Also I kind of have a feeling it might just go the way of the Macbook Air. I'm interested to see what it does, but I'm unsure of how many people are going to need what might just be a giant iPhone.

It's innovative because Steve Jobs says no one has ever done it before!

The tablet is pointless in every way to me. There are two sizes for devices, and this fits in a middle area that makes it useless.

There is the "pocketable" size. That is, smartphones. Smartphones continue to grow larger, but they're staying within that pocketable size. They're also getting disgustingly fast.

Then there is the laptop bag size. I mean, really, when you think about it, if you're going to be taking a system you need a bag for, why would you skimp massively for an iPhone with a large screen when you can have a full-fledged computer for only slightly more size and weight, in that bag.

Exactly. Most people don't want to buy yet another $500+ device that fills some nonexistant void of utility between phone and laptop.

I didn't realize so many people hate apple.

I don't hate Apple, but I dont always agree with the products they put out.

I love Apple from a business perspective, but slightly dislike them as a consumer because though I like most of their products, I don't think they are worth as much as they are priced and though I understand why they are priced as they are (from a strategic standpoint), I am not willing to spend that much.

If all their new stuff was priced at refurb levels and their refurbs dropped another $100-200 then they would be at the perfect price point

Their cinedisplays also have terrible color gamut for as expensive as they are. Good luck using Adobe RGB on one.

FYI -- it's just been announced. It's called the iPad.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/the-apple-ipad/

I'm a psychic:

So far the product is pretty meh from my standpoint - its a giant iPhone without the phone aspect.

worst name ever

I agree, I wish this "i" fiasco would die. Much preferred Canvas, or Slate.

10 hours of battery life is pretty impressive, as is the month of standby.

Oh i figured it out. Its actually for just touching digital boobs:

Well I think I concede my "maybe they thought of something" to Emon.

I agree with A and disagree with B.

This piece of **** is a perfect example. Who needs or wants a device that magically combines the awesome user interface of a handheld with the processing power and connectivity of an ultraportable? 10 hours of battery life isn't that great when you realize that you can get an iPhone with the same amount of memory and run the same amount of apps.
Plus, the fact that it runs iPhone apps means it will never take off as a standalone development platform - if Apple even intends it to.

No, Apple's totally about pumping out a piece of garbage and convincing people it's great. Another example is their aluminum laptop shell. Aluminum is soft, conductive and cheap - precisely the three properties I do not want in the casing of an expensive electronic device. The magnesium superalloys you can find in the lousiest 'off-brand' PC laptops are better; it's the same stuff they're using to make modern ultra high-end power tools.

But you can totally use iWork on this and spend hours banging your fingers on a piece of glass to type up your book reports!

The iPad fails, and it's because no one knows where it belongs!

"It's an ebook reader, without the eink and battery life!"
"It's a laptop without the keyboard, flash and multitasking!"
"It's an iPhone without the phone!"

Keep in mind folks, the onscreen keyboard is a bad idea for any length of typing. It's not like an iphone, you're not going to easily thumb this. More importantly, how are you going to hold it? You can't just hold it up in front of you; you will be bending your neck down every time you want to type.

iSlate seems like the general internet response.




Isn't that just an iPod Touch?

Well, the device is going to be contracted to a carrier probably, given the spy shots from last night showing "No service." So it really is an iPhone with no phone capabilities.

Except when Jobsy talked about the hardware, he made no mention of the 3G radio. It just has wifi and bluetooth it looks like.

Not to mention the screenshots they're showing don't show any sort of cell signal indicator on them.

*edit*

I guess they did just now say there will be 3G models, but not all of them will be.

No, there is no contract, but data plans are:

$15/m = 250MB data
$30/m = unlimited.

And you have to use AT&T. Yes, that god awful data network.

Edit: Even better, the base price is $500, but if you want 3G capability in it, that's $130 extra! What a joke.

And no flash!

That extra $130 is probably what enables them to make the data plans lower. I bet it goes straight to AT&T.

Maybe fun for games, not worth $500 to play some games, though. I've always loved the idea of tablets, but the execution always sucks. I'd rather have a stylus I can write with than having to set it down on a desk and use an on-screen keyboard.

