ipad anyone?

[hyiu]

why sit outside for 5 days ?

my sis-in-law ordered one online, and it UPS to his place that morning...
no waiting... no fuss...

once I get a chance to play with it, I'll let you guys know if it lives up to the hype...
(I have not seen one in person, but so far, from what I read from the web, I'm not impressed...)

[shmokes]

My friend just went to the local Best Buy and picked one up on launch day.  No line.

[Malenko]

sorry to hop in all late, but I was reading about all this cornfusion for streaming from a PC or whatever to an Iphone , PS3 , etc

I use Tversity, it runs in the tray and even when I'm streaming to my PS3/360/other PCs/etc I don't notice any slow down, and you can stream to the Iphone via the built in safari browser. Now I know you mentioned Tversity then sorta dropped the conversation, but its super simple to use and I have zero complaints about it (and it supports DIVX)

[Blanka]

I just have been watching the video review from Engadget.

Some findings:

- This thing must be low on RAM. They say Safari is speedy, but it does not look like that (grey areas all the time when scrolling). You see that the buffer cannot hold one complete page, not to mention fast tab switching. You see the page regenerate all the time, and switching tabs looks like a complete reload.
- Design of apps is realy a mess. Why does an E-book have to look like an old medieval book on display in the National Museum? Maybe Apple should include a old-paper-stink-generator too. Mail looks very Mail-OSX like (like it needs a mouse and the menu bar can pop in any time), Calender is pretty down-to-earth iPad style. Contacts is very boring. Hey where was your imagination on that? Not even big facials or browse by picture. Fun too see that the bad taste of Steve (or is it his wife? or just being American?) kicks away Ive's minimal-oriented brain sometimes.
- Too much iCandy. Please pay us back killed time on sweeping pages, zooming dock icons, rotating orientation switches, fancy photoalbum zooms. Make a "don't steal my time with fancy stuff" button in the preferences.
- Apple keeps struggling with the rotation sensor. Forget the lock switch and auto-turn. Just introduce a manual big turn gesture that works all the time.

[protokatie]

Ok, after testing the iPad out for a few days, I will give my first "official" byoac report (as it seems I am the only byoac poster who has one).

First off, the lack of flash is becoming more and more of a problem. I do not use a computer for just casual browsing of the web, and many sites that I like to visit use flash. Those flash based sites that also use the <video> tag as an option also seem to not work on the iPad.

The lack of multitasking is also a bother, but for such a device it is ok. Right now as I am typing this on my iPad, I see why multitasking is not allowed. I am currently dling a video podcast and the on screen keyboard is now reacting very slowly. I do not think the iPad has the CPU power for real multitasking.

The lack of samba is annoying, but expected. The inability to dl video off of a web site was not expected tho and hinders the usefulness of the device.

The new (ie larger) on screen keyboard is nice tho, and almost allows for touch typing.

All in all, this thing is not a big deal. The form factor is nice, but it's lack of certain key features cripples it for any serious use. If you want to do anything serious with an ultra portable computer, stick with a net book. I know I will. But the Ipad does have it's uses and it would be useful to just consider it a large iPod touch.

[patrickl]

why sit outside for 5 days ?

Apparently the guy is a professional "line sitter". He was the first to buy an iPhone and he signed first at "ground zero".

This was a store that would sell the iPad first.

[patrickl]

- Too much iCandy. Please pay us back killed time on sweeping pages, zooming dock icons, rotating orientation switches, fancy photoalbum zooms. Make a "don't steal my time with fancy stuff" button in the preferences.

Yeah, I saw the Windows Mobile 7 demo and with that I was also wondering if you could switch all those ridiculous animations off. Why do I need to wait for a menu to slide into place?

People whine how their devices are so slow and then they are happy that designers actually make stuff go even slower with these swishy swashy user interfaces.

[patrickl]

Oh BTW the biggest question on everybodies mind is of course ... will it blend?

[protokatie]

Yeah, I saw the Windows Mobile 7 demo and with that I was also wondering if you could switch all those ridiculous animations off. Why do I need to wait for a menu to slide into place?

People whine how their devices are so slow and then they are happy that designers actually make stuff go even slower with these swishy swashy user interfaces.

That is done to hide load times. It is a pretty common "feature" and has been for more than a decade. I remember in the win 3.11 days that the menus were stored on the Hdd until you clicked on a menu. I could actually hear the hdd clicking away to get just the small bit of text + whatnot simply for menus.

