will be a full-featured Lightroom.

I could certainly justify getting one for work though--de-paperizing my student manuscript factory would be a freaking delight. Though probably I would just read RFF with it. :D

[semordnilap]

Looks like it'll have a 'camera connector kit'

The Camera Connection Kit gives you two ways to import photos and videos from a digital camera. The Camera Connector lets you import your photos and videos to iPad using the camera’s USB cable. Or you can use the SD Card Reader to import photos and videos directly from the camera’s SD card.


Methinks we'll see some kind of RAW converter for sure.

[dazedgonebye]

Wait till they put college text books on it....

[dcsang]

Lightroom would be great on this tablet. And that's what I was wishing for from Apple.
A small light, netbook or tablet, with a light version of snow leopard so I wouldn't have
to bring my powerbook or macbook pro around with me all the time.

But at $500 the ipad doesn't seem to bad.
I'll have to see if a photo app comes out for it.

Unless you're going to be able to calibrate the device (which is unlikely) I wouldn't be doing any editing on this thing.

That said, I strongly suggest that photographers who have websites offering their professional services had best be figuring a way out to either get rid of any flash in their sites since it cannot be viewed on any of these Apple mobile devices.

Cheers,
Dave

[dcsang]

Oh.. and regarding the name - as I said earlier while watching the keynote: "iPad" sounds too much like an Apple branded feminine hygiene product.

:D

Dave

[pachuco]

The NYT was called in to demo it and build a new app for it a few weeks back. It looks allot like an actual newspaper now. I'm excited to see what this does for digital journalism! Let's hope that better days are on the horizon for photographers and cameramen!

[coelacanth]

Maybe Apple will make Aperture for iPad.

I'm probably ok with the 32GB or even the 16 model with 3G. I'm sure Dropbox will develop iPad version of their app. That and Eevernote, Apple's own iDisk will give me enough space so I can stick with smaller local strage space.

$30 w/o contract for unlimited data is quite awesome. I'm getting one for work when 3G models are out for sure.

[scottwallick]

What's the betting you will get Lightroom or some other editing package at some point?

If it gets Lightroom, or iLightroom or whatever, I'd consider one.

[f16sunshine]

Yeah, since it's essentially running the iPhone OS, I doubt there will be a full-featured Lightroom.

I could certainly justify getting one for work though--de-paperizing my student manuscript factory would be a freaking delight. Though probably I would just read RFF with it. :D

Even iPhoto would be great. A smallish device that could view and store Raw files in the field would be fantastic. I doubt I would do final edits on a 6/8/10" screen. But to load them down and zip off a jpg would be great.

[Paul T.]

We are lucky in the UK - because we have iPlayer, which allows you to play any recent Beeb programme on demand. It is a totally different way of watching TV - and interfaces perfectly with the iPhone and iPod TOuch.

I wish it had been a little smaller, though. It's not going to be a hell of a lot more compact than the MacBook Air.

[dcsang]

Flash for video is now gone, replaced by the new mpeg (now supported on Youtube), so anyone running flash for websites is just being foolish. I have been advising my clients to avoid flash for over a year, because we could smell this device a mile away. Price is amazing...

Also remember unlimited international calls on this device for free... (well $60 a year with a local skype number)

Fred,
agreed re: flash for sites - but you'd be surprised how many out there use it because photographers purchase pre-canned sites from companies such as "Blu-Domain" and such.

There are a whack of wedding photographers that I know that have Flash websites because the site was a) cheap and b) they didn't have to do any programming to get it up and running out of the box.

I've been busy trying to redevelop my NON-flash site for about a year and a half because I knew the ubiquity of Apple products, all of which can't support flash. So it's all about being able to mimic the style with Javascript/Ajax or such - which not only loads faster but requires no plug ins. Oh.. and I don't have to annoy people by having pre-loaded crappy music playing during that "slide show" thing :D

Cheers,
dave

[pachuco]

it is not a replacement for a desktop computer, or a field editor, it is a giant iTouch, and as such provides an incredible platform to read, display work, do email, and other tasks related to 90% of what most of us do outside of editing photos.


Good point. I think some (PC?) folks are not understanding what this product is.

[jarski]

wonder how long until we get iPadLinux :D

seriously, exiting new toy. especially good if you travel a lot, 10h battery life! :)

[nightfly]

I think it's mostly a novelty item. The keyboard is a bigger on screen version than the one on the iPhone which is barely adequate for texting. Two years and I still can't type with any accuracy on it. It's got a crippled OS, same as the iPhone and paltry memory.

It's neat, but not all that useful. I think this product is going to flop for Apple like the Macbook Air. It's too in between and doesn't really do enough. I can't leave my Macbook Pro at home because I can't do any work without a keyboard and my iPhone covers basic connectivity. I don't really see how this fits in. Once you add in 3G and some memory it's not cheap.

The NY Times interface looks a lot like the downloadable Times Reader application which uses Adobe Air. Much nicer way of reading the paper online.

You can buy a Dell Netbook and put a full version of OS X on it for about $300 and get a full keyboard and a few gigs of memory. Google Netbook Hackintosh.

I think the tablet concept is a dead end because there is only so much you can do with a touch interface. We invented language for a reason and you need a keyboard to do more complex stuff. There's only so many things you can drag, drop and click on.

[Al Patterson]

Has anyone heard what the iPad will cost? And how do you think this device could be put to beneficial use for photographers?

I've seen $499 listed as the start price. I hate the name though. Sounds like a woman's hygiene product...

iPad new can be found at the link.

http://www.engadget.com/

[mabelsound]

Well, this product is likely to murder netbooks and the Kindle, anyway. I mean wow, imagine buying the Kindle when you can get one of these. Forget about it.

[semordnilap]

There is some likelihood that this device will support flash by the time it is released, since obviously the iTouch and Phone now support some flash.

But I have always hated flash because it violated the basic semantic essence of the web, and has always reminded me of the <blink> tag.

And yes there are many better ways to write web sites, including just a more simple approach. Frankly most people put up too many images, it just confuses clients.

Don't think it'll support flash at all. Iphone & touch don't at all, either. But everyone will be rushing to support the thing, going h.264. I just wish it'd be able to support netflix & tv streaming, but I don't expect that. Fewer movies/tv shows for itunes to sell.

[dcsang]

There is some likelihood that this device will support flash by the time it is released, since obviously the iTouch and Phone now support some flash.

But I have always hated flash because it violated the basic semantic essence of the web, and has always reminded me of the <blink> tag.

And yes there are many better ways to write web sites, including just a more simple approach. Frankly most people put up too many images, it just confuses clients.

