iPad = iVend? - just like the Apple TV

[Scott6666]

I kind of like the new pad.

What I see as a potential major fail is that it seems like the pad is going to nickel and dime (actually, $5 and $10) the crap out of you.

Seems like a large portion of what you do will require you to send continuing $ to Apple. Read a book $15, watch a movie $4, watch a TV show $2, read a magzine $??.

It's like the Apple TV, everything you may want to watch is a "ka-ching" back to Apple. It's hard a hell to use your own content on an ATV

Sure, you can surf the web and read some email but it strikes me that in large part the iPad is little vending machine so you can send money to Apple on a regular basis.



[Course, I'll buy one anyway.]

 

[Cyroceon]

I like your theory, but I don't know if many will agree. People see a great deal of benefit in having those things that they pay for, available almost immediately and in front of their face on a sexy, sleek form-factor.

 

[mrkjsn]

I'm sorry but were you expecting writers to do it for free? Were you expecting actors to entertain you for free? These were not free before, why would it be free now? When you wanted to read a magazine, didn't you go to the store and buy it or didn't you subscribe? Would you say that those companies were out to nickel and dime you too? Get my drift? It's not designed to give you free stuff...it's designed to make it more accessible.

 

[Scott6666]

I'm sorry but were you expecting writers to do it for free? Were you expecting actors to entertain you for free? These were not free before, why would it be free now? When you wanted to read a magazine, didn't you go to the store and buy it or didn't you subscribe? Would you say that those companies were out to nickel and dime you too? Get my drift? It's not designed to give you free stuff...it's designed to make it more accessible.

I don't mind paying for content at all, including digital content. I have a Kindle and pay for books all the time.

What I do mind is that a ton of DVDs and AVI's that all have to be converted to work on Apple products.

Maybe I am off here. Maybe I will be able to stream ny AVI's etc over to the pad. I just know how little I use my ATV and this just feels very similar.

Apple has a bad habit of only allowing certain things and certain formats to run on their specialized hardware. On their laptops you can get software easily to get around that. In an app world, controlled by Apple I'm not so sure. I do know that the things you need to add to Apple TV to stop using Apple as your content source is really difficult.

 

[direzze]

I kind of like the new pad.

What I see as a potential major fail is that it seems like the pad is going to nickel and dime (actually, $5 and $10) the crap out of you.

Seems like a large portion of what you do will require you to send continuing $ to Apple. Read a book $15, watch a movie $4, watch a TV show $2, read a magzine $??.

It's like the Apple TV, everything you may want to watch is a "ka-ching" back to Apple. It's hard a hell to use your own content on an ATV

Sure, you can surf the web and read some email but it strikes me that in large part the iPad is little vending machine so you can send money to Apple on a regular basis.



[Course, I'll buy one anyway.]

I think the keyword here is convenience.

Yes, Apple is cashing in, but it's also convenient to have books, media, and the internet all in one device and with everything available from one location. This means less trips to the library, the video store, HMV, etc.

Not to mention the thousands of apps as a bonus.