So with you here. I was at first swept up by Steve's classic snow job, but then I read what other intelligent observers here had to say about it and this time I think the curmudgeons are right. This device needs a 2.0 like by September!
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Hands-On Impressions of Apple's New iPad
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So with you here. I was at first swept up by Steve's classic snow job, but then I read what other intelligent observers here had to say about it and this time I think the curmudgeons are right. This device needs a 2.0 like by September!
Apologies, but I think Gruber is one of the more lucid pundits out there. And he's the first one to admit he's wrong.
I'm all ears.
So tell me how exactly?
So far all I'm hearing is rhetoric.
Whole new way to compute?
How we interact with a device?
How it flows...flows?????
Integrates into our lives?
Yep...those are some facts I can sink my teeth into for sure
"Magical" is my favorite meaningless buzzword being tossed around.
"Our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price."
Will its magic allow me to cast "quiet" spells on a neighbor's barking dogs or will it give me the ability to fly? I can't seem to find any specifics regarding its magical qualities online...
No, I've just never been compelled to write anything... because up until the past 6 months, their products were pretty amazing. Now the quality control with the IMAC I7's, NO UPDATED MBOOK PROS announced (I want one), and this thing with NO CAMERA at all, no multitasking (my iphone is jailbroken thanks to the wonderful dev team... so it DOES), and "the internet in your hand" minus flash video (yes, flash SUCKS, but it's a multimedia device, for god's sake).
Innovation: cheap college textbooks with the ability to WRITE notes in the margins/highlight while making a voice recording of the lecture and possibly video of the lecture as well. This had SOOOOO much potential. Apple just went cheap on hardware, high on profit margin.
Yes, Compared to a kindle, it's a deal.
Compared to my jailbroken iphone 3gs, it's *****.
So, if your granny needs a tablet or you have a crapload of cash for a plaything, get one. It doesn't fit my needs.
I hate to say it, but I guess there are mindless apple fanboys.
And this makes me even sicker... I saw the courier mentioned on here, and looked at it (video demo), and it was closer to what I thought the tablet would be like. It's from MS, ant that truly scares the hell out of me.
And while I'm at it... a matte screen option for the 15" macbook pros would be nice (as well as imacs). Listen to your damn customers, apple.
Listen to your damn customers, apple.
Sorry but listening to customers is a bag of hurt.
No, I've just never been compelled to write anything... because up until the past 6 months, their products were pretty amazing. Now the quality control with the IMAC I7's, NO UPDATED MBOOK PROS announced (I want one), and this thing with NO CAMERA at all, no multitasking (my iphone is jailbroken thanks to the wonderful dev team... so it DOES), and "the internet in your hand" minus flash video (yes, flash SUCKS, but it's a multimedia device, for god's sake).
Innovation: cheap college textbooks with the ability to make note in the margins while making a voice recording of the lecture and possibly video of the lecture as well. This had SOOOOO much potential. Apple just went cheap on hardware, high on profit margin.
Yes, Compared to a kindle, it's a deal.
Compared to my jailbroken iphone 3gs, it's *****.
So, if your granny needs a tablet or you have a crapload of cash for a plaything, get one. It doesn't fit my needs.
I hate to say it, but I guess there are mindless apple fanboys.
And this makes me even sicker... I saw the courier mentioned on here, and looked at it, and it was closer to what I thought the tablet would be like. It's from MS, ant that truly scares the hell out of me.
And while I'm at it... a matte screen option for the 15" macbook pros would be nice (as well as imacs). Listen to your damn customers, apple.
I feel like I'm talking to myself here. I'm telling you that *I* am the target market for this thing. I have a netbook and am completely underwhelmed at it's performace with multimedia and videos in particular. The current gen of netbooks studder their way through videos and I can't stand it.
This thing looks smooth as a whistle with high quailty videos. This is exactly what I've been waiting for. Simple. Elegant. Able to get me on the web. Able to deliver videos to me in high quality and smooth when I'm travelling.
I'm in for a purchase as soon as they open up for orders.
I've seen you using his content lately. I have to do a little double take once I get to the end and see the source.
Not to rain on the guy's parade but the posts today fall under the obvious category for us. (You, me, hardcore Page 1 reader)
My concern is the toasterization of these gadgets is going to have the reverse effect. I'm already starting to see it in the disparity of iPhone and iPod Touch hardware. They're all good toasters. How do you sell another one unless it breaks? Are you going to shore that up with content sales?
It's starting to sound somewhat like the console market's method of cheap hardware and making it up with software sales. We're not there yet but Apple did mention lower margins on their newer hardware a while back.