It's going to be released in 60 days (if the Keynote is on target) so that would suggest equal support for both iPod touch and iPhone re: Flash - that said, Flash is not supported in the browser by Safari - either on the desktop (to the best of my knowledge - mind you, I use Firefox on my Mac Pro and Macbook) or on the iPod Touch currently. Yes, there is some form of some sort of Flash (or is it?) via the YouTube app that comes with the Touch/Phone but definitely not browser enabled.

And I totally agree regarding the <blink> tag.. dear god.. the sites I've seen are annoying at the best of times.

Cheers,
Dave

[Al Patterson]

Wait till they put college text books on it....

If they did, they could sink the Kindle and the Nook fairly quickly, as they won't have any of the apps that Apple will let you run on this. Imagine a book/magazine reader and a GPS map app, plus god know what else. This could be a better second laptop than a netbook.

[dcsang]

Well, this product is likely to murder netbooks and the Kindle, anyway. I mean wow, imagine buying the Kindle when you can get one of these. Forget about it.

That's who they (Apple) are aiming at imho.

They saw how many people were using Netbooks, knew well about the Kindle; so it doesn't surprise me that they'd look to find something to scoop up that demographic as well.

Dave

[Paul T.]

I think it's mostly a novelty item.

You can buy a Dell Netbook and put a full version of OS X on it for about $300 and get a full keyboard and a few gigs of memory. Google Netbook Hackintosh.



But that is surely irrelevant - by the time you've messed about with the Dell, how many $100 of your own time will you have wasted? Makes sense if you're unemployed, but that's about it.

[nightfly]

The Kindle is under $300 with free cellular service for downloading books. The battery lasts for weeks of reading and it's simple. My wife loves hers partaly because she CAN'T browser the web on it, she can concentrate on reading the book.

I wouldn't count the Kindle out yet. You'd have to double the price and add a monthly service contract to get this on the iPad (of course you'd get a lot more).

Netbooks have full service OS's and a keyboard and cost half as much.

For $500 you're getting 16 gigs of memory! Your average netbook has 10x the memory and you can use your regular office apps and even Photoshop on it. If you need to do any work, the iPad is next to worthless. It's a media consumption machine.

Really Apples and Oranges.


Well, this product is likely to murder netbooks and the Kindle, anyway. I mean wow, imagine buying the Kindle when you can get one of these. Forget about it.

[dcsang]

I can say, that being able to show photos on a device that is pocketable (rather than something you may have to "lug" around - like a laptop and/or netbook) does have it's advantages.

I can honestly say that many many wedding photographers I know DO, in fact, use their iPhones for this purpose. You never know when/where you'll meet someone who may be interested in your services - and responding as quickly as possible to potential clients is VERY important in this "we want it NOW" world. The public has a voracious appetite and very little patience - blame the internet for that.

Cheers,
dave

[ZeissFan]

It's really nothing more than a big iPhone/iTouch (but without the phone part).

[semordnilap]

It's going to be released in 60 days (if the Keynote is on target) so that would suggest equal support for both iPod touch and iPhone re: Flash - that said, Flash is not supported in the browser by Safari - either on the desktop (to the best of my knowledge - mind you, I use Firefox on my Mac Pro and Macbook) or on the iPod Touch currently. Yes, there is some form of some sort of Flash (or is it?) via the YouTube app that comes with the Touch/Phone but definitely not browser enabled.


Flash is a plugin. There is one for Safari on the Mac, of course. Youtube on the iphone/tough does not use flash–the youtube videos are encoded as h.264 (a video codec). Youtube announced an agreement with apple as of the original iphone release to encode many videos in h.264 so they could play on the iphone. There's more story if you want it–html5 supports h.264 for embedded video, which will likely supplant flash once firefox supports h.264, which it doesn't now.

[semordnilap]

Well currently you are correct, youtube is a custom app for the iPhone/Touch, and I have never really looked at it to see how it runs videos, which are in flash normally. It does however run them.

Don't think it'll ever run flash. Youtube & Vimeo are already going away from flash...
http://youtube-global.blogspot.com/2010/01/introducing-youtube-html5-supported.html
http://www.vimeo.com/blog:268

Netflix does not run on flash, but there is no indication that it will be supported on the iPad.

Yep, netflix runs on silverlight. had to install it just for that! My point being that since there won't be any plugins, all the Hulu & Netflix content will sadly never be available on the ipad, unless at some future point they decide to go h.264. Which they may... and which I will hope for.

This is all related to bandwidth, more than the OS, but hopefully is will somehow resolve. I think is is only crippled on the Touch because of the Phone.

Yeah, I don't think it's that at all. I think it's all OS and apple control of that. Apple could easily limit any functionality to wifi only–there are plenty of applications that are so limited. I think this is the piece to beat on iphone (and now ipad) flash.

http://daringfireball.net/2010/01/apple_adobe_flash

[dcsang]

Frankly photos on the iTouch have a light and isolation, which makes them appear more interesting than they do on a computer screen. There is an intimacy to them also, which seems to appeal to viewers. The fact you can hold it while the viewer flips though is also useful.

They fit into conversations, as you point out. It is one thing to hand someone card and say the usual "go here to see my stuff," but showing it right on the spot is so much better. I am not sure that the iPad will really be better for that than the phone/touch?

I'll have to load some photos and have a look see - I currently use the Touch just for browsing and crap like that.

WRT the iPad fitting into conversations - maybe not as easily as the Phone/Touch but definitely for a photographer going to a client meeting or consultation. So many photographers i know do not "own" (or even rent) a studio. I don't. I could never afford it. I can always invite potential clients into my home, which is fine, but then I have a dog and two cats - so if they're allergic, that's out too.

Instead, I prefer to go to them - let them feel comfortable in where they live OR where ever they'd like to meet. Carrying the iPad would be a lot less bulky and, to be honest, I think it may look a lot more "professional" (I'm not saying it IS more professional but it may be PERCEIVED as such by some people) versus a laptop or netbook. Now, that's where the problem of Flash support via Safari could become an issue..... imagine sitting during a consultation and the client asks to see your website (which is completely Flash based) and all you have with you is the iPad. . . that is hardly professional.

Cheers,
Dave

[semordnilap]

Yeah I think you are right, there is a battle for video delivery between Apple and Adobe, and it is swinging back toward Apple, and I would not be surprised if Disney and Microsoft were in this somewhere.

The whole microsoft things seems like a big me-too. I don't know who owns h.264, but I think it will easily win over Flash. Apple is making the products people are buying, and those products ONLY support h.264, whereas other products support both flash and h.264. Mozilla is the wildcard, supporting only ogg theora in firefox. I don't, though, think that'll last more than a year.

