Are there serious alternatives to Apple's iPad? I really like the design and interaction with the tablet (touch screen, gestures), but I don't like the obvious limits (no flash, no multitasking, not really usable for doing serious stuff on it) which make me think of it as a kiddie device.

Microsoft had a project named Courier, but it was cancelled, tragically. Google Tablet is probably years away, as is the HP Slate.

First who says 'buy a laptop' gets a cookie (if MBeggar hasn't eaten them all).

Buy a laptop.

What? I'm hungry.

It may never come, because frankly tablets are not a useful form factor.

You either will have a fast heavier tablet that runs out of battery too fast, or a slow useless machine that runs longer.

You're correct in that it's quite possible that the iPad will never have Flash & that can be a bad thing if you actually use any websites that utilize the technology (I don't & the few that I did have converted or are converting). The iPad will have the same type of multi-tasking as the iPhone 4 OS, which is going to be fine for almost everyone, once it's released for the device this Autumn. I don't know what you mean by "serious stuff" but I rarely use my iMac now that I have my iPad. They keyboard is nearly as big as my iMac's keyboard & it takes a matter of days to get used to it. I haven't used the iWork suite but after typing long emails, replying to posts on this forum & numerous other things, I don't see any reason why one couldn't create content effectively (obviously not quite as effectively as on a desktop or laptop). However, the device is first & foremost a tool that's used to view content. Despite what Apple or anyone else may wish you to believe, content creation on the device is secondary (at best). If you're like me & you simply want a mobile device that allows you to read eBooks & articles, stream movies & music, edit your calendar & reply to emails, I think it's a suitable device (to say the least). However, there are a lot of types of people that won't be able to use this device because it's not suited for their needs. I personally look forward to competing devices but they're far off, as you stated & I'll be happy to use my iPad until they become viable options.

Thanks for the replies, thank you Mentat. Keep em coming please!

Jep, here's the cookie you wanted:


Enjoy!

Spider cookies? Awesome.

Try the hp touchsmarts. They're convertible, so you can use them as a tablet when you want a tablet, but you can also use them as a regular laptop when you actually need to do things.

does the ipad have an enter key?

No.
It
Has
A
Return
Key.

Pretty much my thoughts exactly: serious content creation would require a full fledged laptop; I have typed up a few 1-2 page documents with the iPad and found it to be just fine in that regard, but a term paper? hhheeelllllllllllll no.

KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!

Fine for everyone who just wants Pandora running in the background while they fluster trying to find the apostrophe key on their onscreen keyboard.

NOT fine for people who find it incredibly irritating to be prompted for EVERY LITTLE THING any app does. Got an IM? BIG PROMPT. Someone poke you on Facebook? BIG PROMPT. File downloaded in an app? BIG PROMPT. Calendar alert incoming? BIG PROMPT.

Not only that, but it'll be even worse come iPhoneOS 4. Where apps can issue those prompts at will locally. Those prompts alone I find to be the worst UI decision Apple's ever made. No other mobile OS makes that mistake.



And getting used to the fact that you have to completely switch modes just to spit out an apostrophe. Or a number. Or a quote.

That stuff can be acceptable on a phone where you have extremely limited space (although I still find the missing apostrophe to be hilarious), but on a tablet that size? Even in landscape?



Funny, that's all stuff a netbook can do better and faster. And still create better content.

Does the ipad have a ` key?

This is personally relevant.

I would hope and imagine it probably has a full set of symbols on the third keyboard, but the first and second pages of the keyboard do not.


(Random: The Pre can do it by holding Sym+' Do I get a cookie? :D)

The apostrophe key is accessed w/ 2 buttons (number mode + apostrophe). That's hardly something to complain about (it's available in both number & symbol mode). The keyboard isn't half as difficult to use as you're pretending it is. You get used to it over time & it works quite well. Besides, you have to use more than 1 key to get certain symbols on all keyboards (including the one you're using). Once you memorize the placement of the keys, like you've probably done w/ your keyboard, you don't even need to look at it anymore.

I think that the multi-tasking will be suitable for the vast majority of people. I personally find that Pandora alone would be suit me.


I was actually concerned about this a bit when you brought it up in the past. However, after using the iPad & having this happen, I couldn't believe that you even considered it as something negative. I personally like having those pop-ups. It's very handy when the Calendar reminders pop up or when a pop up lets me know that someone has sent me a message. I find that pressing 'accept' or 'decline' (I can't remember exactly what the options are) isn't a bit deal at all. I would agree w/ you if your position was merely that this could be disabled (I'm taking your word that it can't be because it's so insignificant that I haven't bothered to look for myself). This massive prompt that you're referring to is smaller than my pinky but then again you're obviously using the word big to describe how irritated you are w/ it & not the actual size. It also doesn't do it w/ every little thing like you've stated. For instance, it doesn't pop up when you get a new email. There are more things that don't cause it to pop up than there are that do.


