iPad SDK 3.2 Details: External Display, File Sharing System, No Multitasking

[sleepwalker]

so close but so far away

Do I need flash, no not really, do I need a usb port, no but it would be nice, do I need multitasking, damn straight I do. Without multitasking I will never buy one of these. I don't need a large iphone I have a iphone what I would like is a replacement for a laptop. Everyday I run 3 programs on my computer at the same time Safari, a IM client, and itunes this is how I work why would I change.

 

[blybug]

You should find a System 7 mac and install At Ease on it. I think you'd like the revolutionary simple elegant interface. I think it will be the future of personal computing.

At Ease was, for desktop hardware available at the time, a very elegant way to keep the interface simple and usable for novice (ie ordinary non-MacRumors members) users. I had my parents SE/30 set up with At Ease and they and my junior-high sister never had issue with it, nor did they have any opportunity to muck around the file system and accidentally delete the System Folder. I actually missed At Ease when I bought my kids their first round of gumdrop iMacs with OS 8/9 and hacked together an Applescript that hid the Desktop, and kept the "Launcher" as frontmost.

The modern analogy is this: the iPhone OS, for touch tablet hardware available at this time, is a very elegant way to keep the interface simple and usable for novice (ie ordinary non-MacRumors members) users...who already know how to use it due to the ubiquity of the iPhone and its mimics.

Yes, it's locked-down, could arguably be called dumbed-down...but for most people who just want to surf, email, facebook, listen to music, look at pictures, play games, etc...what more do they need? My parents would still love it, I can totally picture my mom on the sofa with an iPad ("This reminds me of that old Mac you set up for us"). My kids would love it and I'd much rather them using a locked-down iPad than my laptop. Dorothy that lady who answers the phone at your office who's always asking you why her icons have disappeared off her desktop again would love it. Even I would love it on the coffee table for all the things that I tend to pull out my iPhone for while sitting around the house, and would probably start taking it back and forth to work for a fair chunk of what I currently do with my MBP.

 

[rockstarjoe]

When they come out with a remote desktop app for the iPad, I will get it.

Wouldn't the remote desktop apps already available work fine (like Jaadu vnc for the iPhone)?

 

[Paratel]

Has anyone one discussed printing from the iPad? I mean if it is going to be a potential replacement for those that don't want a conventional Laptop. I would think this could be an issue. My apolologies if it has be covered.

 

[diamond.g]

The current "iPad" screen only delivers 1024 x 768 resolution thats not even 720p (1280 x 720)! At least the 13.3inch MacBook screen can deliver this, and thats relatively still tiny. Apple will have to add a 13.3inch screen in the future if they are pitching the "iPad" for watching movies as well. According to Steve it has to do it better then booth a smartphone and laptop in order to be worth it.

I see to remember seeing an article that said HD is determined by vertical resolution not horizontal. Since the iPad has 768 lines vertically it counts as an HD screen. I remember this article when HDTVs first came out because so few were actually 1280x720. Most plasmas were 1024x768 and they were still allowed to call them HDTVs even though there were not enough horizontal lines.

 

[bnp]

This is just like the iPhone: It's got great potential, but you'll want to wait till the second or third generation when the major kinks have been worked out.

My feeling too, Come the Christmas shopping season we will most likely see an updated release. Maybe with camera, maybe with lowered cost.

I also wonder if an IPhone owner with contract to AT& T, already paying $30 per month for data will have to pay another $30 for a data stream to the iPad?

 

[aegisdesign]

I think that people are missing the point that the iPad is not intended to be a desktop/laptop replacement. It certainly wasn't presented as such. If someone needed to do work as serious as you are outlining, I can't imagine them trying to do it on an iPad. I see it as a fun device to read ebooks watch videos surf the web do a bit of email listen to music and get a bit of work done in a pinch, but not a replacement for your main computer, and I think that's the way it was presented. Also, I think we will be seeing multitasking sometime soon for both the iPhone and the iPad.

The examples I gave (with the exception of using Terminal) are all pretty mainstream simple tasks, stuff you can do on one of those netbook things that Steve said were useless.

 

[cmaier]

Will you actully be able to down load pics and vids onto the ipad with out using itunes?

A movie trailer or pics from facebook for example

Pics yes. Movies, who knows. Their is finally a shared filesystem, so if not from the built-in apps then you'll be able to do so from some third party apps.

 

[devinci99]

You do.

Examples...

