Apple speculation thread

[CMcK]

I know what you mean about the ebook thing but I'm really starting to think that it's a good idea. I have a pile of books next to my bed about two feet high or I could have an half inch think reader with all that lot and more besides.
From the look of it ebooks will likely be a little cheaper than hardbacks which is what I normally buy anyway.
And if your are one of those peeps that takes a load of books on hoilday think of the weight that saves you in your case.
I do enjoy reading paper but if I could get my favourite magazines on something like the iPad I would be sold. The now defunct Drivers Republic online magazine was a great example of how electronic magazines could be.

[MJ]

Contains explicit subtitles

[saif]

If you want an ereader, get one. The ipad is NOT a decent ereader. As soon as Stephen Fry says that, you cannot take him seriously. I have not used an ipad but it is telling that he says "use for five mins" and that is all. Electronic ink is so much better to read that it makes the situation completely different. I imagine the page transitions are nicer on an ipad but you have to be pretty f**king shallow if that means anything. An ereader lasts for weeks on a charge and does not cause eyestrain (or iStrain as it should be called if people think light emitting devices are good for reading).

This whole thing is faintly depressing. If you are all so excited about it, why don't you just get a netbook? If you want to watch something on it at home, won't you need an iStand to put it on? Nobody has said a single thing that I don't already do on a netbook. Someone said that it is ideal for a general purpose computer for email/web etc. There is no keyboard!!

[Brad]

The lack of flash is a real killer for me. First thing my daughter asked me when she saw it on the news was 'Can I play Moshi on it' to which the answer was no.

Indeed, the lack of support for Moshi Monsters and Club Penguin is a bit of a deal breaker in our house too!

[smouty]

As has been mentioned in this thread the iPod is an OK music device, the iphone is an OK smartphone and the ipad will be an OK ebook reader. There are great ebook readers out there based on e-ink but this could be the device to make it mass market. It doesn't make it great though.
I agree regarding real books. It seems to be technology for nothing other than the sake of it. I'll stick to my book thanks.

[Nijo]

This whole thing is faintly depressing. If you are all so excited about it, why don't you just get a netbook? If you want to watch something on it at home, won't you need an iStand to put it on? Nobody has said a single thing that I don't already do on a netbook. Someone said that it is ideal for a general purpose computer for email/web etc. There is no keyboard!!

It's not aimed at you.

It's aimed at people who want to do browsing, e-reading, looking at photos, you-tubing, emailing, playing some scrabble.... but who DON'T want the hassle of a full computer. They don't want a netbook. They don't want a mouse and a keyboard or all the other paraphernalia when they're sitting on the sofa. They just want it nice and easy.

In fact, I might get one. So there.

[fishbowlhead]

I know what you mean about the ebook thing but I'm really starting to think that it's a good idea. I have a pile of books next to my bed about two feet high or I could have an half inch think reader with all that lot and more besides.
From the look of it ebooks will likely be a little cheaper than hardbacks which is what I normally buy anyway.
And if your are one of those peeps that takes a load of books on hoilday think of the weight that saves you in your case.
I do enjoy reading paper but if I could get my favourite magazines on something like the iPad I would be sold. The now defunct Drivers Republic online magazine was a great example of how electronic magazines could be.

Have we all learned nothing from electronic revenue streams? In many cases its cheaper to buy proper copys from the shop than download something, psn, itunes (especially the silly prices on here), xbla and steam are testament to this.

All said though, the ease of use (on a close look) for people for browsing, tube composing the odd email etc will be made ultra simple. Id even recommend it when it comes out, especially to older generations who arn't tech savvy and looking for simplicity, so in that respect im a bit of a hypocrite

I guess it all boils down to the apple fan in me not being able to buy a brand new must have (for me) toy.

[Dogg Thang]

Because this has to be synced with a computer, they have the hassle of a full computer whether they like it or not. This should have been self-contained, with it's own file systems etc so that things like photos, music, videos can be organised directly on the unit itself.

[Nijo]

Because this has to be synced with a computer, they have the hassle of a full computer whether they like it or not. This should have been self-contained, with it's own file systems etc so that things like photos, music, videos can be organised directly on the unit itself.

Yeah, I said the same thing in my previous post:

http://ntsc-uk.domino.org/showpost.php?p=1650413&postcount=353

... and I seem to have repeated myself. Sorry.

It does have that disadvantage. Though if I bought one for my mum she would never sync it. I'm not sure she would lose out? Or... I'm not sure she would notice that she was losing out. What does she care about organising photos? Wait, she wouldn't even have photos on the device, they'd all be online. What's syncing for again?

[Dogg Thang]

Syncing is for organising apps, contacts, your own photos, getting your own videos on, music, that sort of thing.

Downloading books, music, videos and apps from iTunes can all be done on the unit itself. Actually, organising those apps can be done on it too.

It's when you venture outside what's available on iTunes that you need a computer.

[Nijo]

Syncing is for organising apps, contacts, your own photos, getting your own videos on, music, that sort of thing.

Hmmm. I think there's a large set of people that don't need to do any of that. Or, don't know that they could do it, and what they don't know they won't miss.

Personally... my contacts are in gmail, photos on flickr/picassa, videos streamed from the NAS via twonky, music via squeeze center. In the future I will ditch the NAS and store everything online. Apps... I'm not sure why I need to organise them. All I need is a 'dumb terminal' with some portal apps to access that streamable data. All I need is a screen.

Anyway. The point is I think there's a market, and that this market isn't the same as the set of people that watch apple conferences or read tech blogs. Time will tell.

[saif]

How would your mum get photos on it? No card reader and no USB?

Great, it is aimed at certain people but you have to hold it while using it. I think the 5 minutes point is salient, are you going to watch a 30 minute or hour long TV prog while holding a digital photo frame? I am willing to do that for a smaller/lighter device on the tube. I never realised so many people were willing to relax while holding the screen at home too. It is not aimed at me.

That is the same reason I have not bought a tablet PC before. What is everyone else's reason?

Has this got a pen with it?Is it accurate enough for stylus use - the only person I know with a tablet PC loves it for that.

[Nijo]

How would your mum get photos on it? No card reader and no USB?

She wouldn't. She would use it to look at photos me and the rest of the family had uploaded for her.

That is the same reason I have not bought a tablet PC before. What is everyone else's reason?

Because a tablet is still too close to a laptop, and I have one of those.

In truth, I'm not 100% convinced by the iPad. I'm only playing devils advocate to counter the negativity.
I will get one for work because I develop apps for both iPhone and (soon) iPad, and at that point will be able to play with it first hand and decide whether it makes any sense for home use. I know there will be things I won't be able to do, but I can also see several plus points.

[Dogg Thang]

I don't think you can use a stylus with it. Or did I miss that? I could be wrong.

I thought it was like the iPhone screen that works with living fingers only. There is actually a stylus available for the iPhone/Touch but I have it and it's absolutely awful. Barely works.

But, yeah, for artists, I could see there being a great market for basically a self-contained Wacom that used Photoshop/Painter-like programmes. As it is, the Brushes app on the iPhone is great and, for me, that was the only thing that had me thinking maybe about the iPad. It certainly has potential and some artists will likely do amazing things on it.

But, at that size and price, for me, I'd be looking for something closer to an actual Wacom, with pen and layers of sensitivity.

[fishbowlhead]

So its got no usb port either not even one.