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Hands-On Impressions of Apple's New iPad

keltak said:
this post def come from one of apple shareholder as he strongly hinted in the message
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Don't worry, we'd rather trust the opinion of an Apple shareholder than any of the 50,000 strong army of astro-turfing first-time-posters who suddenly appeared tonight to constantly call it out for it's

1) Lack of Flash ( a good thing)
2) Not being a Netbook ( a good thing)
3) Not being a fully fledged supercomputer running OSX (would have cost $2000 so 'a good thing' no?)
4) Not having a Camera (how many people ever REALLY use their iSight camera's, honestly?)

We know these things.
 
ericinboston said:
1)I think it's a cool device...but I have no use for it. I'm not saying it sucks...I'm saying it LACKS DIRECTION of what it will be used for.

2)300 million Americans does not equal 300 million Americans capable of buying said device...that means all Americans under the age of 10 and the elderly...that's quite a lot of people. If you read my posts again, I'm saying that for the people of this nation (and world) have have been using laptops and iPods and iPhones for years (and netbooks), explain to me why they should own ANOTHER device that essentially, to most people, does the same thing as their CURRENT deviceS


Maybe this will be better in version 2.0 or whatever. Personally, I think they put too much stuff in this to make it an all-in-1.
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I think I'll refer back to two of my earlier posts from CES times. Keep in mind that my views are always evolving given new information and releases. Don't hold me to closely to what I said less than a month ago. :D

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/9051143/

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/9051291/

In addtion this more recent post.

https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=9158999#post9158999
 
This is a game changer, and I do want one really badly. But.....must....resist....until....at....least....second....gen.......
 
Docks, USB?

Im confused, this thing has no usb docks? What's the point of downloading songs on the iTunes on the iPad and not being able to get onto the iPod without the USB?
I would have bought this thing as I only do web surfing, music listening and word documents...But the iPod and Ipad are not connecting to me very well..
 
Reed Rothchild said:
It's a shame the screen resolution is so low - 1024x768? If I'm going to be viewing my high definition images I'd like it to be on a screen that has a higher resolution than circa 1999 monitors.
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Did you see the 137 PPI? which is what is important if you want to look at pictures. 1024x768 is the screen size not the resolving power of the screen.
 
Nausicaa said:
The bitching in these threads is hilarious.

Most of these people seem to slight the device for containing everything that makes the iphone/touch so amazing - and then some - while displaying it on a larger screen footprint. Paired with one of the cheapest data plans available (which is optional, not to mention unlocked) for any portable device.

And what do they miss? A front facing video camera. Absurd. Do you guys really video chat so often. So often that you'd feel compelled to bust it out at random points throughout your day? At best I use video chatting several times in a month. And these same people bitch about how difficult it will be to type, without ever thinking about how awkward it would be to hold this thing out in front of you so the front facing camera can capture their face. The typing doesn't seem nearly so onerous.

Was I a bit disappointed? Yeah, sure. That's what happens when you spend months reading rumors that accumulate into the perfect device that can do everything and costs $300. Everyone knew that what we finally saw would be 'disappointing'. A few minutes after the announcement though, I let go of all the things I wanted the device to be. Now, I think it looks like a pretty great product, and I'll definitely consider buying one.

However, I'll have to wait and see what kind of software developers put out for it. I've said from the beginning that the hardware on this device is ultimately of little importance, it's success depends on the software. If the iPhone has been any indication, there are going to be some amazing things happening on the iPad for both fun and productivity. The Brushes demonstration alone blew me away and almost sold me on the spot. It's basically the same feature set we already have on the iPhone, but free of so many limitations imposed by the iPhones small size. I can think of dozens of apps that will benefit in similar ways if they are ported.

Do I have complaints? Sure. I wish the iPhone OS would have been tweaked a bit more. The four icons to a row and their symmetry with the dock looks odd and awkward. It works on the iPhone, but we should have more control this time around. Who knows, maybe it will be an option in the settings. The 'slide to unlock' bar is similarly unattractive. 'iPad, iBooks, etc.'... lame. I also wanted Wacom style pressure sensitivity, but thats unrealistic at these prices. I think the upscaled iPhone apps look cheap, and were the low point of the show today. I would have preferred all brand new apps. But I understood why Apple did it.

I'm glad this thing won't function like a laptop or my desktop. I like the iPhone for this very reason. I think the iPad will have a similar strength.

Mostly I just think the 'EPIC FAIL APPLE LOL' posts are idiotic. Yeah, epic fail apple - for expanding on the ideas that made the iPhone one of the greatest and most revolutionary consumer electronics ever. I don't think the fact that people are unable to video chat will hurt sales.
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Ditto on what you said.