Sorry but listening to customers is a bag of hurt.
Have you forgotten The Great Macbook FireWire Debacle of '08 already?
I like your "sucks" comparison. As of right now, I own all three Kindles. Granted, I have Kindle 1 on eBay as we speak. The others are going to follow. I do like the DX the most, but it is a total letdown as far as the educational books go. I just switched to being a fulltime student for the next few months and I was totally looking forward to purchasing the e-book versions of my textbooks whenever possible. The 2 I got were returned rather promptly. You don't get the page numbers (it is all one flowing text), so it is not easy to ask your classmate to flip to page x and ask for his/her interpretation. The professor says do problem 5 on page 50, and you need clarification again. The graphics are lousy, so much so that I can't read the annotations on the graphs and spreadsheets. Where the book (which is $140) comes with the s/w, the Kindle version (which is around $90) does not. I called Amazon, but they have no provisions to provide the s/w. The publisher does - for an extra cost which almost brings the price to that of a regular book. Anyway, I'm dragging on, but the Kindle has been a letdown. If you want to use it for just a casual reading, it's fine for that. But I think within the bigger scope of things, Amazon lost. Their dreams of getting a foothold in the educational market are dead (at least with the current crop of devices).
So yeah, I'm also underwhelmed with the iPad since there is no camera (for Skype) and no multitasking. But then again, there always needs to be a reason for the existence of next year's model. I'll be selling the Kindles and maybe buying the iPad, or maybe waiting for the next year's model. I'll see....
People, people, people....
Apple is not about AT&T. Apple is about GSM.
AT&T is on GSM and the remaining US service providers aren't.
GSM opens the *rest* of the world. AT&T gets "lucky" on that.
When LTE is fully rolled out, then maybe VZ can have Apple products. Till then, TSOL. And if I had to bet, WiMax/Sprint will die in a few years, too.
I'll continue to invest in Apple, but I don't have the patience to short WiMax/Sprint. Gotta go find some LTE hardware manufacturers, though.
demo (my "second" "first" new post ever - what a day)
No, I've just never been compelled to write anything... because up until the past 6 months, their products were pretty amazing. Now the quality control with the IMAC I7's, NO UPDATED MBOOK PROS announced (I want one), and this thing with NO CAMERA at all, no multitasking (my iphone is jailbroken thanks to the wonderful dev team... so it DOES), and "the internet in your hand" minus flash video (yes, flash SUCKS, but it's a multimedia device, for god's sake).
Innovation: cheap college textbooks with the ability to make note in the margins while making a voice recording of the lecture and possibly video of the lecture as well. This had SOOOOO much potential. Apple just went cheap on hardware, high on profit margin.
Yes, Compared to a kindle, it's a deal.
Compared to my jailbroken iphone 3gs, it's *****.
So, if your granny needs a tablet or you have a crapload of cash for a plaything, get one. It doesn't fit my needs.
I hate to say it, but I guess there are mindless apple fanboys.
And this makes me even sicker... I saw the courier mentioned on here, and looked at it, and it was closer to what I thought the tablet would be like. It's from MS, ant that truly scares the hell out of me.
And while I'm at it... a matte screen option for the 15" macbook pros would be nice (as well as imacs). Listen to your damn customers, apple.
Agreed on all counts.
The rampant Fanboyisms attached to this device have been extraordinary..even for Apple.
This should and could have been so much more...and don't give me the version 1.0 crap.
Steve said it was the best thing they have ever done. Total BS.
It's a big iTouch...the end.
Meanwhile once again the core of apple's business limps on like an orphaned child.
Both hardware and software are seriously showing their age and innovation has long been forgotten for either product group.
There has been a major paradigm shift with Apple and while it may suit many "consumers" out there, the professionals who supported and made them who they are have been left out in the cold.
I can understand that... but the lack of a camera and GPS would still pii$$ me off. And the lack of FLASH and SILVERLIGHT (no hulu or netflix). I think I'd rather wait for a faster netbook with these capabilities and features. Dell minis are easy to hackintosh... that would be my bet ....
And, another gripe... itunes synching... it's a pain in the A$$. And, why can't it be done over wifi?????????????
I just have to say that i think this will be the right product for most people who are looking for a good computer but don't want to spend much money. If apple were to find a way to get multitasking for certan apps then it would be great, but right now I don't care. I just wish I could get one so I could use it instead of my laptop. would feel much better to use in my opinion.
I am a bit indifferent. I really like what I saw from the keynote, I think I just expected a bit more. I think that stems from the fact the rumor mill has been turning for so long an Apple tablet.
