Weekend Open Forum: Is the iPad for You?

[nazartp]

Guest said:

Small hard drive, no usb, limited expansion, no camera, no GPS, short battery life and a puny processor makes the iPad little more then a large iPod touch (which I already have one).

I was initially excited about the prospect of an Apple tablet as I do photography as a side business and having my photos on a tablet was very attractive for me. However, I think Apple completely missed the target with this product. It is too expensive to be an e-reader, too limited in horsepower to be a fully functioning computer, and too limited in scope to be a true convergence device.

This product will flop. Resoundly. Perhaps if they do a major product revision taking some of these issues to heart then maybe they can turn it around.

small hd? for who? you this has more than space for my wifes books and games
no usb? for what a keyboard? its called bluetooth
no camera? for what using skype, taking pictures? I have a camera why would you use a shitty smartphone camera, when i have a real camera.
no gps? most people know there way around there own homes, you know homes where people will be reading there books and playing games.
short battery life? Are we talking about the same product, do you own an ipad, maybe tell us the real usage is it close to the 10 hours apple states?
puny processor? really have you do any research at all about the A4 processor?

fully functioning computer? did i miss the memo about this being a fully functioning computer? Did anyone really think this was going to be a computer?

it does certain things very well, thats it, i know this must be devastating that apple didn't make it to your high standards. Life in general must be very disappointing for you?

The main gripe by people on this board is the fact that this product was pitched like the best thing since the slice of bread amidst high expectations and ended up being nothing more but a big iPhone/iPod Touch. In other words - nothing to write home about. And I see nothing that this device can do very well:

- watching movies - great screen (no AMOLED, but that's nitpicking, IPS is good enough for great viewing angles), but relatively heavy to watch lying down or holding in your hands on the plane;
- reading books - dedicated book readers have better screens for that purpose;
- surfing the net - no Flash;
- listening to music - iPod is better due to portability;
- e-mail - no better than iPod Touch/iPhone and arguably more difficult to type due to size;
- any other work - no multitasking, small storage, no keyboard, etc.;
- gaming - no better than other portable devices;
- viewing pictures - probably.

In other words, bigger version of iPod Touch, which is a minus in my book, since I like all of the above functionality in a pocket-size device for less money.

BTW, USB port is needed not for keyboard, but for the ability to transfer files without hooking this thing to a computer.

In other words from the hype vs actual usefulness of the product perspective, iPad is right next to Segway.

 

[alexton108]

Summary for Ipad: It's suck.

 

[kokoko]

The ipad looks good. but i won't buy it, because i have a macbook..

 

[Guest]

there is a headphone jack. I agree that apple gadgets are overpriced but ... please.

 

[Guest]

Here are some reviews of ipad:

Safari on the iPad seems fairly similar to the mobile version for the iPhone. What's great though, is with the added surface area, pull-down menus no longer hide the content, as they do on the iPhone's 3.5-inch screen. The tool bar takes up less overall "visual" space too. Typing on the large virtual keyboard is effortless in both landscape and portrait modes; given the large screen, there's plenty of room between keys. One major bummer: Like the iPhone version, this iteration of Safari doesn't support Flash, so there'll be no Hulu-watching-at least not for now.

The iPod is also a fantastic upgrade from the iPhone or iPod touch. Playlists, Genius Mixes, and Videos all appear in a left-hand margin just as they do in iTunes, with a window in the middle displaying the content. Whether you're watching video or just viewing album art, the screen is sharp, bright, and the accelerometer is extremely responsive. Video playback is offered in "full HD," but it doesn't fill the entire screen in this mode. You can tap on the screen, and the video will fill the entire display, but you leave full HD mode.

While the first incarnation of Apple's iPad is truly impressive, its best features are yet to come. We have no idea what future iPad apps are in store for us, but just about the entire print industry is banking on this device to be its second chance in the digital world. And game developers seem to be salivating at the screen's size and full multi-touch surface. What we have already, however, is pretty darn good. We'll put the iPad through its paces in our lab when it is released in late March. Check back for a full review.

audio of ipad is not really satisfied,video quality is good...
ipad video conversion is mixed up,find solution here:
http://softseeking.com/prodail.aspx?proid=82

 

[zholy]

you are right. but I want one, lol!, but will wait till the price goes down, well too expensive at the moment...

 

[captaincranky]

you are right. but I want one, lol!, but will wait till the price goes down, well too expensive at the moment...

Given that this is an Apple product, what is the likely hood of that...? And please don't point to the iPhone, as that was already priced twice what it was worth when it was released.