Hands-On Impressions of Apple's New iPad

[localoid]

I find it mildly interesting. This plan would be good on iPhone. I think AT&T decided to go along with Apple so as to not lose the exclusivity on iPhone. They might lose money on it but not much because very few people can afford another data plan (in addition to broadband and iPhone)

Coverage is so bad where I spend my time, here in the very rural highlands of the central Appalachian region, I haven't yet had any desire to throw away money on a contract for a data plan. Even voice cell phone coverage is often spotty to non-existent, and 3G coverage exists primarily along the region's Interstate highways in areas I frequent only occasionally. However, during 2 or 3 months of the year I do work (and play) in more "civilized" areas with coverage, during which time buying 30 days worth of access @ $30 would be much cheaper than any other option currently available here in "Podunk".

This might make me seriously consider the iPad, if I can find suitable ways around some of the limitations of the iPad and/or its walled garden, etc.

 

[spice weasel]

Can you print from the iPad? I haven't seen any indication that you can.

I get it that hence the name it supposed to replace paper but sometimes you need to print.

I'm kinda with you on this one. It needs to be more of the hybrid between a laptop and an iPhone/iPod Touch it is being touted as. Right now, it is just a big iPhone/iPod Touch that can run the new iWork suite. It's needs a bit more functionality.

And what is with the ugly desktop wallpaper Steve chose? I know you can change it, but the one used for the keynote looked horrible, and made the already awkward UI look even worse. The actual pros and cons of the new hardware aside, the keynote itself was meh.

 

[tdmac]

My main interest in the iPad is as a replacement for my netbook for surfing and watching movies away from home. More specifically, the netbook stutters on video big time -- even when the video isn't the highest resolution and I'm carrying 2 gb of ram in it too.

I'm new to Apple so bear with me!

From what I've seen, the iPad does pretty high quality video and it looks smooooooth from the hands on videos I've seen. However, I am greatly concerned with the 64GB limit on storage space. Is there some way that Apple has for us to easily get movies on our ipad to watch while we are mobile? Does it have a USB port so I can carry an external hard drive to swap out movies? Is there some sort of gizmo that actually works that steams video to the ipad when I want to put a movie on it from a remote location?

Thanks! I really want this device, but I'm concerned with portability of having some movies along with me when I travel since it doesn't appear to have a lot of storage space.

How many movies do you need to keep on the device at any one time? 5-10 at the most. The movies would have to be in Mp4 format (Itunes) in order to play on the device, just like an Ipod, Ipod Touch & Iphone. I have about 5 movies on my 32GB Iphone with a tons of music, photos, Apps etc and still have allot of free space.

It would sync with itunes. You would either need to purchase movies on the ipod or rip your own and convert them to itunes format (mP4) and put them in your itunes library to sync. You can find that info under the Apple TV threads.

 

[puppyflightclub]

= tethering from my iphone..thereore, no need to buy 3G....?

 

[acolyte]

Fair enough. Sounds like your a ( though you may be surprised to hear it) a power user -and so this isn't really enough for you. I understand that.

[reply to tdmac also...]

Hey, thanks, though don't think of myself as much of a power user. Just suffering initial shock after absorbing all the press this past month. (Plus this Pale Ale I'm chugging isn't exactly doing wonders for the mood).

It just woulda been nice to have seen some of the more advanced features that were outlined in patent applications, especially the proximity sensor one that woulda made gestured commands possible. I think that would have put this head & shoulders above existing tablets and made it truly revolutionary. Plus the impressionable, tactile keyboard patent as well (sorry - too lazy to dig those up right now - they're somewhere on this site).

Yeah, I see this as Apple's way of getting a foot in the market, just like the iPod did for them years back. Multi-tasking, webcam, gestures, a backshell sensitive to swipes, etc ... they'll materialize someday, I do believe...

 

[OneMike]

Too bad no cam. I wanted to get one for my parents and myself so that way it's simpler to do video conference and show the kids. Rather then sit in front of a computer. oh well maybe soon.

 

[Eidorian]

I truly believe this is the Model T Ford of the internet computing era.

Just like every other internet device out there?

 

[nik911sc]

Some interesting viewpoints being sprayed around this forum.

Bottom line for me is the iPad can fill a void and has a place.
My iPhone is convenient but not always practical and my MacPro is powerful but not necessarily available. My soon to be MacBook Air will be portable but not always practical.

I see the iPad can fill a void but it is not for everyone. I would love to see the iPad provide some enhanced functionality to other peripherals as previous posts have described e.g. input device for audio devices etc etc. This should be doable.

For me the deal breaker would be if I could not tether my iPhone broadband link to the iPad.

