Technology Apple Tablet day

[Slevin]

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Well in a few hours the Apple Tablet will be unleashed upon the world. If it's as sweet as my iPhone is then I might have to part with some of my greenbacks

 

[slight365]

I eagerly await the complaints of all the early adopters.

Smartphones ftw.

 

[WittyUsername]

have you guys heard about this guy that's been beta-testing the new tablet for 2 weeks now? he's been tweeting about it apparently...

http://twitter.com/Jason

no idea whether it's legit or not though...

 

[Chocolate Bear]

I'm really hoping this is a bit different from some of the more vocal, mainstay media rumors out there. If it's just a $1000 iPhone with no phone, I really don't see the appeal. Not quite a laptop...overpriced eReader...etc.

But, then again, I didn't really look into what other possibilities this thing has, as far as rumors are concerned, so I may be grossly misinformed...unlike most of Apple's releases. 😀

 

[DrBowtie]

This is meant to be a 3rd category device since it isn't better than the iPhone and not better than the MacBook at doing their job.

I see it as a novelty item to up their cool factor just like the MacBook Air.

 

[southerndoc]

I'm not that impressed with it.

 

[rddoms]

http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/live-from-the-apple-tablet-latest-creation-event/

Not bad, 16Gb starting at $499, $629 with built-in 3G. I'm a Win7 guy, but the iPhone finally got me. I am interested in seeing the full specs at apple.com when they are posted. I might actually buy this...

 

[slight365]

IMO, as on-board, and expandable memory gets cheaper and cheaper, smartphones will become more and more viable, simply put. Everything in one, better battery life, more compact, wlan, etc. Everything these in betweens will not have. I have no data plan on mine, just use the wlan on campus or wherever I am, and it works fantastic and it fits a big gap up until needing my laptop, which I hardly bring anymore. Pretty much 90-95% of my needs are handled by my phone. Perhaps 99% with the exception of presentations.

 

[GoodmanBrown]

have you guys heard about this guy that's been beta-testing the new tablet for 2 weeks now? he's been tweeting about it apparently...

http://twitter.com/Jason

no idea whether it's legit or not though...

No, it's not legit. He in no way has any secret Apple product. Doesn't now and never did.

 

[GoodmanBrown]

I'm not that impressed with it.

I agree. It's really not that amazing. Barely interesting even.

 

[GoodmanBrown]

http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/live-from-the-apple-tablet-latest-creation-event/

Not bad, 16Gb starting at $499, $629 with built-in 3G. I'm a Win7 guy, but the iPhone finally got me. I am interested in seeing the full specs at apple.com when they are posted. I might actually buy this...

Not trying to be cocky or an ass or anything, but why? What role will it fill that your laptop or iPhone couldn't fill better?

1) It's so large, you have to make the same accommodations as you would for a laptop.

2) It's got no way to use a mouse with it, and the keyboard looks to be incredibly limiting as you have to use it on a sturdy, flat surface, so you can't even keep it on your lap to type.

Smartphones (and the iPod touch) took off because portability trumps the limitations of no keyboard and mouse. But when the portability is similar to a laptop, where's the iPad's advantage?

 

[Paseo Del Norte]

From what I've seen, I am a little underwhelmed.

1) I was hoping for a version of the OS Mac fanboys know and love, I essentially see a big iPhone based OS.

2) 64 Gigabytes of memory at best? I thought the Macbook Air experiences were enough to stop this silliness. Then again, it's OS is basically a big iPhone/iPod touch without all the functionality.

3) No camera?

In conclusion, I was hoping for a device that was more functional like a laptop. I have a Macbook Air that fills my school niche as a light device that I can take to class, utilise the internet, and have all the abilities of a laptop. This device cannot even fill that niche, from what I have seen.

Perhaps the new $20.00, 3G data package will be helpful and save costs for people who do not want to shell out for a full data plan; however, it is only good in the three or so metropolitan areas that actually have solid 3G coverage with AT&T. (Sarcasm alert!)

I will watch and see if my first impressions are wrong; however, I suspect Apple will pull the old trick where people loose the plot and buy all the devices only to have a brand new device with a solid camera and new specifications released a few months later. I am an Apple fan, but I am going to be a hater over this, for now. Hopefully, I will be proven wrong.

 

[WittyUsername]

2) It's got no way to use a mouse with it, and the keyboard looks to be incredibly limiting as you have to use it on a sturdy, flat surface, so you can't even keep it on your lap to type.

Actually, word is that Steve Jobs himself, during the presentation today in CA was using the iPad to type with it in his lap, sitting on a couch.

http://www.macworld.com/article/145805/2010/01/apple_event.html

"10:17 PT - DM: To send the message, just hit the compose button. He's typing on it like a standard QWERTY keyboard, just putting the tablet in his lap"


Lawyered.

 

[StatCoder]

Looks like a real winner to me. Reminds me very much of another consumer-oriented device that somehow found its way into the medical market to dominate mobile information - the iPhone & iPod Touch. Just the fact that it runs iPhone apps makes it useful for medical applications right away.

Those of us who are using iPhones and iPod Touch's in our daily clinical lives are really settling for a small screen just because we don't have anything better to use. I love showing my patients something on my iPhone but it's comical when you think about it.

If you're using a laptop then you are walking around with a hinged device that really can't be used while walking around. And, you are using software that wasn't designed, in any way, to be mobile.

I predict an explosion of vertical applications including clinical ones (in addition to all of the iPhone OS ones that currently exist and will be compatible). It's the apps that will make this more useful as the platform develops. We are probably looking at a new standard issue device at medical schools for the price of 2-3 textbooks.

