I've come to terms with each of my objections with the iPad but one.

[McPaul]

So I came home from work on Wednesday and watched the keynote. I immediately had a few objections to this thing. Over the last few days I've been able to come to terms with each of my objections but one. Apple has always been ahead of the trends. You'll see a lot of my points below is answered by a growing trend in tech.

No front facing camera
holding this thing while typing or gesturing and keeping the camera centered squarely on my face will prove difficult. This camera would take up space and use up battery life
Objection Busted

No rear camera
Imagine holding this up in front of you and trying to take a picture with it? any camera that would be included with this thing would be about as good a quality as the iPhone camera. I have an iPhone. I have a DSLR. I don't need an in between picture taker. Besides, this would likely take up room and drain battery life.
Busted

Only 64 GB of storage
I think almost all of us need more of this. However, use an external hard drive. No usb you say? The apple time capsule and the drobo, I believe, have wifi networked hard drives. I see that trend comtinuing.
Busted

No USB
what would I use one for? hard drive? see above. mouse? finger gesturing. keyboard? virtual onscreen. printer? this thing will likely print to a networked printer using wifi. other usb add ons would simply detract from the "intimacy" of this thing.
Busted

No SD card
Eye Fi cards are gaining in popularity and dropping in price. Perhaps speeds will increase as well. I know several people that use them already. At worst, the camera connection kit would do what I need. Need more space? use an external HD.
Busted

1024 x 768 screen when you can get larger monitors for photo sharing
Lets think photo prints... the largest prints most consumers would ever have been getting for their film cameras was an 8x10". This is essentially that.
Busted

No HD
I've got a killer home theater system. why would I want HD on a portable?
Busted.

No multitasking
if this is a casual computing device, what really am I going to use multitasking for? Watching a movie while creating a pivot table in Numbers? I don't think so. As long as I can listen to music while surfing the web, I really don't care.
Busted.

Books application using a backlit eye burning LED IPS screen
This I still have a problem with. How will Apple overcome this objection? People don't read on a computer any more than casually on a website or forum or something. When I am reading a book, I am reading for hours at a time, and deeply intensive reading at that. I couldn't do that on this screen. I can't. I don't have a kindle yet but my impression is that it is far easier on the eyes than any computer screen. What is Apple's response to this? Turn the brightness down? wear sunglasses while reading? I don't think so. Am I missing something here?

If I can't use this thing as a reader, why get it at all? I'd be better off with a kindle and my iPhone. or even a kindle and a Nano.

What could I possibly be missing?

 

[Chaos123x]

Books application using a backlit eye burning LED IPS screen
This I still have a problem with. How will Apple overcome this objection? People don't read on a computer any more than casually on a website or forum or something. When I am reading a book, I am reading for hours at a time, and deeply intensive reading at that. I couldn't do that on this screen. I can't. I don't have a kindle yet but my impression is that it is far easier on the eyes than any computer screen. What is Apple's response to this? Turn the brightness down? wear sunglasses while reading? I don't think so. Am I missing something here?

If I can't use this thing as a reader, why get it at all? I'd be better off with a kindle and my iPhone. or even a kindle and a Nano.

What could I possibly be missing?

I read all day on a iphone and Cinema display, maybe even more than 12 hours a day. Does not bother me at all. I took one look at the kindle screen and decided it was not for me, I mean it's like a 1980's gameboy screen, gack. If your eyes really have touble, you might want to wait for apple to release one with a hybrid lcd-E-ink screen, but you might be waiting forever. Maybe a kindle is for you?

 

[abijnk]

Many many many people read on their iPhones with no issue. I read the entire Twilight series on my iPhone (which isn't short). If you have problems with it then don't read on it. A lot of people will like it just fine for reading.

 

[MTI]

Until we can see it with our own eyes, it's just going to depend on how adaptable the consumer is. For instance, from the demos it appears that there are some adjustments made by the device when it goes into book mode and the what the page is displayed mimics ink on paper.

 

[master-ceo]

your eyes will adjust, if not return it

 

[wikoogle]

Stop making excuses for Apple. Everyone of those features is important. All you're doing is making BS reasons as to whythey don't matter when they actually do. And your one qualm is actually the one that people are least frustrated about because they realize the tech for eink plus LCD isn't ready yet while all those other things are very doable. USB, Sd Slots, Webcams are cheap and readily available tech, the eink plus LCD combo isn't. You can always turn the brightness and contrast down or just get a kindle until the tech is there.

 

[maghemi]

Stop making excuses for Apple. Everyone of those features is important. All you're doing is making BS reasons as to whythey don't matter when they actually do. And your one qualm is actually the one that people are least frustrated about because they realize the tech for eink plus LCD isn't ready yet while all those other things are very doable. USB, Sd Slots, Webcams are cheap and readily available tech, the eink plus LCD combo isn't. You can always turn the brightness and contrast down or just get a kindle until the tech is there.

Excuses? Everyone of those features is important?

Bah.

Not one single on of those 'busted' excuses is important to me.

You know... if those things are important to you. Then the iPad is not a product for you. Move along, nothing to see here.


