I’ve been tinkering around with the ipad, and I can’t quite figure out what it is supposed to do. Meaning- why an Ipad rather than a Macbook? Or, why an Ipad rather than an Ipod? Is it a size thing- because I just don’t mind carrying around a 17″ macbook, which has so much more power.
Are there applications that I must have that will make me understand the mania?
And I’m not saying I dislike the thing, I just don’t understand why it would be an essential tool for someone when a laptop would suffice.
Scott de B.
I think size is a big factor, particularly if you are traveling. I don’t have an iPad, but from personal experience it is troublesome carrying a laptop everywhere, particularly if you are taking lots of trains, buses, etc.
TruthOfAngels
Essential iPad apps.
.
.
.
I’m done. Buy a netbook, people!
Corner Stone
So your black turtleneck sweater hasn’t yet arrived?
Corner Stone
@Scott de B.:
TWSS
Shinobi
So I hear you can get this app where the iPad displays an apple logo on the back, it costs a lot of money, but that way everyone knows that you have money to spend.
Spiffy McBang
Yglesias said that it worked very well on his China trip as a reader. Other comments I’ve seen suggest it might be very useful for travelers, especially traveling professionals, but there’s not really been anything in the way of evidence that the iPad will (or even should) become as ubiquitous as iPhones or laptops in general.
Ben
Understand that the iPad is for consuming media, not creating it. It’s great for watching netflix, TV shows, etc. I use it all the time in bed. It’s a decent e-reader. But my fingers are too large to type comfortably on it, and I wouldn’t want to do lots of typing on it anyway.
I find it best to think of it as a portable entertainment device and media player.
stuckinred
I think the 17 inch is too big, I have a 15″ pro and a 13″ macbook. The 17 is just too big, won’t fit on an airplane tray and is heavy. As for the iPad, you’se a pioneer!
John Harrold
I think the gist of it is that the iPad is for information consumption (reading, listening to music, watching movies, etc.) and the laptop is for both consumption and creation. From a work perspective, I don’t really find the iPad all that useful. If I were traveling and just wanted to read stuff or watch movies then it would be useful.
Corner Stone
There’s nothing better than a backdoor slider.
dmsilev
For me, it’s the size. Or weight, really. It weighs 1/4th as much as my laptop, and with an all-day battery I don’t have to carry around a charger.
As for apps, for note-taking I use PaperDesk (nice because it allows intermingling of typing and sketching). For carrying around my library of PDF files, Papers. For wasting time, iBooks, Kindle, and a selection of games. Plus the built-in stuff (Maps, email, web, etc.)
dms
mr. whipple
When my laptop recently died, I considered an Ipad but quickly ruled it out as a viable replacement.
As a fun toy, however, it has some appeal.
arguingwithsignposts
Battery power, does things that most people need (word processing) without all the extras. Entertains the kids.
That said, I have both a MacBook and an iPad, and I don’t use the iPad nearly as much as someone who doesn’t have a laptop would.
Sentient Puddle
Plants vs. Zombies
tim
So…john, why did you buy one to begin with?
Corner Stone
@Ben:
You had to think at least twice before you typed that, right?
DanF
For me, it’s about support. This is a product my parents can use to consume the media they consume without having to call me because “something funny just happened with the computer”. A slightly larger form factor, camera, mic and a wireless keyboard would mac the iPad an ideal computer replacement for at least half the population. My folks aren’t going to use Photoshop or iMovie or garage band. Ever.
donnah
Well, I just got mine today. I have a MacBook Pro, about a year old, and I just don’t do enough with it. I use it for email, photo storage, and surfing the web, but I don’t use any of the extra software that so many other people do.
So when the iPad came out, we decided to let my youngest son use his college money to buy that for me, and he would get the MacBook Pro. Win/Win. He gets all the tools he needs to go to college and I get the nifty new computer that is less bulky and easy to use for the basic things I need.
As far as apps go, I got a GPS “CoPilot”, a restaurant locater, a program for fitness/diet info including a calorie calculator, a couple of games, and Sketchbook Pro, which is a sweet little drawing program.
I also got a cookbook and program that lets you make postcards to send out online; some really beautiful stuff.
So I totally love it already. I will be downloading books from time to time as well. The iPad is just perfect for me. And it’s gorgeous.
arguingwithsignposts
@Corner Stone:
If Jobs could work that kind of thing into an iPad it would *really* be a game-changer.
John Cole
@tim: To make sure that certain things I do for work are usable by people using an ipad.
Joshua
I own one, but I got it as a gift, so I can attack this question with what I feel is an unbiased, post-cool attitude.
It’s a nice device. It’s well designed and does what it does very well. I own a netbook and it’s a piece of junk – whatever the iPad does, it does about 10X better than the netbook. And honestly, the netbook is much too slow and crappy to do anything extra.
Example, sure you can’t really do programming on an iPad, and theoretically you can do it on a netbook. But do you want to? The netbook’s screen is low-res, the processor is slow, the keyboard is cramped. It’s junk.
That said, even if the iPad can surf the internet, play music, etc., very well, it’s not an essential device. It’s not even close to an essential device. I wouldn’t think about buying one with my own money. The concept is ridiculous to me.
Jon H
@John Harrold: “I think the gist of it is that the iPad is for information consumption (reading, listening to music, watching movies, etc.) and the laptop is for both consumption and creation.”
Mostly, but there are some creation apps for iPad. Music, painting, etc.
The thing about creation is that you need tools, and any iPad tools will be newly developed.
Chet
Right, yeah. The size and power – it’s a lot lighter than your MacBook, especially when you consider that you can’t take a laptop anywhere without the power cable and a nearby outlet, and it’s going to fit into a bag without being the only thing that fits in the bag.
It makes a hell of a portable comics reader, for sure. And it’s cheaper than your MacBook. If you’ve already got an iPod Touch and a laptop, I’m not sure this provides much you don’t already have. But it pretty handily occupies the space between “full-on laptop that might be your main computer” and “digital music player” as well as serving as a pretty capable ereader.
Jon H
Science fiction author Charlie Stross wrote his thoughts after a month of use, including a trip when he used the iPad as his only computing device.
arguingwithsignposts
@John Cole:
The biggest thing would be if you’re doing videos for work. H264 and HTML 5 vs. Flash video seems to be the main “problem” to overcome.
DanF
@donnah: Yes! It’s appliance computing and the first major step away from computer’s being complex when all you want to do is relatively simple things. Leave complex for people who need complex.
Politically Lost
My wife’s company allows her to check out an ipad from their inventory so I’ve had spent enough time with it to form some personal opinions on its use.
In short, it’s beautiful and fast but it doesn’t really fit anywhere for my uses.
I’ve been extensively reading on my iphone for over a year now and am quite comfortable with it. Yes, of course the ipad is a better reader, but I can’t stick the fucker in my pocket like I do with a phone. When I want to do anything actually productive I just grab my laptop.
My wife just loves it. However, I’ve noticed the same behavior from her. I’ve actually noticed three separate times where she was surfing on the ipad, got interested in some particular subject and then went to her laptop in order to further her interest.
That tells me the thing just doesn’t seem to have the right niche.
slag
I played with it for a bit at the Apple Store and had the same question. But when I talked with a friend who was considering getting one, I could kinda see it. The stuff about it being good for traveling and carrying a lot of pdfs is important. And it seems pretty good for giving presentations.
To put it simply: Google Apps.
Mojotron
the Craigslist app, assuming you have a reason to go Craigslisting.
trollhattan
@ John Cole
Dude, it’s to make salsa.
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/268823/april-01-2010/stephen-gets-a-free-ipad
That is all.
arguingwithsignposts
@Joshua:
But it’s not for you. Hell, it’s not for any high-end laptop user, really. Not essential, but certainly of some value to another segment of the potential computer audience.
And I do think that it will be more useful for creation, as opposed to consumption, in future iterations.
dmsilev
As a fringe benefit, I found that it’s pretty much the perfect device for doing crossword puzzles. Hardly a reason to purchase in and of itself, but it’s certainly nice to have the NYT puzzle available electronically in a curl-up-on-the-couch form factor.
dms
mark
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OLP4nbAVA4
john b
i use desktops for work. i don’t own a laptop. i own an ipad. not being able to do work on the thing is a plus and the main reason i got it as opposed to a laptop. but that’s me.
it is quite handy for traveling, fwiw.
fourlegsgood
I don’t have one, but a friend of mine is a big PR executive type who travels constantly. He’s in love with his iPad and hasn’t put it down since he got it. He hasn’t taken his laptop on a single trip since he bought the iPad.
Wayne
I use it for just about everything: reading/writing mail, surfing the Web, reading the news, reading books, watching movies and TV shows (Netflix, ABC, Hulu, etc.), and controlling the Sonos. I don’t listen to music on it (the iPod is a much better form factor than that, as I can carry it in my pocket and it leaves my hands free). The only reason I still carry my laptop while traveling is so that I can write and support code — which is part of my job. However, there are apps like LogMeIn that will let me access my desktop machine from my iPad, so I might eventually be able to dispense with my laptop entirely.
John Cole
So what apps would you all recommend?
L. Ron Obama
Well, compared to my Macbook Pro, the iPad is faster, lighter, has 3x the battery life, a significantly better screen, is faster, easier to grab and take outside, more convenient for mail and web browsing, does not get burning-hot when playing video, and did I mention it is faster.
Since getting it I have basically relegated my laptop to coding and ssh. Maybe it will take time to get used to.
Ken
It is The New In-Thing. If you do not have The New In-Thing, everyone will laugh at you behind your back. So you should buy The New In-Thing, even if you never use it, so you can send the right signals and everyone will accept you as an alpha primate.
Sarah in Brooklyn
i love the koi pond. if the graphics are good, it would be gorgeous on a big screen.
it doesn’t really do anything, but it’s pretty.
some other guy
I mind very much carrying around my 14″ notebook @ 6+ lbs with it’s gigantic aftermarket battery that gets me a whopping 5.5 hours of usage.
A device that’s less than 1/3 the weight with double the battery life sounds pretty darned nice to me. But I need a keyboard and the 10″ convertible netbooks (like the Asus T101MT, Lenovo S10-3t, Gigabyte T1028) aren’t quite light and fast enough for my taste.
If the iPad were less than $250 I’d probably buy one anyway just for couch surfing.
dmsilev
Another random anecdote: I met with my realtor this afternoon, and she was all happy and bubbly because her husband had just ordered an iPad for her. Perfect device for doing photo slideshows for potential buyers and the like, especially if you’re driving around all day and may not have the chance to recharge the laptop.
Of course, she had a sad because the thing is on two-week back order, so her new toy won’t arrive for a while yet.
dms
donnah
Okay, just sayin’
There’s an app called SoundHound that you can hold up the iPad to a music source (tv commercial, song on the radio) and it will identify the song, the artist, and even show a corresponding music video if one is available.
Superfluous? probably. But I’m one of those people who hears a song on a commercial or tv show and wants to know what it is. It’s just COOL, that’s what.
Joshua
@arguingwithsignposts: Honestly, I am not a high end laptop user. I don’t program in my spare time anymore. 90% of my computer use in my spare time consists of surfing the internet and posting “lol” at dumb shit I find there.