 

[deleted87716]

I predict an explosion of vertical applications including clinical ones (in addition to all of the iPhone OS ones that currently exist and will be compatible). It's the apps that will make this more useful as the platform develops.

Agreed. The iPad will only be as useful as the applications that will run on it.

 

[1UP]

I think it will be a hit. The smart people will wait for version 2 or 2.5.

However, they will need to allow more than one application to run at a time otherwise it will almost certainly FAIL.

 

[StatCoder]

I think some of this stuff is going to be really nice when shown 9 inches diagonal. I'm looking forward to using in two months.

 

[Slevin]

However, they will need to allow more than one application to run at a time otherwise it will almost certainly FAIL.

1UP,

Question why will it fail? When the iPhone came out people said it would fail because no multi tasking, no flash, etc. Why will the iPad fail if it doesn't have multitasking? People who have iPhones/iPod Touch's are used to the single app environment so that's not an issue and if reports are to believed it runs really fast when starting and launching applications so I'm not sure how that would be a problem.

 

[1UP]

A single application environment is an acceptable limitation for a smartphone, people don't expect them to be very powerful and have a long battery life. However, being able to run only one application at a time will be seen as a major limitation for something that falls somewhere within the "netbook" category of devices when all the other devices in that group can run multiple applications simultaneously. This limitation will become quite apparent to consumers with the next revision of Intel's Atom platform allowing quick and efficient multitasking.

1UP,

Question why will it fail? When the iPhone came out people said it would fail because no multi tasking, no flash, etc. Why will the iPad fail if it doesn't have multitasking? People who have iPhones/iPod Touch's are used to the single app environment so that's not an issue and if reports are to believed it runs really fast when starting and launching applications so I'm not sure how that would be a problem.

 

[WittyUsername]

A single application environment is an acceptable limitation for a smartphone, people don't expect them to be very powerful and have a long battery life. However, being able to run only one application at a time will be seen as a major limitation for something that falls somewhere within the "netbook" category of devices when all the other devices in that group can run multiple applications simultaneously. This limitation will become quite apparent to consumers with the next revision of Intel's Atom platform allowing quick and efficient multitasking.

👍

 

[StatCoder]

Since the iPad runs the same iPhone OS as the iPhone, any announcement of multitasking would have to include the iPhone. This was clearly an iPad-only announcement focused on anything but computing. The demo was done on a couch. Multitasking is not an issue because it detracts from the focus of the device and it's coming anyway this Summer.

 

[slight365]

So no one likes multitasking, or running an application in the background?

 

[Slevin]

So no one likes multitasking, or running an application in the background?

If the application in the background launches fast enough I don't think you'll ever notice the difference between true multitasking and what the iPhone OS does. The other problem with multitasking then becomes managing the running applications trying to remember what application you have running vs what you don't. In a single application mode the running application has full use of the processor and RAM whereas in multitasking that isn't the case and you can have an application run poorly. I'd rathe have the application I'm working with run smoothly than it running poorly due to a background application sucking the processor power away and prematurely draining the batter because I forgot to shut down that application.

On my laptop I have multiple applications open but that's because the processor is more than powerful enough with two cores and gig's of ram.

 

[slight365]

I only ask, as on my Nokia, I can run several apps at once, and don't suffer detrimental effects (to date). I can't imagine not running my browser, IM service, Gmail, word and/or excel, my streaming audio/music player, and other apps at the same time.

As far as tracking them, one needs to simply hold the hold button for 2-3 seconds, and a list of open apps comes up.

 

[TMP-SMX]

On a larger screen device there should be the capability of multitasking but honestly a device like this with an iPhone OS alerts you when something new happens. So for that reason it isn't as necessary. AIM and everything else on the iPhone already have push notification and you are connected at all times. Pages that are open in a browser stay there when you want to go to a different app. The emails are still there if you want to open it back up or return to an email you were composing. If you get a new email it is pushed and you are notified.

Yes, if you are using Pandora or some streaming music you can't use other apps besides your standard apps plus a few others. Though if you have all of your music on the device that doesn't matter as much does it?

 

[slight365]

Now during classes, I go back and forth between Word and Excel on my phone, as well as picture files. On the ipad, if I wanted to do that, the application will shut down, then when I want to switch, I have to reload the docs, or not?

 

[GoodmanBrown]

I think some of this stuff is going to be really nice when shown 9 inches diagonal. I'm looking forward to using in two months.

Will you really carry a 12 inch diagonal device around with you everywhere in the hospital? Where will you carry it?

With the huge bezel, the device really isn't small at all.

 

[GoodmanBrown]

Actually, word is that Steve Jobs himself, during the presentation today in CA was using the iPad to type with it in his lap, sitting on a couch.

http://www.macworld.com/article/145805/2010/01/apple_event.html

"10:17 PT - DM: To send the message, just hit the compose button. He's typing on it like a standard QWERTY keyboard, just putting the tablet in his lap"


Lawyered.

I actually meant the accessory keyboard shown at the bottom of this page.

I can't imagine anyone could work up to anything faster than 30 wpm on the touchscreen keyboard, even in landscape mode...

 

[Paseo Del Norte]

In addition to the multitasking issues, I see Apple has yet to get over their flash issues. Interesting to market the iPad as a revolutionary internet experience when you still cannot view pages that utilise flash.

Still no user replaceable battery. I know I have had some battery issues with my iPhone and so have my friends.

I still think Apple has the next generations sorted with cameras and the ability to do stuff such as video messaging. I still say Apple is going to hold out, make money, and re-release to make more money. Capitalism, I guess; however, after the iPhone 3G to 3GS experience and fallout from that, I would hope Apple would be smarter about the balance of money versus keeping people happy. Or, as people have already stated, Apply simply may have a hit regardless...