But wait for tomorrow... (now watch me be wrong :-)
No, you are right. The event is talking about a limited form of multitasking. Limited as in only certain services can be run in the background, not as in certain apps.
It looks as if the new iPhone OS will come pretty darn close to what most people want.
All Apple has to do now is lead the charge on innovating wireless security to prevent blindingly simple man-in-the-middle attacks, and the future of portable computing would look bright.
Note: This episode is recorded before the iPhone OS 4 event.
Note: This episode is recorded before the iPhone OS 4 event.
Basically what I'm coming away with all the reviews is that there is no killer feature that will insist that everyone gets it, and there is no major set back which will deter everyone from getting it.
So, as with pretty much all the tech stuff these days, it will come down to preference. If you are predisposed to Apple stuff, you'll probably get it. If you are predisposed against Apple stuff, you probably won't. For everybody else it'll probably depend on whether a) you can afford it, b) what your experience with iPhone/iPod Touches are and c) whether you're even interested in a tablet at all.
Greg
Basically what I'm coming away with all the reviews is that there is no killer feature that will insist that everyone gets it, and there is no major set back which will deter everyone from getting it.
I'm glad you said it first. ;-)
I've been getting a similar vibe. A vibe that if you stripped away the Apple brand, it would be a really bland device. And that if anyone else had produced it, it probably wouldn't do half as good.
The only consistent thing I have seen is that a consumer shouldn't waste their money on the case, even though the iPad really needs a case...
Basically what I'm coming away with all the reviews is that there is no killer feature that will insist that everyone gets it, and there is no major set back which will deter everyone from getting it.I'm glad you said it first. ;-)
I've been getting a similar vibe. A vibe that if you stripped away the Apple brand, it would be a really bland device. And that if anyone else had produced it, it probably wouldn't do half as good.
Well, that's not quite what I said, but given our respective filters, that's probably as close to agreement as we'll get. :)
I do believe that as a concept, that is, as a computer "appliance", it has tremendous potential. While this is not the first tablet computer to ever hit the market, it is certainly the first attempt at an appliance. It's the first device in a new fork off the traditional computer evolutionary line. There is a lot that can and will be done with this type of device, and we are just seeing the start of things.
Having said that, I'm still undecided about getting one. It isn't perfect. There's a few hardware additions I'd like to see (USB, HD video out, camera) and a few software additions I'd like (multiple accounts, at least a rudimentary file management system) but that's implementation, and a bit of nitpicking. They aren't show stoppers, just want I would like to see.
In the end, I think if I can turn all those tree-killing magazines that end up in our house into 1s and 0s, and if I can take it to the gaming table and it becomes a useful replacement for all those rule books I own, then it will go a long way to convincing me to give it a shot. (Just last night, I was lementing the ability to do a "search" through one of my old adventures for a specific term.)
My wife, on the other hand, who is an avid reader (and by no means an Apple devotee) was drooling over it when we saw a demo on tv the other day.
The only consistent thing I have seen is that a consumer shouldn't waste their money on the case, even though the iPad really needs a case...
Apple-branded accessories have always been over-priced. No big deal. There will be a whole host of 3rd party cases relased in the next few months.
Greg
Well, that's not quite what I said, but given our respective filters, that's probably as close to agreement as we'll get. :)Basically what I'm coming away with all the reviews is that there is no killer feature that will insist that everyone gets it, and there is no major set back which will deter everyone from getting it.I'm glad you said it first. ;-)
I've been getting a similar vibe. A vibe that if you stripped away the Apple brand, it would be a really bland device. And that if anyone else had produced it, it probably wouldn't do half as good.
Oh? I honestly don't see the difference in the statements... But you guessed that. I'd like to discuss it further, but this likely isn't the thread for it.
I don't agree with your assessment that the iPad signals a new fork in the traditional computer evolutionary line... But it certainly is the best announced fork.
Eh, there might be a time when the roles are reversed. I'm eagerly waiting for the real life equivalent to Shadowrun-esque cranial cyberdecks and vehicle control gear. I'll become an instant fanboi (maybe even squeal like a schoolgirl) of whatever company produces those.
Oh? I honestly don't see the difference in the statements...
I think we have different definitions for "bland". I consider "bland" to be quite a negative quality. And I wouldn't consider the iPad bland in the least bit.
But you guessed that. I'd like to discuss it further, but this likely isn't the thread for it.