Clearly, as you point out, they could limit to wifi, as they do with skype currently. Apple and Steve in particular have some control issues...
I think you've hit the nail on the head with that one!

[marcr1230]

Not a compelling product in my mind
it certainly has uses and I'll likely get one to play with

on the bright side, it's a lot cheaper than a new M9 kit

[rover]

I am very surprised at the lower than expected pricing of the iPad and think it has real potential to be a home run. From my point of view, a PDA is limited in everything it does, doer of much, master of none. A small lap top is great, but often over kill. I can't get connectivity in my office, so my Mac Book really sits at home and occasionally gets out, but not often. I agree with those who are not looking at the iPad as a computer, but a big iPod, a personal media partner (maybe I just coined a phrase?). I think it can excel for me. I would dump the PDA, give me a smaller, better reception cell phone. A phone built to be a phone first, not the all everything PDA. Remember when carrying a fat phone was a bad thing, now they are hip, and will make your hip sore if is hanging on your belt all day. From what I see, the iPad will do everything else that PDA tries to do, but can really do it, and do it well. If the 3G contracts are as reasonable as mentioned above, that is another winner, cheaper than the data plan on my current cell phone. I am not sold yet, but I may be pretty easily as I learn more about it.

[Paul T.]

Don't forget the cooking!

TOnight I made spiced meatballs from a Gordon Ramsay recipe in the TImes. I use my iPod touch, so I don't get breadcrumbs on the keyboard of my MacBook.

With an iPad, wow, I'd be cooking with gas. (Even though I am already cooking with gas.)

[rover]

My sail is deflated a bit. 3G coverage is to be with AT&T, big boo. I won't/can't do business with such a poor provider. Let's face it, there are parts of CT which are rural, but you can't even get good signal with AT&T service in some of our cities. Forget my town, it isn't even on their map. Oh well, one check in the con column for me.

[rover]

I really don't understand why they wouldn't offer it as an unlocked device.

[shenkerian]

It is an unlocked device.

[BillBingham2]

Oh.. and regarding the name - as I said earlier while watching the keynote: "iPad" sounds too much like an Apple branded feminine hygiene product.

:D

Dave

Junior $499, Regular $599, Maxi $699

Sorry, never thought of that.:rolleyes:

B2 (;->

[mabelsound]

It is an unlocked device.

Yeah and I suspect other carriers will be stepping up to the plate VERY quickly to announce competitive pricing...

[yanidel]

I am disappointed. It is just a bigger Iphone but won't be the device that can be used for travels to back-up and process pictures.

[axiom]

Who buys an iPad that's thicker than 2mm?
No one.

[rover]

Yeah and I suspect other carriers will be stepping up to the plate VERY quickly to announce competitive pricing...

OK, then my world is looking brighter again.

[dcsang]

Ralph,

It's WiFi enabled but are you merely looking at it to be on some sort of 3G network?

That, to me at least, adds unnecessary expense - that said, you've mentioned rural areas, so I can sort of see if you're out in the sticks or such.

Cheers,
Dave

[xayraa33]

Oh.. and regarding the name - as I said earlier while watching the keynote: "iPad" sounds too much like an Apple branded feminine hygiene product.

:D

Dave


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnNg4eT1Gb8

[shenkerian]

I am disappointed. It is just a bigger Iphone but won't be the device that can be used for travels to back-up and process pictures.
Not serious processing, no. But there is the Camera Connection Kit for back-up and display, and also a number of light editing applications for the iPhone.

[Frontman]

My sail is deflated a bit. 3G coverage is to be with AT&T, big boo. I won't/can't do business with such a poor provider. Let's face it, there are parts of CT which are rural, but you can't even get good signal with AT&T service in some of our cities. Forget my town, it isn't even on their map. Oh well, one check in the con column for me.

I used to drive the big trucks, and AT&T was one of the few services which seemed to work everywhere, and I could also get good access in Canada and Mexico. My family has some property in the middle of nowhere in west Texas, and AT&T phones are the only ones which will function there.

That said, the iphone tends to have much poorer phone reception than other makes. I live in Japan now, and the iphone is popular here (it's trendier than Japanese phones, and less expensive), but many people have gotten rid of theirs because in many areas it's telephone is simply useless.

[rover]

It isn't worth arguing cell networks. AT&T just doesn't work for me.

[rover]

Ralph,

It's WiFi enabled but are you merely looking at it to be on some sort of 3G network?

That, to me at least, adds unnecessary expense - that said, you've mentioned rural areas, so I can sort of see if you're out in the sticks or such.

Cheers,
Dave

If you can get a WiFi signal I agree, the 3G is not necessary, but I think the be anywhere connectivity is a very appealing feature for this beast, and WiFi isn't everywhere.

[Brad Maestas]

Oh.. and regarding the name - as I said earlier while watching the keynote: "iPad" sounds too much like an Apple branded feminine hygiene product.

:D

Dave
I thought the same thing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnNg4eT1Gb8
Brilliant!

I absolutely abhor their "i" naming convention. And "Pad?" You'd think the smart boys and girls in Cupertino would've come up with a name more fitting for the innovative device.

It's interesting that the iPhone is now trendy in Japan. When it came out I heard it got a very chilly reception there. I have a heck of a time with it in my apartment. I moved here last July and for some reason I get horrible reception in my building. CNET has a new feature that shows tested reception from all the major providers on a tower-to-tower basis and I just happen to be in one of the only bad spots for many blocks. I think it's because the elevated subway is between me and the tower. I have complained a few times but reception has never improved.

[BillBingham2]

It truly is a new category of device. I have to agree with the classification of personal, it fits. It does not replace a computer as it's not multi-tasking. Someday it might be but for a while it's not. Interesting thing is that they did not go with an ARM processor, they did it in house. Perhaps they purchased the rights to the ARM design and extended it. It allows them to keep the cost way down. CPUs are still a large percentage of the cost of parts.

Much nicer to see the days work on one back at the room.

B2 (;->

[jvan01]

Never buy Rev. A of any product. Let 'em work out the bugs, and wait for the implementation of killer features in the 2nd and 3rd revisions of the thing.

[BillBingham2]

I'm not worried about too many bugs in this one, they've been working on it a LONG time and the basic system is a iTouch/iPhone OS which works pretty well.

B2 (;->

[rover]

Just looking at the Mac Books in the past 12 months Apple seems to update their products very quickly. I wouldn't be surprised to see the second generation of this puppy out for Christmas.

[dcsang]

Just looking at the Mac Books in the past 12 months Apple seems to update their products very quickly. I wouldn't be surprised to see the second generation of this puppy out for Christmas.