 

[kingcobra2010]

Ok the i-pad was not what most people expected. I actually thought it was going to do more but what it does works for me. Will, i get one more than - yes the 16gb version with 3g coverage until they release the google tablet. I expect to run vnc off this unit and have it synced to my mac mini media/software center. Do I think the i-pad will sell well - no. Lets break it down.

The plus
not bad battery life
good size screen
not bad processor
small and sleek

The bad
no multitask
no 3qi screen
no flash support
silly assortment of accessories

Like they like to say in this forum abut the future, do not comment unless you see the item. Well people have seen the item and they do not like it. Since it is very similar to the ipod/iphone the polls will reflect the future of the device. Actually, there will be probably be less interest as time passes.

What is the future - more than likely tegra/arm, google os, 3qi screen, cellular service connection. MS will own the desktop market/laptop market. Google will consume the market for the tablet/netbook/phone market and apple will be the well rounded player but not dominate in any one category. The apple market will contract and people will look back at 2000-2010 as the best of times for apple.

First, Google is not ms and it will take apple share away. They will consume the phone market and they will consume the tablet/netbook market. They can offer a cheaper product but it will have significant bells and whistles compared to the apple unit. They have centered themselves around the net and they have bought companies that will help them provide net centric material that people need/want. Lets look at the tablet market.

Google tablet
Multitask - yes, with a screen this large you need to multitask and I am not talking about widgets.
portable - yes
flash - yes. HTML 5 is not out yet and it has not even set to be released any time soon. Once they release to then we can talk. Right now multimedia on the net is owned by flash. Now, if you are one to wait for things then wait, I guess you will not to use/get a car until they release the flying car?
3 qi - more than likely. for those that do not understand why a amazon kindle screen is a lot better than the apple screen let me explain. The same reason that you do not need to look at the sun, you do not need to look at a back lit screen like the apple i-pad for a long period of time. For general surfing and short periods of viewing there should be no problems. For long reading and extensive screen viewing the 3qi screen or the kindle screen is more acceptable even if it is gray scale. It is crazy to think colleges are looking at this thing without look at the potential health risks of this device. This effect is mute when one views lc screens from a distance since the intensity of light absorbed decreases as the one is way from the light source. Also colors helps weaken white light intensity. But for black lettering on white back ground that is where one sees the optimum amount of harm since you focus your eyes at short distances from a strong light source at prolonged time intervals because you are reading.
here is a link emedicine.medscape.com/article/799025-overview
tegra processor - yes. suspect it will have the same if not better processor power/power consumption ratio compared to the apple processor
good battery life - yes
good screen size - yes
multiple models to fit your needs - yes
price point - more than likely it will have a better price point than apple but probably not by much.
multiple carrier support - more than likely
the list is to long to list but you get the picture.

 

[billysea]

Once again, it's better to wait a year for the 2nd generation before dropping the money. There are a lot of obvious omission that will definitely be fixed next generation since there are so many complains.

-Multitasking (could be done through software updates?)
-Video/Camera (I bet 2nd gen will have it)
-Double Memory at same price (16GB for a multimedia device the scale of this? Are they kidding?)
-and more

This definitely feels like a first gen product, very unpolished with a lot of questionable choices.

 

[msduncan]

Good point about the movies. 5 should be plenty along with pictures and music. 64GB should be fine then I guess so you have calmed my concerns.

My next question is when will they let us preorder it? I figured right after the announcement they'd open up for preorders, but there's no sign of it yet. Wouldn't they want to start getting orders while the press is hot?

 

[D4F]

No multitasking, no webcam, almost no memory and no flash on a multimedia device... ROFL!... Thx but no thx for another beta testing product for fanboys.
What a piece of $500 crap.

 

[MWPULSE]

Game-changer. Period. End of story.

Developers will cream themselves over this. Apps will be much more powerful, intuitive, and capable.

It's missing a couple of things. Like every hit Apple product. Butt that's not what sells it. It's the overall experience.

We're looking at the future here. It's getting rave reviews from the industry. And the price is right, and not only that, these will be even cheaper in due course, a la iPhone.

Tablet-makers, start your photocopiers. Apple just hit another one out of the park.

Best post i have seen on here in the last coupla hours!

Multi-tasking and camera(s) seem to be the main complaints at the moment.. i have to say, im not all that bothered with those two elements myself, but it will get better. The iphone started off in a similar fashion, as did the ipods but look at them now :-D

PTP

 

[WLS]

Can you print from the iPad? I haven't seen any indication that you can.

I get it that hence the name it supposed to replace paper but sometimes you need to print.

There is a wireless HP printer app so I would expect it could.

 

[MakGeek]

In case anyone is tallying these posts: I want...