What is sad is that most of the idiots do not realize that Apple has a certain BUSINESS PLAN. If they were to release as there first generation an ipad with all the bells and whistles including cameras and 512 gig hard drive, then the people that bought it the first time around would not be suckered into buying the second generation when it comes out or even the third or fourth.

How much money do you think apple made from first gen buyers of the iphone buying the iphone 3g?? A S#%t ton...

Apple evolves products for a reason, and do you know what that is?? DING DING DING, yes it is to maximize revenue which is the main point of having a business plan.

The End.
 
acolyte said:
I've lost a little faith in Apple today. An over-sized, over-glorified iPod Touch? This must be some cruel joke they'll set aright with "One more thing..." next week. One can only pray...
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I've never seen such a tragic first-time post. Please tell me your paid to post this ?.

If not I genuinely implore you to take a look at the video on Apple.com and really see what Apple have accomplished and turn your apparent despair into something more positive.

Consider that no other company in the world has yet matched the iPod Touch, and yet Apple have now created for a $100 something even better.

Time to enjoy the technology that is actually available to us don't you think, rather than decry and mourn what isn't available from Apple ( and certainly not from ANYONE else in the world).
 
surferfromuk said:
I've never seen such a tragic first-time post. Please tell me your paid to post this ?.

If not I genuinely implore you to take a look at the video on Apple.com and really see what Apple have accomplished and turn your apparent despair into something more positive.

Consider that no other company in the world has yet matched the iPod Touch, and yet Apple have now created for a $100 something even better.

Time to enjoy the technology that is actually available to us don't you think, rather than decry and mourn what isn't available from Apple ( and certainly not from ANYONE else in the world).
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Right? From reading these posts you'd think the iPod Touch/iPhone were garbage and commercial failures. They changed their markets forever, and still dominate them. We're supposed to believe the app store is a bad idea too. Somehow it seems to be working okay. We have thousands more options than any other device out there.
 
1264636049995.jpg

Not buying.
 
gtg660w said:
Ditto on what you said.

What is sad is that most of the idiots do not realize that Apple has a certain BUSINESS PLAN. If they were to release as there first generation an ipad with all the bells and whistles including cameras and 512 gig hard drive, then the people that bought it the first time around would not be suckered into buying the second generation when it comes out or even the third or fourth.

How much money do you think apple made from first gen buyers of the iphone buying the iphone 3g?? A S#%t ton...

Apple evolves products for a reason, and do you know what that is?? DING DING DING, yes it is to maximize revenue which is the main point of having a business plan.

The End.
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I wonder who are more idiotic, those who care about what they buy or those who care more about Apple well-being?
 
Nausicaa said:
THANK YOU. This seems to be the most common complaint. So ridiculous.
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No its not. I use it [the camera] with Skype. So do a lot of people.

Also, the lack of Flash is only great in a theoretical sense, i.e., if the Web didn't have it. Unfortunately or not, many sites use Flash and it isn't a complete experience without it.
 
Seeing all the hands on videos I think that Apple really wasn't ready and rushed out that product. They probably knew since last fall that a lots of companies wanted to present slates at the CES and therefore had to spread some rumors and vaporware to still be in the game because they just weren't ready yet.

Just look at the videos, most of the functions in the apps aren't even implemented yet. You press some buttons, like for example "search" in iBooks and nothing happens because that functionality isn't implemented yet.

Same for the mail app and some others. The keyboard is very hard to use and doesn't work really well according to engadget and gizmodo. Also the software developers only had the chance to make some apps for it since two weeks ago.

So it really is a rushed out, unfinished product soft- and hardware wise.
 
I too was hoping for a little more. I read/viewed the whole thing line by line as it went along and it seemed very glossed over. No much to really show. It seemed like a who cares just a glorified ipod touch item.

But.... I think for those that are dismissing I do think its way to early to pass judgement. No one except Apple and maybe a select few content vendors in the past 10 days have had their hands on this device. Apple has a vision of where this will go. They only showed the device not its full potential. Remember the iPhone and the App store? There wasn't hardly any Apps if any developed when it was first introduced. The potential of that device was realized after it came to market and the developers kit was released. They have 60 days till the first product hits the shelves. This will give app developers and other content providers time to create some cool iPad only stuff.

I also think that there will be tons of press releases over the next 60 days of partnerships and offerings for the iPad. Or there will be another Apple event shortly before the release of the iPad where they will announce other product changes and/or new software offerings like iLife 10, Aperture 3.0 and Itunes 10 where they can discuss additional iPad offerings.
 
