Andrew Turner |
Apple Tablet likely ready for launch this early spring 2010
EDITED: Now that we know the official name is 'iSlate' and not iTablet.
After years of speculation, the signs for an Apple iSlate are actually rather convincing.
I suppose I shall not be buying a Kindle or nook.
I'd put this thread in the Tech section of the boards, but I couldn't find it...
Ambrosia Slaad |
Apple Tablet likely ready for launch this early spring 2010
After years of speculation, the signs for an Apple iTablet are actually rather convincing.
I suppose I shall not be buying a Kindle or nook.
I'd put this thread in the Tech section of the boards, but I couldn't find it...
At least wait for them to roll out the 1.1 version where they've fixed any hardware design hiccups.
Andrew Turner |
Price seems to be more than steep. It seems better to buy a laptop.
I think there'll be a couple versions, $800-1200. Also, there's the off-chance the tablet will be subsidized by contract with a carrier (for the wireless/internet features).
I am an Early Adopter, so I fully expect to pay more today for something that'll be better and cheaper in six months or less.
Erik Mona Chief Creative Officer, Publisher |
Yikes...
I can't imagine anyone buying this. (Note, I still can't imagine anyone buying the iPhone - so it shows what I know.)
I think only two Paizo editors are without an iPhone so far, though it's Christmas eve, so you never know what might happen.
iPhones spread faster than H1N1.
Andrew Turner |
iSlate seems to be the most likely name for the new tablet.
Another interesting bit--two new patents associated with the tablet: a projector which is run by the iSight internals and managed by the tablet surface; and a patent for tablet-based 3D user interface and manipulation associated with the iChat application.
Star Wars Chess? Holographic iChat?
Andrew Turner |
You can also watch it through iTunes (it'll be on the homepage, but also listed under video Podcasts).
Expectations:
-Tablet device that's more akin to a giant iPhone than a laptop computer
-Full-color e-reader
-mobile gaming and entertainment; music, movies and tv shows
-user-recognition
-limited 3d applications
Other expected announcements:
-TV programing deal for AppleTV and maybe iTunes
-New iPhone OS update
-New iTunes update
-iLife 2010, mainly tweaks to features and a decreased footprint
-New pricing schedule
Alizor |
Disenchanter wrote:Yikes...
I can't imagine anyone buying this. (Note, I still can't imagine anyone buying the iPhone - so it shows what I know.)
I think only two Paizo editors are without an iPhone so far, though it's Christmas eve, so you never know what might happen.
iPhones spread faster than H1N1.
Off-topic, but this quote is completely true. I came in to work at my current place a year and a half ago, about 1 month before the iPhone 3G was released. Within about 6 months our office of 100 literally had about 20 iPhones around, and it's still growing...
Sebastian Bella Sara Charter Superscriber |
Andrew Turner wrote:But can I draw on it?!?!? *shakes fist*Expectations:
-Tablet device that's more akin to a giant iPhone than a laptop computer
-Full-color e-reader
-mobile gaming and entertainment; music, movies and tv shows
-user-recognition
-limited 3d applications
You could probably scratch something into the screen or casing...
Whited Sepulcher |
You know folks, this is not like it's the very first tablet...
Many others exist already, and probably for a cheaper price...
But did those earlier tablets come with as much support as Apple will probably give it, especially in terms of applications? The user interface they got from experience with iphones and all probably will be interesting. I don't own an itouch or iphone, but the few times i've messed with them, I've been impressed.
To address the price, looks like the lowest model is starting at 499 and that's just the initial price offer, it'll probably drop in price within a year or so. I can see myself picking one of those up at that point instead of a netbook.
Andrew Turner |
Thought it was called the iPad.
I'm not a big fan of apple stuff but this might make me want to put up with the BS that goes with owning a apple product.
No-one really knew the name when I started this thread. Maybe Gary can fix the thread title.
Quandary |
Pricing from $499 for 16GB to $699 for 64GB (WIFI/Bluetooth), +$129 for 3G cellular data connection.
I think we can expect the features/price to follow the same curve as the iPod.
With AT&T offering contract-less 3G data plans: $15/mo for 250MB limit, $30/mo for unlimited data.
(including their WIFI like at Starbucks... If you prefer corporate coffee and don't like free WIFI)
Apparently it doesn't support the frequencies that T-Mobile uses for their 3G networks, so only AT&T in the US.
Contract-less is great, because it will really stimulate price competition between carriers, besides letting you turn it off when you're on vacation, or only 'upgrade' from the $15/mo 'plan' on the months when you actually are going to use more than the limit. And hopefully there will also be a 'subsidized price' for those willing to sign a 2-year contract.
Now if only a VOIP solution (ala Skype, Google Voice) can work with this... (it has the mike and a speaker)
Ross Byers RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32 |
GreatKhanArtist |
Lilith wrote:
But can I draw on it?!?!? *shakes fist*You can paint on it...
Now why would you guys need to do that? We already have a much simpler device at a far more affordable price to do that.
Seriously though, what's this thing supposed to do? I don't have a TV and live on a farm, so I have limited exposure to the outside world.
Lilith |
Lilith wrote:But can I draw on it?!?!? *shakes fist*You can paint on it...
GIGGITY! *explodes in fangirl glee*
Vic Wertz Chief Technical Officer |
Andrew Turner |
Looking around on the boards (not Paizo) this evening, and perusing some of the tech sites, it seems there's a mixed response to the iPad--I'm counting almost 50/50 love/hate.