I don't agree with your assessment that the iPad signals a new fork in the traditional computer evolutionary line... But it certainly is the best announced fork.
I will agree with you if you talk about form factor. The "tablet" as hardware has been around for a long time. (MS was associated with one as far back as 2001, I believe.) But up until the iPad, all tablets had desktop OSs with touch/stylus capability added.
And while it has been a criticism by some that the iPad is "just" an upscaled iPod Touch, the iPhone OS has only been around for 3 years. It is one of the youngest OS on the market today. To me, the combination of the tablet hardware and a mobile OS is a new way of looking at computing. For good or bad.
Eh, there might be a time when the roles are reversed. I'm eagerly waiting for the real life equivalent to Shadowrun-esque cranial cyberdecks and vehicle control gear. I'll become an instant fanboi (maybe even squeal like a schoolgirl) of whatever company produces those.
Case in point. I couldn't care for any of that. But then I'm almost at the age where sitting on my front stoop and yelling at the neighbour kids to get off my lawn is going to become mandatory. So I may just be a little too set in my ways. :)
Greg
Chief Technical Officer
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Basically what I'm coming away with all the reviews is that there is no killer feature that will insist that everyone gets it, and there is no major set back which will deter everyone from getting it.
So, as with pretty much all the tech stuff these days, it will come down to preference. If you are predisposed to Apple stuff, you'll probably get it. If you are predisposed against Apple stuff, you probably won't. For everybody else it'll probably depend on whether a) you can afford it, b) what your experience with iPhone/iPod Touches are and c) whether you're even interested in a tablet at all.
Greg
Excuse me, sir? You seem to be attempting moderation and rationality here, and are ascribing reasonable behaviors to people. I'm not sure they allow your kind on the Internet. You might want to consider adding some words like "r0xx0rs" or "suxx0rs" to your post before they come to kick off the net.
Basically what I'm coming away with all the reviews is that there is no killer feature that will insist that everyone gets it, and there is no major set back which will deter everyone from getting it....Excuse me, sir? You seem to be attempting moderation and rationality here, and are ascribing reasonable behaviors to people. I'm not sure they allow your kind on the Internet. You might want to consider adding some words like "r0xx0rs" or "suxx0rs" to your post before they come to kick off the net.
He just trying some weird psychological angle to get on Sebastian's Enemies List.
I think we have different definitions for "bland". I consider "bland" to be quite a negative quality. And I wouldn't consider the iPad bland in the least bit.
I see. I didn't mean bland negatively. It neither is "extra spicy" (everyone should try it) or "horrible tasting" (everyone should probably avoid it). It is just, bland. In the middle.
Eh, there might be a time when the roles are reversed. I'm eagerly waiting for the real life equivalent to Shadowrun-esque cranial cyberdecks and vehicle control gear. I'll become an instant fanboi (maybe even squeal like a schoolgirl) of whatever company produces those.Case in point. I couldn't care for any of that. But then I'm almost at the age where sitting on my front stoop and yelling at the neighbour kids to get off my lawn is going to become mandatory. So I may just be a little too set in my ways. :)
Greg
Oh, I am quite aware it wouldn't be for everyone. I had no plans to try spreading my excitement for those things. ;-) And I certainly would go into it knowing they are very much a bad idea in their early generations.
You seem to be attempting moderation and rationality here, and are ascribing reasonable behaviors to people. I'm not sure they allow your kind on the Internet. You might want to consider adding some words like "r0xx0rs" or "suxx0rs" to your post before they come to kick off the net.
Or, more importantly, we don't want to end up like planet Miranda (from Serenity/Firefly). Keep passions up, lest we die out.
Excuse me, sir? You seem to be attempting moderation and rationality here, and are ascribing reasonable behaviors to people. I'm not sure they allow your kind on the Internet. You might want to consider adding some words like "r0xx0rs" or "suxx0rs" to your post before they come to kick off the net.
I'm very sorry. I won't let it happen again.
I could go over the "Civil Religious Discussion" thread and start tossing around George Carlin quotes...
Would that be more appropriate?
Greg
I see. I didn't mean bland negatively. It neither is "extra spicy" (everyone should try it) or "horrible tasting" (everyone should probably avoid it). It is just, bland. In the middle.
Oh, ok. I get you. For whatever reason, "bland" is associated in my mind with tasteless food. So to me "bland" is bad.
But in this context I get your point.