Software:
-Multitasking
-Printing
-Flash

Hardware:
-SD Slot
-Camera(s)
-New screen technology

And I still can't figure out why Apple makes me store all my media on all my devices. I want an iHome server!!

 

[gmcalpin]

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?)

I've used it maybe three times — but you know what else it's good for, is adjusting the brightness of your screen to account for high or low light. I think that's a really nice feature of the MacBook Pro (and MacBook?) and would have liked it for this, too.

I'm sure it'll have a brightness setting somewhere, though.

 

[MakGeek]

There is a wireless HP printer app so I would expect it could.

Not even close, all that lousy app can do is print photos to wireless HP printers. I don't want an app for that.

 

[MWPULSE]

I've used it maybe three times — but you know what else it's good for, is adjusting the brightness of your screen to account for high or low light. I think that's a really nice feature of the MacBook Pro (and MacBook?) and would have liked it for this, too.

I'm sure it'll have a brightness setting somewhere, though.

Is the camera on the iPhone set to do that as well eh? It automatically adjusts the screens brightness? I cant imagine it being very good at it, seeing as it points at the floor most-of-the-time. I thought the iPhone automatically adjusts its brightness through a sensor on the screen? if so then surely they put it into the iPad as well..

PTP

 

[RMXO]

Once again, it's better to wait a year for the 2nd generation before dropping the money. There are a lot of obvious omission that will definitely be fixed next generation since there are so many complains.

-Multitasking (could be done through software updates?)
-Video/Camera (I bet 2nd gen will have it)
-Double Memory at same price (16GB for a multimedia device the scale of this? Are they kidding?)
-and more

This definitely feels like a first gen product, very unpolished with a lot of questionable choices.

I use to be in the wait until Rev B or later for Apple product but I broke the habit and never looked back. Apple has a nice resale value so I don't end up losing much, plus I was happy while using it until I upgraded to a new one.

 

[dante@sisna.com]

Game Changer

This device is a real game changer.

Those of you failing to see how this fits into Web 3.0 must not be content producers, or at least not content producers who intend to be employed much farther into the future.

This is a big deal.

Once again, the UI carries the day.

The rest is and will be secondary.

 

[davekarn]

I was slightly hoping for a more Snow Leopard style OS also, but the one big thing I am surprised/disappointed about that didn't make it, is note taking with a stylus...I thought for sure this would be a big selling point for the college crowd and office working people too.

 

[msduncan]

When will they let us preorder it??

 

[krzyglue]

For everyone who is bitching about this product I have a solution for you: buy a kindle DX for 489.00. http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Display-Generation/dp/B0015TG12Q/ref=kinww_ddp

I'll take my ipad which blows your crap out of the water, thanks.

I'll bite:

iPad 16gb with 3G- $629
Kindle DX 4gb- $489

How exactly does the iPad "blow" the Kindle out of the water? They each have their merits: the Kindle is a dedicated ebook reader, and it performs this job extremely well: the screen is a joy to use, it's battery time is measured in days, and the free 3g is a great bonus. The iPad, while seeming slightly confused as to what it wants to be, does have real potential and has many strengths. I don't think acting as an ebook reader is one of them though.

Nice job with the referral code snuck in BTW...

 

[ubercool]

OK the iPad was not what most people expected.

No multitasking, no webcam, almost no memory and no flash on a multimedia device... ROFL!... Thx but no thx for another beta testing product for fanboys. What a piece of $500 crap.

This device is a real game changer.

This is a big deal.

Polarized opinions run rampant but this time the ratio of bad vs. good is the highest it has been for a recent Apple innovation. Steve Jobs you may have delivered another NeXT Cube.

 

[Quasi26]

I'll bite:

iPad 16gb with 3G- $629
Kindle DX 4gb- $489

How exactly does the iPad "blow" the Kindle out of the water? They each have their merits: the Kindle is a dedicated ebook reader, and it performs this job extremely well: the screen is a joy to use, and the free 3g is a great bonus. The iPad, while seeming slightly confused as to what it wants to be, does have real potential and has many strengths. I don't think acting as an ebook reader is one of them though.

Nice job with the referral code snuck in BTW...

There are a number of positive things about the iPad, but using it as a reader replacement is not one of them. The kindle, and other e-ink based readers are the single best thing to happen to books in a long long time. i will take the 2 week battery life of my kindle over 10 hours any day of the week. The kindle, any flavor, is a single purpose device and it does it VERY well. Play your movies, watch your TV, read the news online, but dont compare it to the kindle because its a loss for the iPad.

Thousands of books all the time, cheaper, in an easier to read format (screen), and free wireless to obtain them is wonderful thing.