It’s true the iPad is an appropriate vessel for conducting this task. But I already own a computer and I cannot justify spending $500+ to do the exact same thing, even if it’s slicker and shinier. $500+ is a lot of money, after all. “especially in this economy”
Let’s say I didn’t own a computer. Actually the iPad in that situation would be practically perfect… except that you need to hook it up to a computer to get it started. The iPad is dependent on a device that renders it redundant right out of the box.
Maybe future iterations of the software and hardware will rectify this problem, but for now… no way.
dmsilev
@John Cole:
For what?
For reading books, get both iBooks and Kindle. iBooks has, in my opinion, a somewhat better user interface, but Amazon has a much better selection than Apple’s bookstore.
If you have a Netflix account, get their app. Supports both queue management and streaming video to the device. The latter works very well if you have a decent network connection, not so great over 3G.
If you want a serious time-waster and haven’t already played it on the PC/Mac/iPhone/whatever, get the iPad version of Plants vs. Zombies.
dms
L. Ron Obama
OK I ignored your actual question. I would recommend checking out Twitteriffic (or Twitter), WeatherBug, NYTimes, Wikipanion, Google Earth, Pro Keys, NPR and NPR Music, IMDb, Netflix, Guardian Eyewitness, and GoSkyWatch Planetarium. For RSS I put a link to my Google Reader homepage on the Home screen (do this with the plus icon in Safari). All these are free, I really haven’t bothered with paid apps. Mostly I just use Mail, Google Reader and Safari.
Jason
You’re holding it wrong, goddamn it.
Mary G
Does the Mac Book have a touch screen? I am still trying to decide if I should have gotten my 86-year-old mother an iPad instead of a Kindle. She’s having a little trouble with the 5-way button controller on the Kindle, but she loved my niece’s iPhone because of the touch screen.
Of course, I may just be coveting the Kindle for myself.
Bill E Pilgrim
@Ken:
I think you have to be at least a beta before you’re really accepted, except for early adopters.
QuaintIrene
Ah, that sweet, sweet phrase- ‘Tax Deductible.’
rosalind
i needed to replace my dead laptop, and the Ipad is working great for me.
size and weight
TSA (so far) let’s you keep it in the bag going through screening
comics comics comics (comiXology app)
i got the wireless keyboard for more extensive writing sessions.
r
it’s mainly for playing games (poorly) and consuming various media. oh, you can post stuff to blogs, write emails, IM, make keynote presentations and do finger painting, so it is also for producing effluvia. anyway, thats what i learned the afternoon i had a chance to use one.
wait 2 years and it’ll be $100 and actually worth what theyre charging.
rosalind
i needed to replace my dead laptop, and the Ipad is working great for me.
size and weight
TSA (so far) let’s you keep it in the bag going through screening
comics!
i got the wireless keyboard for more extensive writing sessions.
arguingwithsignposts
@John Cole:
depends on what you need it for. If presentations, Keynote is required. Pages is okay. I don’t think there is an “essential app,” although the netflix app is pretty good. Calendar, Mail and Safari are probably the most used apps on mine, other than Solitaire. :)
Just to give an idea of the difference between iPad and MacBook functionality, I was at a meeting the other day where they needed my MacBook to do a conference call on skype. While they were using my ‘book, I was surfing, checking e-mail, etc. on the iPad.
Also, the wifi antenna seems to be better on iPad than iPod touch.
arguingwithsignposts
@Joshua:
Um, no. I pulled my iPad out of the box and didn’t need a computer to get it working. It comes with a power adapter.
Martin
@arguingwithsignposts: If you’re doing web work, there’s quite a big more to consider. There’s no ‘hover’ with a touch device, so you need to redesign for those considerations. Since scrolling is only done via gesture, having an embedded scroll area inside a page that also scrolls is tricky.
The iPad has limited RAM so very intensive pages can be a problem (lots of javascript, etc.) And iPad users will expect to be able to surf effectively over 3G, which not all designers have prepared for.
There’s quite a bit that needs to be tested, actually.
bkny
good grief … not to go ot, but these batshit crazy republican candidates popping up across the country are fucking nuts. rick barber from alabama is on hardball and his ad was played in full — him sitting around the table with some of the founding fathers… making veiled threats about revolution.
with such an easy target, it’s tweety who ends up looking the fool. amazing.
Keith
I’d personally rather have a Windows-capable slate and carry around a portable USB keyboard. That would cover most of my portable needs (and before anyone gives me crap over running Win7 on one of these, I currently run it – along with Office and a development suite – on a 1st gen netbook, and it works GREAT; SSDs and plenty of memory are the key)
jackmac
I work as a freelance writer and bought an iPad last week with keyboard dock and added an inexpensive wi-fi service. So far, I’ve written four articles on it using the physical keyboard. As a slate, I’ve read a book, watched a movie, listened to music, waded through numerous web sites and checked e-mail multiple times. When finished, it all fit into a two and one-half inch thick case (including keyboard) It’s lightweight, convenient, wireless connections works great and love the touch screen. I wasn’t sure it was right for me — especially the writing part. But it exceeded my expectations. It has some flaws (no camera, the Pages word processing program is short on features and has some other quirks, but no deal breaker).
jeffreyw
I’d advise against the “Killer App” if you are at all hot headed. Dangerous fuckin thing. Hard to aim. I’d recommend the “DIAF Captioning App” instead.
Rick Taylor
I can’t fathom the place of an Ipad either. I like my smart phone because I can carry it everywhere with me in my pocket. I like my laptop, because it’s big enough with a full keyboard and screen to do serious work on. The Ipad seems to me to be too small to do serious work, and too big to just carry around without thinking about it. I don’t get it.
Brachiator
Technology is useful if you can easily adapt it into your life. The iPad may not be that device for you.
I don’t have an iPad, so I don’t have a dog in this hunt. I’ve played with one and ask people what they use it for ’cause I like to see how people actually use stuff.
I’ve notice people rave over the Elements app because of its beauty and educational value. Foodies seem to really enjoy the Epicurious app (free) and Big Oven ($10) (and here’s a NYT comparison). I recall some bird watchers having fun with an app (iBird Yard, I think), and here taking a laptop around outside would not be much fun. Astronomy buffs have fun with a number of apps, especially if they have the 3G iPad.
By the way, when I was in the local Apple store, I played around with an iPad, and pulled up Balloon Juice. It was fun to read, particularly scrolling and adjusting the screen size. You could not do this as quickly with a laptop. On the other hand, writing long comments would be a pain.
dmsilev
@Mary G:
No. It has a “multitouch trackpad” which substitutes for the mouse, but the screen itself is just an ordinary LCD.
dms
Sean
The iPad entertains you while you’re traveling or sitting anywhere other than your desk. Others have mentioned the battery. I would add that it powers on instantly, takes up very little space (while still having a bright screen that is big enough to watch a movie on), and doesn’t get hot like a laptop.
It’s just a bonus that you can check your email and do simple work-related tasks between rounds of Plants v. Zombies.
It’s definitely a luxury and not a necessity, but it fills a legitimate gap between smartphones (or iPods) and full on laptops.
The Other Chuck
@donnah:
I’d imagine it’s a lot more convenient to whip out a cell phone to identify a song, and of course that app will also work on the iPhone. I personally use Shazam on my Android phone.
It’s The Steve’s absolute control over the entire development ecosystem that keeps me away though. If this thing does become Macintosh 2.0, we could really see PC’s taking the same road, and your PC and mine will be as locked down as a satellite receiver or a game console. Probably not right away, not in 10 years, but maybe 20.
MoXmas
These might help:
http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2010/06/gadget-patrol-ipad-a-month-on.html
and
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9178441/8_highly_useful_apps_for_reading_and_writing_on_the_iPad
Martin
No mention of Instapaper?
I think John would love that app.
The main thing the iPad is good for is not worrying about whether your shit is going to blow up. Buy/install apps with a click. No malware. Hell, not even a hard drive to die on you.
I don’t have an iPad yet, but I’m planning on getting a 3G one for the kids to use as a backseat video player/reader/stop-fighting-so-I-can-drive device with a full-screen GPS for the guy in the front seat. It’s a lot cheaper than any other in-car entertainment system, it can be carried into the motel room, and it’s a shitload more useful all around. With the iPod dock connector already in the car, it’ll always be charged. I can turn the 3G on only for the months when we need and save myself the cost in the off months when wifi will do.
arguingwithsignposts
@Martin:
Compare how Balloon Juice loads on an iPod Touch vs. an iPad, and talk to me about load times. The Javascript kills my ipod touch vs. the iPad.
I don’t bother with 3G, so take that for what it’s worth. And as for designers not being prepared, the fact that they are putting out RAM intensive pages says volumes there.
The hover thing is an interesting point. I hadn’t thought about it. Also, I have the apple iPad keyboard, which doesn’t have a mouse, and makes me irritated. I suppose at some point in the future, generations will not even remember the mouse, but for me, it’s still an essential.
ETA: someone mentioned Instapaper. I actually am digging Read It Later, although it’s not an app, but does sync well between laptop, desktop and iPad with a bookmarklet.
ETA2: It was @Martin who mentioned instapaper. And yes, I’ve already tested the iPad on kids (5, 7, 10) and they get the interface instantly. Definitely good for long drives, or motel rooms.
scott charmin
@Sentient Puddle:
PLANTS VS ZOMBIES!
dmsilev
@Brachiator:
Long comments, or long emails, or whatever, aren’t too bad once you get a bit of muscle memory built up about where the “keys” are. With the thing in the portrait orientation, I can two-finger type at maybe half the speed I can touch-type on a full sized keyboard. In landscape mode, my fingers are unfortunately just a bit too big for good ten-finger typing, so I tend to stick to portrait mode for long text entry.
That said, I wouldn’t want to type more than a few paragraphs at a time. The iPad’s software keyboard is better for long typing than an iPhone or similar, but it’s still not as good as a real physical keyboard (of course, the iPad will happily talk to a Bluetooth keyboard, so that option is available).
dms
Joshua
@arguingwithsignposts: The first screen that came up when I got my iPad (and when I helped my dad set up his) was the picture of the USB plug going into iTunes. The device would not boot to main screen until I synced it with iTunes. If I did miss something, fair enough, but please let me know.
John Cole
Test
CalD
Oh, c’mon. That’s an easy one. It’s supposed to not fit in your pocket. If it fit in your pocket, it would be an iPod Touch.
JScott
Dragon Dictation.
inkadu
@some other guy: If you’re in the market for curling up on the couch, Barnes and Noble is selling their Nook wi-fi e-reader for $140.
Fwiffo
It would replace none of my devices. It won’t replace my phone, it wouldn’t replace my laptop (still need to do real work when I travel), it won’t replace my desktop. Since a smartphone can do 99% of what a tablet can do, and is also a phone, I don’t see what the big deal is.
Maybe it’s for people who would use a smartphone but don’t have very good eyes, and are too feeble to carry a netbook.
Paris
You just need the Terminal App® and the Keyboard App® and you’re set (assuming that you’re using a modern shell. I think Apple uses tcsh)
PDXChris
@John Cole:
John,
I use my iPad for short business trips (2-3 days) to great effect. Here’s what I use for most of my purposes:
– DropBox: I use DropBox to sync my documents between devices (iPad, iMac, Windows laptop).