Greg
Canada's release date for the wifi version was pushed back to late May, but they did give a firm date for taking preorders. There really hasn't been much said about the 3G model. While we have the iPhone on (sort of) 4 different providers (really just owned by 2), I don't think any of them will be willing to give Apple the same deal as AT&T did. Voice and data plans up here are firmly entrenched monopolies designed to inhibit competition, especially "nonCanadian" competition.
So still waiting. It will be interesting to see how they price it. With the dollar reaching parity, there will be a reluctance to pay higher than what a trip across the border would get.
On a slightly related note, it appears in the same day, Microsoft's "Courier" and HP "Slate" based on Win 7, have been uncermoniously canceled.
Courier cancelled
HP Slate cancelled
Whatever one's problems with Apple, one has to give them credit. If they announce it, they release it.
Greg
On a slightly related note, it appears in the same day, Microsoft's "Courier" and HP "Slate" based on Win 7, have been uncermoniously canceled.
I wonder if this is a "Microsoft thing" rather than any production decisions?
All the article about the HP Slate says is that HP is killing the Windows 7 tablet. And, those are currently unconfirmed (by HP) rumors, so it is possible the project will continue with another OS. I hope it does, because the Slate had good tech specs.
Paul Thurrott seems to agree with me.
This article confirms that the problem was with Win 7 for the Slate.
I wonder if this is a "Microsoft thing" rather than any production decisions?
Well, Microsoft is the common denominator, for sure.
All the article about the HP Slate says is that HP is killing the Windows 7 tablet. And, those are currently unconfirmed (by HP) rumors, so it is possible the project will continue with another OS. I hope it does, because the Slate had good tech specs.
I have no doubt. In fact, I think tablets as a form factor, from multiple companies, will become quite commonplace. Much as smart-phones have become. Originally, I was just pointing to the fact that two "iPad killers", as they have been called in the press, (and one which was showcased by Balmer himself) are not going to see the light of day.
And one of the big knocks against the iPad on most of the tech sites was that it wasn't a "real" operating system. For the HP Slate, the buzz seems to be that Win 7 was dropped for the Slate because the technology couldn't handle the desktop OS. So now we have HP saying that a stripped down OS (or at least one not as power hungry as Win 7) is required for a portable tablet device. Which is exactly what the iPad uses. One may not like iPhoneOS, which is perfectly reasonable. But now the people that want to make tablets are agreeing with Apple on what is required for an OS.
Again, you don't have to like the company or their products. But you have to give them some credit. They are willing to go out on a limb sometimes, defy the common sense thinking, only to be eventually proven right.
When was the last time you bought a computer with a floppy disk drive? The outcry when the first iMacs shipped without them was quite deafening. And while I don't really care one way or another, I bet dimes to dollars that this Apple vs Adobe thing with regards to Flash will not end well for Adobe. YMMV, of course.
Greg
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...When was the last time you bought a computer with a floppy disk drive? The outcry when the first iMacs shipped without them was quite deafening. And while I don't really care one way or another, I bet dimes to dollars that this Apple vs Adobe thing with regards to Flash will not end well for Adobe. YMMV, of course.
Greg
On a related note, while I can't remember the last time I saw a diskette for sale, you'll never believe what I saw in the PX today: mini-discs! Why, I thought only Fiennes' character in Strange Days had ever used one of these beauties (the betamax of discs!). Oh, sweet nostalgia...
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Why Apple Doesn't Support Adobe Flash
That I don't believe,
What he said is bull, The real truth is they don't want the competition Flash would bring to the Device, by allowing people do get apps by bypassing their store.
Adobe rebuttal to Jobs letter is more accurate to the truth.
Adobe Fires Back at Steve Jobs 'Smokescreen'
I also love how Jobs is pushing HTML5 as an alternate for video streaming, because it is open which Flash is not, while at the same time pushing using H.264 for streaming videos, which is not open and would cost a lot more then using flash.
I love the Itouch/phone/pad, but this lack of Flash is really pissing me off.
Edit: Edit out something Andrew edited out.
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...Edit: Edit out something Andrew edited out.
Yeah, I had also linked to the rebuttals, but my linking comments were unnecessarily snarky (and incorrect), so I deleted them. I was pretty sure someone else would come in and present the other side; and that it would be better if that wasn't me.