1) You're a blogger. You've written a story in Pages on your iPad and you're about to publish it on your blog. You've three fields to fill in on the backend web application that posts to your blog - title, summary, full article.

So you go online, type in the title, switch to Pages and load up the article, copy the summary from the article and switch back to Safari. As Safari multitasks, you're ok, it's back on the same page. You paste the summary.

Next you need the article text so you switch to Pages and you have to reload the article again, you've lost your place in the article and forgot how much you cut for the summary!

Imagine you're writing a report and need to check back and forth with research papers on websites. Pages or whatever editor you're using would be up and down like a tart's knickers and never back where you left them.

2) You want to listen to Spotify while you surf.

3) You want to receive incoming VOIP calls whilst using the iPad for anything.

4) You want to check on a server so you pop open a terminal on your iPad and ssh in. But you then need to check a website for a command reference or look at stats or to cut a command from a tutorial. Switching back to your terminal, it's been closed by the iPad and you have to start again.


There's lots of reasons why multi-tasking is important for maintaining open network connections and just simple maintaining states during task switches that make it worth while. Responsive app starting and closing doesn't fix that.

couldn't have said it better.

 

[aegisdesign]

Has anyone one discussed printing from the iPad? I mean if it is going to be a potential replacement for those that don't want a conventional Laptop. I would think this could be an issue. My apolologies if it has be covered.

Can't you print from an iPhone directly already? I thought you could?

If you can't that'd be a major pisser. I print pictures, attachments, todo lists and calendars from my Nokia directly via wifi to a networked HP. I can do bluetooth too if the printer supports it but a bit pointless if you've got wifi.

 

[kas23]

I really don't see what functionality is missing from the iPad that most users need.

...

I'm just amazed how people are missing the big picture here and letting their obsession with revision 1 tech specs and limited imagination dictate their response to this device.

I don't know if it is really moving forward, but rather moving in a different direction. Having only 64 GB of space is not moving forward. Having no multitasking is not moving forward. We still haven't been given a better alternative to Flash. Are we going to be able to directly add/subject songs from iTunes without the need for syncing? If not, this isn't moving forward. No USB is not moving forward. Plugging into a USB is still the most efficient and easiest way to move data or add peripherals. Not having the ability to plug in a USB drive to move data, a printer to print, etc. is not moving forward. No forward facing camera is not moving forward. Having iBook only read epub files is not moving forward (but I'm sure apps will take care of this).

 

[MH01]

"Our Most Advanced Technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price"

"magical"?? WTF, whoever was the head apple wizard on the iPad project, all they bloody did was put a iTouch in a Picture frame.... hardly magic?!!

P.S My picture frame at home has usb.... maybe its magic u need to move photos from your camera to your iPad.

 

[Cheffy Dave]

iPad - for those heavy flow days 

tee-hee, childish yes?

 

[RichardF]

The techno-dweeb-weenie types are absolutely apoplectic over the iPad. Their spittle is all over their netbook screens. "No multitasking! No this! No that!"

What this means, of course, is that the iPad will be a wild, runaway success with consumers. Because the techno-dweeb-weenies are always wrong. Always have been. About everything. They made the same comments about the iPod and the iPhone and we bought them anyway because they made our lives easier. Just like we will buy the iPad. I'm already on the notify list. This is the device I've been waiting for. It's all I need for portable internet.

+1

We laugh when a take on things contains truth and uses irony/ derision etc.

This was funny and true.

 

[devinci99]

I think that people are missing the point that the iPad is not intended to be a desktop/laptop replacement. It certainly wasn't presented as such. If someone needed to do work as serious as you are outlining, I can't imagine them trying to do it on an iPad. I see it as a fun device to read ebooks watch videos surf the web do a bit of email listen to music and get a bit of work done in a pinch, but not a replacement for your main computer, and I think that's the way it was presented. Also, I think we will be seeing multitasking sometime soon for both the iPhone and the iPad.

I understand your argument and agree that the ipad isnt meant to be modern day laptop replacement.

With laptops heading into the direction of quad-core, 4GB/8GB ram, SSD, or 1TB HD... asking for basic multitasking and a little scalability isn't much of laptop replacement.

My 'laptop' does much more than just blogging, browsing, and word processing, and reading ebooks/pdfs. With macbooks and macbook pros today, people are making independent movies, and running mini music studio's!