I wouldn't be surprised.

This is typical of most digital devices - look at camera bodies (save for Leica perhaps) - look how FAST the product cycle is for these things.

This is part of what's made our western culture feel so "entitled" ya know?

People EXPECT things that may or may not be warranted - thanks to those that want to ensure we buy things we may (or may not) need :)

Cheers,
Dave

[Mackinaw]

I find it fascinating that there's been 85 posts and 1364 views for an item that nobody has even held and won't be able to buy until March.

I guess that means Apple is on to something.

Jim B.

[JoeV]

That thing is almost as big as the view screen on an 8"x10' view camera. Hmm, I wonder if there's a tripod socket on the side? Talk about the ultimate LCD viewfinder.

~Joe

[BillBingham2]

They are going to sell internationally in 90 days. With Apple's support for products that internationalize easier than anything else on the planet I doubt they would build a 3G model that only works in the US, but you never know. The delay is getting FCC equivalent approvals and all take a long time.

I think you will see the 4G system by next Christmas. 4G is hitting Chicago now.

B2 (;->

[cnphoto]

i wish they would have built an IR transceiver in it, as dated as that technology may be. then someone could develop an application that worked as a 'master remote' for all of my electronic multimedia devices (TV, DVD player, stereo, temperature control/AC unit) now THAT would be a cool addition... the iPad could be the centre of your multimedia home experience and a multimedia device in its own right.

[f16sunshine]

i wish they would have built an IR transceiver in it, as dated as that technology may be. then someone could develop an application that worked as a 'master remote' for all of my electronic multimedia devices (TV, DVD player, stereo, temperature control/AC unit) now THAT would be a cool addition... the iPad could be the centre of your multimedia home experience and a multimedia device in its own right.

And then one could rule the universe !

Muahmuahahahaha!

;):D:o

[BillBingham2]

And then one could rule the universe !.....

I was thinking I could just annoy my kids who steal the clicker BIG TIME!

Interesting problem with frequency and all on the 3G. Overseas I know they support a wide range of vendors (e.g. T-Mobile) on the iPhone so I'm not sure.

On the positive side it is a pay as you go phone card style access to 3G and prices sounded not too bad. I'm thinking that the small 802.11n unit (Airport express) might work great for places (e.g. hotel, offices) that have wireless. My friend has the same type of device from Netgear or someone that was a bit bigger. That could drive network admins crazy.

B2 (;->

[Frontman]

What you can do is look at all of your cards, since it has a card reader.


From what I understand from the reviews, the iPad does not include any type of card reader, nor any USB ports, nor stacked Bluetooth capability.

[GaryLH]

There are two version of the Kindle.. the iPad at the lower price point is closer to the Kindle DX. The data plan is a pay as you go monthly. No lock in contract for a year or more. I think the better way to view this maybe a better ebook reader (color versus eInk) with all the benefits of the iTouch on steriods. Note you even get GPS in the 3G version. Also someone just found out that the new SDK for iPad now allows full VOIP capability over both WiFI and 3G. Link below on the SDK discovery

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/01/27/sdk-changes-open-door-to-voip-over-3g-networks-ipad-phone-calls-possible/

The price is compelling from this type of stand point. An iPhone Safari experience is OK and much better than anything else except for the new Andriod or Palm products. But having that bigger screen makes Safari a much more enjoyable experience.

10 hours of music and movies is something else.

[GaryLH]

http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/iphone-sdk-calls-out-nonexistent-ipad-cam-confirms-split-views/

Another interesting info was discovered. The SDK has hook for a camera.. I wonder if we will see this for second gen iPad?

[ethics_gradient]

Am I the only one that thinks the huge bezel makes it look like a crappy digital picture frame you'd buy at Walmart?

[Jamie Pillers]

Thanks Al.

[GaryLH]

http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/

FYI - here is link to the specs.

[plummerl]

It's now 2010, and no multitasking capability????
:eek:

[GaryLH]

Agreed a major bummer :bang:

[GaryLH]

Depends on what you mean by multitask... it multitasks at the OS level. Whether it'll let you have two applications open side-by-side is unknown, seems to be a "no" at the moment but it's rumored for the upcoming 4.0 release of the OS.
.

Actually you are quite right. The iPhone OS is based on Mac OS which is based on BSD. In fact, Mac Apps such as the phone, safari, and ipod app play well together, in the sense that they multi-task. One can be listening to music and then get a call then return to the music where you left off.

The problem is that third party apps are not allowed to do this. When I answer a call, I don't like to be kick out of the third party app. Some third party apps, at least will remember where you left off, but not all. Even the ones that do, you need to physically restart those apps again once you are kicked out.

One of the things I was hoping for was video conferencing capability via iChat, skype, or IM app. But since they did not include the camera in this version of the iPad... oh well... :(

[GaryLH]

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/apple-ipad-camera-connection-kit/

Here is link to the USB to dock connector and the camera to dock connector.

[martin s]

Depends on what you mean by multitask... it multitasks at the OS level. Whether it'll let you have two applications open side-by-side is unknown, seems to be a "no" at the moment but it's rumored for the upcoming 4.0 release of the OS.

I still haven't seen a particularly convincing scenario for which someone would want to "multitask" in the traditional desktop sense on a device like this or the iPhone, but everyone's needs are different so it's not really worth an argument.

You could run messaging services other than E-Mail in the background, wouldn't require the push workaround in order to receive updates.

martin

[arseniii]

No multitasking = no love! I'd rather go for a Nexus One from google as an engineer I like things that can be adjusted to my liking.! As for Apple they say "hey, this is the best thing and you have to use it as it is" - I do not like this concept@!

[Matus]

Ehm, am I the only one being concerned about the lifetime of a large laptop-lie display that is exposed to environment all the time? How would you put the iPad in you carry-on luggage and prevent it from accidental damage in the overhead compartment?

I would prefer to see something similar that folds in two halves without leaving any border when opened (asking too much I guess).

[rover]

Ehm, am I the only one being concerned about the lifetime of a large laptop-lie display that is exposed to environment all the time? How would you put the iPad in you carry-on luggage and prevent it from accidental damage in the overhead compartment?

I would prefer to see something similar that folds in two halves without leaving any border when opened (asking too much I guess).

Accessories my friend. There is a cover for it, sold separately.

[Jamie123]

No flash really kills this for me. How can you comfortably surf the web without using flash?

Anyways, is there any way this could be used to shoot tethered with an external HD attached?

[BillBingham2]

Ehm, am I the only one being concerned about the lifetime of a large laptop-lie display that is exposed to environment all the time? How would you put the iPad in you carry-on luggage and prevent it from accidental damage in the overhead compartment?