*LTD* said:
Ultra thin bezel? For what? So you could grip the apps on the screen and inadvertently launch apps? Or inadvertently activate touch-enabled elements of apps?

The bezel is where your hands go to hold it comfortably. Or would you like to hold the device between the tips of your fingers?
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That's quite a trade off for the extra portability that could be gained. But I don't think razor thin is good either. if you think of how you really hold it, you really only rest half a fingers width to the edge. They could probably reduce it by at least half and still not worry about unintentional screen interference.

What really gets me is the tiny sparsely placed icons? It does not look balanced at all. Considering Apple's affinity for offering insanely large icons on osx.. they could have at least enlarged them for the ipad, or fit more in that large amount of wasted space.
 
ericinboston said:
Shoulda just released an iBook or iSurf and leave all the gaming, videos, music outta the picture...and sell the thing for $299.

-Eric
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No. Then people who like to read would just get a Kindle, which, although a limited device, is better for reading books because of its e-ink screen. Talk about FAIL.

I think its Apple's marketing that's off. If you look at this as an e-reader plus, it beats everything out there hands down.

NT1440 said:
Anyone else in love with the ical app?
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Yes! "In love" might be strong, but, it looks like a real calendar that one would actually use.
 
Eidorian said:
I think I'll refer back to two of my earlier posts from CES times. Keep in mind that my views are always evolving given new information and releases. Don't hold me to closely to what I said less than a month ago. :D

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/9051143/

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/9051291/
Click to expand...


I agree with you that dropping a 40 year old mouse-metaphor desktop OS onto a fingers-metaphor Touch tablet is a ludicrous idea, and that Apple can't make an Netbook.

However this computer isn't for the technically literate to use as a desktop replacement device (which is what everyone on this site is btw).

I truly believe this is the Model T Ford of the internet computing era.
 
Wrathwitch said:
I have been wracking my brain for the perfect Apple intro for my parents. I have been waiting to see what the ill named iPad had to offer, and like lots of other people wondered where it would fit.

I think of the target group like my mom. She is NOT computer savvy, however touch screen is pretty intuitive. She is in her 60s but still willing to learn and the iPad is lightweight. Her only needs really on the internet is email, and uploading/downloading photos. She also does online banking. She keeps her appointments on a calendar in the laundry room.

I think....perhaps.... the iPad might be ideally suited to an intro product for her. Firstly it is small and can be just set aside anywhere in the house if I set up WiFi for them. The keyboard stand might be a requirement as well as the slip case, not sure.

It would work as a calendar that they both could refer to if they aren't too lazy to turn the damn thing on or put the entries in LOL.

When my mother travels to the farm (where my relations either don't have internet, or have dial up) she can take all of the photos she wants with her to show them.

It has possibilities. A full blown macbook would cost a hell of a lot more (and have way more resources)than what she would use it for. I think with the touch it would be a pretty intuitive and easy system without the initial confusion from going from PC driven OS to Mac. There is not much to the OS and therefore not much there to confuse new users with.

Opinions?
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Didn"t get a reply to this and I really do believe that this is part of who the market is directed to. Curious about what everyone thinks or rather who would be the target users?
 
I seem to be at odds with everyone most of the time. I'm not an Apple fanboy by any stretch. Took me ages to buy a Touch.

The iPad to me represents a paradigm shift in personal lifestyle computing. Forget Photoshop. Forget Final Cut Pro. Now think about computing as an everyday person who would normally buy a laptop, but who only needs to send email, do the odd bit of wordprocessing, use Facebook etc. This iPad thing is absolutely bloody brilliant. No need to set it ip on a table or flat surface. Just use it like a book or magazine. Totally intuitive interface. No mice or trackballs needed.

To those who say it is a glorified iPhone, you are being idiots. The iPhone is too small for general everyday user computing. That is what has held it back. The iPad has no such restrictions. Stop thinking as computer geeks, and think as normal everyday computer illiterates who just want to do the straightforward stuff.

That's why Apple is ahead. They think as users. The majority of users. Not computer geeks who get hard ons at the sight of Linux manuals.
 
lilo777 said:
I wonder who are more idiotic, those who care about what they buy or those who care more about Apple well-being?
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How about you?. What do you care about? Spreading negativity, it appears. Smashing the future, nothing else.

Apple users care about their products and about the company that makes them - I guess that's why Apple try to make them as well as they can, and that's why we buy them!

Do you see how the two are connected?
 
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