If nothing else, I can attest to Macs having issue with Flash, vis-à-vis Hulu.com (which is how I watch TV while I'm in school at Leavenworth). I'm only able to watch Hulu (which is Flash-based) for about 15 minutes before my fans go supersonic. I literally watch Hulu with headphones because the fans are so loud--and that's the only time I ever hear the fans running!
Also, I have to pause the stream every 25 minutes or so and let the VC cool down, or else I have to watch Lost and 24 with this nauseating frame rate jig. I can watch HTML5 movies on YouTube or The Box and never hear a hum from my Mac, and nary a frame rate issue, either. And before I started using ClicktoFlash (an app that lets you select whether or not you view Flash, and to what extent), I would get a couple Safari crashes a week.
Edit:
I should clarify, my Macs have never crashed, period. Flash has apparently crashed applications, specifically Safari and Chrome (on an iMac); and Office for Mac has crashed when I've run Flash embeds in PowerPoint or Excel (on a MacBook Pro and a MacBook Air).
And one of the big knocks against the iPad on most of the tech sites was that it wasn't a "real" operating system. For the HP Slate, the buzz seems to be that Win 7 was dropped for the Slate because the technology couldn't handle the desktop OS. So now we have HP saying that a stripped down OS (or at least one not as power hungry as Win 7) is required for a portable tablet device. Which is exactly what the iPad uses. One may not like iPhoneOS, which is perfectly reasonable. But now the people that want to make tablets are agreeing with Apple on what is required for an OS.
The current speculation is that HP plans on using Palms' WebOS, since HP recently acquired Palm.
When was the last time you bought a computer with a floppy disk drive?
The last time I bought a computer with a floppy drive? About 8 years ago.
The last time I needed, really needed (as in no other option will do)? About 6 months ago.
Am I "typical?" Far from it. But Apple has shown a trend of walking away from something they think is dead, while it still kicks and breaths for a decade or more.
The current speculation is that HP plans on using Palms' WebOS, since HP recently acquired Palm.
I agree. Which was my point. Desktop OS for mobile computing = bad.
When was the last time you bought a computer with a floppy disk drive?The last time I bought a computer with a floppy drive? About 8 years ago.
The last time I needed, really needed (as in no other option will do)? About 6 months ago.
Am I "typical?" Far from it. But Apple has shown a trend of walking away from something they think is dead, while it still kicks and breaths for a decade or more.
No. Far from it. Apple doesn't walk away from something they think is dead. Apple walks away from something they think should die. My point about the floppy was not that it isn't still used. It's that Apple lead the way for it's removal.
Flash is still abundantly used. But Apple thinks it shouldn't. So they are trying to find away around it. Not many companies have the guts to go against the stream that way.
Greg
I also love how Jobs is pushing HTML5 as an alternate for video streaming, because it is open which Flash is not, while at the same time pushing using H.264 for streaming videos, which is not open and would cost a lot more then using flash.
The way I understand it, Flash and H.264 are apples and oranges. Flash is a programming language. You MUST buy the Adobe "compiler" and they control the capabilities of Flash. It is as closed as closed can get. H.264 is a video codec. It is "open" in the sense that it is royalty-free and can be run in a browser using HTML5 which IS open and will eventually become a web standard. And in fact, in a lot of cases, H.264 is actually being run inside a Flash wrapper. So you could get rid of Flash if you re-wrote the HTML to use HTML5 instead of Flash.
I love the Itouch/phone/pad, but this lack of Flash is really pissing me off.
Transitions are always painful. Disenchanter still used floppies up until 6 months ago. There will always be people who want/need the old "standards". In a few years, you probably won't know it's gone.
Greg
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Utilizing the 3G radio via any carrier and with a standard SIM card.
It won't be long before we see a commercially-produced adapter. Meanwhile, make your own and use the standard SIM from one of your older cells.
H.264 is a video codec. It is "open" in the sense that it is royalty-free and can be run in a browser using HTML5 which IS open and will eventually become a web standard.
Close.
H.264 was going to require royalties in 2011, but has had that extended to 2015.
(Probably to compete with the following.)
That is why the news that Google was making the V8 codec open source was so well received.
Close.
Knew about the 2015 deadline. It is royalty-free now. And I'm sure in 5 years, there will be other codecs supported by HTML 5 and the various browsers.
5 years is a long time away. That's why it doesn't bother me that royalties will kick in in 5 years. By then, something even more open will be the next kid on the block. By making HTML5 the standard - and open - there is a much better chance for other codecs to be supported.
If we leave it up to Adobe, well, not sure I want that...