I would prefer to see something similar that folds in two halves without leaving any border when opened (asking too much I guess).

I look at it as carrying a magazine and putting it into the pocket of the seat ahead of you. The concept of the two halves is great but with screen technology where it is now you get a big black line down the middle when you are trying to watch a movie or view a picture across both screens.

For me this is not a replacement for a smart phone or a PC, it's something new that I can view things on. Now I have to admit that using this with Skype is going to be very cool. I do wish that they had a better way to quickly move between apps like the old Mac OS6. But it could just be a learning thing I need to get over.

The lack of flash is a pain a so much today is working around it. I'm hoping Apple will get of their butts and get this going. Can't figure out why they are not interested in it? My read says money/payment they want but I'm not sure. I'm surprised someone hasn't succeeded in hacking one together yet. The old time Apple developer community was chock full of hackers. Captain Crunch where are you?!?!?!

B2 (;->

[jsrockit]

I could care less about this for photography... I just want it to chill on the couch and surf the web and watch a movie or two.

[jsrockit]

Am I the only one that thinks the huge bezel makes it look like a crappy digital picture frame you'd buy at Walmart?

From certain angles it does, but once you get it in your hand, you'll see the difference is clear.

[Pickett Wilson]

My idea of enjoying a movie sure isn't holding a pad and watching it on an 8" x 10" screen for two hours. Heck, the whole family could have them, each sitting in the living room, and each watching a different movie at the same time. Talking about togetherness.

Welcome to the future.

[BillBingham2]

My idea of enjoying a movie sure isn't holding a pad and watching it on an 8" x 10" screen for two hours. Heck, the whole family could have them, each sitting in the living room, and each watching a different movie at the same time. Talking about togetherness.

Welcome to the future.

How does that differ from sitting in a dark room watching a movie on a projector or for that matter in a living room on a big screen? Watching TV or a movie is not my idea of togetherness. Sure it's fun when you are first going out, but being able to sit together and not say anything till it's over IMHO does not do anything for building relationships, sharing or learning.

B2 (;->

[jsrockit]

My idea of enjoying a movie sure isn't holding a pad and watching it on an 8" x 10" screen for two hours. Heck, the whole family could have them, each sitting in the living room, and each watching a different movie at the same time. Talking about togetherness.

Welcome to the future.

I live alone... no one will be offended and sometimes, when the power is out, it'll come in handy. It is also a nice vacation / commute machine. It's an individual's machine, not a machine to use at the same time with your entire family.

[BillBingham2]

I'm really interested in how iTunesU will change with it. After I get done with finding a job and my last masters class I have a lot I want to go through. All the Ted.com stuff I want to listen to, to me this is a great personal device that will allow me to do a lot. The same way there are sites made just for IE, I will live without flash. My MacBook is great for what it does, but when it comes time to replace it, it will be with a Mac Mini.

This will be a lot easier to read with anywhere than my laptop which can not do portrait. The iPad will just feel more like reading a piece of paper than a computer.

B2 (;->

[Paul T.]

It will get a fair amount of business, just in its eBook incarnation. Before, the Kindle looked most-likely-to, but most publishers hate Amazon because they abuse their monopoly position (several publishers, including Hachette, had all their books pulled from Amazon in a pricing dispute). If you're an editor, reading manuscripts, the iPad saves printing out huge stacks of paper - the fact you'll be able to do basic wordprocessing is a huge bonus.

One fantascit feature Fred doesn't have the benefot of is BBC iPlayer - it works brilliantly on the iPod touch, free video on demand over WiFi. We all watched Dr Who together over Christmas, then watched it again the next day, snuggled up in bed - would have been even better iwth the iPad.

And, of course, teenagers in search of porn can conceal it under the duvet, and it's wipe-clean, unlike a netbook!

[BillBingham2]

No amount of money would convince them to allow Flash on the iPhone. ..........

That's really sad as the first really big supporter of Postscript and Adobe was the Apple Macintosh and Laser Writer.

I look back over 30 years in IT and think of all the great solutions that bit the dust over silly crap like that. I think Capitalism is like Democracy, it ain't perfect but it's the best thing so far.

B2 (;->

[Pickett Wilson]

And, besides. The Ipad is cool and new. So why not? None of us need another camera. ;)

[dcsang]

My take on all this (via a LONG post on FB - my apologies):

I read that Gizmodo thing last night. ( http://i.gizmodo.com/5458382/8-things-that-suck-about-the-ipad )
You know, where they bitch and moan about the iPad being not what THEY wanted.

While I can agree with some of the complaints they listed (the name, multitasking, for example); a lot of the other complaints lack support and, to be honest, some of them apply to all laptops/netbooks etc. So singling them out in a list of why one item "sucks" over something else doesn't garner you any credence imho.

Let me see if I can say why some of the objections are, well, silly:
1) Camera
- a front facing camera, sure, I can see that if you wanted to have an iChat with your iFriends or such but a REAR facing camera? Have you ever seen a 4x5 or 8x10 view camera? Can you imaging holding this 6x8" tablet up and using it like a camera phone? How dumb would that look? :)

2) Bezel Size
- horses for courses - Gizmodo themselves state that it's not a good thing to accidentally input something when you're just holding onto the item but apparently the bezel is "too big" - so who's fingers/thumbs do you use as a guide, mine or Andre the Giants?

3) Touch Keyboad
-"this is the same big, ugly touchscreen keyboard we've seen on other tablets," - 'nuff said - the revolution will have to come from someone else regarding this item - it appears no one gets it right but apparently that's Apple's fault in Gizmodo's eyes ;)

4) No HDMI Out
- yep, this would be cool, but you also have to remember the type of company that Apple is. It's not like ASUS or ACER or Fujitsu or such - they have content to deliver and the more people they can get to buy into the delivery system (which includes the hardware of all sorts/types) the better. They ain't gonna give away the farm. I wonder if any of current hardware companies would do anything different if they too were deliverers of not just hardware but content as well.

5) No Flash Support
- I used to think Flash was the best thing ever. Seriously. But then, of course, there's only so many times when trying to browse a site that one likes to get inundated with someone elses music while trying to hunt the page for the "off" switch or the "skip intro" links. Flash is not supported by the iPhone or iPod Touch either. I personally don't care for it but I do understand it's usefulness - that said I have heard that it will be "replaced" in HTML 5 via HTML5 video but even that's up in the air with respect to FireFox (which doesn't impact the Apple mobile products . . . .yet).