– DocstoGo: I can open- and edit- Microsoft Office documents sent to me from work colleagues. Helpful when editing docs, presentations, spreadsheets
– Plants v Zombies
– Netflix
– Fieldrunners
Hope it helps.
am
Unrelated, but this might be the dumbest thing Sully’s ever written: http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/06/the-court-and-gay-rights.html
rootless_e
the large glass of pinot noir is a lot better than any app.
just saying.
Zuzu's Petals
Mine was a gift from siblings who couldn’t stand watching me lug around my 300lb HP laptop. Then the HP blew up (for the second time), so this is my laptop now.
Yes, the size and weight is great. It’s also very user friendly for a non-Apple person like me…similar enough to my iPhone that I caught on pretty quickly.
I love using it as a reader (esp. the dictionary and search functions) and a media player. Easy to download stuff from iTunes.
My sibs were nice enough to give me a bluetooth keyboard with my iPad, so I don’t have to deal with the onscreen touch keypad, which I think would bug me. I really recommend springing for one.
Don’t know much about the apps, but I really like the Bump function.
Good luck!
J.W. Hamner
Laptops are dead, long live the tablet/desktop combo!
I don’t own an iPad and am a PC, not a Mac user… but if tablets (or possibly netbooks) actually come into their own, I can’t ever see ever buying a laptop for any reason.
I can get a desktop with more than twice the power at less than half the price of a laptop… and then I can use the left over money for a tablet… which has all the power I could ever need to do what I’d want to do on the go with the benefit of actually being portable.
Brent
If only the Ipad had 2 sections seperated by a hinge type thingie that allowed you to stand it on it’s own instead of holding it or propping it up against something. I think I could get behind such a product. Or perhaps they could develop a stand that you could place the Ipad on which would make it viewable without holding it. Then you could take the stand (in it’s totebag) with you when you travel along with the Ipad (in it’s totebag). I’m just brainstorming here, but my orignal idea where you take the Ipad, and put a hinge on it, then have the bottom half have a realistically usable keyboard. That sounds like a winner.
arguingwithsignposts
@Joshua:
To be honest, I can’t recall when I first hooked mine up to the computer, so I may be slightly off on that. But I don’t *need* to hook it up to a computer once it’s set up (other than – I guess – OS updates, which there haven’t been any). It functions fine on its own. I purchase apps, download podcasts, surf the web, etc. without synching.
Comrade Kevin
@John Cole:
Some apps I have on mine:
NPR, BBC News, Netflix, Kindle, Crosswords, a Sudoku app, a game called Numba HD, WoW Armory, Plants vs. Zombies
I’ve seen people raving about a This American Life app, but I haven’t used it myself.
The Other Chuck
@am:
Smart and/or powerful woman + Andrew Sullivan = SULLY SMASH!
Jay in Oregon
Carcassonne is an amazing game on the iPod/iPhone, and they will be releasing a free update for the iPad soon.
I really wish Wizards of the Coast hadn’t been so snotty about releasing their electronic tools for Dungeons and Dragons for Windows only, because I could see an iPad version of the virtual game table being a killer app. (Of course, they have yet to release it for Windows…)
gwangung
@Brent: Check the covers on eBay. $15 got me something clost to that.
jeffreyw
@inkadu: Just bought a wifi Nook, I like it so far.
That Anonymous Guy
If you get just one app, buy Star Walk. You hold the iPad up to the sky and it tells you exactly what you’re looking at.
Drawback is the wave of anxiety you feel as you hoist a $600+ piece of electronics up in the air, knowing that dropping it means you’re out one really expensive toy. But pretty damn cool nevertheless.
El Tiburon
@Corner Stone:
Niiiiiiiiiiccccceeeee.
PDXChris
@Brent:
You mean like this?
http://www.quirky.com/products/30-Cloak
El Tiburon
@Ben:
Exactly. It is a great web-browsing tool in that it instantly powers up and is so portable. I even use it on the john.
Although it does have an attachable keyboard, I’ve never used it though.
I do highly recommend getting a case that will prop it up at the same angle as a laptop screen. This makes it much easier to use if you are doing other things like eating or something.
As far as apps:
1. The Big Ass Calculator for Free.
2. They have a piano keyboard that is totally cool that is free I think.
3. Air hockey table is okay.
4. The Weather Channel is free
Guav
I think the opposite is the real issue for many people—why get a laptop when an iPad would suffice.
I’m a graphic designer, and I need to run Adobe Creative Suite, etc, and don’t have much use for an iPad. However, I recently won one, and after having played with it for a few days, I’ve realized it’s perfect for someone like my wife (who has claimed it) or my mother, who primarily use their computers to read blogs, browse the internet, do some shopping, and check email.
They simply don’t need a desktop or laptop computer, but an iPad is perfect for them—it’s light and the battery life is excellent. And as an added bonus, you can play games on it, watch Netflix, etc …
Amanda in the South Bay
I think that, unless you are made of money, if you already own a Touch, a non-3G Pad seems superfluous, and if you already own a iP
hone (again, unless you have several hundred dollars to spare) the 3G Pad is also a bit superfluous, if not extravagent.
That said, I’m currently in the market for something portable, since I gave away my old netbook, and I really can’t see the point in anything but Apple (be it a Touch or a Pad). Just read the mixed reviews for the Archos 7 Android Tablet.
If you’re someone who spends a shitload of time on public trans, I think it’d be priceless.
Jay in Oregon
@The Other Chuck:
The obvious workaround for the lockdown of the whole ecosystem is web apps.
That’s also why you start to see stories like this:
http://www.conceivablytech.com/1553/business/an-unexpected-apple-ally-porn-industry-to-drop-flash/
Mr Furious
Honestly? We have one in the office now, and I spent the weekend messing around with it, and as neat as it is, and no matter how much my kids loved watching Toy Story 3 trailers on it, it’s not really something I would recommend to anyone without an excess of disposable cash.
It’s not a laptop replacement (yet), nor a communication device—and as a $500+ vehicle for reading media you still need to pay to consume, I’m not seeing the necessity yet.
Corner Stone
@jeffreyw:
This may be the funniest thing you have ever said here.
Martin
@arguingwithsignposts: Well, Cole said it’s for work. Personally, I develop quite a lot of internal web tools for work that are just loaded to the gills with javascript – stuff that takes up to a minute to load on my 1 year old MBP which needs to get some touch-ups for the iPad (some of these tools literally won’t load with the limited RAM of the iPad).
I won’t judge Cole on what he might be doing at work, but there is a proper place for resource crushing web design. :)
DaddyJ
I innocently asked some friends who both work in enterprise-level IT what they thought about the iPad, and their anger about it really threw me. “It’s NOT a computer, okay–it’s JUST NOT a computer.”
Okay, then! If you define a computer as something you can hack, then it’s not a computer. I told them I would call it a media consumption device.
What I didn’t say, ’cause I didn’t want to make them madder, is that it (or rather, devices like it) will eventually replace computers for most folks. My mother-in-law does not need to wrangle Windows drivers. She just needs email and the web, a game or two, maybe some simple image-modifying program or word processor.
I’m not particularly driven to own one, because for my money, my iPhone is the perfect media consumption device: I can fit it in my pocket! But for non-hacker folks who don’t yet have smartphones, I can definitely see the appeal.
Ruckus
I run my store off of a web based point of sale system. I also use the web to show off products on the web for ordering or as comparisons to what I stock. I can see an IPod being the exact thing I need. The docking station gives me charging, usb access and a keyboard. I can pick it up and move around the store with the web readily available. And I can take it along to off site sales and have all the functionality that I need and have in the store. When my current old desktop dies (I’m sure any day now that I’ve talked about it) this is what I’m replacing it with.
Corner Stone
@Brachiator:
Then by all means I recommend you should get one. Post haste.
arguingwithsignposts
@Mr Furious:
Again, It’s Not For You. OTOH, I’d give it to a suit in a minute, rather than a laptop, when he had to go somewhere to do some bullshit presentation.
I started out with the same attitude. I don’t need it. But I can see a helluva lot of people who would benefit from an iPad rather than a regular laptop.
Necessity? Nope. Niche? we’ll see.
Brachiator
@CalD:
I think the iPod Touch may become an orphan. You can do all the Touchy stuff on a smart phone, and if you want to watch videos or read books, the iPad is a better application.
By the way, in my earlier post, I also meant to mention books and the iPad.
I read on the sofa and in bed. I soooo love my Kindle for this. I would never in a bazillion years use my laptop for this. The Kindle is much more convenient for commuting and trips. The iPad was designed to be a competitor in this market and probably works quite well as an ebook reader.
There is a Kindle app for the Touch, the iPhone, the iPad, and the PC (not sure if there’s one for the Mac yet). I played around with the native book application for the iPad and found it a delight to use.
Also, too, I’ve recently heard good things about the NPR app.
Zuzu's Petals
@Brent:
I picked up a nice travel case that includes a perfect little plastic stand (with two angles).
inkadu
@jeffreyw: My only concern with the nook — which I’m very interested in — is the PDF support. Or rather, if it can break the PDF in order to be readable. Some people say it does a good job, others say it can’t reflow and the 2-page pdf’s are unreadable. Sigh. Futzing with several pdf conversion applications convinced me that pdf –> ebook is a hopeless task. I’ll probably buy the nook and hope for the best.
some other guy
@jeffreyw:
@inkadu:
What’s the web browser on the Nook like? Obviously, it doesn’t do youtube and whatnot, but can it handle scripting (for instance, Balloon Juice comment editing) and images or is it just black and white text-only?
BubbaDave
My killer apps are both core Apple apps:
iBooks- best e-reader I’ve found so far. Loaded it up with free books from Baen and Project Gutenberg (and one or two or $47 of paid books from Baen) and it’s great for reading in bed or sitting in the comfy chair. First time in my life I’ve ever contemplated how my apartment would look without 5 full-height bookshelves stuffed to the gills– only problem is my cats have figured out that if they’re not getting enough attention they just have to tap the screen a bunch of times really quickly, and then I’ve lost my place and can’t ignore them any more.
Email- I receive between 200 and 600 messages a day between work, home, and a bunch of technical mailing lists. The ability to read email comfortably in bed helps me keep up to date on the list mail especially.
Yes I could do both those things on the iPhone, but my eyes are approaching 40 as rapidly as the rest of me; bigger screen turns reading ebooks from a chore to a pleasure and allows me to make sense of tabular data on technical emails.
DickSpudCouchPotatoDetective
The sooner we clear this handle from moderation, the sooner I can stop bombarding the comments with it.
The Other Chuck
@inkadu:
Reflowing a PDF is basically impossible due to the nature of PDF’s. It could be extracting the text and regenerating a new PDF, which can’t be at all cheap on the CPU, or terribly good for layout for that matter.
schrodinger's cat
@am: I don’t know if its just me but I am finding that Sullivan’s blog is becoming increasingly tiresome. I used to be a regular reader of his blog not that long ago, it seems like he has run out interesting things to say.
DickSpudCouchPotatoDetective
All of the smart people just download the Kindle free reader and use that. Why spend a bunch of money on another computer that doesn’t do much of anything very well, just to read a book?
Craig
So, I don’t know if anyone’s mentioned it (I haven’t figured out how to search on this thing) but my favorite app, by far, is AirVideo. Cost me 3 bucks and let’s me watch all of the videos stored on my desktop. I have a big ass hard drive just for collecting media, so I can watch, say, “The Wire” anywhere there’s wi-fi (I don’t have 3G, because I got this thing for free and don’t feel like paying for their service.)