Running basic office/productivity suites on the road to do some basic research/analysis via the web and taking notes is something 10 year systems can already do. and a netbook can do this and do this quite well.

As a device that should be between a laptop(macbook) and an iphone/ipod Touch and competes with the netbooks (as well as other tablet competition coming out 2010); asking for some basic background/multitasking and peripheral expandability really isn't much to ask for. I'm quite confident this can be remedy through iphone OS (or will be be ipad OS?) enhancements... but then again; apple may never deliver it (took them long enough to implement push notifications) and there is no promise from Apple at all.

The ipad is already positioned to be a great device to view photos from your camera, (as well as network); so why wouldn't it have a built in usb port for such connection? A seperate adapter makes it feel cheap and potential to break the dock connector if shifted wrong while holding both the camera and the ipad.

Most people here are reasonable when they ask for some basic additons. these additions doesnt put the ipad as a replacement of a laptop at all. Remember this is 2010; we're ways ahead of laptop when they only had 32MB RAM and 400mhz cpu.

These are still within reasonable means of a modern day casual device... for shopping, basic research (check prices online while at stores, comparing prices between bestbuy and amazon, etc... or looking up phrases, etc), taking some pictures, recording audio memo's, recording basic video or photo snaps... do a quick import of photos just taken with the camera (without me looking the adaptor -- and losing the adapter...) so i view these photos on the ipad screen. and a webcam so i can casually chat with video conference on my couch without using a clunky laptop.

I don't see much people to pull out their macbooks, open it up, powering it up, and using the macbook to record a audio... take a picture... or compare references at target, walmart, bestbuy, or the mall.

I'd probably wont need one for myself when i already have a 3GS (but I'm still on the fence); but to be fair, I would buy one as a gift for someone else.

It's a good product and good start... I just feel it could be so much better with just a little more added. On the hardware end, I think most of us would pay $50 more (if not on the 16GB model then on the 64GB model) to have a built in usb and memory card reader (so we don't have to carry an additional adapter) and a webcam... on the software end, Apple only needs to enhance it so it enables casual researching while traveling... (this is going to be some basic background/multitasking capabilities)...

 

[Stella]

What is it with all these people clamoring for a MacBook Pro refresh? I have a late 2008 15-inch and I love it! The performance is great. Plus they just refreshed the MacBook last year. Do people expect Apple to refresh stuff every couple of months? Sheesh!

Because Intel have just released new mobile processors.

 

[Cheffy Dave]

At Ease was, for desktop hardware available at the time, a very elegant way to keep the interface simple and usable for novice (ie ordinary non-MacRumors members) users. I had my parents SE/30 set up with At Ease and they and my junior-high sister never had issue with it, nor did they have any opportunity to muck around the file system and accidentally delete the System Folder. I actually missed At Ease when I bought my kids their first round of gumdrop iMacs with OS 8/9 and hacked together an Applescript that hid the Desktop, and kept the "Launcher" as frontmost.

The modern analogy is this: the iPhone OS, for touch tablet hardware available at this time, is a very elegant way to keep the interface simple and usable for novice (ie ordinary non-MacRumors members) users...who already know how to use it due to the ubiquity of the iPhone and its mimics.

Yes, it's locked-down, could arguably be called dumbed-down...but for most people who just want to surf, email, facebook, listen to music, look at pictures, play games, etc...what more do they need? My parents would still love it, I can totally picture my mom on the sofa with an iPad ("This reminds me of that old Mac you set up for us"). My kids would love it and I'd much rather them using a locked-down iPad than my laptop. Dorothy that lady who answers the phone at your office who's always asking you why her icons have disappeared off her desktop again would love it. Even I would love it on the coffee table for all the things that I tend to pull out my iPhone for while sitting around the house, and would probably start taking it back and forth to work for a fair chunk of what I currently do with my MBP.

Amen, and I think THAT is what is so revolutionary about it, is it does fit the "all what everyone needs" for most people. Need more buy a lappie. I think this is perfect for several of my non computing friends as a way to bring them into the 21st century

 

[blybug]

Do I need flash, no not really, do I need a usb port, no but it would be nice, do I need multitasking, damn straight I do. Without multitasking I will never buy one of these. I don't need a large iphone I have a iphone what I would like is a replacement for a laptop. Everyday I run 3 programs on my computer at the same time Safari, a IM client, and itunes this is how I work why would I change.

