News - Apple iPad: the reviews are in

[usxhe190]

Apple knows they need the critical mass with iPads so that developers come aboard very quickly. It's effectively like the gaming console model but for apps.

If the other non-Apple guys just come up with something nice (it's not hard, it just a rectangle with black borders). I want to be on an open platform!

[strengthofmind]

Is this an April Fool?

[pricey4907]

I have an Ipod touch and hardly ever use that and I can remember how much I thought I needed it when the touch was first released. This is just another gadget for Dumb consumers and gadget craving idiots like myself to drool over!

[jim]

this is gonna be bigger and better.

You're right with one of those.

[McPhee]

Mossberg was able to watch back-to-back movies for almost 11 hours and 30 minutes

That's quite impressive. It actually makes me want one a little bit! I've been looking at getting an ultraportable gaming laptop like the Alienware M11x or the new Acer TimelineX series to keep me entertained on the train but the iPad may well be more sensible. Cheaper, smaller, better battery? All depends what the OS4 update yields though, I'd want to be able to run some form of messenger program and Spotify in the background.

[Hicks12]

Of course its going to have a better battery life!. As far as i remember its using exactly the same harware as the ipod touch/phone and so they have a tablet sized form factor where they can increase the battery size dramatically, so with the little power usage from the non x86 processors and other hardware and a battery capacitiy over double then im sure that 11hours is way way way easy to achieve.

Also the MX11x is a gaming machine, the screen is bigger by 1 or 2 ionches and the hardware is WAY more powerful, it can play windows games so i think it wins their?

Again, this is just a blown up iphone, how can it actually fill a 'gap'? Oh yes ive been looking for a device that is smaller than my laptop and larger than my HD2 but does less then either of them.

And performance, its using the same OS as the ipod touch, if android was put on HP tablet then just think how good that would be (i love windows 7 though so dont know if id like the change).


edit: I love how the guy said its game changing, no it really isnt as its identical to already established technologies and all they done is copy an old design and added their hardware/OS to it. Touch tablets have been out for awhile, it seems people forget this. And people have certainly been waiting for a long time for a device which is larger than their phone and doesnt support flash or multiple emails.

[crossy]

I have an Ipod touch and hardly ever use that and I can remember how much I thought I needed it when the touch was first released. This is just another gadget for Dumb consumers and gadget craving idiots like myself to drool over!

Yep, that pretty sums up my attitude too - although in my case the lack of iPod Touch usage was due to Apple's bl**dy firmware updates bricking the darned thing (three times!). That and Apple's woeful tech support (second worst I've come across, behind HP's!)

I am interested in the iPad, but more for what it's going to force others to come out with. It'll be a long time before I buy anything from Apple - they're (arguably) more "evil" than Microsoft were accused of being. (imho of course). Plus the constant flood of second-coming-alike media coverage is very off-putting.

[Bluecube]

It constantly surprises me that the technically literate totally do not get the iPad. Or perhaps it is because they are technically literate that they don't get it. The majority of people use PCs/ laptops for web browsing, email and viewing videos and photos with perhaps listening to some music thrown in. The iPad will be able to all these things and do it all in a compact simple to use package. Perfect! The iPhone/ iPad OS may not be technically the best out there but it works very well and does what people want it to do, providing an easy to use and intuitive interface. As for the cost, well Apple is a business first and foremost. It's going to maximise profit first! No one has to buy an iPad...

[ProbablyJoe]

I just can't see much use in something like this really. It's a smartphone with a bigger screen! But it's not a phone. It's a netbook with no keyboard? A laptop with no lid?

Things like these are nice in theory, and maybe they do have a place, but not at the price point Apple wants for them.

It's another Apple fashion accessory, what next, the Apple iHat?

Now, an Android based tablet for no more than £100? I'd consider that. Maybe. But I can't really see these things doing much more than my Hero really. I'm all for the all-in-one solution, so I'll stick with smartphones.

[Hicks12]

It constantly surprises me that the technically literate totally do not get the iPad. Or perhaps it is because they are technically literate that they don't get it. The majority of people use PCs/ laptops for web browsing, email and viewing videos and photos with perhaps listening to some music thrown in. The iPad will be able to all these things and do it all in a compact simple to use package. Perfect! The iPhone/ iPad OS may not be technically the best out there but it works very well and does what people want it to do, providing an easy to use and intuitive interface. As for the cost, well Apple is a business first and foremost. It's going to maximise profit first! No one has to buy an iPad...

It doesnt do all that though does it? One of the most popular things now is youtube, without flash that does not work so how is this going to be accessed?. The rest of web browsing yes, i agree it does it but just the same as a laptop/netbook and the netbook is almost the same bloody size.


Most tech people do understand it but the main problem is how can they justify a very high price for which you get little tech, when compared to competitors that are cheaper and better.

[kalniel]

It doesnt do all that though does it? One of the most popular things now is youtube, without flash that does not work so how is this going to be accessed?

Through quicktime. Works great on ipod/phone already, so ipad will be fine as well.

[Hicks12]

Through quicktime. Works great on ipod/phone already, so ipad will be fine as well.

Oh ok, i honestly didnt know that (i dont use you tube often and certainly didnt have the need to use it on my mates ipod touch). Then yes the above statement is correct about web browsing, it should be alright.

[Bluecube]

Plus Youtube is experimenting with HTML5 which negates the need for Flash apparently.

I think that focussing on the technology is the wrong thing to do as there really isn't that much to it as you say. The interface is what sets the iPad apart from the competition in all forms. Love it or hate it, it works very well.

[kellyharding]

The reason it has no flash support is because Jobs hates it. He is right, it sucks and is a memory and cpu hog, something which on a portable device is bad news for battery life.

If only there was a viable stable and efficient alternative to flash...

[usxhe190]

It constantly surprises me that the technically literate totally do not get the iPad. Or perhaps it is because they are technically literate that they don't get it. The majority of people use PCs/ laptops for web browsing, email and viewing videos and photos with perhaps listening to some music thrown in. The iPad will be able to all these things and do it all in a compact simple to use package. Perfect! The iPhone/ iPad OS may not be technically the best out there but it works very well and does what people want it to do, providing an easy to use and intuitive interface. As for the cost, well Apple is a business first and foremost. It's going to maximise profit first! No one has to buy an iPad...

It surprises because you can all those things (and more) with something else for less. But yes, you are right, no one has to buy an iPad.

[[GSV]Trig]

Erm April fools?

Much has been made of Apple's iPad since its January unveiling, and the first verdicts are undeniably favourable, with the device being dubbed a potential "laptop killer" and "one of the best computers ever".