Greg
You may have known, but I didn't want to perpetuate the myth that "codecs are free."
Way too many people do not understand that there are only a handful of royalty free codecs (the most popular being "overseen" by xiph.org), and the rest are supposed to be paid for. ((For others reading - yes, every device that can play MP3s, every video you watch in AVC/H.264, etc., has someone, somewhere, paying royalties to someone. Or is breaking copyright law.))
Because of this discussion, I looked into it and found a reason why Apple is spurning Adobe and pushing for H.264. They are a licensor. Which means anyone producing H.264 videos are paying Apple (and the other licensors on that list) money to do so. ((H.264 is only royalty free for end users. EDIT:: Ninja-ed on this point))
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Anyway the point was that one of Apples main contentions against flash was that it was closed, but as a replacement they are pushing a codecs that is closed., something seems wrong there.
I could really care less about video streaming anyway; my interest in flash is the other things it is used for other then video. There are things I am using that use flash and the ability to use that on my future iPad would raise its usefulness for myself a hundred fold!
I could really care less about video streaming anyway; my interest in flash is the other things it is used for other then video. There are things I am using that use flash and the ability to use that on my future iPad would raise its usefulness for myself a hundred fold!
Are you aware of Packager for iPhone? It is still questionable if it will be legal on iPhone OS 4... But if Adobe and Apple can come to some agreement it might open the door for you.
Here is a very interesting opinion piece about why Apple today does what it does. Seems to be pretty sound reasoning to me.
Greg
I saw my first iPad yesterday. Guy at a convention exhibit booth was streaming video to it as a display of his company's equipment in use. Unfortunately, they were actually using it to work, and wouldn't let me play with it. Ah well.
Andrew, did your 3G show up? Gonna post your thoughts on it at some point?
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I saw my first iPad yesterday. Guy at a convention exhibit booth was streaming video to it as a display of his company's equipment in use. Unfortunately, they were actually using it to work, and wouldn't let me play with it. Ah well.
Andrew, did your 3G show up? Gonna post your thoughts on it at some point?
I'm sitting in my favorite armchair right now, typing up this post on my new iPad. On my desk, just across the room, sits a standard dock and the slightly more elaborate keyboard dock. I use the small dock to charge the iPad (or Puddle Jumper, as I've affectionately termed it), and it doubles nicely as a digital photo frame or desk clock, calendar, etc. The keyboard dock is very useful, as it's a full-size Apple keyboard, but I haven't used it too much yet. The virtual keyboard on the iPad is perfect. In fact, I've noticed I make as many typos as on a physical keyboard, and the iPad has corrected the ones I've made in this post already--like properly apostrophizing it's and I've.
The truth is, I've had this baby for a week now and it's already made my life easier. One key example is the classroom. A couple days ago I had a class with a very complicated and cluttered slideshow that I really couldn't discern from the back of the room. We have built-in computers at each desk, but most professors have a strict screens-down policy during class. I was able to hold the iPad in my lap, and since it looks in it's sleek neoprene black folder to be a notepad, no-one was the wiser that I was logged in to the school network and reviewing the slides in my lap. For a Korean history class I'm in there are three ginormous (wow, iPad recognizes ginormous as a word) hardcover textbooks that we have to bring to class every session, and unlike most courses, we actually read from and reference each book in each class. I spent $35 and purchased Kindle editions of the books. While I'm missing out on some old b&w photos and maps, I'm no longer carrying around 25 pounds of paper, and in no time flat (in fact, the wifi on my iPad is faster at connecting than the CPU at my desk, hardwired in as it is) I can do a quick images search and find the photos or map we're looking at in the book.
This device is so much more portable than a laptop; it's even easier to carry around than my MBA, and since there's no screen to flip up from the keyboard, it's nice and covert, even during boring guest speaker assemblies. I have actually started carrying around my novel again, which gets a page here and there catch-as-catch can, but now may actually get written.
I wondered what I would do about work. The Army is MS Office-dependent. But that worry was quickly alleviated. I installed iWork, which includes Pages (Word), Keynote (PowerPoint), and Numbers (Excel). When my peeps send me a .ppt or .doc or .xls, my iPad auto-converts to the right iWork format, I make changes or notes, send it back to them, and they open it in Office, with no issues whatsoever. This is spectacular and a big sell-point in my business--MS Office is the number one factor invoked when government types waffle over whether to use Mac or PC.