I would still buy the iPad before I entertained getting a netbook. Every netbook I have ever tried has been a real letdown.
I would still buy the iPad before I entertained getting a netbook. Every netbook I have ever tried has been a real letdown.
So whats it for?
1ghz processor a la 1998?
No multitasking? a la Windows 3.11?
Stunted mobile OS in a PC?
Puny storage?
Dumb name reminds me of Light Days.
It's a humongous iPhone with no phone.
With all the dead iPods lying around my house that no one seems interested in replacing, why would anyone sink $500 plus into a big one?
I was ignoring the hype and not really expecting much, but this is even less.
Sell your Apple stock. Buy a netbook. More capability and cheaper.
1ghz processor a la 1998?
No multitasking? a la Windows 3.11?
Stunted mobile OS in a PC?
Puny storage?
Dumb name reminds me of Light Days.
It's a humongous iPhone with no phone.
With all the dead iPods lying around my house that no one seems interested in replacing, why would anyone sink $500 plus into a big one?
I was ignoring the hype and not really expecting much, but this is even less.
Sell your Apple stock. Buy a netbook. More capability and cheaper.
what's different?
what exactly do this "iPad" thing do that an iPodTouch doesn't? besides the iWork for iPad...
I don't know you guys, but whenever I use my iPhone it's a pain in the there the lack of Flash. I know it consumes a lot of recs and that battery life would go down but what is an Internet Browsing Experience without Flash? Have you ever tried to, lets be dumb for a moment but to try to harvest your farm because you forgot and left home and are now just with your iPhone and you cannot? have you ever gone to some sites (even macrumors.com) and see that annoying blue cube with the "?" meaning there is a flash video, animation or something missing? (not only ads are Flash's) Have you tried to read your newspaper properly on iPhone's Safari and get lost because there is some Flash there?
I guess as much as we might hate Flash it is a MUST when you're talking about "browsing experience" as of now and for a long while still.
Other thing I cannot understand.
If I am at the university and trying to take notes I can even use iWork's Pages for iPad OK but... if I need to draw a graphic or a math symbol... what will I do without a pen? and then, if you're there or at work while in a meeting and taking notes, you should be able to check your email as well, shouldn't you? But if you will need to quit "Pages" or "Notes" and then go to launch Mail and then Quit Mail and go Launch Pages again and all that, I guess it is really lacking functionality.
$500 is a good price just because it is Apple and we are used to pay even more for little functionality devices. We all love Apple and pay twice for having it, so $500 is ok cause it does just what anyother device would do for $200 but if it's targeted as MEDIA PLAYER then resolution is LOW. If it's for having your music library/photos and such CAPACITY IS LOW (even the 64gb). If it's for browsing the internet then lack of Flash makes it UNUSABLE and if it has a tiny version of "iWork" in it (a $30 version) but you cannot have Pages and Keynote opened at the same time, then... what's the deal?
People here are asking whom this device is targeted and still I cannot read any answer to that.
If it does just what an iPod Touch does or an iPhone (except the camera and voice) if you get the 3G version, then what's the difference? larger screen? I know it wasn't going to be a laptop, I wasn't expecting to be able to run Photoshop on this but I thought it would include a camera, flash support and multitasking to make it usable and differentiate it from iPhone/iPodTouch.
It doesn't has that, so, to me it is actually an iPodTouch with larger screen with some added features that might be useful but nothing to wonder. If it had multitasking and Flash support then I would certainly be having one but with all those limitations I guess my iPhone offers me better functionality.
what exactly do this "iPad" thing do that an iPodTouch doesn't? besides the iWork for iPad...
I don't know you guys, but whenever I use my iPhone it's a pain in the there the lack of Flash. I know it consumes a lot of recs and that battery life would go down but what is an Internet Browsing Experience without Flash? Have you ever tried to, lets be dumb for a moment but to try to harvest your farm because you forgot and left home and are now just with your iPhone and you cannot? have you ever gone to some sites (even macrumors.com) and see that annoying blue cube with the "?" meaning there is a flash video, animation or something missing? (not only ads are Flash's) Have you tried to read your newspaper properly on iPhone's Safari and get lost because there is some Flash there?
I guess as much as we might hate Flash it is a MUST when you're talking about "browsing experience" as of now and for a long while still.
Other thing I cannot understand.
If I am at the university and trying to take notes I can even use iWork's Pages for iPad OK but... if I need to draw a graphic or a math symbol... what will I do without a pen? and then, if you're there or at work while in a meeting and taking notes, you should be able to check your email as well, shouldn't you? But if you will need to quit "Pages" or "Notes" and then go to launch Mail and then Quit Mail and go Launch Pages again and all that, I guess it is really lacking functionality.
