iPad

I'm just wondering what everybody's thought is on the anticipated release of the iPad? And for my usual truth in advertising disclosure, as an IT professional for K-12, I use both Windows, Linux, and Macintosh.

Already hate it. Someone took the iPod touch and used the two-finger zoom gesture to make it the size of a piece of notebook paper. And no multitasking!! For a 1GHz "A4" processor not to do multitasking is pretty pitiful. I was definitely expecting something better. So I'm very disappointed to say the least...

However, THIS company seemed to get the idea right: http://www.axiotron.com/index.php?id=modbook

Kyle

I see the iPad as an oversized iPod touch. You think it will go the way of the Apple ///, Lisa and Newton?
I'll gladly stick with the iPod you sent to me lyonadmiral :D

I am quite sure it'll go in that direction. I know it won't be Apple's big seller. I think I'll stick with my iPhone!

Looking at it this way:
iPhone:
-Phone
-iPod
-Camera

iPad:
-iPod
...wait, that's all?



Kyle

Well, I think Adolf's got it right:

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

Eh..... I don't feel strongly either way.

It's a doubled-up iPod touch. At double the cost.

It's appropriately priced for what it is. For what it is, it appears that it functions well.

It's neither garbage nor revolutionary.

If you can turn off wireless and dim the screen to get two extra hours out of it, it would make a great e-reader. (i.e. one really long day of reading, or two average days of reading. Well, for me, anyway.)

I'm indifferent. It's one of many gadgets going onto the market today and I'm skeptical about hype. I haven't played it with it or experienced or even read it's specs so it's hard to judge its merits.

Its lack of flash support due to some kind of ill-feeling between Jobs and Adobe might a serious limitation though.

Tez

Historically these things become obsolete, or at least boring, after a short time. Besides, everyone already has enough toys.

Don't Americans think of this, when they hear pad?: :D

The iPad is going to fail epically. It's an oversized iTouch, and that's it. Severely limited, and it doesn't even have the super-absorbent wings!

I think this is going to tank until someone jailbreaks it and figures out how to install a DECENT OS with multitasking, flash, and all the other good crap that Apple decided not to let us use.

Although I am hearing that Flash is starting to crumble to be replaced with HTML5. I wouldn't know since I have no HTML5 compatable browser.

One word for the iPad: useless.

My own term for it: iDundancy.

TNC said:

Don't Americans think of this, when they hear pad?: :D

Click to expand...

Well, sort of. This was from 2007, by the way.

I hesitate to reply in this thread - cause I'd rather 'think vintage' - but . .
I heard the iPad will be over $800. for the 64 gig version and with Internet access the tab runs to almost $1,200. for the 1st year. Sorry, but to me it just looks like a gadget to sell iStore stuff. Nothing wrong with enterprise, but I can have a lot more fun with my Dell AXIM or my Toshiba Libretto than the iPad - and for a lot less money!
Now, for that price, if you could flip it over and it had Windows 7 Home Premium on the other side, or even some advanced Apple OS - then maybe it'd be something.
As it is - it's nothing I'd be interested in. Heck, I won't even buy a Kindle - I'm so cheap

Do we even have enough pockets to carry around all these dedicated machines anymore? Maybe I should drape myself in velcro so I could just stick the latest gadget to myself

Where's the thinking - 'use it up, where it out' in today's throw away society?

I haven't seen or read about it myself (lack of interest in new stuff) but I don't see much that it does that hasn't been out for 10+ years. I don't want an ipod or iphone, I find them pointless but I understand this as an attempt at a think tablet PC. So while I see how maybe in a school it could be useful, but with the cost I doubt it will take off, and I imagine it's ultra-thin which to me sounds like a great way to break or get sat on in a car or cracked in half in a backpack. So I don't see it doing anything a $400 notebook can't do better or even a $200-300 netbook. Kinda trying to re-invent the wheel except less compatibility with all we can already do with what we own. But obviously Apple and I aren't seeing eye to eye so I'm not their target audience. Does anyone here use a kindle or ebook reader? I honestly don't see the hype there either. I thought PDAs migrated into phones (then I got downgraded to a f*@$ blackberry) but regardless we've been able to read pdfs on small screens for years before Amazon decided they'd pretend to invent it.