Other features I'm impressed with:
Mail is actually easier to use on the iPad than it is on the iMac. Everything is organized and accessible with a mere touch (ha, ha). My calendar (iCal) looks better on iPad than it does on the iMac, and it's easier to use and update. I'll have to show that in the video I put up this weekend. Movies and tv shows can't compete with a 52 inch screen, but I find the experience exponentially better on iPad than a laptop. The iTunes interface is actually more intuitive and easier to use than on the MacBook. Photos (managed on my system with iPhoto) look absolutely brilliant, and they're easier to manipulate and move around and organize on iPad than on the iMac. Sharing data is dreamlike, with options between devices managed via Bluetooth, and access to the cloud is seamless and near-automatic.
Drawbacks: small PDF files look great and there's no lag time in viewing and scrolling (good for PDF files you might get in an email). Large files can be easily converted to the EPUB format, but licensed files, like our Paizo PDFs, which contain user information at the bottom of each page, are problematic. When you convert the file to EPUB it includes a separate page of user information (that stuff at the bottom of the page) for each page, so you get Pathfinder RPG cover page, then page that lists Paizo info and my email, etc. And you get this for each and every page. Finally, (that's right, I've really only got a couple issues with the device) there are no arrow keys on the virtual keyboard, which would be nice when editing a document.
Well, that's a quick look. I'll post more later, and look for the video on my YouTube page later this weekend.
I've had a similar experience with my iPad. I agree that having arrow keys would make the virtual keypad near-perfect for typing/editing posts/IMs/what have you, but I will be using the keyboard for longer-form writing.
As for Paizo PDFs, have you tried Good Reader? It's on sale for 0.99 right now, and it's well worth it.
I wondered what I would do about work. The Army is MS Office-dependent. But that worry was quickly alleviated. I installed iWork, which includes Pages (Word), Keynote (PowerPoint), and Numbers (Excel). When my peeps send me a .ppt or .doc or .xls, my iPad auto-converts to the right iWork format, I make changes or notes, send it back to them, and they open it in Office, with no issues whatsoever. This is spectacular and a big sell-point in my business--MS Office is the number one factor invoked when government types waffle over whether to use Mac or PC.
I find that hard to believe. NOTE: I'm not suggesting your are misrepresenting the facts at all. I've just never found a "Microsoft alternative" to work very well with Microsoft products. And if it did, Microsoft did something to bork that up in short order.
Unrelated:
Have you found the 3G useful at all? From what I have seen, the GPS functionality is questionable at best, and the 3G can be more of a bother than it is worth. iLounge does a pretty good review of this.
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I wondered what I would do about work. The Army is MS Office-dependent. But that worry was quickly alleviated. I installed iWork, which includes Pages (Word), Keynote (PowerPoint), and Numbers (Excel). When my peeps send me a .ppt or .doc or .xls, my iPad auto-converts to the right iWork format, I make changes or notes, send it back to them, and they open it in Office, with no issues whatsoever. This is spectacular and a big sell-point in my business--MS Office is the number one factor invoked when government types waffle over whether to use Mac or PC.
I find that hard to believe. NOTE: I'm not suggesting your are misrepresenting the facts at all. I've just never found a "Microsoft alternative" to work very well with Microsoft products. And if it did, Microsoft did something to bork that up in short order.Unrelated:
Have you found the 3G useful at all? From what I have seen, the GPS functionality is questionable at best, and the 3G can be more of a bother than it is worth. iLounge does a pretty good review of this.
I'll show the Office-iWork interoperability in the video. I'm absolutely amazed by it, especially that Apple never once mentioned it in any of the Keynotes or even on the website. Schiller never elaborated on that aspect in the initial Keynote except to say, something to the effect of, "works seamlessly cross-platform.'
I haven't had a lot of opportunity to pace the 3G radio because, at least in the last week, I haven't been out-of-range of WiFi. My usage reads: 689 KB sent; 2.4 MB received. And that's literally over the last 7 days. My neighbor has a WiFi-only model, and I don't notice any appreciable difference in feel or weight. As to the GPS function...I don't know. The couple GPS apps I've downloaded aren't very good, and the end-capability isn't much better than Google maps determining your location via an internet connection. In fact, thanks to an unencrypted service (since this is a civilian device), an internet-based location is more accurate, often, than a space-based system.