As for the backlight issue with the OP. I personally much prefer reading on computer screen than from paper. Each to their own.

Again, if it's that important to you. Then the iPad is not a product for you. Move along, nothing to see here.

 

[wolfpackfan]

Stop making excuses for Apple. Everyone of those features is important.

Speak for yourself. Not a single one is important to me. As far as OP's one concern - I read hours at a time books using both the iPhone's Kindle and B&N eBook reader apps. No problem at all. In fact right now I'm reading "The Road" on the Kindle app.

 

[Hmac]

Books application using a backlit eye burning LED IPS screen
This I still have a problem with. How will Apple overcome this objection? People don't read on a computer any more than casually on a website or forum or something. When I am reading a book, I am reading for hours at a time, and deeply intensive reading at that. I couldn't do that on this screen. I can't. I don't have a kindle yet but my impression is that it is far easier on the eyes than any computer screen. What is Apple's response to this? Turn the brightness down? wear sunglasses while reading? I don't think so. Am I missing something here?

If I can't use this thing as a reader, why get it at all? I'd be better off with a kindle and my iPhone. or even a kindle and a Nano.

What could I possibly be missing?

I read Kindle and B&N books regularly on my iPod Touch. No problem, but as you can imagine, I do look forward to the larger screen.

 

[chrisesposito]

Books application using a backlit eye burning LED IPS screen
This I still have a problem with. How will Apple overcome this objection? People don't read on a computer any more than casually on a website or forum or something. When I am reading a book, I am reading for hours at a time, and deeply intensive reading at that. I couldn't do that on this screen. I can't. I don't have a kindle yet but my impression is that it is far easier on the eyes than any computer screen.

What could I possibly be missing?

You mention having great difficulty reading a computer screen for long periods of time.

Maybe what you're missing is that there might be enough people that don't have this problem so that the iPad can economically succeed as an ebook reader. Not everybody reads for hours at a time, and among those that do, not everybody has difficulty doing it on a computer screen.

I have a Kindle (I've had all of them, but like my DX the most) and find reading on a screen to be as easy on my eyes as reading my Kindle. As a SW developer, I spend far more time every day reading on a computer screen than I do my Kindle.

 

[r0k]

One of the things I hate about lcd monitors is the relatively small viewing angle. It's about 45 degrees horizontal and 45 degrees vertical on my Penryn Macbook. It's about 90 degrees horizontal and 60 degrees vertical on my Samsung SyncMaster 171s LCD monitor. The iPad is supposed to have a higher quality lcd with a better viewing angle and led backlighting. One can only hope Apple will include the ability to dim it extremely low for night viewing. When I turn my Macbook down to 1 bar, it's still too bright for "lights off nightime viewing". Of course, there's no way I want to sit up in bed and use a laptop. I'd much rather use a Tablet or even something that is shaped like a book as long as I could read it easily and somehow get my ideas into the thing without straining to adjust my posture to serve the machine.

Apple is not bs-ing when they say this might be the most important device they ever invented. I know it sounds like hype. But a tablet that is thin and light with some way of entering text efficiently will be usable in many more postures than seated chained to a desk or table or seated with a keyboard resting on your lap. For typing a term paper, I would opt for the keyboard dock, but for everyday use: web browsing, quick documents and email, the iPad looks very promising.

One thing does bother me. I have 26+ gig of photos. Iphoto grinds to a halt. I've stopped using it. I have movies in my iPhoto library. This makes iMovie grind to a halt. I cannot believe Apple allows these apps to bog down with a mere 26 gig of photos. A buddy of mine at work says he has about 200 gig. I would hate to see what that 200gig would do to iPhoto. I bet it would take a half hour to launch every time. So if I really want to tie the iPad to my photos via iPhoto with face recognition and all that other cool stuff, what stands in my way is iPhoto itself. I think I'll take this up with Apple and see what they have to say. I know iPhoto has an option not to add photo files to your library when you add them, but I noticed the iPhoto screensavers stop working when you do this. I suspect other features such as faces would break down as well. I must admit that browsing photos is not a primary use for iPad, but if I have company visiting and I want to show some photos, I could see grabbing the iPad and showing them. I'd hate to have to say "Here are pictures of our kids in middle school, but none of the photos we've taken after August 2008 are on here because iPhoto pukes when I try to add them all." Nope. I wouldn't want to have to say that.

 

[yodaxl7]

Stop making excuses for Apple. Everyone of those features is important. All you're doing is making BS reasons as to whythey don't matter when they actually do. And your one qualm is actually the one that people are least frustrated about because they realize the tech for eink plus LCD isn't ready yet while all those other things are very doable. USB, Sd Slots, Webcams are cheap and readily available tech, the eink plus LCD combo isn't. You can always turn the brightness and contrast down or just get a kindle until the tech is there.

I think those are not in due to concerns about batter life. Also, apple does not want to push buyers away from the next iPhone! Ipad has the potential to replace both the smart phones and laptops

 

[PhoneI]

Speak for yourself. Not a single one is important to me. As far as OP's one concern - I read hours at a time books using both the iPhone's Kindle and B&N eBook reader apps. No problem at all. In fact right now I'm reading "The Road" on the Kindle app.