CalD
@Brent: Yeah! Then if you gave it a faster CPU, more RAM, more storage and a standard desktop OS, so that it could run standard desktop app’s, maybe a keyboard in case you ever need to write anything longer than an SMS message…
…then I guess you’d probably end up with something like this, or this or maybe this.
Martin
@Brachiator: No the iPod Touch will survive just fine. The iPhone’s service contract is a massive barrier to entry, while the Touch is cheap, does the iPod thing quite well, and also does portable video + apps and games. It’s holding its own against the Nintendo DS as the thing to buy the grandkids for Christmas.
DickSpudCouchPotatoDetective
@schrodinger’s cat:
I can’t for the life of me imagine why anyone would be a regular reader of that horse’s ass.
BubbaDave
@BubbaDave:
Oh, yeah, and eight O’Reilly books on it now (more coming).
I actually bought the WiFi version, took it on a cruise with my 99-year-old grandmother, tricked her into falling in love with it, and gave her my iPad so I could get a 3G iPad to replace it. It’s her only computer– she uses it for reading books (adjustable font sizes FTW), sending and receiving email, NPR and BBC news, and Web browsing. She’s probably going to get a keyboard dock for it to make sending email easier, but otherwise it’s exactly what she wants from a computer, without the hassles (and without the hours of my time as tech support).
Martin
@inkadu: As a real PDF device, I think everyone needs to wait until iPad like devices get much higher resolution screens. They don’t need to be >300 dpi like the iPhone 4, but up in the 200 dpi range. Then we’ll be getting somewhere. I’m looking forward to that day myself.
asdf
donnah, thanks for the CoPilot tip. Needed something to put on the iPhone for my upcoming trip.
Cain
@Politically Lost:
Really? The battery life on my iphone 3G is pretty bad, I don’t think I could read a book without turning off the phone feature. Secondly, it does thing my N800 can do which is to stream music while reading an e-book. Amazingly, you can’t do that on an iphone (until now, but you still need a iphone 3GS to do that)
The AT&T network is so bad, that I just need to get out of this damn network and I’m looking forward to an android. Goddam AT&T.. even their phone service sucks.
cain
inkadu
@some other guy:
There is a small color screen on the Nook, but most of the display is e-ink; which you shouldn’t think of as black&white, because it’s way cooler. I spend enough time on the computer without retiring to another computer display to read books.
I’m not expecting much from the nook’s browser. Heading over to Barnes and Noble soon to check it out. It seems to have some more fun gew-gaws than the Kindle (which has also come down in price). I’m preferring the Nook merely because it supports ePub, a popular open-source format. YMMV.
@The Other Chuck: All I want to do is extract the text. I can read run-on paragraphs. The times I’ve converted PDF–>ePub, it’s been a disaster. Carriage returns at the end of every line and sometimes even ascending numbers included on the left or the right (line numbers maybe?). Other times things come out completely scrambled. Doesn’t seem something easy to automated, but I assume it depends on how the PDF is formatted.
MattR
@BubbaDave:
Bill has written that many? Color me shocked.
(And yes, I do realize that was not what you are referring to, but how could I resist?)
some other guy
@CalD:
I’ve actually been wanting an S7 for a while, but they’re so darned pricey. The basic Viliv S7 is only $420, which is a steal compared to the $580 one that Newegg sells (the only difference being a hard drive size), but that’s still pretty expensive for an Atom-powered netbook.
smileycreek
Killer App: Star Walk
You put in your location and hold the iPad up to the sky and it shows you the constellations…in any direction, day or night. Where I live I point it to the floor and see the constellations in Australia.
It’s very cool to see where the sun and planets and stars are when you normally can’t see them and it’s teaching me the constellations.
Pure magic.
Brachiator
@Corner Stone:
I asked in another post if you had anything better than snark. The answer was obviously, NO. You’ve got even less than that going on here. I’ve disagreed with you, but never went out of my way to be gratuitously disagreeable.
Don’t you have better things to do with your time?
Do you even have a clue as to how your message sticks out in a thread in which people are having a genial discussion?
BubbaDave
@MattR:
Bill hasn’t READ that many.
inkadu
@Martin: Good God, I hope we’re not stuck with PDF’s the same way we are stuck with QWERTY keyboards. Except for reading with a lot of diagrams, I’d prefer a more flowable format, even for larger, hi-res iPad. Narrow columns make things easier to read. That’s why I read Balloon-Juice.
@DickSpudCouchPotatoDetective: Because it reads books very well. Who wants to have their eyes hit 60 times a second with the same picture? E-ink is nice. And my computer chair isn’t near as comfy as my couch, plus e-ink is readable in full sunlight. And, if you just want to read, it’s $450 cheaper than an iPad.
jeffreyw
@some other guy: I really haven’t tried the browser more than 2 minutes. It seemed very awkward trying to log onto a web chat so I quit messing with it. Only tried the one site. My laptop is always right here. The nook is just for night time reading in bed. I did load some PDFs to read and it does pretty good, though the pagination isn’t right. I can change text size while reading PDFs but not fonts. I think the next page buttons are too stiff, it’s like trying to squash a tick with your thumb.
CalD
@Brachiator: No, I mean it actually is an iPod Touch that doesn’t fit in your pocket (in much the same way that an iPod touch is an iPhone that can make phone calls). We’re actually in the process of developing an app to run on the iPhone/iPad/iPad Touch and when I started getting down in the weeds a little on the technology I was astounded to learn (after all the hype) that the iPad really and truly doesn’t do anything that the other two don’t do. It has slightly faster CPU than an iPod Touch and of course a larger screen (with a less convenient form factor as a result). That’s literally it.
Corner Stone
@Brachiator: Eh. And?
You’re a douchebag who uses false equivalencies to bash people who push for peace.
If you don’t like being called out for your egregious bullshit then I suggest you stop posting egregious bullshit.
Me? I’m fine with where I am.
Katie
I said it in an earlier thread, but I’ll say it again. The iPad I borrowed didn’t work well for me. I can’t imagine buying one as it seems (to me) like an oversized iTouch. I didn’t like the shiny screen, it didn’t have anywhere you could connect a dvd player, it’s a ton heavier than the iTouch, and it’s not just spendy to buy, it has a $25-$30 per month fee unless you’re in a hot spot.
Part of why I borrowed it was I thought it might be a good replacement for my Kindle and my laptop when I travel. I have since discovered that while I don’t mind touch screens for many things, I don’t like them for reading, and for traveling, on a long trip the battery life isn’t even close to sufficient.
I really wanted to like it, but I couldn’t see where it fit in for me.
Keith
FWIW, browsing balloon-juice.com ain’t no picnic on a PC with IE, either. There’s the aforementioned Javascript sludge, the need to constantly click the compatibility button (after the page briefly shows up before going all-white), and the inexpicable tendency for the page to periodically stop word-wrapping (which can be a pain when the ads are hovering over the text)
Zuzu's Petals
One thing that does bug me about my iPad: does anyone know a way to search text on a webpage?
smileycreek
@Brachiator:
It’s also a great reader for the aging eyes, especially compared to the iTouch. I don’t need to go hunt for my reading glasses to surf the web, check email, read a book, etc. I just make the print size readable and the backlighting is so good I don’t have to turn on a reading lamp.
mrcreek and I also hand it back and forth playing Yahtzee against each other. Faster than the real thing.
Now I have to go check out Plants vs Zombies.
PDXChris
@Zuzu’s Petals:
Definitely a head-scratcher why this isn’t native functionality, but I had to download Find In Page (0.99, naturally) as an add-on app on the iPad.
Martin
@inkadu: You can’t flow a map. There are lots of things that PDF is good for that will take some time to replace. Most notably, that you can turn anything (including that piece of paper on your desk) into a PDF. It’s the universal catch-all for static documents right now.
WereBear
@BubbaDave: Cats. Outsmarting us since 10,000 BC.
Hugin & Munin
I’ll stick with my iPod and Kindle for now, but I’ll definitely be interested in checking iPads (& their competition) in a couple of generations.
Martin
@CalD: Well, that’s a bit like saying that a 60″ plasma is literally no different than the 13″ TV sitting in the bottom of my closet, or that a pencil is literally no different than a pen.
Form factor matters in a great many things and the larger screen + long battery + pre-pay 3G is a great feature set that doesn’t exist, well, anywhere else.
joe from Lowell
Now that, Mr. Cole, is some high-quality trolling.
Nicely done. I will inform the Urkobold.
tripletee
I’d ditto Star Walk. Great app, and for people who really want to get into the astronomical weeds there’s also Star Map HD.
Other essential apps – GoodReader. I use it mostly for PDFs, but it will also handle any file formats that the iPad natively supports (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, h.264 video, mp3/aac audio, etc). You can drop in URLs to download docs, or connect to just about any kind of cloud storage (DropBox, MobileMe, S3, or plain old vanilla FTP). If you’re in any kind of environment that’s trying to go paperless, iPad + GoodReader is killer.
Netflix is good, and the ABC app is great if you like any of their shows. The new Hulu app is nice, but not $9.99/month nice IMO.
iBooks, Kindle, and/or B&N Reader if you’re a reader. I like the iBooks interface the best, but their store is really limited compared to the other two.
The imaginatively-named Comics apps if you like comics (there are dedicated apps for DC, Marvel, and Boom, but they’re just reskinned versions of Comics, and you can get all of the same material in the original app).
If the iWorks suite doesn’t meet your needs for reading/creating MS Office files, Documents to Go is excellent.
If you want to get your thin-client on, there’s some excellent VNC and RDC apps – I like iTap VNC and iTap RDP.
Haven’t used the iPad much for games, but Real Racing HD is a lot of fun.
Zuzu's Petals
@PDXChris:
So that would work on a web page? Okay, thanks.
Still waiting to get Pages, heard folks weren’t wild about it, but that would be my incentive.
William Ockham
Safari
Mail
Google Maps – only reason I have 3g
WritePad
Kindle – IBook is better but no books I want
Civilization
OmniGraphSketcher
Numbers
Plants vs. Zombies
donnah
@asdf:
Well, just for grins we used it to drive home from my husband’s office as a test. It works really well: bright, simple screen, very clear directional arrow, and a voice that tells you as you drive that you’ll be making a turn soon.
We’re driving to a family event this weekend in West Virginia and I’m going to use it just to see how it works on long distances. It is a large download, but it’s for all of the USA.
Martin
@Hugin & Munin: Yeah, I think next generation will get the camera support, and one more generation will get a higher resolution screen. I think the device gets considerably more interesting at that point.
WereBear
I realize it’s just a big iPod touch, but I love my iPod touch, and have often thought… if it only had a little keyboard.
However, until that day arrives, Shapewriter actually lets me write on it. I use the ATOMIK keyboard and I’m getting faster all the time.
So I’m a happy camper.
Subbacultcha
Got the wifi version, and love it. No, it isn’t a computer, but it does 90% of what most people use a desktop for, and does it damn well. Easily replaces a laptop, again, for most users.