[shmokes]

I just clicked around my start menu and I hear the hdd clicking away each time I open a new folder.  This is on a Windows 7 machine with a Core i7 920 and 12 GB of DDR3 RAM.  Go figure.

Actually after opening about 10 folders it stopped accessing the hdd no matter how many more folders I opened.  Presumably the OS got wise to me and decided to cache the whole menu.

[patrickl]

Yeah, I saw the Windows Mobile 7 demo and with that I was also wondering if you could switch all those ridiculous animations off. Why do I need to wait for a menu to slide into place?

People whine how their devices are so slow and then they are happy that designers actually make stuff go even slower with these swishy swashy user interfaces.

That is done to hide load times. It is a pretty common "feature" and has been for more than a decade. I remember in the win 3.11 days that the menus were stored on the Hdd until you clicked on a menu. I could actually hear the hdd clicking away to get just the small bit of text + whatnot simply for menus.

No it's not.

I'll agree that technically animations could "hide" a delay, but in reality they simply don't.

What is happening is that it's animating the menu that it already retrieved. If it simply displays it instead of sliding it in then it would be faster.

[RayB]

Oh BTW the biggest question on everybodies mind is of course ... will it blend?

Pretty impressive at 0:38-0:44. The thing is is smashed and bent into a curve yet you can see the screen still works and stuff is functioning!!

@Prototakie: The <video> tag is HTML5 which isn't yet "approved" and ready to go. So no doubt it will come when the standard is finalized.

[Level42]

- Too much iCandy. Please pay us back killed time on sweeping pages, zooming dock icons, rotating orientation switches, fancy photoalbum zooms. Make a "don't steal my time with fancy stuff" button in the preferences.

Yeah, I saw the Windows Mobile 7 demo and with that I was also wondering if you could switch all those ridiculous animations off. Why do I need to wait for a menu to slide into place?

People whine how their devices are so slow and then they are happy that designers actually make stuff go even slower with these swishy swashy user interfaces.

If I were you, I'd go back to good old MS-Dos. Get rid of all those ridiculous windows !

[patrickl]

- Too much iCandy. Please pay us back killed time on sweeping pages, zooming dock icons, rotating orientation switches, fancy photoalbum zooms. Make a "don't steal my time with fancy stuff" button in the preferences.

Yeah, I saw the Windows Mobile 7 demo and with that I was also wondering if you could switch all those ridiculous animations off. Why do I need to wait for a menu to slide into place?

People whine how their devices are so slow and then they are happy that designers actually make stuff go even slower with these swishy swashy user interfaces.

If I were you, I'd go back to good old MS-Dos. Get rid of all those ridiculous windows !

I do like the Windows 95 style of interface best. With all animations switched off. No "aqua" and swishing stuff for me.

I'm obviously not alone since Windows still comes with this option of a "classic" interface style. Especially in corporate environments where for people who use their computer to work on rather than for web browsing and picture viewing.

[shmokes]

The Windows 7 taskbar is so many lightyears beyond Windows 95 it makes me want to cut somebody's arm off.

[patrickl]

The Windows 7 taskbar is so many lightyears beyond Windows 95 it makes me want to cut somebody's arm off.

theme != interface

[shmokes]

Have you used Windows 7?

[patrickl]

Have you used Windows 7?

Yes. So?

The mind boggles how it is important wether I have used Windows 7 or not when I state that I dislike aque/aero themes and that I don't like useless animations.

[solidteezme]

The ipad is gonna suck, no xvideos or redtube. Thats all we want it for on the move!!! 

[patrickl]

The ipad is gonna suck, no xvideos or redtube. Thats all we want it for on the move!!! 

Adobe seems to have gone with HP and their upcoming Slate device



Engadget had an article with iPad alternatives: iPass? The best present and future alternatives to the Apple iPad.

A few days later they also had an article that ads the ICD Gemini with Android to that list.

[Ed_McCarron]

Is there an actual reason for Apple to have dismissed flash?  Other than the seeming "We're apple and you'll buy what we tell you to" attitude?

[Loafmeister]

IMHO, if apple could have their way, they would want every little bit of content you view on the Ipad (Itouch/Iphone) to come through the Appstore, which equates to additional revenue for them.  Supporting other codecs/flash opens up the possibility you'll be accessing media without going through them.  The lack of flash support is a business decision, not a tech limitation.