Unfortunately, most of the negative responses I've read have been either patently teenager-esq anti-Apple remarks that say nothing at all toward the product itself, or they're lackluster comments (like at Ars Technica and Gizmodo) that have no meat.
As for me, I'm impressed with what I saw during the Keynote today and will be picking up a 64-WiFi model this March.
Xabulba |
Looking around on the boards (not Paizo) this evening, and perusing some of the tech sites, it seems there's a mixed response to the iPad--I'm counting almost 50/50 love/hate.
Unfortunately, most of the negative responses I've read have been either patently teenager-esq anti-Apple remarks that say nothing at all toward the product itself, or they're lackluster comments (like at Ars Technica and Gizmodo) that have no meat.
As for me, I'm impressed with what I saw during the Keynote today and will be picking up a 64-WiFi model this March.
Looking around on the tech sites also and it seems the general consensus is there isn't enough info released by Apple about what it can and won’t do to make a fair judgment about if the IPad is shiny or crap.
But the hype blown out by the Apple fanbois is way out of proportion to whatever the IPad will turn out to be.Quandary |
I will have to play with one in person before I know if it's something I'd want to use on a regular basis.
I'm the type of person who can't deal with "normal" smaller laptop screens (<15"), so I have my doubts.
(the type of person with really bad eyesight, that is :-))
I'm curious to find out more details of the new processor, which I expect is on par with most 'netbook' format laptops, and I tend to feel that an iPad-type format is just a better approach than shoe-horning an entire desktop OS into a teensy format computer like that. Interestingly, Apple themselves will apparently sell an external keyboard which would essentially give you the best of both worlds... I see this competing well against Windows and desktop Linux netbooks, though touch-optimized Linux variants (Moblin, Android) seem set to follow this path as well.
Andrew Turner |
Looking around on the tech sites also and it seems the general consensus is there isn't enough info released by Apple about what it can and won’t do to make a fair judgment about if the IPad is shiny or crap.
But the hype blown out by the Apple fanbois is way out of proportion to whatever the IPad will turn out to be.
I don't know what more they could have done: a 90-minute Keynote; SDK released today (you can download it yourself, including a simulator, if you want to develop an application), and actual devices at the event specifically for hands-on.
Anyone planning on getting one? Will you go with the WiFi-only model, or the WiFi+3G?
Initially, I thought that there's not a whole lot of need for the 3G model--I can find WiFi almost everywhere. But the iPad ships unlocked, so if you travel a lot (like I do), it might be useful. Thoughts?
Aberzombie |
I've always heard good things about Apple products, although I don't own any. From the articles I read, the ipad looks like a big version of the iphone. I was impressed with some of the ebook stuff, and the newspaper apps. I like the keyboard. And it looks like you can do portrait and landscape, which is nice.
I was surprised by the price, as I really thought that it was going to be more expensive.
It also looks like they're only going to offer it through AT&T, however, so that makes it a "no thanks" in my book. I've got nothing in particular against AT&T, but I see no reason to limit myself to one provider, just so I can have a particular gadget.
Andrew Turner |
...It also looks like they're only going to offer it through AT&T, however, so that makes it a "no thanks" in my book. I've got nothing in particular against AT&T, but I see no reason to limit myself to one provider, just so I can have a particular gadget.
You should go to the Apple site and look at the specs there; or watch the Keynote. The device will be offered with WiFi+3G, but in an unlocked format--you can put any micro sim card you want in the iPad. The deal with AT&T is a noncontractual prepay service, which is why the radio version is more expensive instead of less, as it's not subsidized.
If you want an iPad, you don't have to have service through AT&T, you don't have to own a Mac, and you don't even have to buy the 3G model.
Kabump |
Just found a laundry list of issues with the device, especially as they claim it to be a "laptop killer". The biggest to me being NO multitasking, no flash support and, here might be one of the biggest, NO USB. Thats right! You have to BUY and adapter to use USB. Which is pretty unfortunate, the initial look of this had me intrigued, as apple has generally put out a great product in the past. I thought that here I would have something I could easily bring to sessions with all my PDFs on it and view reasonably. While I could still do that, the other features, or rather lack there of, put me off. Which leads me to another question, anyone know of something similar sized, but in weight and screen size, that could be used for viewing PDFs?
LazarX |
Now if only a VOIP solution (ala Skype, Google Voice) can work with this... (it has the mike and a speaker)
Technically there's no reason it CAN'T work. and such hacks have been demonstrated on jailbroken ipod touches. But such apps have not gotten past the gatekeepers at the Apple store and the Federal Trade Commission has been asking some pointed questions to the folks at Apple, Google (who tried to market a VOIP app for the iphone/ipod touch), an AT&T who's got the current exclusive carrier contract in the United States.
Kabump |
You should go to the Apple site and look at the specs there; or watch the Keynote. The device will be offered with WiFi+3G, but in an unlocked format--you can put any micro sim card you want in the iPad.
Kind of a moot point when this is the ONLY device that uses the micro sim in this capacity. Prior to the iPad it was used as embedded memory in smart devices.
(quoting wikipedia) "A micro-SIM is a smaller version of a SIM card. Micro-SIMs have been used for a number of years in embedded smart devices, such as power meters.
I have nothing against apple, I think they make a fine product. I just think, the more I read about this device, that they dropped the ball on this one. Could have been a fantastic niche device, now its just a questionable niche device.