6) Adapters
- I'm looking at my laptop right now, every single thing that's plugged into it requires a USB cable or some, yes, adapter to attach to another system. I would agree that Apple's adapters may be clunky and awkward but what does one expect, to magically teleport things back and forth via brainwaves... I bet the thing will have bluetooth in it at some point (if it doesn't already - remember the iPod touch?) and that may help but until then you're going to have to use SOMETHING to connect your devices to the thing - same goes for netbooks and laptops - so it's no different.

All in all, Apple's new device looks nice but I don't see a need (or a want to be honest) for it. Just like when they announced the Macbook Air - nice for those that could use it or want to use it but not for me.

It seems that no matter what is announced by Apple, there will always be devotees that will say it's the "best thing ever" and there will be detractors that will say that the item "stinks". All I know is, when Apple makes an announcement of this type, even if previous devices existed for umpteen years, it brings those devices to the forefront and allows for those to compete (or update and compete) directly with what Apple has brought to market. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.

Cheers,
Dave

[raid]

I use a Tablet PC for my lecturing. I have one by Toshiba and one (smaller) by Dell. As a Professor, it is interesting to me what will happen when students start "studying" with IPads and similar gadgets when in class.

[mabelsound]

I use a Tablet PC for my lecturing. I have one by Toshiba and one (smaller) by Dell. As a Professor, it is interesting to me what will happen when students start "studying" with IPads and similar gadgets when in class.

For their first class yesterday, my writing workshop students brought in paragraphs from books that they liked, in order to read them aloud. And 4 of the 15 were reading them off of iPhones.

[MaxElmar]

I was really considering a iTouch for a portable photo calculator. A fair number of apps (DOF, sunrise/set, exposure calculators) for photographers are out there. It also would make a nice notepad to record notes about film work. iPad might be even better...

I'm pretty happy it doesn't have a crappy camera built into it. Flash? Feh. I can certainly live without it and wish it would go away.

I believe multi-tasking will arrive soon - but on Apple's terms - like cut and paste on the iPhone. As things stand now, it might ruin the super-fast response party - mostly because we're dumb and will be running too many things in the background. And you probably need a real laptop to do that well.

It's important to remember that we're talking about a version 1.0 device. It's real strength is the Apple/iTunes/App Store/SDK environment. That's just getting cranked up. Add cloud storage in there and the potential for the iPad is pretty amazing.

It's not a computer - it's not a smartphone - it's something else. I don't know what it is, but I'm already 99% sure it's going to be simple, easy to use for many computing/media tasks, and it looks good me. It's not super expensive. I wouldn't bet against it....

[dcsang]

Part of the thing that Apple does really well (other than marketing - but in a way it's tied into their marketing) is their ability to make these things ubiquitous.

Everyone's been telling me "tablets have been around for years" yet I have not been able to walk into a local big box electronic store and look at one or pick one up - I'm serious about this - yes, they've been around via online retailers (geek stores, computer hard core stores etc.) but guess what, Joe Sixpack and Sally Housecoat (to use Mr Burns' colloquialisms) don't visit those types of retailers and don't have the time to do the research or such when it comes to this type of technology.

Everyone, nowadays, wants something to work out of the box and "go".

And that's something Apple seems to have been very good at doing.

Is it the "BEST THING EVER"?
Probably not, but you can't fault Apple for knowing what their particular demographic may want (or will buy).

Cheers,
Dave

[rxmd]

The main problem is what is it for. For an Internet tablet I'd miss the video camera for Skype, as well as Flash. For pictures it will be awkward to get them in and out. For an e-book reader the screen won't be easy on the eyes. For typing things a netbook will be better, because lugging around a dockingstation sucked already with almost every laptop that had one.

It doesn't really fill any particular need of mine, and in what it does (browsing from the couch and looking at pictures) it actually does less or worse than a Nokia N810 or comparable device (webcam, SD slot, Flash etc.)

[raid]

I write on my Tablec PC all lectures. The math symbols show up fine. I can switch to the internet or some computer learning system, and everything is recorded if I want to. Students can then go over the recorded lectures over and over.

[mabelsound]

Anyone notice if you will be able to hand-edit on pdf documents with a stylus? If you can do that, I will get one for work for sure.

[bmasonoh]

Having owned every version of the iPhone, I can honestly say this product is not for me. I know Steve Jobs wants to create a new product category and as a Kindle killer this product is awesome.

However, aside from the screen size, it lacks so much that the iPhone currently has, i.e. gps, phone, camera. As an alternative to a laptop or netbook it lacks in functionality. As an in-between product it seems to do a lot of things none of which it does particularly well. Having said that, I think this product has a lot of potential and look forward to the 2nd or 3rd generation.

[ampguy]

I've never had good luck with the quality of sound or video from Skype.

I do like Google Voice and am using it a lot, and less and less of Vonage.

There was a mod to use an ipod touch as a phone, but it required an acct with Gizmo5 which is now part of Google and not taking new accounts for now.

It will be interesting to see pad users using the 9.7" in gps mode with google maps. I've seen a 7" mini TV size GPS at Costco, so there are probably folks who want that.

It actually has more phone than the iPhone, since it works with Skype. I have been using a Skype number now for almost a year, and find it is great for $60 a year. I use Skype with my iTouch all the time, works great. What I wish for is a 3G iTouch, I hate that the iPhone is a phone.

I do wish it had a camera for Skype, no indication if an iSight might work through the dock.

Are you sure about the GPS? Although it does not seem a practical size for a GPS.

[GaryLH]

I do wish it had a camera for Skype, no indication if an iSight might work through the dock.

Are you sure about the GPS? Although it does not seem a practical size for a GPS.

http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/

Here is the link to the tech specs. U have assisted GPS ONLY on the 3G versions.

[rxmd]

I read on Mac screens all the time, hours a day, no problems whatsoever. The iTouch is easy to read, no reason this will not be also.

I read things on laptop screens all the time, too. There's a world of a difference between that and a good e-ink screen, for example, or even a transflective display. It begins with the glossy glass, which I wouldn't enjoy reading a book on, and it ends with things like sitting outside in the sun or having a bright light behind you that turns the screen into a shaving mirror. With a laptop it's fine because that's work, but for reading stuff for fun or for sitting outside or whatever I'd want something better designed.

If you don't have or like an iPhone, and you are satisfied with a simple phone like the Nokia N810, you are not a potential customer. For those who are not heavy users of social networking, games, movies, or music, simple phones are fine. I personally still have a $19 Virgin phone, and use an iTouch for wifi.

Note that the N810 is not a simple phone by any standards. (Actually it's not even a phone at all.) It's one of the Internet tablets that Nokia has been selling for years.

