Apple just announce the iPad. Their new tablet that is suppose to revolutionize tablets and probably personal computing similar to what they did for smartphones on the iPhone. Some say these will kill PC’s specially netbooks, but some people shrug it off as a glorified, up-sized iPhone...
On a glance, the device looks very promising (and gorgeous at that). The specs are not bad. The hardware looks solidly built. The whole ecosystem is closed and in full integration with each other (good or bad thing? you decide) The starting price of $500 is also a surprise for a hot new technology.
But the problem with the iPad is that they are in an indirect competition to netbooks but yet offer little productivity and power to accomplish simple tasks and programs like the ability to multitask and run Flash.
if Apple expects this to be the future of portable computing, I've just been insulted. the day i can't read the news, listen to Pandora and go on AIM at the same time is the day i declare the internet useless
- Gizmodo Reader
I own an Acer Aspire One and rarely use it because what I’d be doing on it, I can do on my iPod Touch. But for instances where I need to connect to the internet on a bigger display, the netbook can do it. If I need to transfer photos off my digicam to the netbook for viewing of backup purposes, the netbook can handle that, and with expansion slot to spare. If I need to check my mail, browse the web, chat on yahoo messenger, watch a Flash video online, all at the same time, my netbook allows it. Now why can’t iPad do these? Imagine chatting with someone and always hanging up just to check your mail on the iPad. What a total waste of time.
I agree that you can’t do most things on netbooks as well, even those with instant boot linux flavors. But if you’re going against netbooks with the iPad at least offer the common features and exceed them with multi-touch, IPS, and other “cool” things. The sad thing is that even with the iPad’s lack of basic features, plugins and slots, people will still buy it and see it as the most revolutionary device ever invented again.
Admittedly, the iPad is a great device but I just don’t see it yet as the future of personal computing specially if it disregards common usability features and applications. Just take a look at how long Apple realized the copy and paste thing on the iPhone.
If this gets jailbroken then I'm going to buy one with 3G. The hacking community has made my iPhones the mobile devices that they should have been out of the box. Multitasking, themes, tethering, and yes even PORN plus more that is just not provided by Apple and its AppStore. But the iPad as it is now is a major disappointment to alot people - even to Apple fans.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, what is so damn groundbreaking about this thing
ReplyDeleteits just a hybrid of the limited feature iphone and ereader...
its just too propriatary
no flash
no multitasking
limited apps (and even when the ipad catches up to the iphone apps, it will still be under apple law and censorship
Just get the friggin ereader intergrated into our laptops and netbooks
with the twisty screens that can be laptops, tablets and ereaders all in one!
I think this can be jailbroken as well as it's also the same OS, just in a larger package. Considering getting one but really want to wait for the 2nd gen for some minor improvements.
ReplyDeletethe Lenovo S10-3t is a good netbook alternative
ReplyDeleteThe iPad is perfect for the classroom. As a teacher, I can vouch for this.
ReplyDeleteOne word: iWork. I can do all my presentations and show them in class. I can type of an exercise sheet or the next midterm test and print it out (well, I assume you can print -- otherwise I'm NOT getting one). I can grade students on the spot. I can do this all while holding the tablet cradled in my arm and typing with one hand. That's something that would be awkward with any netbook.
And what about the hardcore apps it CAN'T use? Photoshop? Illustrator? Easy. It's called Jaadu VNC (or take your pick of any other VNC app for the iPhone/iPodTouch/iPad) and you can grab a computer off the network and do your demonstration on the big screen -- right from the iPad.
I don't see why everyone is whining about Flash. Flash is buggy. Flash is NOT a standard, and only lazy, incompetent and irresponsible designers would design any website solely in Flash. Flash games? The quality and presentation of the iPhone/Pad/Pod apps beat any ol Flash game any day.
The device itself is great, battery life is greater than most netbooks. Also a teacher here and I get your idea and it looks really helpful on class.
ReplyDeleteRegarding flash, flash is not just about games or full flash sites. Some websites and ads run on flash components on some of its sections, blocking them would hamper the browsing experience. read http://theflashblog.com/?p=1703
It would be better if Apple had an option to turn Flash on or off under the discretion of the user and not dictate what we want and need themselves.
Well, even with a proper notebook, you'd have to exit your presentation to bring up the web browser, and then restart the presentation. If multitasking was an issue for me, I'd just jailbreak it. That's what I've done with my iPhone 3Gs.
ReplyDeleteAs for Flash, It would be good to have support for it, no doubt. The iPad is definitely not for just about anyone without Flash support, but I'll still waver it's great as it is. Afterall, you won't find any other product that runs all the apps on the Apple AppStore, iTunesStore or iBookStore? It's the service that matters -- not just the device : )