"Attention needs to be paid to the computing infrastructure our society is becoming dependent upon. This past year, we have seen how human rights and democracy protesters can have the technology they use turned against them by the corporations who supply the products and services they rely on. Your computer should be yours to control. By imposing such restrictions on users, Steve Jobs is building a legacy that endangers our freedom for his profits," said FSF executive director Peter Brown.

"This is a huge step backward in the history of computing," said FSF's Holmes Wilson, "If the first personal computers required permission from the manufacturer for each new program or new feature, the history of computing would be as dismally totalitarian as the milieu in Apple's famous superbowl ad."

That's not as nutty as it sounds, Ole!

Last year, Amazon quietly deleted copies of Orwell's "1984" from customers' Kindles.

One wonders if accidental publication of a libelous electronic work or one that breaches someone's trade secrets or national security can be quietly edited--if they can delete a work, they can replace it too.

Orwell was about 30 years too early...

Ole Juul said:

"This is a huge step backward in the history of computing," said FSF's Holmes Wilson, "If the first personal computers required permission from the manufacturer for each new program or new feature, the history of computing would be as dismally totalitarian as the milieu in Apple's famous superbowl ad."

Click to expand...

Yes. Computing history is full of ironies and the more I learn, the more bemused I become.

For early users of computers, the microcomputer espoused freedom. The freedom to play, be creative, hack (as in modify), freedom from the mainframe time share and booking process. Manufactures provided the tool which often had a lot of scope for creative expression..the user provided that expression. This sat well with the anti-conformity, anti-establishment and freedom of expression culture arising out of the 60's youth revolution a few years before.

Of course I am talking about EARLY microcomputer adopters here, who were largely science and electronics geeks. Steve Wozniak was one of these geeks and he designed the original Apple I and II with this philosphy in mind. Open architecture, slots with a direct line to the CPU, detailed documentation on what was going on. You could do what you like...why, even turn it into another computer entirely by adding a card with another processor.

The iPADS and IPODS of this world are a far cry from these devices. They are the largely hardware conduits to a service controlled by a large corporate. And are likely to become more so.

It shows where Apple was in the early days and where it is now. Ironic.

It's not just Apple though..it is the natural progression of computer technology. The larger market is in the service, not the appliance per sae. The wonders of the hardware at the bit level is largely hidden and also inaccesable to users now. It's the way of the world.

I think for those (like myself) that still take pleasure in simple programming, manipulating bits and the simple magic of computer technology there are still vintage machines to tinker around with, active communities to engage with, and kits to build bits and pieces of hardware we can understand and modify.

Let's face it though guys. Our concept of "computing" is now a fringe activity as far as the rest of the general population is concerned.

But that doesn't worry me one bit.

Tez

And in truth, this is the way a lot of technology is going; not just computers. I work on antique radios on the weekends, and we all know stuff from that era was meant to be repaired. Not the case with most of the stuff today. TVs too...though those antique TVs are hard to repair, I can't imagine trying to work on any modern flatscreen. And thus, when they break, we throw them away. How pitiful...

Kyle

antiquekid3 said:

And in truth, this is the way a lot of technology is going; not just computers. I work on antique radios on the weekends, and we all know stuff from that era was meant to be repaired.

Click to expand...

Yes, they used to include a schematic. Then it went to you had to fight to get a schematic. Then it went to "no user serviceable parts inside" even though they were lying. Then we lost.

Not the case with most of the stuff today. TVs too...though those antique TVs are hard to repair, I can't imagine trying to work on any modern flatscreen. And thus, when they break, we throw them away. How pitiful... Kyle

Click to expand...

Some people call it consumerism, I call it ecovandalism.