Apple's execution on this is right-on, though -- using the iphone sdk which millions of programmers are already familiar with, the promise of making a lot of money, no need to worry about distribution/charges, etc., there is sure to be zillions of apps for it.

and no full OS, no buy.

If anyone wants a tablet why don't they just buy one of those bad *** laptops that the screen swivels around and you can close it to be an actual .... tablet.

Its a nice price. But come on, I would wager most the people that WOULD buy this already have an iPhone and Mac, and the chasm between these two devices isn't that wide to warrant having this in addition to those.

Jobs' selling point is that "people already know how to use these devices" because they have iPhones/iPod touches, but why would they get this in addition to those?

I can see this device being great for airplanes (with the 10 hours of battery life), but overall its fairly meh.

And no camera? The iPod nano has a damn camera, but not the Touch or iPad?

I have one of those

I think that the iPad is going to give everyone a run for their money in both the eBook reader & Netbook market. I don't think that the average user cares about eInk technology, despite how nice it is. I can easily see a lot of people using this as their primary computer with the keyboard dock.

Umm, except that it costs twice as much or more than pretty much every eBook reader except the Kindle DX, and it also costs twice as much as your average netbook.

Add in their crazy eBook prices ($15 for a NYT bestseller, wtf), and yeah, uhh, no.

I'm a bit ambivalent about the iPad. I think its strengths lie in the software base and the partnerships Apple has formed (especially the AT&T thing with the crazy cheap unlimited data plan with no contract). Like I said before, it basically combines a bunch of existing technology/concepts into one device in a way that hasn't been done before -- it's like a semi-laptop running an OS that doesn't use the desktop metaphor. It's basically the iPhone/iPod Touch as a laptop ... except not. I think it really does serve as a great netbook alternative for the things that netbooks are 'designed' to do -- web browsing, portable music, documents, light games; i.e. NOT desktop computing. It's a new product category -- Apple is basically trying to redefine what a 'tablet' device is.


I'm ambivalent because despite all of this, like Matty said, I don't think people will get it at first. I think that in this case, Apple has designed what its target segments want -- but in a way that makes it very hard co communicate. I also somewhat agree w/ what TimeWolf said -- I think most people would either get a laptop + this tablet or a laptop + the iPhone -- but not both this and the iPhone.

Hrmrmff.

I'm like 50% wanting to buy it -- (The main function of my x61t is handwriting/notetaking, which the iPad can't really do, and my x61t serves as a laptop rather than an iPhone-like device; I don't have an iPhone), but 50% not (The price with 3G makes it MORE EXPENSIVE than my x61t)

I suppose that only time will tell, but I'm sticking to my guns at this point. I think that Apple will be able to make a dent in both of these markets. eBook readers are already expanding in to other functions as it is.

I'm looking for an e-reader, so I'll see how people fare with it. If folk say "nope, the LCD is just never going to do it" I'll look at a Kindle. But I'm a fanboi

The e-reader part is actually something that attracts me the least <_< at least until someone comes up w/ a custom textbook sub-app or something.

I REALLY like the basic stuff, like calendar/email, youtube, video, maps ... the UI looks so polished and well-considered.

Well luckily the e-reader app uses epub format so I can get books from anywhere (rather than the I expect overpriced iBooks store) and shoehorn them on.

that's because it's a scaled up iPhone UI, complete with its limitations. It isn't going to take over the ebook market with such a limited library of books either. Nook is the device to beat, and eink color is literally just around the corner.

Essential missing feature (tm): webcam. Wtf. Skype video on this would have been fantastic.

Now it's time to wait another year for revision 2 w/ webcam!

WHY?! What is it with folk and video phones? Girls won't pick up a video phone if they haven't got their make-up on, your arms will get tired, the angle (assuming you're holding it) is unflattering, you can't DO other things while being on a video phone because it looks rude (and if your eyes aren't on the screen, why use a video phone in the first place?).

/rant.

Sorry, I have a real problem with video phones.

For videoconferencing for meetings (we do that a lot at school but it is clumsy and requires a computer)