I have an iMac, a MacBook Pro, a MacMini, assorted home brew Windows boxes and two Kindles scattered throughout the house, but between the wife, two kids, and all their friends, their is often a line to check email, Facebook, surf, etc., and the portable nature and long life of the battery makes the iPad a crowd pleaser.
Got a bluetooth keyboard, but never use it. I find the onscreen keyboard more than adequate. Elegant, even. In fact that best describes the whole interface.
Killer App? For me, it is the Kindle app… Technically, the Kindle is a better e-reader: light weight, no eyestrain, a week or more of battery life. Lately, I find myself using the iPad to read instead, mostly because it is backlit and I can read in bed without bothering the missus… Also, the Kindle app syncs across platforms, so you can start reading on the Kindle, then grab the iPad and be on the same page.
Also, it is the perfect scrabble platform.
Sloegin
Ipad is a computer for a consumer, or an Eloi if you will.
The rest of us Morlocks use something we can create with. If apple included a wireless print driver with the thing I’d get one for mom.
As for apps, goodreader is great for pdfs if iBooks doesn’t cut it for you. Searchable reference texts in Ipad form are awesome. Netflix and Hulu of course rock the house. Marvel Comix is quite interesting, it points to an interesting way an old media can be manipulated on a new tool. Bloomberg is pretty damn cool, weatherbug, wolfram alpha, blah blah.
A lot of pretentious and useless crap, but some real gems out there also.
Harley
Basically size and battery power. The latter is the big winner. There is no laptop or DVD player that will give you the same value while traveling. Size comes into play here, too, particularly when it comes to reading e-books (as mentioned, you’ll need the Kindle App to get most of the books you want or need). Also you can take it onto the floor of the Senate and you can’t take a laptop there.
Apps?
Kindle
iAnnotate (reading and marking up PDF files)
At Bat 2010
pulse (news reader)
Drawing pad
And of course all the games. Seriously. Many, many games.
Katie
oooh, I love the At Bat 2010 app for my iPhone. The best $14 I’ve spent in a long time. I bet it’s fabulous on the iPad
DickSpudCouchPotatoDetective
@inkadu:
Absolutely absurd argument! As a computer guy, I have spent an average of 8-12 hours a day looking at computer screens almost every day for 30 years. (Yeah, admins never get a fucking day off that’s a real day off). Hmm … somewhere in the 80-100k hour ballpark, staring at goddam screens large, small, good, bad, expensive, cheap, flickering, not flickering, fuzzy, sharp … you name it. Every piece of junk display on the planet, at one time or another.
So I am going to spend $200 or more bucks to buy something that works like a crippled computer because the alternative has ….. a computer screen? Sure.
And no, my eyes are fine, other than being stuck behind the standard eyewear of people my age, reading glasses, the true bane of all existence.
DickSpudCouchPotatoDetective
@inkadu:
” Who wants to have their eyes hit 60 times a second with the same picture? E-ink is nice. ”
Absolutely absurd argument! As a computer guy, I have spent an average of 8-12 hours a day looking at computer screens almost every day for 30 years. (Yeah, admins never get a fucking day off that’s a real day off). Hmm … somewhere in the 80-100k hour ballpark, staring at goddam screens large, small, good, bad, expensive, cheap, flickering, not flickering, fuzzy, sharp … you name it. Every piece of junk display on the planet, at one time or another.
So I am going to spend $200 or more bucks to buy something that works like a crippled computer because the alternative has ….. a computer screen? Sure.
And no, my eyes are fine, other than being stuck behind the standard eyewear of people my age, reading glasses, the true bane of all existence.
Amanda in the South Bay
@Brachiator:
Except a Touch is cheaper than an iPad and doesn’t have monthly costs like the phone. So, for us poor fucks, its a much better deal.
Jay in Oregon
@DaddyJ:
Oh, please. If they can’t figure out how to jailbreak it — or at least find out where to download a utility to jailbreak it for them — then they have no right to whine about it.
And there are more than a few “enterprise-level IT people” who can wrap their heads around the idea that not being able to download every POS Trojan/rootkit/animated cursor app the user sees might be a good thing.
ckc (not kc)
…1300+ song sheets (lyrics/chords) to replace a bushel of books/binders… more to be added
sits up on the music stand – responds to a touch. Expensive, but worth it.
There will be tablets that do the same (without Apple’s content control monomania), but for now, this is OK.
anthony
reeder is the best blog reading software I’ve ever seen. Integrates nicely with google reader.
kindle has a better range of books than ibooks
games: plants vs zombies hd, angry birds, geodefense, geodefense swarm, carcarsonne
burnspbesq
MLB At Bat, GoodReader, Kindle, Zinio, DropBox or Air Sharing, Netflix. Instapaper!!! If you are in a corporate environment that supports it, Citrix.
Keynote is great, Numbers is OK, Pages totally sucks because it doesn’t do revision mode. The day Pages supports revision mode, 1,000,000 lawyers will park their laptops forever.
I have all of my reference materials on it. Much easier to carry around than 7,000 pages of Internal Revenue Code and Regulations plus a ton of cases.
Get the Bluetooth keyboard if you’re going to be doing any serious writing or apreadsheeting.
Zoomit is a combination of a gizmo and software that allows you to access docs stored on an SD card. Infinite memory expansion!
Prepay for Boingo and T-Mobile hotspot access. The Boingo app is pretty slick. Greetings from Gate B16 at ORD.
Harley
Katie!
It’s really really good. A great way to watch a ballgame.
Sentient Puddle
While we’re mildly on the topic, can anyone tell me of some software that I can use to rip DVDs into a video format that I can then transfer to my iPad? Preferably Mac.
Alternatively, if there’s any software that comes with Macs that do this for me, can you tell me what it is and how to use it?
Harley
@Sentient Puddle:
Wondershare is a very good and easy-to-use software for ripping DVDs. I’ve been loading movies into iTunes all month — and, of course, you deliver them to the iPad from there. It ain’t free, but when it comes to DVD rippers, and I did a lotta looking around, you get what you pay for. (I’ve been using the DVD Ripper 1.9.7, but it looks like they’ve got some new software up at the site. And it’s cheaper than it used to be.)
Here.
Zuzu's Petals
@Sloegin:
There’s an app for that.
Or so they say.
Jay in Oregon
@Sentient Puddle:
There’s HandBrake. Open-source and free, to boot.
EL
I bought mine for work – much lighter than my company laptop which was giving me neck and shoulder pain. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much I can do with it, and it weighs less than the netbook I tried first (which was sloooow – a problem the Ipad doesn’t have).
I’ve also found it to be a great exercise aid – I read blogs on the treadmill or listen to Pandora. I could use an Ipod for Pandora, but no way could I read the sites I usually visit.
eastriver
The Elements ebook. AMAZING.
Harley
@Jay in Oregon:
Tried Handbrake. Tried Mac The Ripper. Both unduly complicated, and buggy. Mention Handbrake in any Mac forum and watch the flame war begin. Crashes, conversion rate problems. And for many, an overly complicated design.
Wondershare is basically three clicks and you’re done. And they’ve apparently modified their basic ripper (the one I use) to offer a cheaper version that is specifically for transfer to the iPad.
True, you could buy five large lattes at your local coffee house instead. But I still think it’s worth the money.
Zuzu's Petals
@That Anonymous Guy:
I downloaded it…omigosh! And then I set it for my granddaughter’s birth date, time, and location …omigosh omigosh! Bookmarked it, can’t wait to e-mail it to her parents.
I love this app!
Rob
I really love iTeleport, I use it all the time to connect to my home computer from the office and vice versa. Combine that with DropBox and I really don’t miss not having a laptop.
Gromit
I’m always amused when folks note that the iPad doesn’t seem like an “essential” device, as if Kindles, netbooks, iPhones, iPods, or even laptops are essential. These are all dispensable devices to one degree or another.
What the iPad provides me is an internet device that I can just pick up and browse, without having to be tied to a desk, or even a tabletop, that starts up near-instantly, that doesn’t overheat my lap, or have a clumsy keyboard attached when all I want to do is browse the web, watch video, or play a game. I do my serious work on a Mac Pro, and I could never justify the expense of a laptop computer, since I need eight cores and fast storage for my work, and the bulk of even the smallest laptops makes them too awkward for my casual computing needs. Until the iPad, my iPhone was my browsing device of choice, but, as excellent as it is, the screen is still very small. I still use the iPhone for those times when I’m standing in line, or I’m out and about without my iPad.
With the iPad, though, I managed to watch season one of Party Down while my eight-core behemoth churned away at a long render. It’s a luxury, but one that provides me with a lot of value that other devices can’t quite match.
Spike
I bought mine for in-flight entertainment, in a form factor big enough for my fading-with-age eyesight and small enough to use in a coach-class seat too cramped for me to open my laptop.
Zuzu's Petals
Okay, now I can’t seem to pull up the page I bookmarked at Sky Walk. Anyone know how this works on an iPad?
Sarah in Brooklyn
I didn’t know there was a Netflix app and I searched and I can’t find an official one, just some 3rd party things with crappy reviews. Any specific one you all would recommend?
mcddjj
Killer app: Pulse for RSS
For Twitter Echofon
I love being able to view comics and carry around a few 100 at a time. Same goes for books.
My 16 month old loves Bloom (ok so do I) and all the Dr Seuss apps.
When traveling I bring the Apple bluetooth keyboard and use a stand for the ipad. Works perfectly.
Stimpy
@John Cole:
I use my iPad A LOT. Love it to death. My go-to show-off-the-iPad app is Star Walk.
Also: Reader. (for my google reader blog reading)
Twitteriffic
Wundermap (weather maps)
Weather Station (clean simple weather station)
terry chay
You’ll figure it out John. Basically, it excels at allowing you to grab internet content without having to go over to your charging laptop and wake from sleep. You can leave the iPad near you all day and charge at night.
In the meantime, I suggest the following apps:
If you use the iPad at your university, Papers is a good app (but you have to be on the university LAN).
New York Times Editor’s Choice is a pretty amazing app for gleaning the headlines and reading some articles.
Safari, of course, for web browsing. And Mail for e-mail reading.
Any one of the zillion Wikipedia apps. It’s nice to have a dedicated app for it.
Same goes for IMdb since it is much better than the website. Great for answering, “I saw that guy in some other movie once…”
I find the Guardian Eyewitness app inspiring.
After that, there is Zinio (for magazines), and Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, and Stanza for book reading. At that point, it’s probably best to try to get rid of the paper clutter in your house (pare down those bookshelves).
I keep PDF reference material in GoodReader also (it has search).
Other things people like for cloud working/research are Evernote, Instapaper, DropBox, and the like.
Finally, for RSS reading, nothing beats Reeder. There are some other experimental shit (Pulse, etc.) but if you have a lot of feeds on Google Reader, go with Reeder.
Hope that helps.
clussman
I skipped the holy war you undoubtedly unleashed. Or at least the fanboys and the anti-fanboys who both have ridiculous knee-jerk reactions.
It’s simple: it’s not for everyone. It may not be for you. It is definitely for our family. (Family is a key word there.) It’s a replacement for the netbook my wife fried. It’s a movie and games device for my little boy, particularly when we’re on long road trips, which we frequently are. It’s an ebook reader for me.
Four hours after bringing it home we came to the conclusion that we needed a second one. This despite the fact that I wouldn’t have been able to justify the expense for any one of us.
