iPads Reportedly Headed to Reviewers Later This Week

[cvaldes]

Wow....

Going from having to be kept in a blacked out room chained to an immovable object, to being given out to reviewers for everyone to see about a week later.

Why do I suspect there's a high degree of bull in some of this news?

I don't know.

Historically, Apple has provided pre-release review units to select journalists under NDA. The journalists are legally under an embargo until a set time/date (basically coinciding with the actual release).

The odds are in favor of Apple actually doing this.

 

[petercooper]

So.. reviewers need a real unit, yet developers who actually make the apps that make money for the platform can survive with an extremely limited simulator? Yep, almost no launch apps will have actually been tested on a real device. How scary is that?

 

[DaveGee]

I don't know, John C. Dvorak has been pretty pro-Apple lately.

John C. Dvorak?!?! WOW I remember that guy back when some actually considered him marginally relevant...

Oh come on.... who says he didn't have that jab coming?

 

[cvaldes]

So.. reviewers need a real unit, yet developers who actually make the apps that make money for the platform can survive with an extremely limited simulator? Yep, almost no launch apps will have actually been tested on a real device. How scary is that?

Not very.

The iPad architecture is very similar to the current iPhone and iPod touch. The biggest difference is really the screen resolution. While I'm sure that many iPad developers would rather have a physical device, a lot of them are probably willing to compromise with the accessibility of the initial hardware for the potential of having their app(s) available on launch date (rather than wait a month or two).

My guess is that someone in Apple's app review committee is actually firing up the app for a minute or two. If there's a major problem (e.g., app crashing), the app would be rejected. Apple has their own vested interest in making sure this is a high-quality launch.

From a logistical standpoint, it's easier to send out 10-20 review units than manage hundreds or thousands of developer test units. The latter doesn't scale well.

 

[DaveGee]

So.. reviewers need a real unit, yet developers who actually make the apps that make money for the platform can survive with an extremely limited simulator? Yep, almost no launch apps will have actually been tested on a real device. How scary is that?

Anyone wanna take any bets THIS is the exact reason a developer program wasn't made available for iPhone debut? Apple is unfortunately stuck between a rock and a hard place... They don't follow the crowd but instead blaze new ideas and unfortunately makes offering 'early access' devices to 50k or so of their 'closest developers' somewhat problematic. Hmm, so lets take just the top 5k... Still way too many to keep a secret... 500? Nah... 50? 5? At what point does it 'seem' safe to do and NOT seem like its a wasted effort... You gotta know that if Apple DID allow 500 developers early access the reporters (and developers) would be SCREAMING for blood! You either hold back from all but an EXTREMELY limited number or you let the flood gates wide open and all but assure yourself of the device falling into the hands of people you don't want.

There's only one way to avoid this problem... Stop innovating.

Somehow tho, I don't think many would like or agree that battle plan.

Wow....

Going from having to be kept in a blacked out room chained to an immovable object, to being given out to reviewers for everyone to see about a week later.

Why do I suspect there's a high degree of bull in some of this news?

Also what's the point.

Pro Apple people who hate flash will write a drooling review about it. Wheras others can just go on and on about the things it can't physically do compared to a same price, higher spec laptop.

You make it sound like evaluation units were only distributed to the 'chosen few' just a week ago... I'm going to go out on a limb that those lucky few got units within days of the official iPod event... Now even if I agree the time was much shorter and instead it was for 'just a few weeks early'... in this business every day a product remains 'somewhat unknown' in other words... not surgically dissected both in hardware AND (the BETA) software. Who knows what might have been left laying around in the software OR the hardware... things that would not only reveal what the iPad is going to offer (exactly) but what 'stuff' might be in development for subsequent models.

Apple's dictatorial handeling of the App Store... Yea that I will call Apple OUT for... The way they handle the rollout of a band new device... They aren't doing anything that seems too over the top (given their past behavior).

 

[marksman]

So.. reviewers need a real unit, yet developers who actually make the apps that make money for the platform can survive with an extremely limited simulator? Yep, almost no launch apps will have actually been tested on a real device. How scary is that?

Developers should not release their apps before testing them.

Seems like a really bad business plan to me.

Word is, though, that some top tier developers have been able to get their hands on the iPad to do testing.

I realize that iPad developers want to hit the instant gold rush of people trying to fill up their iPad with new apps the day they get it.

However don't we have enough crap already, and maybe I as a user and potential customer will hold it against any company who rushes to have something on launch without even having properly tested it.

There is going to be so much noise the first few days - first week that you will be lost anyways.

So why not just take your time, get the device, and make sure it is working. Maybe even take some extra time to make sure it really makes full use of the iPad. Then when it comes out people will go, "Wow see what the iPad can do."

Taking iPhone apps and just upsizing them for the iPad is not going to get the job done.

 

[murkurb]

Off the scale maybe, but not broken. it works fine and is nice and shiny. Maybe you just can't handle the glare coming back at you. I suggest a pair of ray-bans or maui jims.

ZING!

 

[kernkraft]

Is it just me or...

I always thought that Walt Mossberg was the kind of tech reviewer that your mother would be - moderately interested, slightly on the slow side and without any technical knowledge whatsoever. Oh, and with a generation gap as wide as the Grand Canyon.

I bet that he will like the iPad a lot. After all, he's the kind of person who doesn't need to push it to the limits - a bit of text editing, a bit of email and a bit of everything. I bet that he will not read books on this thing, though and it will be the same with many of the iPad users. That screen is awful to read books on.


(not sent from my iPad)

 

[gnasher729]

That screen is awful to read books on.

And you know that how?

 

[kernkraft]

And you know that how?

"Display
9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)" (http://www.apple.com)

Dedicated e-book readers use e-ink for a reason.

Have you read any e-books on your unibody MacBook Pro? It is a similar experience.


(not sent from my iPad)

 

[kironin]

looks like businesses aren't waiting for reviews...

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2010/tc20100323_888275.htm