I have an iPhone and it does some things well, like being an iPod or having a decent user interface. It's not a great phone voice-quality- or connection-stability-wise; I've had better. And the programming model sucks; I can't write anything myself without paying money to Apple, and what they provide is an appstore that sells 250 different fart button apps for $1. Handwriting recognition is nonexistant, you can't interface it with an external keyboard like I used to with some of the other PDAs I had, you can't write with a stylus on it unless you buy a 3rd party stylus that gives unsatisfactory accuracy, and so on. It's mainly an iPod that you can make calls with. If you start expecting more you'll be disappointed. Unfortunately I expect more.

It's OK to bridge the time until the next phone, but it has also left me with pretty mixed expectations whether Apple products will fill my interests. Let me say Apple has met those mixed expectations.

In the class of people that this is for, a http://notionink.wordpress.com/Notion Ink Adam (http://notionink.wordpress.com/) or something will give them even more: the same form factor, a better display that consumes less power, and better connection options. Apple nowadays couples mediocre engineering with OK usability and great marketing.

As far as the iPad is concerned, it's probably indeed not for me. I guess Apple is like Leica, they have a stable base of die-hard fans that will buy anything as long as it has a chewed apple on it, so at least it's for them.
I just don't know who else it is for. The market will probably tell.

[semordnilap]

Look, Apple's goal is to produce a unit that has the best fit & finish possible. They sell on whole product rather than individual features, which makes them not only successful, but also industry leaders. They make, and others follow–thus it has been with the original Mac OS, the ipod, iphone, and now the ipad. Plenty of people won't buy this new device for its lack of x y or z feature, but Apple, like any company, doesn't need to please everyone, only enough people to keep Apple profitable.

This ipad will sell like hotcakes, and so will the accessories and applications. Amd music, moveis, tv shows, and now books. That's the business model–even if they don't make a huge profit on each device, they will make a percentage on ALL media sold through it. And that's one of the reasons it's a 'walled garden', why there's no sd card slot, or anything else. They are willing to lose that segment of the market for the profitability that comes with a closed system. Is it the best situation? No. Don't you wish all lenses worked on all cameras? Wouldn't that be great? Sure... but this is the market, and Apple is the one putting the time, money, and effort into creating really great user experiences. It's as simple as that. Everyone else is now playing catch-up.

And wrt the flash thing. See the linked article in my earlier post. Really, Apple will never allow flash on the ipad or iphone because they won't take the performance hit. They need the brand to be great, the public perception that the device works well. They won't give that up to Adobe, ever. Flash crashes my mac browser often enough...! And, by not allowing flash, Apple disallows free video from many providers, and encourages more purchases through itunes. It's really a win-win for them. And if flash dies as a result, and is replaced by open standards, the web will be a better place. The process might be annoying, is all.

[BillBingham2]

1) Camera
- a front facing camera, sure, I can see that if you wanted to have an iChat with your iFriends or such but a REAR facing camera? Have you ever seen a 4x5 or 8x10 view camera? Can you imaging holding this 6x8" tablet up and using it like a camera phone? How dumb would that look? :)

3) Touch Keyboad

4) No HDMI Out

6) Adapters

Cheers,
Dave


Dave,

I have to say, #1 is a CRAZY wild great idea. I wonder if anyone would build a wifi camera module for it....:eek::rolleyes:

#3, they have a dock with a keyboard built into it. I'm not sure if the dock will have a USB or a way to charge it, hope so.

#4, they will have some type of video out for her. Not sure of specifics but the app director said there would be one for keynote.

#6, I'm not sure but I think you can gain access to stuff on a thumb drive via the one for a camera adapter. There might need to be a hack/utility written.

She's not perfect for everyone, but then neither is a Mac or a Netbook or a cloud. Great points though.

B2 (;->

[rxmd]

And wrt the flash thing. See the linked article in my earlier post. Really, Apple will never allow flash on the ipad or iphone because they won't take the performance hit.

There are plenty of low-power computing platforms that support Flash, including several brands of handheld Internet tablets, so the performance it isn't really an argument. You can't run more than one program at the same time anyway. The reason why Flash is not present is that Flash would allow people to run programs that Apple can't control. There was a guy who wrote a C64 emulator for the iPhone, and Apple rejected it from the App Store until the guy removed the BASIC interpreter (http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/11/14/0325245). The guidelines for the App Store specifically say "no interpreted code". If old C64 BASIC programs in an emulator are already considered a threat by Apple, Flash is a big no-go. With Flash anybody would be able to write their own software, which Apple apparently is extremely against. Apple are control freaks over their platform, much more than IBM ever was in the 70s and early 80s.

[-doomed-]

Wait till they put college text books on it....

I'd buy it if they did that, paying a small fortune for books as it is now is bad enough. If they'd put books on it in such a way that I could rent them for a semester at a reasonable price instead of buying books at strongarm robbery prices to be further raped when they buy them back for less than 20% of my purchase price it'd be worth it. This thing would also kill my back less as well

[gnarayan]

Ah you want a note pad, not handwriting recognition. That exists in in several forms on the iTouch, and will run on the iPad.

Posted this on FB - excuse the copy/paste (something I can do on my cellphone...)

"If I could take notes on it and markup pdfs with a stylus (and have it remember that markup and let me search it), add a dog year to an electronic page, and didn't need a second cellphone plan for 3G and the damn thing could remain about that size with that sort of battery life, then it'd actually be a useful thing that is not my laptop.

But its a thing that is shaped like a notepad or an 8x10 paper that just avoids doing anything you'd want to do with something that form factor that is more inconvenient to do with something like a laptop or smartphone. ... See more

VOIP, pandora or itunes, games, an IM app along with your mail notifications in the background and not needing a 30 buck dongle to connect a USB stick and all the rest are secondary to the basics that I'd want something like this to do - basically not sit at my desk and interact with some material more naturally than a laptop keyboard. And this is like the one Apple device, where a non-removable battery is a reasonable design decision."

Not everyone's notes are just letters. If I want to write down a greek symbol (every kid who has ever taken a math class), I don't want to press symbol on a multi-touch keyboard and find it, not do I want to enter "theta" - I can do that with a damn netbook with a physical keyboard faster.

The natural interface for something the size of a notepad is a stylus, augmented by a virtual keyboard, and my fingers sure but if I want to doodle, I can't do that with my finger nearly as easily as a stylus.

The other thing I feel they missed is that the current range of apple products across the board look really good. This is the ugly child I think - bezels aren't sexy. It reminds me a lot of the original iPod but where that had iTunes and the interface (and I actually still think the click wheel is more intelligent for a dedicated music player than the multi-touch) this misses that.