I agree w/ you that a lot of prompts will be a bad thing, if you're not permitted to turn them off. However, I don't yet have iPhone OS 4 & will reserve judgement on how bad it actually is until I've used it.


The only difference between having to switch 'modes' on the keyboard & having to use the shift key on your laptop (e.g: $ or &) is that you can't see the location of the key before switching to this 'mode'. However, as I stated above, once you get used to the keyboard, you memorize the locations of these symbols & it's quite efficient (considering the size constraints). You can even hold down the 'mode' key & press a symbol simultaneously like you do on a laptop keyboard if you'd like.


That's debatable. I suppose that they could've had 2 different keyboard modes (vertical mode w/ fewer keys & horizontal mode w/ more keys) but that would probably confuse people. I'm quite certain that they took that in to consideration & is exactly why they didn't do such a thing.


That's debatable. However, I can do those things better on my laptop than you can on your netbook & I can do them better on my desktop than on my laptop. So what? That doesn't mean that it's not viable just because something else that exists can do it better or faster.

I think that it has all of the keys that a desktop keyboard has (except for function keys & things of that nature). All of the keys are accessible w/ 2-3 buttons. They did a good job in putting related keys together.

Uh, I don't know about your keyboard, but mine does not require going into a whole separate mode to enter a key. All can be done by holding shift, and on top of that, the apostrophe key is used a LOT. I don't have to hold ANY keys to put an apostrophe here, and even on all other phone keyboards the key is clearly available on the face.



It's BIG in that you HAVE to acknowledge it to co-

AIM- mb: lol i'm fat!

*ignore*

-ntinue working on whatev-

AIM- mb: no srs i am RLY FAT!

-er you were doi-

AIM- mb: Annoyin ya yet? LOLOL

-ng.

Every other phone has notifications. None of them force to you deal with them all to continue doing what you were doing. If you are a busy IMer or the like, you basically cannot do anything while you're on AIM/MSN/etc. God help you if you have more programs that bug you. And as I said, it's going to get MUCH MUCH worse soon.

Are most of these able to be turned off? Sure, as long as the app itself gives you the option. And of course, turning them off means you have no idea when you get an IM.

Summary: it's ridiculously intrusive and can often get to the point that people don't want to use the feature.



Because I have to press all sorts of mode keys to get to an apostrophe on my laptop.



That would be their course of action. When in doubt, make it so dumb that it's less useful. You already have to completely rethink the way you type on it, might as well change the layout somewhat. Even if they just pushed things over a little they could have added the few major keys that all keyboards should have.



Debatable in what way?

What does your iPad do that a netbook can't? I can only think of one disadvantage: Weighs slightly more. (Emphasis on slightly)

Netbook is faster, runs more /useful/ applications, lasts just as long, is just as portable, plays MORE media and music than the iPad could hope to do, has a much more usable hardware keyboard, has far more storage, and COSTS LESS.

A laptop is better than a netbook in that it is much faster. Downside is it weighs much more, is much more bulky, and has far less battery life.

A desktop is better than a laptop in that it is much faster and more comfortable to use. Downside is it isn't mobile.

I'm guessing that by mode you're simply referring to the number & symbol keys. I've learned to use the apostrophe key like I would use shift + " (another key that many use often) on a desktop keyboard. I don't think the very small fraction of a second that it takes to do this is worth mentioning (it's that insignificant). There are a lot of valid issues concerning the iPad but I don't see this as being one. I'll take your word that you think this is significant in some way but as someone that has been using the device non-stop I must disagree.

Everything else that you mentioned has been debated in previous threads & I've already stated my position. If anyone is interested they can read my position there.

Edit: I think that I more or less agree w/ you on your stance on notifications.

` ~= '

what the hell is ` anyway? I've never used it in a writing context... is it some programming thing?

No.

But ~ is.

I hate it when people use that as an apostrophe.

I don`t like this!

Well, ` is used a lot in SQL :/

that's nice.

Any thoughts on this?

Best use yet:


**** embed blocker... why?!

I think CM is way over-reacting on the location of the apostrophe key. I, like Mentat, find it akin to pushing shift to access keys on the keyboard, though I admit you don't normally push shift to get to it, it's really not a big deal at all.
The notification thing is very annoying though, even on my iphone the notifications are becoming extremely annoying, I hate it especially when I'm in the middle of a frantic game and a message or msn message pops up and ruins everything.
Also, to me the lack of flash is a very big deal, I haunt sites like newgrounds.com a lot, and if I could get those games onto my iphone I would be an extremely happy man, instead of being forced to deal with the itunes store, which is quite cumbersome.

Note that I say all this as an iphone user, not an ipad user. I see absolutely no point in getting an ipad, of all the videos, reviews, and discussions I've seen I don't get why 90% of the people that have them, have them.

Can anyone knowledgeable about these things look at this product and comment on it?: http://wetab.mobi/en/gallery

Also, now supposedly Time Warner (whatever video they have) and NBC have both said they will NOT be converting their video for use outside of Flash. Basically, Apple users are screwed for that.