Bonus: watching my 3yr old boy play with Google Earth for a solid 20 minutes. Showing him our house, his school, the path between them, the bahamas and a few other places. At one point he pinched and zoomed all the way out and started rotating the Earth this way and that, then turned to me and said “Daddy, where’s the sun?” I treasure moments like that.
clussman
@terry chay listed some good apps, particularly Instapaper and Dropbox. I love those two apps and they’ve both positively impacted my work day.
Dropbox by allowing a central file repository for large files (SVN doesn’t particularly like my PSD files) and the new link sharing feature. I can actually show off comps on the iPad without having to undock my laptop to take to meetings.
Instapaper just stops me from wasting time during the work day. I just save things to it and read them later.
clussman
@Sarah in Brooklyn: there is an official one. It’s iPad only. If you’re looking for the iPhone version it should be available in a few weeks (I think).
@mcddjj: my boy loves the Dr. Seuss app/books too. I’m waiting for Tweetie/Twitter for the iPad. Currently using Tweetdeck and not loving it.
@Stimpy: I’m downloading Star Walk right now. Thanks for the rec.
Catsy
The thing that killed off any chance of me ever buying an iPad was the lack of removable storage. I refuse to pay the Apple premium for more (inadequate) storage space when a device that was actually designed in a consumer-friendly way would allow me to plug in an SD card or other removable media, giving me a potentially infinite library to carry around in a package that would fit in a pill case. And the kind of storage they’re providing even in the high-end version is a total joke for something that’s supposed to function as a portable media player. No, the external adapter is not a solution: in addition to the fact that Apple’s connectors are notoriously prone to breakage when you leave things attached to them that can get bumped the wrong way, the device just isn’t designed to be able to properly manage files.
Apple had the potential to design a revolutionary device with most of the functionality of a laptop in a scaled-down form factor that could break down the barrier between smartphones and laptops and entirely kill off the ill-conceived netbook market. Instead they decided to milk their cash cow and built an oversized and glorified iPod touch.
If IT types like me seem to aggressively despise the iPad, it’s because it had enormous potential that was wasted because of Apple’s arrogance–and yet the sheer weight of Apple’s market power and cool-factor appeal to people with too much disposable income will drive it to enough success to influence the rest of the market in ways that are detrimental to good design and consumer-friendliness.
I’d probably use one for surfing in bed or on the plane if it was given to me, but there’s no way in hell I’d pay more than $100 for it, and probably not even that.
Comrade Parnell
I find myself using the usual set of internet reading/communications app:
– Feeddler RSS Newsreader
– Twitterrific
– Mail
– Safari
But definitely have a look at “Words With Friends HD,” a great over-the-interwebs Scrabble game that you can play with friends and/or strangers!
Post your username, and we’ll all sign up to kick your ass!
limniade
I’ve spent the last 15 or so years looking at a screen 8-15 hours a day (which isn’t 30 years, but still is not an insignificant amount of time) and my eyes get damn tired if I spend more than a half hour reading text, as one would do with a book or a magazine. Doing the variety of tasks, switching windows back and forth and scrolling? No, eyes are fine for that. Reading? Nope.
The people who want an e-ink e-reader like the Kindle or the Nook are the people like me who really love to read, and do so for 1-3 hours at a time. It looks like a book, it acts like a book, it’s basically a book.
The people who buy an iPad want something that acts like a computer. They don’t want something that acts like a book. Different target market.
Personally, I love my Nook, because now instead of carrying 2-3 books around with me that weigh half a pound each, I can carry 20,000 books around with me and altogether it only weighs 11 ounces.
How’s the browser? It sucks. Very rudimentary. If you’re in dire need of a web browser, it is in fact usable, but it’s not anywhere near the functionality you’d see on a regular computer. However, since the Nook runs on Android, I feel confident that in the future, one will be able to download an app for that and plenty of other things. (Which is one of the reasons I chose the Nook over the Kindle.) There have already been several software updates since I bought my Nook in February, and I’m sure they will continue as improvements are developed.
I have 3 laptops and a desktop, so the last thing I needed was yet another backlit screen. What I really wanted was an alternative for the 400 or so paperbacks that I currently own and store in several hundred dollars’ worth of bookshelves, which honestly have no real sentimental value apart from the fact that I really like reading the books. I’ll keep my first editions and my hardcovers, and probably buy new copies of those books I really care about or can’t wait for the e-book.
And yeah, the removable storage was another reason I picked the Nook over other devices. 2GB internal and up to 16GB external with a microSD card (which will probably increase as storage capability of those cards does), even if you only have one. IMHO that’s a win.
delk
Life Browser is nice
am
@schrodinger’s cat:
I’m still a regular reader against my better judgement. Something human about him that makes it worth the Burke references and the occasional chauvinism.
But this is the archetype of his bad side. Snotty and self absorbed to the point of spiting himself. He’s just stilll pissed she didn’t come out as a lesbian or go all South Park during the questioning. I’m not sure he believes a word of what he wrote there.
Wile E. Quixote
@Martin:
No kidding. My cow-orkers all upgraded their phones to the new iPhone 4G and the retina display is amazing. If they come out with an iPad that has the same ppi as the iPhone 4G I’m buying one. I don’t know what I’ll do with it, but damn the resolution will be impressive.
Wile E. Quixote
@am:
How do we know whether or not she’s a lesbian either? In fact how do we know that she’s not a lesbian and a zombie who, once appointed to the court by the Kenyan SoⅽⅰaⅠⅰst Mooslim Usurper, Barack SuperFly Hussein Mandinka Obama, won’t go berserk and feast upon the tasty brains of such conservative judicial stalwarts as Antonin Scalia, John Roberts and Antonin Scalia, Jr. (a.k.a “Samuel Alito”)*. It would be irresponsible not to speculate upon this topic but really, do we want the spectacle of a crazed lesbian zombie with superhuman undead strength cracking open Antonin Scalia’s skull and feasting on his brains while the light goes out of his eyes like it did to Ray Liotta in that scene in Hannibal where his brains are being eaten while he’s still alive? Wait, where was I going with this? Yeah, Sully’s an idiot.
*I’ll leave other Balloon Juice readers to make the obvious joke about Clarence Thomas not having any brains to feast upon.
Bubba Dave
Yes. In HD. I will borrow one of my employer’s Ki Pro HD recorders so I can record that and edit it and turn it into music videos and screensavers and my iPad wallpaper (just to revisit the thread’s ostensible topic)…
Sorry, I need to go take a cold shower now.
Gromit
@Catsy:
The device isn’t designed to manage files, period. That’s part of the appeal of the thing. It’s for people who want to browse the web, read and compose e-mail, watch video, and use apps instead of dicking around in the file system or shuffling physical media around. Most users see having to manage files as a chore, and simply aren’t very interested in it, and consequently aren’t very good at it.
If you ever have to do tech support for family, as I suspect you do, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. How many times have you encountered a person with more than a decade of computer experience who still doesn’t understand the difference between a file and an application?
Something tells me this is about more than the omission of an SD card slot. It’s not possible that, as an IT person, you are personally invested in a more esoteric model of computing? Because if you are honestly going to chalk Apple’s success up to fads and marketing, you are kidding yourself. They are doing something right.
burnspbesq
@Catsy:
Pay attention. Specifically, pay attention to comment 157. You want removable storage? You got it.
The thing you are being deliberately obtuse about is that Apple likes to sell shit and make profit. If the iPad included every bell and whistle on every IT professional’s wish list, it wouldn’t be a $499 device. It would cost as much as a MacBook Pro. And they would sell about 180 of them every quarter.
You’re not the market. I’m the market. Terry Chay is the market, Cole is the market. Everything you have ever written about the iPad has reeked of condescension. It’s old, tired, and a waste of time.
And who the fuck are you to decide who has too much disposable income? You picked your career, and you presumably did so with your eyes open about its earning potential vs. non-monetary satisfaction. Stop whining.
limniade
Well, it would if it were an Apple. You can get a pretty decent laptop these days for $500. Or a netbook that will do everything one would use an iPad for, for $250. It’s not like Apple has cornered the market on useful portable devices. Just on nicely-designed ones that cost more money than they’re worth, marketed to folks who like the shiny.
You know, a lot of people don’t realize that Apple has about 12% of the computing/smart device market. That includes iPads. That’s not exactly roaring success. Does Apple make a shitload of money because they managed to successfully brainwash a certain segment of the population that they can be part of the cool elite by buying these shiny things? Yeah, they sure do. They are a profitable company. Are they the leading…well, anything? No. Nobody is a leader with 12% market share. The fact that people believe Apple IS a leading company poised to revolutionize the computing market, and the way we view media as a whole, is ABSOLUTELY due to marketing and the power of fads. Absofuckinglutely. Look at what a stranglehold they have on their products, their image and the propaganda they use to promote those things. Why the hell do you think Apple wants you to believe they’re bigger than they are and that everyone will be using their stuff? So that you go out and spend $500 on a device that doesn’t actually do anything more than the devices you already own, that’s why. Duh. Does McDonald’s REALLY make America’s favorite fries? *Is* Coke it? Is beef *really* what’s for dinner? Of course it’s fucking marketing. Brilliant marketing, to be sure, of the kind that made Target into the yuppie paradise it is today, but marketing nonetheless.
Gromit
@limniade:
From a company that invests next to nothing in R&D, sure. And you’ll get what you pay for, a flimsy device with crummy software. Check the customer satisfaction rankings. Oh, right, that’s all brainwashing, of course.
Cornering the market != leading. And I can see what little value you see in good design. Maybe you don’t think “design” has anything to do with the way the device actually works, or how it gets used? That it’s all about making something pretty (or “shiny” as you say)?
You might have of a point if every mobile manufacturer weren’t trying to duplicate the iPhone’s success. Who do you think is pushing the industry in new directions? Nokia? They had the most market share last I checked. Guess they just don’t have a good enough ad agency? Or maybe they make cheap, crappy products that people use because they can get them for free after subsidy? For netbooks, it would probably be Acer or Dell, right? Real innovators, those, too bad they just can’t seem to find as good an ad agency as Apple, right? Meanwhile, Apple’s iOS device commercials aren’t nearly as flashy and disconnected from the actual product as, say, Motorola’s droid commercials or Palm’s Borg Queen campaign. Instead, Apple’s iPhone and iPad ads just show people using their products. Some brainwashing.
The Raven
Told ya last month, right in these comments. It’s a reader and viewer–blows everything else in that area out of the water. It can do some input, but that’s not what it’s for.
To use it, though, one has to deal with the Jobsian weirdness: no USB ports and software censorship. It is apparently only possible to write apps and distribute them if you pay Apple, and Apple still may disallow any app, which is icky. I’m told that Apple corporate policy towards porn is conflicted. The restrictions are, however, are more moderate than those of every cell phone company.
Croak!
Harley
Apple is the smartest kid in school and nobody likes the smartest kid in school. Particularly those who are still passionately convinced that their Zune really is the superior music player. Honest it is.
But let’s face it. They changed the way we listen to music. They changed the way we use our phones. And if nothing else, they sure as hell changed Amazon’s pricing on the poor doomed Kindle.