[rxmd]

I'd buy it if they did that, paying a small fortune for books as it is now is bad enough. If they'd put books on it in such a way that I could rent them for a semester at a reasonable price instead of buying books at strongarm robbery prices to be further raped when they buy them back for less than 20% of my purchase price it'd be worth it.

Hear hear. However, Apple would need to put a lot of work into their PDF reader first. I use a lot of scanned literature at the moment; I've set up a project with a couple of photographers where we've digitized about 20% of the field library of my institute, which boils down to about 500.000 pages, as PDFs with text recognition (in Cyrillic). One PDF is between 80 and 250 MB. I'd love to be able to use those with the iPhone. However, firstly it's super awkward to get PDFs on the iPhone because Apple's sync mechanism is only for music, pictures and videos. And secondly, Apple's PDF viewer chokes on big files. Apparently it's no problem for them to write a program to open 750 MB video files, but a 250 MB PDF is asking too much. So, no research library and no college textbooks either for me.

[f16sunshine]

It does not need a second cell phone plan, and is in fact not a cell phone.

It does however, like any device with built in 3G require a 3G plan. I would have liked it to use a 3G USB connector but it does not. I admit not to know if it is possible to switch from one 3G built in device to another, if say you had a netbook and a iPad. But fact remains if you buy a netbook with built in 3G you will have to pay for a data plan for it.

There is a rumor that the next iPhone will allow it to tether, which would be great.

Are we supposing then that if one has an iPhone with a 3G plan with AT&T another 3G plan would be needed for this device?

[rxmd]

I admit not to know if it is possible to switch from one 3G built in device to another, if say you had a netbook and a iPad.

The plan is tied to the SIM card. You can use it with several devices, but that will require you to shuffle the SIM card around between devices all the time, which is awkward at best.

Tethering is the best solution in that case, if you have a phone that allows tethering; practically all of them do, except those made by a certain manufacturer who is trying to get into the tablet market. If the next iPhone eventually allows tethering, fine, it's about friggin' time.

[rxmd]

Are we supposing then that if one has an iPhone with a 3G plan with AT&T another 3G plan would be needed for this device?

Yes. Or you switch SIM cards around.

You could also sit and wait if a new iPhone might support tethering; in this case you'd need to buy a new iPhone. Or you could hope that Apple makes it available through a software-only update. The rumour that iPhones might support tethering has been around for a while, though, and so far they don't.

[semordnilap]

There are plenty of low-power computing platforms that support Flash, including several brands of handheld Internet tablets, so the performance it isn't really an argument. You can't run more than one program at the same time anyway. The reason why Flash is not present is that Flash would allow people to run programs that Apple can't control. There was a guy who wrote a C64 emulator for the iPhone, and Apple rejected it from the App Store until the guy removed the BASIC interpreter (http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/11/14/0325245). The guidelines for the App Store specifically say "no interpreted code". If old C64 BASIC programs in an emulator are already considered a threat by Apple, Flash is a big no-go. With Flash anybody would be able to write their own software, which Apple apparently is extremely against. Apple are control freaks over their platform, much more than IBM ever was in the 70s and early 80s.

Yep. Basically said that, but regarding control of profit, in the sentence after the one you quoted. Regardless, I do think the performance is an argument. Maybe not the only one, but one for sure. Long story short, if there's no profit in it for apple to run flash on the iphone/ipad, they won't. And there isn't... plenty of iphones have sold without flash. People get very heated about Apple, and sometimes pretend that Apple=Steve Jobs, thus assuming all sorts of psychological reasoning behind Apple's decisions to do this or that. But it's a company whose motive is profit, not "control", and it is a company that knows its business. As an aside, there is an entire framework for iphone webapps that exists totally outside of the control of Apple. So the arbitrary control argument just doesn't hold water. I do think, anyway, that the whole flash thing is part of a long-term strategy to influence internet video delivery.

Regarding tethering, yes iphone does support tethering. Here is the o2 page on tethering pricing for uk customers:
http://shop.o2.co.uk/update/internet.html
It's AT&T that hasn't turned tethering on in the US.

And finally, included in the ipad is a book reader, so hopefully pdf support will be much better in that! I think there are already textbook publishers signed up.

[pachuco]

Wait... rxmd, are you Bill Gates? :D
(If so can I get a grant from you?)

[semordnilap]

Oh man, if I could buy an M9 for 5 ipads I'd be happy!

[rxmd]

Incorrect. The iPhone allows for tethering everywhere but the US (or is planned to shortly). It isn't allowed here because AT&T is rightfully afraid of their network collapsing, because they suck.

I have one. iPhone 2G, non-US contract, 3.0.x software. So far the tethering hack hasn't worked here. I guess it's jailbreaking then.

Wait... rxmd, are you Bill Gates? :D
(If so can I get a grant from you?)

Nope on the first, and I guess that settles it for the second :)

I've been an Apple user for quite some time. The computers are OK hardware-wise, the OS is really good, the iPod is OK except that it's designed not to be repaired, the iPhone is mediocre. That's my personal opinion.

[pachuco]

Darn! In anticipation of that grant money I went and purchased a M9!! Oh well, back to work I guess!

[croweater]

Yep, v3.1 puts the kibosh on tethering (for us AT&T suckers). The hack basically involved replacing the carrier file and syncing. Voila! There are other methods as well as I recall.

Supposedly it might make an official comeback - with new and improved charges, I'm sure.

Tethering works just fine for me, with no jailbreaking or hacks. Might be something to do with not being in the USA, of course ;)

[BillBingham2]

.....The rumour that iPhones might support tethering has been around for a while, though, and so far they don't.

This is a large issue for folks who want to have just one plan and use it for work-stuff that is done on another system (read Windows Laptop).

I think they could increase the market another 2% or more with just that move.

B2 (;->

[BillBingham2]

Tethering works just fine for me, with no jailbreaking or hacks. Might be something to do with not being in the USA, of course ;)

Yes, not having the Death Star as your provider makes life a LOT easier for you blokes!

B2 (;->

[DRabbit]

The iPhone support tethering... it's AT&T that's held the whole thing up. Steve Jobs announced it a long time ago and it was supposed to be by the end of the summer... thanks to AT&T it hasn't happened.

And Flash? Everyone knows (or should know) it's a CPU hog. There are much better ways to design websites and the majority of flash these days is obnoxious advertising. Any geek with a Mac has flash turned off anyway - LOL - best free software ever is "click-for-flash" so you only have to see flash when you want to... and for me, that's like 1% of the time, if that.

[GaryLH]

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/01/30/3g-voip-phone-calls-allowed-on-ipad-too-skype-imminent/

Here is link to info

With cheap iPad data plan one can use skype to talk to friends wifi and 3g networks:D