[patrickl]

With iPhone OS4 they even demand that developers can not use other compilers than the one that Apple provides. So applications build using the Flash compiler that Adobe created are not allowed on the iPhone/iPad.

They really want a monopoly on everything.

[CheffoJeffo]

They really want a monopoly on everything.

Especially batteries !

Really, WTF is it with Apple and batteries ?

If your iPhone won't charge, they'll replace the battery for a fee. If your iPad won't charge, they'll give you a refurb (as opposed to replacing the battery) for a fee.

Didn't they learn anything from the iPod battery fiasco ? Or is there some other reason that they are unwilling to make what seems to be their biggest point of failure an item that is easy to replace (even if it is done in-store) ?

I really miss Apple Computer Inc -- I loved that they included the schematics with the Apple ][ -- I tore mine apart and built all sorts of cool stuff (much of which never actually worked, but I thought it was cool!). Apple Inc is a media company and I have no love of media companies, even when they have cool-looking gadgets.

I will admit that their delivery system is pretty good ... my son bought a game on his iPod Touch and it wouldn't download ... 5 tries later and a message comes up saying "when you log into iTunes on your computer, this will be available for download". I logged in to iTunes and there it was, ready to download. Downloaded, then plugged in the iPod and everything installed nicely. Credit where credit is due.

[RayB]

With iPhone OS4 they even demand that developers can not use other compilers than the one that Apple provides. So applications build using the Flash compiler that Adobe created are not allowed on the iPhone/iPad.

They really want a monopoly on everything.

I just learned this news today. Quite the kick in the pants to hundreds of thousands (or millions?) of Flash developers out there and a douchey move against Adobe.

http://daringfireball.net/2010/04/iphone_agreement_bans_flash_compiler

The worst part is that this won't prevent bad programmers from still putting out fart apps and apps that are buggy, made with their own "approved" tools.

[polaris]

for the technically brain dead like me can someone explain what i'm missing out on with not having flash.
the bbc iplayer requires flash on my proper computers but will work on my iphone too, obviously with some other thing that does the same job, you tube works, porn does too(so i'm told), admittedly theyre mobile site versions, but the content is the same once it starts playing.

[RayB]

Thats just it Polaris. It's just something for a bunch of geeks to complain about because a device they would never consider purchasing anyways is not "perfect".

[protokatie]

Things that don't work without flash

1. Most interactive online video media (like those web cams that you can move around.

2. Most video streaming sites (other than YouTube, but that was a special case). This includes hulu, surthechannel, south park studios, comedy central, and many many others

3. Maybe half of the sites that have "advanced" added functionality. Luckily php is supported on the iPad, otherwise byoac (and any other forum that uses phpbb) would be inaccessible.

It really isn't a nerd thing at all. You may not realize how many of the sites that you go to use flash in some way.

4. Almost forgot, flash sites like new grounds will obviously not work, as well as an link you get in your email to those cute flash viral videos.

Apple kicked out flash because apple wanted to have all content go through them. With flash, anyone could make an app and apple wouldn't be able to do anything about it. It was a profit based business decision.

[jfunk]

...Luckily php is supported on the iPad...

Sorry, but this is just kinda silly.  PHP is a backend language.  It spits out whatever you want it to (text, html, etc, etc...)  ANYTHING with a browser supports 'php' as long as the php is outputing content the browser supports 

In terms of flash support..  In most cases, I think companies shouldn't use flash for 'enhancements'..  Dropdown menus, animation, etc, etc should all be javascript..  With jquery, extjs, and all of the other fantastic javascript libraries open to developers (that work just fine on the iPhone), there's no reason to use bulky flash for site 'enhancements'...

I think most video sites will end up supporting both flash and HTML5, especially with FF and IE coming around to use it...

The only thing I see flash as REALLY useful for on websites is games..  But, I don't play many flash games, so... 

Just my $0.02... 

[shmokes]

But, I don't play many flash games, so... 

Well . . . in that case I suppose there really is no reason to support Flash.  Surely if you don't play many flash games nobody else does either.   

[protokatie]

...Luckily php is supported on the iPad...

Sorry, but this is just kinda silly.  PHP is a backend language.  It spits out whatever you want it to (text, html, etc, etc...)  ANYTHING with a browser supports 'php' as long as the php is outputing content the browser

I should have known better than to say what I did in respect to a server side language. I was at work in between customers trying to tap that out on my iPad anD must have been thinking of something else. 

[Level42]

Man is that HP slate thing lagging !!!