(Comparing Kindle and iPad ads is sorta funny. The iPad ads are all about the screen, the actors faces aren’t even seen. The Kindle ads show a bunch of opinion leader hipsters dancing around with their Kindle. And assiduously avoid showing the screen. Not even one blink.)
twiffer
depends on what you want from it. if you want a dedicated eReader, the lack of eInk is a problem. unless you read mostly graphic novels, then it’s cool. if you want a highly portable device capable of running business apps (particularly citrix, to hook into your company’s infrastructure), you might be better served with a netbook. if you want a multi-function media device that doesn’t need a magnifying glass to watch movies, it’s probably something you might want to consider.
basically it’s apple’s answer to netbooks. i’ve only played about with one, and for a very short period of time, so take that as a qualifier on my assessment of it’s capabilities. as far as i can tell, it’s a toy. designed for casual use and geared towards entertainment media.
right now, i don’t have much of a use for one, so it doesn’t really interest me. if i’m bringing a laptop with me on any sort of travel, it means i have to work. thus, i’m bringing my work machine. otherwise, i have a preference for single function devices: phone, work leash (aka blackberry), iPod, nook, portable DVD player & garmin. that way, if my kid breaks one, he doesn’t break them all. also, specialized devices tend to perform their task better than multi-function devices (not always, of course).
if you travel solo or have an aversion to bags, a single multi-function device might be the right call. howver, if i want the boy to be able to watch a movie on a long flight, while i read, single function devices are a better choice.
Juan
@clussman: Speaking of dropbox, what about filesdirect? Great way to store & send big files.
Peter J
If you want something that you would primarily want to read books on, then any product using E-ink is a lot better than the ipad, but then the ipad looks a lot nicer and can be used for a lot more than reading books. I wouldn’t be suprised if that’s one of the reasons for why the ads are different.
Personally, I’m looking to buy a nook for reading books, it’s cheap, has a better size, and it uses e-ink. And I’m going to get one without 3G since I don’t need everything to be connected all the time.
BTW, Apple wasn’t the inventor responsible for the new ways we’re are listening to music or reading books. Apple wasn’t the smart kid, Apple was the kid looking at the smart kid, and then being able to both market and sell their version better.
gwangung
Sounds like the smart kid to me.
Harley
@Peter J:
Well….
Yes, the iPad looks ‘nicer’ and can be used for more than reading books. The software is also far superior, at least when compared to the Kindle — which doesn’t even offer page numbers for cripes sake, tho’ I’m glad to know that I’m 33 percent of the way thru China Mieville’s new book — and Jobs book pricing is a boon to the publishing business, at least when compared to the more rapacious Amazon business model.
As for smart kids, if you think there’s a smart kid out there whose music player was far superior to the iPod and the only reason we’re not all listening to it is because Apple markets their products so well….?
Funny. But this is becoming the default whinge re Apple. It’s not quality, stability or design. It’s marketing! Evil marketing!!
twiffer
@Harley: having viewed an eBook on an iPad, vs. on my nook, i have no fucking clue why anyone who a) likes to read; and b) is not a masochist who enjoys eye strain induced headaches, would consider the iPad a preferable reader. except for graphic novels & comics, cause, you know, color is helpful there (usually).
opinion, sure, but i’ve yet to see anything that mimics actual print better than eInk. couple the display with the decreased weight and size (nook fits in my back pocket) and devices like the nook & kindle are still a better choice for someone looking specifically for a reader.
twiffer
@Peter J: have a nook. love it. only thing i’d recommend is to definately get a cover, as the page buttons are very thin and will crack. particularly if you are the sort of person to toss it in your bag with littel regard to device safety. but that’s a minor quibble (they still work when they are cracked, mind you).
Harley
@twiffer:
Fair enuf. I don’t have a problem with eye strain induced headaches. So no worries there. You’re right about comics, of course. But anything that fits into my back pocket is in no way mimicking ‘actual print’ — i.e. the reading experience I’m looking for. That would be like watching a movie on a postage stamp. And I would think those teeny/tiny letters might induce some strain of their own. (Unless you wear huge farmer overalls. This would be an exception to the size problem.)
But hey. Different strokes/that’s why they have horse races/and so on.
twiffer
@some other guy: they loaded the beta on my nook. rather useless, as far as i’m concerned. i’d rather have the memory for more books. you get color on the little touch screen, but just a section. anyway, the display is b&w, but crisp. might have some value for checking out email or perhaps reading blogs, but i tend to avoid that on my free time anyway. easier to read than on my BB or cell, but still, i generally only use mobile internet to check the box score for red sox games.
i bought the nook for 3 reasons: 1) to toss in my bag for everyday use (ie: anytime if am not at home and have 5 minutes of stationary free time); 2) to avoid making the difficult choice between books and underwear when packing for vacation; 3) to keep my bookshelves from migrating to the bathroom. i did not buy it to be a mobile web browser and don’t much care if it has that functionality or not.
twiffer
@Harley: i’ll take it you do not read many paperbacks then, as the viewable text is slightly smaller than the average page size of a paperback. however, because it is thin, it fits into the backpocket of a pair of jeans. oh, the text size is adjustable too.
anyway, it’s not a replacement for books at home; just for mobile use. for me, at least. if i’m on the couch or my comfy reading chair at home, i’m grabbing a real book.
Catsy
@Gromit:
Bullshit. It’s a design deficiency, pure and simple.
It’s not even a feature like the SD reader, where you can make a colorable argument for costs in battery life and available space. It’s software. Adding the ability to manage files and move data freely between storage media through a dedicate app is a matter of writing the presentation layer for it; the device already has the ability to do so on the back end. They wouldn’t even have to confuse Grandma with it, just put it in the app store for the advanced users who want that level of control over their data.
They won’t, because the fact is that they don’t /want/ you to have that level of control over your data.
I do, but it’s absolutely orthogonal to my point. You don’t have to force the Morlocks to manage their files in order to give advanced users the option of doing so.
Well yes, since in the very paragraph you quoted I stated outright that it’s about more than the SD slot. It’s about the power Apple has in shaping the feature sets of the kinds of devices they popularize, and how the ways in which they shape those feature sets are often not in the best interests of their users and consumers.
It has nothing to do with, as you put it, “a more esoteric model of computing”. don’t even know what you think that’s supposed to mean. It has to do with the corrosive effect Apple’s success has on user choice and open design principles.
There is a difference between doing something right in the context of generating commercial success, and doing what’s right. By your logic, the practices of Wal-Mart and BP are beyond criticism because they are wildly profitable and must be doing something right.
@burnspbesq:
For a fanboy jackass who’s hot on insulting people while bleating that they ought to pay attention, you’re sure not showing any signs that you did so yourself. Specifically, pay attention to the part of my comment where I listed the reasons why an external adapter is not an adequate solution to the lack of external storage and file management on Apple devices.
Someone with an opinion that’s worth just as much as yours. Who the fuck are you?
Harley
@Catsy:
Anyone who uses the word ‘orthogonal’ in a sentence should be all over Apple devices. Hand in glove, sorta.
However, I must say I like the idea that Apple users are ‘fanboys’. Does this make open source mavens real men?
Harley
@twiffer:
Got it. I guess I need to mimic the book reading experience as much as possible for it to work for me. So the iPad works. So reading on my phone or any other smaller device doesn’t.
As for reading on the run, the iPad is perfect for travel. Or a waiting room.
As for that comfy chair, I ran out of room for more books years ago. These days, I buy the hard back for certain authors only — Rick Moody next month, for example, Martin Amis last month — but in most cases, the download is not only cheaper, but appeals to my need for immediate gratification (read review, press button, download book, commence reading). Also according to Tess, age 6, I am saving trees. Which is nice.
JL Altmiller
@Brent: I got a great case for my iPad from inCase. It is a leather case, and when you fold it open it creates a stand that can hold the iPad in three separate positions. It also has a closure that is a large elastic band that you pull over the flap to close. It’s really awesome, stands on its own, allows for easy reading at whatever angle you prefer and protects the device well, while keeping it lightweight and clean.
I did a little research on comment boards and apparently the Apple iPad case picks up everthing because it is sort of velvety. Yuck. Not for people with pets, that’s for sure.
stonetools
Something you CAN’T do on a Macbook Pro or netbook- fingerpainting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OLP4nbAVA4
Brachiator
@Catsy:
Actually, there isn’t. It’s not really about what’s “right.” There ain’t no stone iPads handed down to Moses specifying what a tablet device must be, and certainly no rule that a tablet device must duplicate the functions of a laptop.
Competitors can come up with whatever they like and if it’s better (more usable, whatever), they will eat Apple’s lunch. Or not.
Recently, I’ve seen some buzz about the upcoming CISCO CIUS tablet computer, and running Android software.
What I just find amazing here is that they are pretty much saying FU to non-business users:
So, competitors are responding to Apple by ceding the consumer market to them? Man, that ain’t brainwashing, that’s some powerful Steve Jobs mojo.
And the difficulty of anybody coming up with a device that people want to buy is demonstrated in this little news tidbit hot off the wire.
I don’t give a rip about Apple vs everybody else, or about “toys” vs robust whatevers that people are supposed to want. None of this is absolutely essential. It’s about creating devices that people can find a use for, want to use, and have fun using.
And from what I can see, Apple is kicking ass. Their stuff may not be for everybody, but a failed device like the Kin obviously ain’t for nobody.
terry chay
@Peter J: I have both (a Kindle and an iPad), and they are different, but it is mostly an either-or and not a both. Having said that: http://terrychay.com/article/retinal-burn.shtml
Personally, I use the iPad a lot more for reading technical stuff (that I have to flip or search) since the Kindle page turning is slow. For novels and the like, the Kindle still rocks: read outdoor, less eyestrain, etc. Plus the Kindle app is still better than iBooks (Random House is not on iBooks and also publishers haven’t updated their content for non-ebook books like photography books and the like that don’t render/are useless on e-ink/text only stuff).
terry chay
@Peter J: Having owned two Rios and used 1 Nomad before I switched to iPod (the month of release), it was more than marketing with the iPod.
While in terms of spec sheet, the Nomad may have been a better value, it is not in terms of actual use. Maybe you could tolerate intolerably slow USB 1.1 speeds, annoying file management (no sync!), button based navigation, and a gigantic form factor (or in the case of the Rios having to keep 2 copies of every song just so you can store a CD’s worth of music on your music player), but I couldn’t and neither could the market.
Similar shit comes when comparing a netbook to an iPad. Sure the netbook is a better value, until you actually own one. The iPad can even compliment a laptop (albeit it’s probably better for desktop owners), not so with the netbook.
But whatever, I’ve been having this argument for years and been called a “fanboy” simply because I’ve used Apple products since 1978 (somehow it doesn’t count to them that my first Microsoft product was in 1979, and I’ve purchased far more Dells than I ever will Macintoshes). The reality is the market speaks, and while marketing is a factor for Apple’s successes, it the only one.
BTW, e-Ink is not better than the iPad LCD, it’s different. It is better in certain conditions (outdoors it shines, there is less eyestrain, and the battery is not used if the display doesn’t changed), but it is monochrome and painfully slow. So the question is are you reading stuff you read through or flip through/reference, is it mostly text or are there a lot of pictures.
Brachiator
@terry chay:
Really enjoyed your “retinal burn” post. I dearly love my Kindle, because it is far more fun to carry around than a laptop. I’ll go to my coffee house and much more comfortably sit back and read what’s on the Kindle. I can see how people would have a similar experience with an iPad.