[rant]Not to mention the fact that this is Assisted GPS, which contrary to marketing, is absolutely not better than 'normal' GPS. Don't believe the scut that it take 2-3 satellites to derive coordinates: it takes 4 satellites; 3 for trilateration, and a 4th for timing. Using cell towers with a genuine GPS receiver to augment data to and from a device like an iPhone or iPad still requires 4 satellites, and they still operate in the same way, and using the same physics. [/rant]
Nonetheless, I haven't found a good use of the device's GPS capability. As to data rates and throughput: my key reason behind buying the 3G version was (1) email and (2) general surfing of news-related content when I'm out-of-range. My job requires near constant access to email and an ability to transmit and receive data (MS Office products). For my low-use purposes (no plan to stream videos on the road, for example), the $15/month plan is fine and I think I'm unlikely to require the unlimited plan.
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Chief Technical Officer
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Other features I'm impressed with:
Mail is actually easier to use on the iPad than it is on the iMac.
When I was first reading about the iPad, the screenshots of the Mail app really jumped out at me. I hope some of those features will make the next major rev of the desktop Mail.app! (And this is speaking as somebody who thinks that Mail.app is possibly the single best mail reader ever designed—and has been since it was NeXTMail in 1992...)
We used the GPS to find a store in Knoxville, TN while we were traveling through. It worked pretty well, if a bit slow (about 15 seconds to find something nearby).
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I've had a similar experience with my iPad. I agree that having arrow keys would make the virtual keypad near-perfect for typing/editing posts/IMs/what have you, but I will be using the keyboard for longer-form writing.
As for Paizo PDFs, have you tried Good Reader? It's on sale for 0.99 right now, and it's well worth it.
Wow--thanks for the tip! 99¢ is a steal! Goodreader is absolutely awesome; precisely what I was looking for. Paizo PDFs look great, load fast, and pages transition smoothly. Wonderful!
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When I was first reading about the iPad, the screenshots of the Mail app really jumped out at me. I hope some of those features will make the next major rev of the desktop Mail.app! (And this is speaking as somebody who thinks that Mail.app is possibly the single best mail reader ever designed—and has been since it was NeXTMail in 1992...)
I don't suppose you actually own one of the Cubes...
Thanks for the report Andrew. I've been mulling over what the advantages of 3G vs Wifi would be for me, and have concluded that the wifi should be sufficient. If I turn out to be wrong, it will be a good excuse to upgrade later once the 2nd generation devices come out. :)
I look forward to seeing your video - I'll check later this weekend.
Two days till preorders go live in Canada for wifi version! I'm still a bit worried that the demand in the States may delay us up here again, and unfortunately the final release date is still up in the air.
@Vic
I like Mail. My early experience was primarily with pine, eudora and nothing fancy. I suspect that in comparison to a lot of people here my use is fairly limited, as my work is not reliant on email. As "simple" as Mail presents itself (had my Mom using it properly within 5 min tho she'd never used a computer before), I feel that I'm using only a fraction of its functionality and "review some Mail tutorials" has been on my todo list for about a year now. I am not fond of the port to the iPhone (email has been my only regret so far switching from my Blackberry), and agree the iPad version looks pretty good. I'm hoping OS 4 incorporates some improvements for the iPhone this summer. I am almost at the point where my desktop email program functions only as an archive. - the iPad may finish what my smartphones started.
As for Paizo PDFs, have you tried Good Reader? It's on sale for 0.99 right now, and it's well worth it.Wow--thanks for the tip! 99¢ is a steal! Goodreader is absolutely awesome; precisely what I was looking for. Paizo PDFs look great, load fast, and pages transition smoothly. Wonderful!
Dropbox/Goodreader/Paizo stuff is a great combination!
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2012
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Dropbox/Goodreader/Paizo stuff is a great combination!As for Paizo PDFs, have you tried Good Reader? It's on sale for 0.99 right now, and it's well worth it.Wow--thanks for the tip! 99¢ is a steal! Goodreader is absolutely awesome; precisely what I was looking for. Paizo PDFs look great, load fast, and pages transition smoothly. Wonderful!
With the latest version of iTunes, you won't even need Dropbox. You'll be able to give Goodreader access to the device, and you can copy directly from your PC.
As for Paizo PDFs, have you tried Good Reader? It's on sale for 0.99 right now, and it's well worth it.
Goodreader should be offering you commissions. :)
I bought it at your recommendation couple of months ago for the iPhone, and I was glad to see them get on board the iPad so early.