AT&T to Carry 3G-Capable iPad in Stores?

[ChromeAce]

In part because an USB port is suppose to supply power. If trying to maximize battery life you don't want other devices bleeding power off your device. On the physical side, going to impact thin objectives if put a "normal" USB socket on the iPad.

If you have multiple devices want to hook to several devices then a MiFi solution would work better. The USB dongle is plugged into the MiFi device and multiple devices can sip the internet over that connection.






Bluetooth is capped at 3 Mbps. You ask same question about buying at 7 Mbps service and then funneling it through a 3 Mbps modem. You can but why.

Given ATT seems to have trouble with traffic they have ... tethering is only going to bring more bandwidth hogs to the table.





Don't have to. Could go MiFi and use the lower cost of the WiFi iPad to pay for it.

Uhm, no. Lack of a USB port on the iPad has nothing to do with power or the size. Its thickness and battery could easily accommodate the port, just as the MacBook Air does. The problem is more likely one of designer vision. They simply don't want to deal with people plugging in all kinds of hardware into the iPhone/iPad OS for many reasons... security, OS footprint, support, etc. And, of course, they're partnered with AT&T, who would much rather sell you yet another monthly fee to get online than use one you already have.

As for your MiFi suggestion, that would only be practical at home, which is exactly where everyone does NOT need it, since they'll be using WiFi at home. And no one is going to tug around a MiFi and plug it in so they can use a portable wireless device. That's insane.

As for tethering, there is no way the iPhone is getting faster bandwidth right now than 3Mbps over 3G. You would notice NO speed difference when tethering over Bluetooth. And since AT&T has already promised tethering will happen, it looks as though this may be the practical way to get an iPad online outside WiFi coverage without getting yet another AT&T bill.

So you're basically wrong on all your points, but I thank you for getting me thinking enough to provide my own answer.

 

[rtdunham]

Shopping in the AT&T store...

(W)orst (E)xperience (E)ver.

my experiences have been fine. Most recently, i tried to choose a BT headset at the apple store, but they wouldn't get one out of the box. I wanted to evaluate fit and sound quality. they said there'd be a restocking fee if i bought one (without the chance to try it) and wanted to return it.

I then went to an ATT store. First, a salesman went to the back room where he had one of the models (a return? a demo model? dunno) and he let me try it for a while in the store. Its ear loop didn't live nice with my glasses, so i bought a second model, which he said i could return without penalty if i wanted to. I took it home, tried it, didn't like the sound quality, returned it and bought the third model. All in all, a very pleasant store experience.

*--note the word "its" is properly used in this post. it's not often you see that. oops! note that the word "it's" is also used properly in this post! I'm on a roll...

 

[SFStateStudent]

Like my iPhones; I'll purchase my (2) iPad WiFi + 3G at the Apple Store...

 

[snugharbor]

the only FAIL I see is you trying to replace a possessive pronoun with the contraction of "it is"

in your world that would read-

"Apple's iPad for sale in it's (it is) stores."

The "t" in your "the" should be capitalized. Getting sick of grammar NAZIs. Sometimes people are touch typists and this is a common mistake. Let's not argue just knock it off.

 

[deconstruct60]

Uhm, no. Lack of a USB port on the iPad has nothing to do with power or the size. Its thickness and battery could easily accommodate the port, just as the MacBook Air does.

What??
http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/
http://www.apple.com/ipad/gallery/
http://www.apple.com/macbookair/specs.html

the MBA is to the iPad as about the MBP 13" is to the MBA. Actually more of a reduction than the 13" -> MBA is .

The MBA at this thickest point 0.74 and it *still* doesn't support a USB socket without the "door thingy" dropping down. The iPad is 0.5 inches thick which is a 32% reduction in thickness. (verus the 22% reduction in thickness from the 13" to MBA). That's to the widest part. The edge is thinner than that. [ the thinnest point on the on the MBA , 0.16 in. , is more of a gimmick that a practical, accurate assessment of thickness. ]


Similarly there is a 50% reduction in weight going from the MBA to the iPad.

If you are posing that Apple could have built a different, thicker, and heavier iPad. Sure, but they didn't. The room on the edge is only for a flattened, squashed wider USB port that they have used on iPods and Phones.

The problem is more likely one of designer vision.

They don't want the weight, they do want people to hold it in most situations and they don't want a fixed orientation (which having some dongle hanging out the side would do).

It appears to be made of metal. The thicker it is, the more it will weight. There is an upside in rigidity with metal but the downside is that it weighs more.

They simply don't want to deal with people plugging in all kinds of hardware into the iPhone/iPad OS for many reasons... security, OS footprint, support, etc.

many of those too.

As for your MiFi suggestion, that would only be practical at home, which is exactly where everyone does NOT need it, since they'll be using WiFi at home. And no one is going to tug around a MiFi and plug it in so they can use a portable wireless device.