$500 is a good price just because it is Apple and we are used to pay even more for little functionality devices. We all love Apple and pay twice for having it, so $500 is ok cause it does just what anyother device would do for $200 but if it's targeted as MEDIA PLAYER then resolution is LOW. If it's for having your music library/photos and such CAPACITY IS LOW (even the 64gb). If it's for browsing the internet then lack of Flash makes it UNUSABLE and if it has a tiny version of "iWork" in it (a $30 version) but you cannot have Pages and Keynote opened at the same time, then... what's the deal?
People here are asking whom this device is targeted and still I cannot read any answer to that.
If it does just what an iPod Touch does or an iPhone (except the camera and voice) if you get the 3G version, then what's the difference? larger screen? I know it wasn't going to be a laptop, I wasn't expecting to be able to run Photoshop on this but I thought it would include a camera, flash support and multitasking to make it usable and differentiate it from iPhone/iPodTouch.
It doesn't has that, so, to me it is actually an iPodTouch with larger screen with some added features that might be useful but nothing to wonder. If it had multitasking and Flash support then I would certainly be having one but with all those limitations I guess my iPhone offers me better functionality.
They will get faster... enjoy the blue "no plug-in" cubes on the webpages when you want to watch HULU, NETFLIX, or any other video apple refuses to support. I'd rather have stuttering video, than no video at all. It was amusing to watch his keynote when he went to nat. geographic and the NY times... blue cubes on all the pages, and he just ignored them... I would have been embarassed, as the device is "magical" and the "best web experience is in the palm of my hand". Maybe the magic is in the blue cubes and I'm missing it???????????????????????????
I'm all ears.
So tell me how exactly?
So far all I'm hearing is rhetoric.
Whole new way to compute?
How we interact with a device?
How it flows...flows?????
Integrates into our lives?
Yep...those are some facts I can sink my teeth into for sure
Ok, I'll put forward some of my thoughts here. A bit of a disclaimer first though; I understand fully that I, by myself, am not a market. I do not intend to claim, at any point, that my needs are typical. I'm an information systems academic, a software developer and a graphic designer. I am definitely not typical, but then again it is unlikely that any of us are.
Multitouch UIs are predicated upon the idea of direct and natural manipulation. As the iPad's promo video itself states, you look and you touch. As such, they are claimed to require less abstraction in the brain and so a much lower cognitive load. Higher cognitive loads lead to users getting more tired, and a pervasive feeling of fighting against the system when they get too high.
A good UI then works on two fronts; to reduce the cognitive load imposed by the UI paradigm (by choosing a good UI paradigm and by working to fulfil the assumptions of that paradigm, reducing the number of exceptions which need to be kept in mind) and to present the information in a form suitable for the human brain to quickly segment, classify, associate and act upon. With direct and natural manipulation interfaces, the abstract objects on screen need to feel accessible and natural. The larger the manipulation/display surface is, the more room there is to manipulate objects and the more expressive gestures can be (humans having a finite resolution for movement.) To get a (partial) visceral sense of this, try grabbing objects through a hole. The smaller the hole, the less room there is to maneuverer. A larger display surface also allows for more room to present information in a fashion that reduces the load of the segmentation/classification/association process that underlies human sensory processing.
This leads to a trade-off for multitouch UIs; in a single-user, frequent use device you want a surface small enough to be controllable as a whole, but large enough to deal with the above factors in a satisfactory way. The iPhone size UI seems to be a 'sweet-spot' in this trade-off for certain tasks. Apple are betting that the iPad size is another such sweet-spot. Given what I've seen so far, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt at this stage (although, of course, I won't make a definite judgement call until I get to use one.)
Looking at this anecdotally (bearing in mind the disclaimer), I can state that the iPad solves a problem I have been dreading for a year now; what system do I get to replace my MacBook (first-gen)? In my academic life, I do lots of data processing experiments (machine learning, etc.) and information visualisation experiments that take time to run so I need a workhorse system that I can leave running. The most recent i7 iMacs seem to fit these requirements best. However, I do a lot of research involving reading journal articles and online technical reports and I hate sitting at a desk to do this. In fact, for those activities I prefer going down the pub or sitting in a cafe. I also need to travel abroad to conferences to deliver talks. I don't need to take all my computing power with me wherever I go. Until the iPad announcement, I thought I might have to get a very lightweight laptop (like an MBA) and an ereader on top of my desktop system. This was far out of my budget. The iPad, in one device, provides me what I need for my work habits and preferences.
