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Apple Releases iPad Tablet, New SDK, iBooks and iWork Apps

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ewoodpro

macrumors newbie
Mar 17, 2010
1
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Second Dock Connector

I'd really like to see a second dock connector along the side of the device. This would be great for when you want to dock the device in landscape orientation for certain tasks like watching movies. Also, it would be great to be able to use dock connector peripherals like the iPad Camera Connector while the iPad is docked.
 
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blackcrayon

macrumors 68020
Mar 10, 2003
2,257
1,826
ewoodpro said:
I'd really like to see a second dock connector along the side of the device. This would be great for when you want to dock the device in landscape orientation for certain tasks like watching movies. Also, it would be great to be able to use dock connector peripherals like the iPad Camera Connector while the iPad is docked.
Click to expand...

You can plug accessories into the back of the iPad dock (including the camera connection kit) while the iPad is docked into it, so no need to worry about that. It does seem you would have to use it from battery power while doing so.

As for docking on the side, yes that might be nice. Maybe a clever third party will have a "sideways dock" solution for powered movie watching...
 
K

kzin

macrumors 6502
Jul 20, 2005
304
0
tkermit said:
Interesting comment. But, lacks some important insight.
Click to expand...

1) It lacks HD video output (display port, direct, or at least via a dongle, would have been good)
2) it lacks a built-in SDHC card reader
3) it lacks a built-in USB port for keyboard suppot
4) it isn't clear if the USB adapter will support USB keyboards
5) it isn't clear if you can use both the/a USB adapter and a video output adapter at the same time
6) it lacks the ability to install non-app-store apps
7) it lacks a pixelqi display, or similar display that offers the advantages of both LCD and e-paper
8) it lacks an interesting and creative physical design (it's just a giant iPod touch)

Compare all of those to the Notion Ink Adam, which also has a much longer battery life. The Adam appears to be way ahead in design specs.
 
tkermit

tkermit

macrumors 68040
Feb 20, 2004
3,582
2,909
kzin said:
tkermit said:
Daniel357 said:
Interesting product. But, lacks some important features.
Click to expand...
Interesting comment. But, lacks some important insight.
Click to expand...

1) It lacks HD video output (display port, direct, or at least via a dongle, would have been good)
2) it lacks a built-in SDHC card reader
3) it lacks a built-in USB port for keyboard suppot
4) it isn't clear if the USB adapter will support USB keyboards
5) it isn't clear if you can use both the/a USB adapter and a video output adapter at the same time
6) it lacks the ability to install non-app-store apps
7) it lacks a pixelqi display, or similar display that offers the advantages of both LCD and e-paper
8) it lacks an interesting and creative physical design (it's just a giant iPod touch)

Compare all of those to the Notion Ink Adam, which also has a much longer battery life. The Adam appears to be way ahead in design specs.
Click to expand...

If you're interested in a pure features count, Apple devices in general almost always lose out to the competition. Is that news to anybody?

I tend to think of computer devices and their features in terms of "what does it enable me to do and what kind of experience does it offer ?" which I find much more interesting than looking at spec sheets. It's quite easy to build a feature-rich tablet with good specs, it's incredibly hard to build one that is a pleasure to use.

Now, does it make sense to say that the iPad "lacks important features?" As a general statement, I think this fails to deliver any insight. It really depends on what the intended audience is, or from your perspective, what you're planning to do with it. Is my stereo lacking some important features because it can't play internet radio and doesn't have an equalizer ?


Some of the items on your list and a lot that aren't on your list would be nice to have, so of course the iPad can be improved upon, others I find totally ridiculous like number 8. I suppose the Notion Ink Adam has an "interesting and creative physical design" ?

3aLx
3aLp
 
LagunaSol

LagunaSol

macrumors 601
Apr 3, 2003
4,798
0
tkermit said:
I suppose the Notion Ink Adam has an "interesting and creative physical design" ?
Click to expand...

LOL!

The smart man's wager says the Notion Ink Adam will have disappeared from the marketplace within a year. 18 months if they're lucky.

Mark it.

I'm surprised kzin didn't request a parallel printer port. This fascination with hardware specs makes for interesting conversation, but it's almost completely irrelevant in the actual marketplace.

"It's the software, stupid."
 
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blackcrayon

macrumors 68020
Mar 10, 2003
2,257
1,826
kzin said:
1)
Compare all of those to the Notion Ink Adam, which also has a much longer battery life. The Adam appears to be way ahead in design specs.
Click to expand...

But waaaaay behind in software. Hence the videos where they show plain circles animating on the screen, really slow visual transitions, or the "how many taps on this button does it take for this to do something?" game... Doesn't look like it will be a *bad* product, but what they've shown so far looks pre-alpha in software quality.
 
K

kzin

macrumors 6502
Jul 20, 2005
304
0
blackcrayon said:
I beg to differ. For one, you can only grip it from the rounded edge as opposed to the iPad which you can grip from any edge and hold in any orientation.
Click to expand...

Says who?

I haven't seen anything that says you can't hold it from any edge, or that it can't be held in any orientation.
 
D

diabolic

macrumors 68000
Jun 13, 2007
1,572
1
Austin, Texas
kzin said:
Says who?

I haven't seen anything that says you can't hold it from any edge, or that it can't be held in any orientation.
Click to expand...

I'd guess that if the bezel isn't as wide as a thumb, it's too small to comfortably grab without touching the touchscreen accidentally.

I think that's why the iPad bezel is relatively wide. I always thought people complaining about it weren't actually thinking about holding the device.
 
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blackcrayon

macrumors 68020
Mar 10, 2003
2,257
1,826
kzin said:
Says who?

I haven't seen anything that says you can't hold it from any edge, or that it can't be held in any orientation.
Click to expand...

Says anyone who looks at it and sees it has a 1 cm bezel on every side except the rounded edge side. You know, capacitive touch screen. Fingers on screen = unwanted touches. Watch the Notion Ink guy hold it. He always holds it from the rounded edge side; it's the only edge that gives you enough space to grip.
 
Peter Harrison

Peter Harrison

macrumors 6502a
Dec 24, 2009
608
0
UK
Probably isn't important, but fellow UK residents may be interested to know that the "iPad Coming Soon" link and image etc has been removed from the Store. Usually when you go in, there's a block all about the iPad which simply takes you to the normal .com/uk/ipad pages to learn more about it. That's gone, no mention of iPad among the store pages now. Probably nothing, but maybe because we're about to get pre-orders.
 
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Bentron

macrumors 6502
Jul 10, 2008
346
245
Peter Harrison said:
Probably isn't important, but fellow UK residents may be interested to know that the "iPad Coming Soon" link and image etc has been removed from the Store. Usually when you go in, there's a block all about the iPad which simply takes you to the normal .com/uk/ipad pages to learn more about it. That's gone, no mention of iPad among the store pages now. Probably nothing, but maybe because we're about to get pre-orders.
Click to expand...

It's still there, and it is still 'Magical and Revolutionary'. I'd got my hopes up for a second :eek:
 
Peter Harrison

Peter Harrison

macrumors 6502a
Dec 24, 2009
608
0
UK
I'm seeing it now as well, on all browsers on two different systems. Definitely wasn't there earlier. Weird. Nevermind, false alarm.
 
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