It already looks old-fashioned compared to the iPad before it is released....


(by the way, that video was not Flash )

It's a format war people. Remember VHS, Betamax, V2000 ?

Also: the iPad is not targeted on any of us nerds who actually know what is going behind the scenes. It's targeted at people who want a device that does, like a TV or a coffee-machine, what they want it to do and not want to be bothered about the technology behind it.

The protective attitude is not something new or unique for Apple. Shall I remember the Atari 2600 ? Why did the videogame scene crash in 1983/4 ? Because there was a ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- load of rubbish released for that machine by companies who went for the quick buck.

Atari had no control over the contents on the machine. Worse: they started pumping out rubbish themselves.
Nintendo (just as an example) learned from that and changed the rules. I think, in the end it works for customers. And for the companies too, because Nintendo is still around and stronger than ever, while Atari is long dead.

O and you are still free to buy any product or not.

[protokatie]

Also: the iPad is not targeted on any of us nerds who actually know what is going behind the scenes. It's targeted at people who want a device that does, like a TV or a coffee-machine, what they want it to do and not want to be bothered about the technology behind it.

Again, the flash point has been missed. Flash IS something that let's you access the web like you would turn to a certain tv channel. It is not a nerd thing. Not having flash is like having a tv that only let's you tune to channel 7 and 13, with all other channels just showing static.

The honest truth is that I cannot on the iPad that I am typing this reply on go to any and all web sites. Many of the popular ones simple do not work without flash. To the non-nerd, the lack of flash would be frustrating when surfing the web, as they would simply be locked out of a large portion of it, ESP many of the links their friends send them via email or even word of mouth.


Please, get this through your head; flash is not a nerd thing, it is one of the major aspects of the web experience, and if it is not there, you will not be able to see the full web at all.


That being said, the iPad is cool and all, and the lack of multitasking fits the form factor, but I would like to be able to access all of the web, not just part of it.

[jfunk]

But, I don't play many flash games, so... 

Well . . . in that case I suppose there really is no reason to support Flash.  Surely if you don't play many flash games nobody else does either.   

OK, poor phrasing on my part    I honestly never notice the lack of flash (my point).  HOWEVER, all this talk about 'geeks' being the only ones that care..  The one complaint about the iPhone that I hear from my wife, over and over, is the lack of flash.  She's asked quite often why this site or that won't work, or why she can't view videos...

But seriously, that's her only complaint 

[CheffoJeffo]

Man is that HP slate thing lagging !!!

It already looks old-fashioned compared to the iPad before it is released....

Perhaps, but it does solve all of the objections to the iPad for those who object. It comes at the cost of half the battery life of the iPad (until the iPad battery deteriorates).

I'll probably pick up a Slate because it will be closest to what I want a tablet for (which includes streaming, video conferencing and running apps not available on iPad) and gives me more options for what I do with it.

[shmokes]

the lack of multitasking fits the form factor

You'll get multitasking this fall with OS 4.0

[patrickl]

Just saw a clip of a guy who put the iPad in a car dashboard.


So I guess there really IS something an iPad does better than a netbook.

[Level42]

Wow that last sentence must have cost you some serious effort to type Patrick

Kinda nice to have a "mac" and a McIntosh.....
Where did he leave that amp by the way, and man is that a waste to put that in a car (I didn't listen to the sound of this clip, maybe he didn't actually use it in the car ?)

[patrickl]

Wow that last sentence must have cost you some serious effort to type Patrick

No, I see some benefits to the form factor. Just not so much in webbrowsing, media playing and PDF reading.

Kinda nice to have a "mac" and a McIntosh.....
Where did he leave that amp by the way, and man is that a waste to put that in a car (I didn't listen to the sound of this clip, maybe he didn't actually use it in the car ?)

I was wondering about the cost too, but a car stereo can be hugely expensive too. Especially one with a TV screen. This iPad is probably a lot cheaper than most alternatives.

Besides, it's not actually fixed to the car. He can slide it out.

[CheffoJeffo]

Today ... I want an iPad ... or another tablet device that is good with PDFs.

I finally got off of my butt and ordered 20 years worth of the Digital Archives of GameRoom Magazine on DVD. (highly recommended, BTW).

I have a nice office setup, including two secondary LCDs that rotate for nice reading of portrait-oriented material, but it isn't the same as having a device that I can carry around then sit outside with a nice cold beer, flipping through the back issues.