Not a fan of the iPad, but it does have the very best panel type for LCD screens. IPS panels are what are in all of the professional quality LCD's and have some pretty awesome viewing angles. So, eye strain might come into effect, but other than that I don't see an issue..(in regards to reading on LCD)

'nother shameless bump of this thread.

We got a few of these in at work today... and now I'm positive that I will never waste my money on this useless device. I have an iPod touch (Christmas gift... it was engraved, otherwise I would've returned it the next day), and the iPad just seems like an oversized iPod touch that no longer fits nicely in your pocket.

Sure, it was fun to have a bigger screen when I RDP into other computers... but I could probably find a laptop running a full-featured OS for less than the cost of this thing.

I bought one, surprise surprise.

I'm selling my laptop to recoup the cost because a laptop does way more than what I need. In my opinion, what you guys think should be in this tablet (hardware-wise) is not what their tablet is meant for. I don't think it's meant to be a laptop replacement or to perform super-hardcore things, or work-related things really (unless you're an artist or something involving media). The fact that it doesn't have a physical keyboard should hint at the latter two. It's a web browsing device that plays media and allows you to use social networks and a slew of other things people create apps to do (also games). It also allows you to reply to emails and view documents if necessary. Obviously none of you feel this way, but that's exactly all I need it for.

Not once have I ever plugged in something with USB to my laptop; mostly because I'm always around a desktop. I can live without cameras because I never use them on a laptop. I'll use my phone or actual digital SLR if I need a camera.

The only two downsides I see (one of which was a full-recovery today IMHO):

1) Multitasking
2) Flash

But Apple has enough weight to sway bigger companies (Hulu, Netflix, ABC/NBC, Youtube, etc) to implement some form of alternative to Flash, so it isn't too big of a loss although I'm hoping they eventually do reach an agreement.

Overall, this thing is pretty much operating like a dream for me. I don't have to awkwardly hold a laptop while I'm shitting, I get an e-reader out of it that I was going to buy anyway, the viewing angels are spectacular so I can set it on my lap if need be, and other stuff.

Now I wait for the endless comments of me being a fanboy/fag even though this is just my review of what I think the device was aiming for and its accompanied success (selling 450,000 -- statistically impossible that all those are fanboys -- in the first couple of days).

Honestly I'm just sick of iPad shit flooding Engadget.

i think i'm going to change the name of my google reader book mark from google reader to ipad news reader, cuz... damn

Lol.. Apple's not going to "reach an agreement"... They've chosen their flavor of HTML5 and will stick with it until they don't like it anymore. They're hoping that they've got enough weight to force the companies to adopt the standard. It'll probably bring about HTML5 video tag adoption quicker, though w/ the h.264 codec instead of ogg. So that's not necessarily a bad thing. But it is kinda annoying to have everyone retooling their websites for ONE PRODUCT.... maybe the itampon's just the last drop in the smartphone-ish browsing bucket that's the larger reason...

I suppose that replacing flash w/ HTML5 is better in the end. Hopefully HTML5 will be more secure and less processor intensive. It's still really annoying to play a youtube video or flash game on my Macbook and have the fan spin up to 6k rpm...

That apple says you can use. That's my main beef with it. Fuck the app store

Eh, I'll bite.


Aside from the apple referral, this is pretty much the reason that I spent $185 on a custom built netbook that can run XP/win7/OSX/linux, has a keyboard/usb ports/webcam/etc, can still fit in my hand as I type with the other, and can hold itself upright while I sit back or do something else. And if I had really wanted it, I could have spent <$100 more to get HDMI output and a slightly larger screen.

And if I reeeeally cared. I could easily add touch screen capability via solderless touch mod...or any number of other mods that are pretty straight forward for anyone with some soldering skill. Btw, I do care and will be adding a number of those after my warranty runs out.

I'm not saying that it's not a decent product. It does what it was designed for very well. It's just not worth the money or the trying to conform my computer experience/way I work because of it's limitations as a laptop replacement.

And only because I agreed to the terms of this post...fanboy.

So, you paid more for something because it does less? I'm afraid I don't follow your logic.


I bought a Toshiba Tablet a while ago because I wanted something I could use to draw with other than paper. It has been invaluable, but alot of the functionality I was looking for was graphics processing (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.). From what I understand, Apple's tablet is not able to handle that kind of software. Why would you want a giant tablet if you aren't going to be using it for its implied functionality? Because of the novelty of it being Apple's first (and unfortunately inferior) tablet? Everything that you named off as its advantages are also easily done on an iPhone or iPod Touch, and both of those fit in your pocket and cost the same or less, depending on your source.

Am I understanding this product correctly? Is the iPad only a supersized iPod Touch with what appears to be the same firmware only slightly modified for a larger screen?

EDIT @ Chankster: Maybe I don't get Apple's purpose for the iPod Touch either... and so I WANT to call it an iTouch .

Its a stylish consumer device for the casual user. The only thing that makes it a tablet is its form factor. The fact that it isn't flat or has native support for a stylus turns off a good 50% of the crowd that would've be interested in the product. As far as being an e-reader.....I stare at an lcd screen enough all day, I'm sick of people saying "maybe apple will show us it is enjoyable to read from an lcd screen." The consensus I have heard is its an awesome device, but no one has any idea what to use it for.

I would buy it if it were half the price considering you could've got 2 dell mini 10s for about $550 a couple weeks ago. Both of which would be superior in every way to the ipad, other than style and no touching.

but then again you can't argue with stupid...

fixt

I'm afraid you don't follow my logic because it isn't my logic you're trying to follow. I paid about the same actually for the iPad as my laptop. The iPad does everything I ever did on my laptop and more, except not much more. Which is fine with me, because the things the iPad doesn't do I would've never done any way. And I get the awesomeness of a touch screen. I was going to drop $250 at LEAST for an e-reader, so why not just replace my laptop and have an all-in-one device?

What I claimed as its advantages are NOT easily done on the iPod touch/iPhone. I have/had both. I though the iPhone was a pitiful excuse for a phone because it could barely handle the phone functionality correctly. That was my beef with it. I have an iPod touch but all I use it for is music (or something to do in class) because the screen real estate doesn't allow for much else comfortably. That is where the iPad is and what leads me to my next point. The iPad isn't just a bigger iPod touch. The fact that they now have more screen space to work with allows for them to do split screen in applications which saves me the trouble of only being able to look at one screen at a time. And it makes movie-watching a more pleasant experience. To say it's a bigger iPod touch proves that you've never actually read/watched a review (available on engadget/gizmodo/etc) or used one and yet are claiming to know what it's all about.

Also, your claim that it can't handle the software other tablets can is incorrect. Look up benchmarks. Will it handle full adobe? No. But there are plenty of stunningly awesome sketching utilities.

Am I saying it was the best deal evar? No, that isn't at all what I'm saying. But I've wanted a tablet and this one does everything I want it to. I don't need a laptop and to purchase one was just me making an impulse buy until I could get a tablet. And my experience with netbooks has been forever shattered when my 1.6ghz atom-running Lenovo chopped when playing SD youtube and could barely handle using Facebook.

Not to be mean, but maybe you would understand my point of view more if you worked on computers all day and didn't care to use a laptop for hardcore developing or work-related activities zomg.

I guess I just don't get the purpose of an e-reader, so the fact of spending $250 on one of those sounds ridiculous to me. And this isn't a jab at berto, because I don't understand why anyone would want one. I much prefer the feel, the sight, and the smell of a book. Also a mass market sized book, hell even a trade sized paperback, is so much easier to carry and if I accidentally puncture the cover I am not out 250 bucks.