As an aside, people talk about the convenience of putting a smartphone size device in their pockets. I carry a very cheap cellphone around, but put it (and my Kindle) in a back pack. I don’t put a cellphone in my back pocket, because I would inevitably sit on it and break it. I don’t want a lot of stuff in my front pockets and never put anything in a shirt pocket, when I bother to wear a shirt with a front pocket.
This reminds me of an episode of the great TV program “Connections,” where the host talks about the revolution being not only movable type and the printing press, but the production of books that you could easily put in a saddle bag. Portability counts.
terry chay
@Catsy: If you want to manage your files, Apple has a device for doing that called a MacBook Air. Last I checked there are a lot of non-Apple branded products you can purchase. Nobody is holding a gun to your head saying you have to buy it.
As someone who has had an SD card reader in their portable device for the last 6 years (when Palm included one), been working in technology for the last 10 years, and using computers in the last 32, I have to say that I’d like an SD card reader and file management, but it isn’t going to happen and the reason is NOT marketing. If marketing had a say, they’d probably bundle it just so they can say they have it. You are deluding yourself if you think the only reason that an SD card reader isn’t in the iPad or iPod or iPhone is because of planned obsolescence.
The iPod sales took off BECAUSE of that feature (iTunes file management). Don’t believe me? Look at Apple’s iPod sales number between the time they offered a PC compatible model (iPod 2G) and the introduction of iTunes for Windows.
Similarly, explain why the Android market is rife with a zillion phones, but expandability is only in a few of them (and really hearing NONE of people I know using it in a purchasing decision unless they’re trying to come up with some bullshit list of why their phone is better than an iPhone). And I noticed the the Android operating system seems to be mimicing the file-less management system (if anything they’re doing Apple one better by offering cloud syncing).
The iPad, iPhone, and iPod are not computers. Apple knows this, they sell computers also. It turns out the iPad, iPhone, iPod, or Macintosh may not be for YOU, Apple doesn’t give a fuck about it, and somehow that’s pissing you off. Whoop de fucking do. I work with a thousand Linux servers every day, and I don’t care that the XServe isn’t one of them or that the Mac mini can’t handle those tasks.
twiffer
@Brachiator: considering the only add i saw for a “kin” was godawful, i certainly understand the lackluster sales. a phone designed for social networking? what phone isn’t? isn’t that the primary purpose of a communications device?
also, having your ad focus on tracking down an ex and finding you still mutually hate each other is just a bad idea. who is that supposed to appeal to?
terry chay
@Brachiator: For serious reading, your Kindle is going to wipe the floor with the iPad or a laptop outdoors in the coffeeshop. :-)
Yes, I also find it interesting that there seems to be levels of form factors: 1) fits in a pocket, 2) fits in your backpack, 3) fits in the car and that seems pretty universal.
twiffer
@DickSpudCouchPotatoDetective: as a computer guy who has only spent 11 years at it and has been wearing glasses for 25 years, i much prefer eInk. my eyes thank me too.
twiffer
@Harley: damnit, the solution to running out of room for books is to buy a bigger house!
[grin]
it is a good replacement for paperbacks. hardbounds are irreplaceable though, despite my profound affection for trees.
Gromit
@Catsy:
I’ll offer an historical analogy: when GUI’s first went mainstream, there was a great deal of resistance from some folks who had been brought up on CLI’s. Lots of arguments for the superiority of the CLI were offered, but it really all boiled down to the fact that competence with a command line represented years of training in what amounted to an esoteric art. For the unwashed masses to suddenly be offered a shortcut past all the arcana was taken as an affront. I see something similar happening here, where a lot of hard-won technical expertise is being implicitly rendered unnecessary by a new computing paradigm.
I would take customer satisfaction numbers as the best available measure of Apple’s success. People enjoy using these products.
What yardstick would you use?
Zuzu's Petals
My sister sent this to me today. Pretty funny, even if it’s not strictly on (iPad) topic:
iPhone 4 vs HTC Evo
Catsy
@Gromit:
This is an extremely inapt analogy, unless for some reason you think removable storage and the option of having full control over your own data is esoteric. I have an iPhone. I love its interface. I hate the fact that it doesn’t have a microSD slot, but I can live with it because it’s a frakking phone and I don’t store much on it. What is understandable in a smartphone’s form factor is inexcusable for something the size of a netbook. And no device should lack the option for an experienced user to choose to manage their own data.
Apple makes a lot of noise about being all about choices, but it’s really about learning to deal with the limited choices Apple thinks you ought to have.
Several points here.
First, your assertion glosses over a whole lot of relevant data that cannot be reduced to “satisfied” or “not”. I’m fairly happy with my iPhone. I’d rather have it than my old POS. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think it’s a deeply flawed device–it is. My experience and attitude is far from unique.
Second, you’re using past customer satisfaction numbers–numbers neither of us have cited in any detail, I might add–in defense of a new product. Whether or not people are “satisfied” with their iPhone or Macbook has no bearing whatsoever on the merits and flaws of the iPad.
Finally, general consumer satisfaction numbers are completely irrelevant to the question of whether or not specific design elements are or are not in the best interests of consumers, most of whom have no actual idea what they want or should have and are content with whatever they end up with as long as it doesn’t abjectly suck and malfunction. That’s not even taking into account the vast numbers of Apple partisans who could watch Steve Jobs take a steaming dump on stage and immediately start writing blog posts about the revolutionary new iCrap. I exaggerate for effect–but not by much.
Catsy
Setting aside the rest of the drivel and worthless personal anecdotes in your comment, this paragraph right here makes my argument for me.
The weight of Apple’s market power and their influence on the design of smartphones–and now, tablets–has a very real and direct effect on how competing products get designed. When the design elements being imitated are bad ones, this pisses off people who would actually like to see good design prevail.
What bothers people like me about the iPad beyond the point where we’re willing to just shrug and ignore it if we’re not interested is the very real possibility that Apple’s godawful approach to designing a tablet–which is the closest thing to the interface and form factor of the iPad–will influence the design of similar products in all the wrong ways.
So thanks for providing some concrete examples of exactly the sort of effect I was describing.
Peter J
@twiffer:
Thanks for the advice, will look at covers too.
@Harley:
Not looking to buy the Kindle, but I would obviously prefer a reader being able to number pages correctly, but it’s not a deal breaker for me.
@terry chay:
E-ink obviously isn’t the best choice for images, but since books I read, doesn’t have a lot of them, that’s ok. For more technical ebooks, I prefer to read them on my computer so that I can copy and paste bits if needed.
@terry chay:
I’m going to copy books to the nook, so even if even had had just USB 1.1 (which i doubt), that wouldn’t have been a problem.
I’m ok with e-ink being monochrome, most, if not all, of the books I want to read are monochrome too, the orignal firmware of the nook was slow and they have improved on the speed and hopefully it will be further improved.
—
Here’s the point. I’m looking for something to read books with, I’m not interested in something I can play games, video, surf, look at the sky, fingerpaint with or doing anything else that’s not reading. I’m not looking to pay extra for functions I don’t need.
And if I have to choose between looking at a lit screen and e-ink, my choice is clear. One is like reading a book, the other isn’t. I would never ever get the idea to buy regular ebooks and read them on my computer screen, so why would I want to read them on a ipod, an iphone or a android phone for that matter? The screen isn’t made for it.
Also, if I were able to turn the wifi off on the nook I’d do that. I have no need for it, if I can buy the books on my computer and then transfer them to my reader, then I’d prefer it that way.
Peter J
twiffer:
Thanks for the advice, will look at covers too.
Harley:
Not looking to buy the Kindle, but I would obviously prefer a reader being able to number pages correctly, but it’s not a deal breaker for me.
terry chay:
E-ink obviously isn’t the best choice for images, but since books I read, doesn’t have a lot of them, that’s ok. For more technical ebooks, I prefer to read them on my computer so that I can copy and paste bits if needed.
terry chay:
I’m going to copy books to the nook, so even if even had had just USB 1.1 (which i doubt), that wouldn’t have been a problem.
I’m ok with e-ink being monochrome, most, if not all, of the books I want to read are monochrome too, the orignal firmware of the nook was slow and they have improved on the speed and hopefully it will be further improved.
—-
Here’s the point. I’m looking for something to read books with, I’m not interested in something I can play games, video, surf, look at the sky, fingerpaint with or doing anything else that’s not reading. I’m not looking to pay extra for functions I don’t need.
And if I have to choose between looking at a lit screen and e-ink, my choice is clear. One is like reading a book, the other isn’t. I would never ever get the idea to buy regular ebooks and read them on my computer screen, so why would I want to read them on a ipod, an iphone or a android phone for that matter? The screen isn’t made for it.
Also, if I were able to turn the wifi off on the nook I’d do that. I have no need for it, if I can buy the books on my computer and then transfer them to my reader, then I’d prefer it that way.
Gromit
@Catsy:
The customer satisfaction data I’ve seen is typically broken down into “very satisfied”, “somewhat satisfied”, “somewhat dissatisfied”, etc. The iPad ranks at 74% “very satisfied” and 17% “somewhat satisfied, for a total 91% “satisfied”. Only 2% “dissatisfied”. The linked report says these numbers match iPhone customer satisfaction.
These are iPad numbers from May.
So only you and Apple know what’s best for consumers, and Apple simply refuses to do what is right and instead exerts mind control over the consumers and its competitors to blind them to the truth that what they really need is the ability to move their files around manually instead of letting iTunes do the grunt work. What the hell ever, Catsy. At least you clearly aren’t emotionally invested in this, unlike those Apple “partisans”.
stonetools
Catsby, you privilege certain things like removable storage and file management . The three million Ipad customers obviously privilege other things. Maybe they are not so stupid and Apple’s designers are not so godawful, eh? Just a thought.
I note that since 2000 Microsoft and others designed tablets to geek specifications- a fully fledged operating system (including file manager), USB slots for removable storage, stylus, etc. Nobody bought them.
You might consider that Apple focused relentlessly on what the average consumer wanted and guess what-they wanted a simple, elegant, intuitive touchscreen interface, a no hassle approach to getting malware-free applications, and ten hours of battery life. A good designer gives people what they want, not what some geek thinks they SHOULD want.
terry chay
@Zuzu’s Petals: There are actually two videos, both quite funny: http://laughingsquid.com/iphone-vs-htc-evo-htc-evo-vs-iphone4/
terry chay
@Catsy:
Yes, it makes the argument that you’re an ass, just like the apple fanboys you hate on. No surprise, really since you can be on either extreme to be a zealot.
terry chay
In other news:
http://www.woot.com/Blog/ViewEntry.aspx?Id=13390
http://www.woot.com/Blog/ViewEntry.aspx?Id=13391
^^^ classic!
Gromit
@stonetools:
I think it’s actually a little more complicated than this. I don’t think people are always the best judges of what they will actually be happy with, or even of what they will pay for. Really good designers are able to figure out what people don’t yet know they want.
But that’s entirely different from completely dismissing consumers’ perceptions of products they have already purchased and are using, as Catsy seems to be doing.
Peter J
I’m pretty sure that the geek would want a phone that doesn’t produce signal drops when you hold it. I doubt that what people want is a phone designed to look like there’s nothing wrong with the reception…
;)