So on the iPad you'd have Safari up front browsing, iTunes running in the background, presumably as it can do on the current iPhone OS (though this is admittedly yet to be confirmed - I can't imagine Apple would require iTunes to remain frontmost in order to listen to music). Push messaging alerts you to an IM and you click the dialog to go immediately there. You don't really "need" all 3 apps windows open and visible at all times for this kind of "multitasking".

You are right though, if you already have an iPhone and a laptop that can truly "multitask" this is a step backwards and there's probably no need for an iPad. But for the masses who love their iPhones, have a (Windows) desktop, but don't own a laptop, the iPad is an affordable Starbuck's or couch-plopping gadget. Many will be willing to accept the singletasking paradigm they are already used to on their iPhone, which is also the way plenty of them use their PC with their windows blown up "full screen".

 

[BigJimmyC]

I see to remember seeing an article that said HD is determined by vertical resolution not horizontal. Since the iPad has 768 lines vertically it counts as an HD screen. I remember this article when HDTVs first came out because so few were actually 1280x720. Most plasmas were 1024x768 and they were still allowed to call them HDTVs even though there were not enough horizontal lines.

Fine, you can quibble on this point, but in order to play 720p content, you need 720x1280 pixels. Whether or not you can technically call it HD is irrelevant. What matters is that apple has released a media player with a 4:3 aspect ratio in an age where most new content is being released in 16:9. Any widescreen video you're watching won't be able to use a large chunk of the screen. Further, if you buy HD content from itunes, you won't even be able to play it at all on this device. Therefore, if you want your movie to be HD and portable, you're SOL, you'd have to buy both the HD version and a SD version. This, combined with the fact that you can't watch videos that you didn't get from itunes means i sure as hell won't be getting one of these.

 

[hypnos58]

first generation blues

Again apples marketing ploy. Hook the first wave. Have 6mo-1yr media event, "we listened to you, now there is an integrated camera , hdmi, usb,multitasking and just one more thing 1080p. Sign me up for ipad 2

 

[MH01]

Again apples marketing ploy. Hook the first wave. Have 6mo-1yr media event, "we listened to you, now there is an integrated camera , hdmi, usb,multitasking and just one more thing 1080p. Sign me up for ipad 2

They nailed it with the first gen iphone, which was a revolution and has evolved. The original version is still awesome. As for the iPad, i see nothing revolutionary / innovative about making a huge iTouch. I just see it as an evolution of the Itunes/App store business model. Good for apple, but ***** for us expecting an notebook killer running os x.

 

[applesupergeek]

Agreed, even the iPod touch and iPhone should be able to do that, they have wifi after all.

They can and they do, synology for example has an iphone app that streams music from the itunes lib on the NAS to the iphone.

 

[Scallywag]

I think that people are missing the point that the iPad is not intended to be a desktop/laptop replacement. It certainly wasn't presented as such. If someone needed to do work as serious as you are outlining, I can't imagine them trying to do it on an iPad. I see it as a fun device to read ebooks watch videos surf the web do a bit of email listen to music and get a bit of work done in a pinch, but not a replacement for your main computer, and I think that's the way it was presented. Also, I think we will be seeing multitasking sometime soon for both the iPhone and the iPad.

Yes, I agree. Why would Apple make a device that would cut into their wildly profitable notebook business??? They wouldn't, ever. The iPad is just a fun device for reading books, surfing the web, and playing games... no more. A pure consumer device, and it will be wildly popular. Multi-tasking will come in time with better software. If they had added USB and SD card readers then people would be more likely to purchase the iPad INSTEAD of a mac, as opposed to ALONG with a mac. This device is all about the revenue generated from the app store.

That said, the iPad is a 'magical' letdown, IMO.

 

[mnemonix]

Good for apple, but ***** for us expecting an notebook killer running os x.

Your 'notebook killer running OSX' is just another computer.

Most people love to buy phones, tvs, stereos, anything in fact except computers. The iPad finally, really is the computer that everyone will want and desire, because they'll hardly realise it even is a computer.

And that of course is why the geeks here hate it.

 

[Scallywag]

Your 'notebook killer running OSX' is just another computer.

Most people love to buy phones, tvs, stereos, anything in fact except computers. The iPad finally, really is the computer that everyone will want and desire, because they'll hardly realise it even is a computer.

And that of course is why the geeks here hate it.

Agreed. My mother, who is terrified by computers, will (and does) love this thing. There are a LOT of consumers out there like that. It's an enormous untapped market.