Not all MiFi solutions are immobile.

http://www.amazon.com/Novatel-Mobile-Hotspot-Verizon-Wireless/dp/B0029ZAJ0K
http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/06/hands-on-with-novatels-mifi-3g-hotspot/

Weighs all of 11 oz. So this plus an iPad are less than what a MBA weighs !!!!

Similar on HSPA.
http://www.novatelwireless.com/inde...ks-for-north-america&catid=75:mifi&Itemid=622


The problem is that the USB format for the modem sucks if going for minimum thickness.

http://www.cradlepoint.com/products/phs300-personal-wifi-hotspot-3g4g#

(which thicker than an iPad. and weighs 3.5 oz / 128g ) That will work with 3G dongle
modems probably have. Battery life is about 2 hours but get flexibility and get 2 hours of
life back on your phone is not otherwise using it.

As for tethering, there is no way the iPhone is getting faster bandwidth right now than 3Mbps over 3G. You would notice NO speed difference when tethering over Bluetooth.

Chuckle .... so you are paying for 7 Mbps and getting only 3 and that is suppose to be a good thing ? Yeah OK ... whatever.

 

[deconstruct60]

I've seen polls that said before it was announced, only 26% of people said they had no interest in it. After it was announced, that doubled to 52%. People are extremely disappointedl.

People want to spin it as being a disappointment. In those polls most people had not even considered buying one (or hadn't heard of it. Not hard if have real life and not devoted to following gagets or Apple stock) before the announcement. If you go back and look at the poll the number of people after the announcement who said they were definitely buy one, the number went UP ! Yes up. ( from 3% to 9% ) The number of people who said they wanted to evaluate further when get more info ... again went UP ! (wait and see because need more info 19% to 21% ) . So the folks having a positive leaning toward the device went from 22% to 30%.

Most people are not buying iPhones either (sub 10% of phone market) ! Nor Macs (sub 10% of the market) ! Apple doesn't have to sell the iPad to everyone on the planet for it to be successful. They can sell to 0.17% of the people on the planet and it will be a huge success.

What that poll measured was that most people weren't even considering the iPad before its announcement. Is that really surprising? After all, it had no been announced yet.

 

[Becordial]

In terms of distribution it looks like our largest electronic retailer which is equivalent to something like Best Buy or RadioShack for you guys in the US has already said that they're getting it with a banner on their web iste.

So whilst its unexciting for this to be sold at phone shops, its great news that you'll be able to pick one up anywhere without all the usual baggage that comes with walking into a phone store.

 

[NightFox]

The "t" in your "the" should be capitalized. Getting sick of grammar NAZIs. Sometimes people are touch typists and this is a common mistake. Let's not argue just knock it off.

Normally I'd agree, but when it's one of those very same Grammar Nazis who goes out his way to post and show how clever he is but gets it so, so wrong then I think it's payback time.

 

[dbeck217]

AT&T does it now for netbooks. Go to an ATT store (or look on the web if offer the no contract price). The Netbook will list at $499 with no contract. They are $199 with. There is no voice. Depends upon what data contract you get. $29 all you can eat data ..... you're not going to get that. You'll get at $30 data contract with a cap. If you go beserk downloading data you bust the cap and pay through the nose. Only need to do that a couple of times over 3 years for them to make their money back.

There is a big difference from AT&T's netbooks and the IPad. The netbooks which run a version of windows 7 and have full internet capability, require a $60 data package that has a 5GB cap and an optional 2 year contract depending on if you want the cheaper price. The IPad data plan is only going to be $30 no mention of the 5gb cap. More than likely at&t will treat this exactly like an iphone plan and not charge any overages. You cant really compare the IPad to any netbook just like you couldnt compare the 1st gen Iphone to any other phone at the time and because of the differences at&t wont treat it the same way.

 

[ChromeAce]

What??
The MBA at this thickest point 0.74 and it *still* doesn't support a USB socket without the "door thingy" dropping down. The iPad is 0.5 inches thick which is a 32% reduction in thickness.

The MacBook Air's lower half (without the screen) is about the same thickness (0.5") as an iPad, and yet still accommodates a USB port. The iPad could use the same "door thingy" as you call it. There is room. But as I said, it doesn't make sense from a software design point of view.

MiFi is not a generic name for any portable 3G router. It is a Novatel product. Smaller competitive battery-operated 3G routers don't change the fact that you have to lug around yet another device.

Finally, there has never been an iPod or iPhone with a USB port on it. You must be confusing a USB port with the dock connector. The dock connector on the iPad does indeed open up the possibility that a 3rd party manufacturer will make a 3G modem for it which also has a USB connector for use with a notebook. Janky as that would look, it would provide substantial monthly cost savings.

 

[Drag'nGT]

Sweet!
Subsidized?