Even apart from this happy coincidence, the iPad is fascinating to me for the opportunities it provides for experimenting with new ways of manipulating information. New styles of UI not possible on devices as small as an iPhone, or as linked to the WIMP UI model of desktop OSs. Imagine tools like exploratory data analysis/visualisation where you can feel directly in touch (no pun intended) with the data. Think non-academics don't need such tools? I've just spent the past year working on visualisation tools for product managers to understand the markets in which they sell. There is a big market here.
So, to wrap up this length first post, you may not need an iPad; but I think it is shortsighted and irrational to dismiss it out-of-hand as a product. Wait until you can play with it, and see what others are doing with it. If it still turns out to be a disaster, then you can be satisfied that you were right. If it turns out to actually be a game changer, or even just a popular and liked device, then the world has gained an interesting and good product and it hasn't hurt you at all by simply existing.
Yes, this is what Jobs was referring to in August. Unfortunately, it's not quite the revolution I was expecting. Apple should have introduced a 10-inch MacBook Alu at $829 with 3G built-in.
Now that would have had a 10,000-post first impression thread in no time.
They will get faster... enjoy the blue "no plug-in" cubes on the webpages when you want to watch HULU, NETFLIX, or any other video apple refuses to support. I'd rather have stuttering video, than no video at all. It was amusing to watch his keynote when he went to nat. geographic and the NY times... blue cubes on all the pages, and he just ignored them... I would have been embarassed, as the device is "magical" and the "best web experience is in the palm of my hand". Maybe the magic is in the blue cubes and I'm missing it???????????????????????????
My thought's exactly. If they add the ability to multi-task, and view flash content, ill gladly lay down 700 bucks to buy one of these and be the first in line. If i want the full internet, I'll hop on my iMac. If i want a watered down version of the net, my iPhone is perfect. How can this be the full internet without flash???
I was so excited when Jobs mentioned iWork, I was so hoping that multitasking was coming up next. If you have Pages open what happens when you want to cite a website or get a quote? What about doing some research in Safari while typing an essay or editing an essay? Getting info, pics, or video for a presentation your making in Keynote? I always have my browser open when doing any type of school work in Pages, most likely the majority of students do. No multitasking is the biggest letdown, the inclusion of that feature alone would have been a game changer.
Unlike the iPhone, the deafening hype was not matched by the product. So in this instance, built-up expectations are rudely vanquished. I'm seeing that all over the place.
Just close your app and then open the other app, no different from using an Apple II!
Unlike the iPhone, the deafening hype was not matched by the product. So in this instance, built-up expectations are rudely vanquished. I'm seeing that all over the place.
And Apple can manipulate the hype... they even added to it... much like microsoft always claimed to innovate... that always made me want to vomit a bit in my mouth. This is similar. The propaganda surrounding this thing is incredible. The multitasking isn't a big deal... the dev team will break it soon. The lack of flash, silverlight, and especially a camera are bigger problems.
I guess I hate being lied to... george bush did it, micosoft did it, and now apple is laying it on thick... they should have promoted the lowest end model as a kindle killer (it is), and the higher end models as gravy(with added camera and full web). They oversold and under-delivered. A few more features and it would have been fine.
Can they add multitasking with a system update? Or are we talking having to wait for the second gen to get multitasking?
The biggest things I'm hearing from people in terms of complaints are:
1. it looks like an ipod/iphone. This is a dumb complaint.
2. it's name. This is a juvenile complaint
3. It's lack of multitasking -- legitimate complaint, especially if includes no music in background
4. it's lack of a camera -- this is only going to effect users that would have used a camera in the first place. I guess it would have been really cool for augmented reality apps.
5. No flash. This has long been a complaint about Apple from me. I hate the way they try to shape the market with their products, but they seem to fail to realize that the internet is the biggest damn market out there and flash is as common as blades of grass in your yard. I'm very disappointed in the no flash support. Come on Apple -- get a clue about this already.
The biggest things I'm hearing from people in terms of complaints are:
1. it looks like an ipod/iphone. This is a dumb complaint.
2. it's name. This is a juvenile complaint
3. It's lack of multitasking -- legitimate complaint, especially if includes no music in background
4. it's lack of a camera -- this is only going to effect users that would have used a camera in the first place. I guess it would have been really cool for augmented reality apps.
5. No flash. This has long been a complaint about Apple from me. I hate the way they try to shape the market with their products, but they seem to fail to realize that the internet is the biggest damn market out there and flash is as common as blades of grass in your yard. I'm very disappointed in the no flash support. Come on Apple -- get a clue about this already.