I too read "The Road" on my iPhone. No eye strain at all. Great yet very disturbing book.

 

[drjsway]

Don't most people work in an office staring at the computer screen all day?

 

[NT1440]

Eye burning lcd?

Care to use a term that has more of a place in reality?

 

[wolfpackfan]

Don't most people work in an office staring at the computer screen all day?

Not if you're retired like me .

 

[mrgreen4242]

White tet on black background with brightness turned down a little works well for me reading on my touch. I don't think there will be a problem for most people.

 

[crhudy1985]

I read constantly on my iphone and have been reading for hours at a time on my computer for at least 6 years now.

I care more that there is no isight or camera.

 

[MTI]

Stop making excuses for Apple.

And it's not a panini maker or anti-gravity sidewalk transportation device! What a ripoff.

 

[vini-vidi-vici]

One thing does bother me. I have 26+ gig of photos. Iphoto grinds to a halt. I've stopped using it. I have movies in my iPhoto library. This makes iMovie grind to a halt. I cannot believe Apple allows these apps to bog down with a mere 26 gig of photos. A buddy of mine at work says he has about 200 gig. I would hate to see what that 200gig would do to iPhoto. I bet it would take a half hour to launch every time. So if I really want to tie the iPad to my photos via iPhoto with face recognition and all that other cool stuff, what stands in my way is iPhoto itself. I think I'll take this up with Apple and see what they have to say. I know iPhoto has an option not to add photo files to your library when you add them, but I noticed the iPhoto screensavers stop working when you do this. I suspect other features such as faces would break down as well. I must admit that browsing photos is not a primary use for iPad, but if I have company visiting and I want to show some photos, I could see grabbing the iPad and showing them. I'd hate to have to say "Here are pictures of our kids in middle school, but none of the photos we've taken after August 2008 are on here because iPhoto pukes when I try to add them all." Nope. I wouldn't want to have to say that.

iTunes will resize all those photos before putting them on the iPad. If you really had 26GB of .jpg photos sized to fit 1024x768, that would be hundreds of thousands of them or something.. more than anyone you show them to is going to be interested in seeing.

You'll still have access to the full-resolution images on your computer, the iPad is mostly just for viewing them... and in that case, there isn't much use to having anything greater than 1024x768 on there. It'll mean limited zoom capability, but I can live with that.

I'm a photographer, and have about 1-2TB of images currently. But, those are in RAW format, and include "everything". If I just sync my favorite photos to an iPad and at 1024x768, no problem... Still might be thousands of images, but not a space problem.

 

[Niiro13]

Stop making excuses for Apple. Everyone of those features is important. All you're doing is making BS reasons as to whythey don't matter when they actually do. And your one qualm is actually the one that people are least frustrated about because they realize the tech for eink plus LCD isn't ready yet while all those other things are very doable. USB, Sd Slots, Webcams are cheap and readily available tech, the eink plus LCD combo isn't. You can always turn the brightness and contrast down or just get a kindle until the tech is there.

They're not making excuses. If you read the topic title, it's "I've (meaning the original poster) come to terms with each of my (original poster) objections with the iPad but one."

Anyway, I think multitasking is a very important thing. Sure, watching a video and using Numbers may not be in your mind, but what about streaming audio? All the radio applications are not used as much as they could be. Don't forget about the GPS applications (note, this is more of what I've experienced from the iPhone, so it may be a little different for people using the iPad).

 

[Full of Win]

The Kindel does one thing well, the iPad does many things good.

If you want an eBook reader, and that is all you want, then get a Kindel. If you movies, internet, apps, blah blah blah.. get the iPad

 

[Casiotone]

How about you just turn down the brightness?

The photons that comes out of an e-ink display are not special photons. The only reason it's easier on the eyes is that the brightness is much lower because there's no backlight.

 

[Amblinman]

And it's not a panini maker or anti-gravity sidewalk transportation device! What a ripoff.

Wishing that a computing device offered multitasking isn't quite the same as complaining that you can't strap it to your back and ride it around the living room. The Apple enthusiasts' responses to even the most basic complaint is as obnoxious as those ripping on people who just like to "pay for the logo."

I own an iPhone and an iMac. I love Apple products and was eagerly looking forward to this one. Yes, I'm underwhelmed, and not bcauze of inflated expectations. I don't care about front facing cameras or anti-gravitational devices. I simply expected to be able to do two things at once.

By the way, Jobs was the one who set the lofty expectations here. He calls this a revolutionary device that was much better than any netbook. Meanwhile, it can't even do everything a netbook can. I don't hold it against the device that it is whY it is. I hold it against Jobs that it isn't what he promised.

 

[MTI]

Amblinman, as eloquent as your response may be, perhaps your disappointmen should be tempered by the reality that you've not actually experienced the device or its applications.

As we know from life, there are trade offs and compromises in all things. Perhaps the trade off for multi-tasking (not overly sure if I'd miss that, given my experiences with iPhone, iPod Touch) was increased battery life or an OS that ran faster.

Perhaps if we all had a better understanding of the design and engineering choices that were made, the better consumers we'd all be.